back to article What Brexit means for you as a motorist

The UK has voted in favour of leaving the European Union and in the past few days the markets have reacted violently, plunging the pound to its lowest level against the US dollar since the mid-1980s. Nobody’s really sure what the future holds for the UK or for its economy, but the referendum result has gone against the wishes …

  1. J. R. Hartley

    Possibly

    1. AMBxx Silver badge
      Facepalm

      Or possibly not, or possibly something else all together!

      What a pointless article - does the author work for Gartner?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        re. What a pointless article - does the author work for Gartner?

        possibly.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      @J.R.

      Exactly.

      Isn't it odd how us in Holland get the same "motivation speeches"? What could the Brexit mean for us: more costs, it'll be harder to go to England, it'll be much harder to get back, etc, etc.

      Basically: "Gas prices in Holland will go up when the Brexit happens" a Dutch news article once claimed. To which I had an obvious question: "So if we don't get a Brexit would that be a guarantee that the prices will remain the same?".

    3. Starace

      Possibly maybe.

      I just ended up wondering what an opinion piece about Brexit related motoring costs is doing in the hardware section of an IT site?

      Though El Reg is rapidly morphing into the technology wing of the Guardian so I'm not surprised this got shoehorned in.

    4. Martin Summers Silver badge

      Exactly what I was thinking. The whole article is full of if could might and expected and totally ignoring the 'will' in the paragraph heading. Mostly all doom and gloom. Fact is the markets and the pound are rallying after an initial spooking, as people have realised that oh look the world as we know it hasn't ended and life has to go on as normal.

      1. paulf
        Headmaster

        @ Martin Summers

        "Fact is the markets and the pound are rallying after an initial spooking"

        Not entirely. Right now (Mon 4 July) Sterling is about £1:$1.32690 which is lower against USD than it was on Fri 24 June after the initial fall as the result became clear.

        As for the "markets" which I'll take as company share values. These are priced in Sterling (pence) but, in the case of the FTSE100 at least, they represent a load of companies that earn much of their gross revenue in foreign currencies. So perhaps the share price for $MegaGBCorp has, nominally, returned to the same level in pence that it was around 22 June but on 22 June Sterling was around £1:$1.48 whereas now £1:$1.33 or roughly 11% below the referendum value. The point is the market has inherently priced in the lower value of sterling which lifts the shares in their native devalued currency.

        It's staggering how many people don't get this relationship - that the hammered currency is priced into the share price "rally" but this is a fact lost on Financial "Journalists" working at pro-leave papers too <coughs>Daily Heil</coughs>.

        If a currency adjusted net drop of 11% is what you call a rally I dread to think what you'd call a crash!

  2. Andrew Moore

    On the plus side...

    Duty Free for anyone travelling between the UK and the EU...

    1. wolfetone Silver badge

      Re: On the plus side...

      "Duty Free for anyone travelling between the UK and the EU..."

      If you look at it like that then yeah, it's a good thing. But it comes crashing down to Earth when you can only bring 16 litres of Duty Free beer home with you in the boot of your Corolla.

      1. Mage Silver badge

        Re: On the plus side...

        Duty Free was an Irish invention at Shannon to make money.

        Many "duty free" things are actually cheaper in supermarkets in some countries!

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: On the plus side...

      Duty free was a total fallacy. What about the really severe limits on what you can bring back eh?

      Two bottles of plonk or one of the hard stuff. Really? This a step forward?

      Oh, and don't forget about having to pay for a visa to go on your hols. A Visa for France (in the schengen area) could cost you £70 (if they take pounds) each.

      Then we will get to exchange controls. As intriduced by the Wilson Gov to stem the flow of cash from this country. This will limit how much you can take with you when you leave the country.

      Think that this is all pie in the sky? Well, given the lack of a plan the the Breiteers for when they won (like the Iraq war...) and the mood in the EU to stick it to us all those promises about negociating a deal with the EU will be impossible. They could even give us 'unfavouable' nation status.

      What price a few bottles of duty free plonk eh?

      What price all the jobs that will head over to Europe?

      What price the 3 Million unemployed eh?

      IMHO, this was a totally stupid decision and I'm in the age group that was supposed to have voted out.

      I didn't so don't blame me for the mess this country becomes.

      1. TeeCee Gold badge
        WTF?

        Re: On the plus side...

        Visa controls? Seriously?

        Pigs might fly. Even the bloody US operates a visa waiver for the UK and they're seriously fucking paranoid.

        1. Anonymous Blowhard

          Re: On the plus side...

          "Even the bloody US operates a visa waiver for the UK"

          And it costs money...

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: On the plus side...

            It's $14, not £70 (although the two may reach parity soon)

          2. James 51

            Re: On the plus side...

            Actually they've brought visas back in all but name and now they want you to hand over all your social media info too.

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: On the plus side... (bloody US operates a visa waiver for the UK)

          I would like to point kindly, that the US visa waiver application form is at least 70% identical with a US visa application form.

          On top of which, in both cases you can be kicked out on entry with no real appeal procedure. Don't ask me why, it's because.

          1. JohnMurray

            Re: On the plus side... (bloody US operates a visa waiver for the UK)

            Because of the long list of exemptions from the VWP...

            Which includes traffic convictions...and certain diseases..

            And they do know, because of information exchange between the UK and US.

            And they will know lots more as soon as the EU stops interfering in us giving personal data away to Uncle Sam/Tom/ETC

          2. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: US visa waiver application form is at least 70% identical with a US visa application form.

            The application forms are similar, but the costs and procedures are definitively not.

            My wife has a Japanese passport, she is eligible for the waiver. I have a Brazilian one, and am not eligible.

            She can do the whole application online for 14 bucks. After two days she gets the reply, print it, and it is done.

            I must pay around 140 just for scheduling the interview, then I must travel to a city where they have an embassy or consulate, then wait hours, then wait for one or two weeks to get the visa stamped on the passport. In some cases they may even ask for additional documents like statements from employers and the manager of the bank where I have my account in.

            I don't recall if the visa is valid for 5 or 10 years, and for how long the ESTA authorization is valid. But definitively the procedure is not the same.

            1. Richard 12 Silver badge

              Re: US visa waiver application form is at least 70% identical with a US visa application form.

              And an Egyptian single-entry visa is as follows:

              Pay $15, stick sticker in passport.

              The US ESTA "visa waiver programme" is simply a different type of 2-year multi-entry visa.

        3. Naughtyhorse

          Re: Even the bloody US operates a visa waiver for the UK

          at the moment....

        4. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: On the plus side...

          Even the bloody US operates a visa waiver for the UK

          These days, with an ESTA you can even join the "US Citizen" line and use the same automated passport booths as the locals do.

        5. CommanderGalaxian
          FAIL

          Re: On the plus side...

          Yeah but, to qualify for the visa waiver, you've got to go on line, pay a fee and supply exactly the sort of information that you'd have to supply for, errr, a visa.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: On the plus side...

            $14 for a 2-year ESTA, $160 for a 6-month visa, and for a visa you need to supply a lot more info.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        "...I didn't so don't blame me for the mess this country becomes"

        I also won't congratulate you should things turn out rather better than you're expecting.

        Why do you think you're important enough to warrant blame anyway?

    3. P. Lee

      Re: On the plus side...

      So many contradictory statements, no arguments, no evidence... no meaning.

      >Duty Free for anyone travelling between the UK and the EU...

      or they might just do the sensible things and say, "carry on as before," pretty much as is the response in every single area.

      Hello Bong? I've got your nephew Ryan here. He says he works for you.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    With all these "what does brexit mean to you as a ....." articles everywhere is anyone else thinking of the suggestions from DeepThought to Majicthise and Vroomfondle in H2GT2G?

    "Get yourself on the pundit circuit, go on the chat shows and the colour supplements and violently disagree with each other about how brexit might work. And if you get yourselves clever agents, you’ll be on the gravy train for life."

    1. WonkoTheSane
      Thumb Up

      There's ALWAYS room for a HHGttG quote. Have an upvote!

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    So essentially

    Nothing good has come of this whatsoever? Who'd have thought?

    1. StephenD

      Re: So essentially

      Anyone who thought good would come five days after the vote had seriously not understood things. On the optimistic scenarios, then maybe in five or ten years. Possibly. Perhaps.

      1. itzman
        Mushroom

        Re: So essentially

        Anyone who thought good would come five days after the vote had seriously not understood things. On the optimistic scenarios, then maybe in five or ten years. Possibly. Perhaps.

        But lots of good stuff is happening:

        Cameron is toast,

        Corbyn has revealed what sort of swine he really is

        Labour is toast.

        We get to see Farage hammering it to the EU apparatchiks, and them revealing what swine they are too.

        We get to see Scotland grovelling to the EU, and being told to eff off.

        We get to see BBC 'experts' being wrong, then wrong again, and finally completely wrong.

        And to cap it all there is the possibility the whole EU itself could implode.

        Bob Geldof will never be taken seriously again.

        It's like a massive episode of 'Little Europe' - 'The people say 'Noooowooo''

        The gift that keeps on giving.

        1. CommanderGalaxian
          Happy

          Re: So essentially

          Here we see Scotland being told to eff off by the EU:

          http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-summit-idUSKCN0ZF0LM

          1. Voland's right hand Silver badge

            Re: So essentially

            Here we see Scotland being told to eff off by the EU:

            Not quite. In fact not at all.

            Scotland was very clearly told that it will not get anything as long as it in any shape or form is a part of a non-Eu UK. It has to reapply for Eu status as an independent country outside Uk. That process is dependent on having your laws and regulations assessed as compatible with Eu. This is why it takes 5-7 years. Now, what is the time to assess the laws and regulations which are already compliant and compatible and have not changed?

            Asking once... asking twice... asking thrice...

            So frankly, the only thing which separates Scotland once it declares independence from Eu membership is the two votes in the commission and Eu parliament provided that it does it immediately and forces the issue to a vote as well as forces the "compatibility check" to a vote. The Spanish and the Belgians would love to obstruct it, but in reality, they cannot.

            It is quite entertaining, by "not interfering" in UK internal politics, the EU has just thrown a barrel bomb into the middle of it.

            1. codejunky Silver badge

              Re: So essentially

              @ Voland's right hand

              "the only thing which separates Scotland once it declares independence from Eu membership is the two votes in the commission and Eu parliament"

              Also their deficit has to be 3% of GDP or less (or at least getting there). And as a new member will have to agree to join the Euro.

              1. Anonymous Coward
                Joke

                Re: So essentially

                OOhh, this is gonna be a hell of a rebuild to Hadrians wall.....

                Wonder if the EU will fund it.

                Grabs popcorn...

                1. Anonymous Coward
                  Anonymous Coward

                  Re: So essentially (Hadrians Wall)

                  The party (shortly to replace the conservative party once labour kills itself off) will build it to 'control' immigration from an EU Scotland). At the English taxpayers expense of course, so they decide to tax popcorn...

                  If Scotland leaves, pressure will start building between north and south England IMO.

                2. Anonymous Coward
                  Anonymous Coward

                  Re: So essentially

                  > OOhh, this is gonna be a hell of a rebuild to Hadrians wall.....

                  > Wonder if the EU will fund it.

                  "The Scots will build it, and the Scots will pay for it"

              2. Voland's right hand Silver badge

                Re: So essentially

                Also their deficit has to be 3% of GDP or less (or at least getting there). And as a new member will have to agree to join the Euro.

                Correct, however they are not obliged to comply with either one of these requirements day one. They can join the Eu by showing a compliance plan and a roadmap on these two.

                The first one is something they need to figure out if they are to go independent anyway. No way around it.

                The second one is something the Scottish voters have to be aware of when voting.

                That is a relatively minor hurdle compared to overhauling you border system, criminal code, law enforcement, health and safety regs, discrimination regs, demonstrating success in beating the mob and the grey economy, etc. This is off the top of my head - what Bulgaria and Romania had to go through as the most recent arrivals. Both did not need to join the Euro, just declare an intent. Bulgaria can execute on it any time they like, they are just not bothered:

                BG debt stats

                So "declaration of intent to join the Euro" clearly does not mean joining it even when you possess the fiscal discipline to have the capacity to do so.

          2. The Nazz

            Re: So essentially

            I wonder what the relative percentages, Remain/Leave will become when Sturgeon, sorry i mean Scotland are told that their bill is £12bn a year and their "allocation" of hitherto non-EU migrants is circa 500,000.

        2. lorisarvendu
          FAIL

          Re: So essentially

          "But lots of good stuff is happening:

          Cameron is toast,

          Corbyn has revealed what sort of swine he really is

          Labour is toast.

          We get to see Farage hammering it to the EU apparatchiks, and them revealing what swine they are too.

          We get to see Scotland grovelling to the EU, and being told to eff off.

          We get to see BBC 'experts' being wrong, then wrong again, and finally completely wrong.

          And to cap it all there is the possibility the whole EU itself could implode.

          Bob Geldof will never be taken seriously again.

          It's like a massive episode of 'Little Europe' - 'The people say 'Noooowooo''

          The gift that keeps on giving."

          Oh well, in that case I don't mind my standard of living dropping, unemployment going up, and generally everything costing me more, just so long as you've had a good laugh.

        3. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: So essentially

          "We get to see Farage hammering it to the EU apparatchiks, and them revealing what swine they are too."

          You obviously didn't see the programme I did. In the one I saw, the school leaver at 16 who was found a job by Daddy blanket accused MEPs of never having had proper jobs - untrue - and generally behaved like a spoilt little kid having a tantrum. He ended up by telling them to grow up, something he has resisted doing since he was in short trousers. He was, in fact, being rude to MEPs who had been elected, not unelected civil servants.

          As one MEP remarked, the biggest waste in the EU has been 17 years of Farage's salary.

          1. fruitoftheloon
            Happy

            @Voyna i Mor: Re: So essentially

            Voyna,

            so what do you think of the items in the speech re the failed currency and the f'ed youth generation of southern europe re their employment prospects (which OOI was the main reason why I voted out).

            Do you think many MEPs have much actual experience of the real world vis-a-vis Joe/Jane Doe in Euroland???

            So what would you have the EC do differently?

            Cheers,

            jay

        4. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

          Re: So essentially

          "We get to see Farage hammering it to the EU apparatchiks, and them revealing what swine they are too."

          You forgot to mention the bit where EU reps basically called Farage a liar for his Brexit campaign, which was amusing.

          1. codejunky Silver badge

            Re: So essentially

            @ John Brown (no body)

            "You forgot to mention the bit where EU reps basically called Farage a liar for his Brexit campaign, which was amusing."

            I have to laugh when the pot calls the kettle. Except Farage played a pretty honest campaign while both official campaigns were so amazingly FUD I seriously suspected the official Leave campaign to be some sort of trojan horse effort. Until I realised they didnt set the bar any lower than the FUD from the remain side.

            Regardless of the winner this wasnt a referendum we can be proud of.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: So essentially

      what do you mean NOTHING GOOD COME OUT OFIT?! We're INDINPENDINT like and stuff!!!!!!

    3. Anonymous Coward
      WTF?

      Re: So essentially

      Nothing good has come of this whatsoever? Who'd have thought?

      But weren't we supposed to have doubled the NHS funding, thrown all the foreign johnnies out, and set a date for getting the Empire back (weather permitting) by now?

    4. Voland's right hand Silver badge

      Re: So essentially

      Yes and no. The article is retarded to the extreme and incompetent to the extreme.

      The underlying root cause for the so called "Eu insurance expense" is the fact that a Eu country insurance includes a mandatory 3rd party cover and mandatory validity for at least 3 months a year in ALL European countries and Turkey with the exception of Albania, Belorussia, Kosovo and Albania. With its secession from Serbia, Monte-Negro dropped out of the insurance mechanism, but AFAIK it is trying to (if not already) get back.

      Being outside the Eu does _NOT_ remove this expense. It is part of the standard insurance terms for the whole continent now, not just the Eu.

      So first of all, going outside the Eu will reduce the local insurance costs _ONLY_ if a country also leaves the entire European (not Eu) insurance pool and insurance validity treaties and exchange mechanisms. Going outside the Eu does not change a thing.

      If this happens, this means we will be back to car green cards for everything and the corresponding decrease in validity of cover abroad and massive increase in costs. If that happens, you will see the truckers set the house of parliament on fire with Boris nailed up to the front gate with tools from the truck toolkit on the next day. They will be supported by any industry which depends on trucks to move their goods around.

    5. fruitoftheloon
      Happy

      @AC: Re: So essentially

      Dear AC,

      a lot of good 'has come of this' - quite a lot of folk in the Euroland theme park have realised that maybe they can have a voice....

      Of course it is way too early to say exactly what the +/- items are, anyone who says otherwise is telling pork pies...

      But plusses and minuses there certainly will be...

      JAy

  5. Conrad Longmore

    Passport, driving licence validity

    Where your driving licence will be valid in the UK, there's a possibility that it will not be valid in Europe. Even more likely, the EU-style passport may not be valid for travel to EU countries at least, because travellers will no longer have the rights and privileges of being an EU citizen.. that will be something the EU will have to decide.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Passport, driving licence validity

      Where your driving licence will be valid in the UK, there's a possibility that it will not be valid in Europe.

      Why not? It's valid in the US, Australia, New Zealand, and plenty of other non-EU places, and the reverse is true as well.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Passport, driving licence validity

        Because f***wit it will have an EU stamp on it, to whch we will not be entitled. Therefore, countries in the EU may not honour it.

        1. james 68

          Re: Passport, driving licence validity

          EU flag on it? so what?

          It doesn't have a Japanese flag on it, yet the Japanese not only accept it at full face value but will happily give you a Japanese licence of the same grade without you needing to take any kind of test. If the Euros don't accept it then it wont be because of a little flag, it'll be because of sheer bloodymindedness.

          1. phuzz Silver badge

            Re: Passport, driving licence validity

            "it'll be because of sheer bloodymindedness"

            Fortunately it's only us brits that have a monopoly on bloodymindeness right?

            1. james 68

              Re: Passport, driving licence validity

              Hell no, haven't you ever met the French? who do you think taught it to us during the Norman occupation? ;-)

              1. PatientOne

                Re: Passport, driving licence validity

                "who do you think taught it to us during the Norman occupation?"

                The Norse Men*.

                That's where Norman came from. They were Norse mercenaries who fought for the Franc King and were granted land in payment. That land became known as Normandy.

                Sorry, you thought the Francish invaded? No, I think they're one of the few who failed. They only managed to take what we call France from the Gauls...

                * for reference, Horrible Histories can be very informative :p

                1. Lars Silver badge
                  Happy

                  Re: Passport, driving licence validity

                  @ PatientOne

                  While I agree very much that history is interesting it still gets a bit silly if we try to build our ego on the past.

                  England wouldn't be England without the Normans and English wouldn't be English either, without the 10.000 words they brought with them (it wasn't all Danish). And what England had in France was all lost to (insert word of your choice here).

                2. james 68

                  Re: Passport, driving licence validity

                  @PatientOne

                  French descendants of the Norwegian mercenaries, they had been living in France for a couple of generations at that point and had integrated into French society and were governed by the French royals. So in conclusion, yes, it was a French invasion by French subjects.

                  Horrible Histories is indeed very good in a generalised sense, but not as informative as you think, they tend to leave a lot of information out to fit a narrative into a short book on the assumption that the missing information will be filled in by either schoolwork or personal study.

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Passport, driving licence validity

          What's an "EU stamp"? Any driving licences I've seen have the issuing country letters, plus the words "Driving licence" in various languages.

          Are you suggesting that the French might take umbrage because it has English words on it? Sacré Bleu!

          1. CommanderGalaxian
            FAIL

            Re: Passport, driving licence validity

            France has tabled a motion to have English removed as an official language in the EU. So if you want to have your UK driving licence recgnised as valid in the EU, once the UK has completed #Brexit, it will have to be printed in French.

            1. james 68

              Re: Passport, driving licence validity

              "France has tabled a motion to have English removed as an official language in the EU. So if you want to have your UK driving licence recgnised as valid in the EU, once the UK has completed #Brexit, it will have to be printed in French."

              Or not....

              Because that would annoy the Americans, whose licences are also valid for limited periods in the EU along with other English speaking countries like Australia, New Zealand, Canada and funnily enough Ireland, Ireland being an EU member who's primary language is... wait for it... English. Do try and think before typing.

            2. Phil O'Sophical Silver badge

              Re: Passport, driving licence validity

              it will have to be printed in French.

              I'll get mine printed in one of the official languages of another EU country, Ireland. That would be, let's see, English.

              1. Jules 1

                Re: Passport, driving licence validity

                Ireland's official language for EU purposes is gaelic. The UK is currently the only country with English as an offical EU language. It's not at all clear from the treaty text whether a country can have two official languages.

            3. PatientOne

              Re: Passport, driving licence validity

              And the southern Irish are a little miffed at that, or so I hear.

            4. Jason 24

              Re: Passport, driving licence validity

              Our old friend Mr Worstall has already covered the French and the language issue. Not likely to happen, how do Germans and Spaniards currently converse at the EU? Not in French....

              1. CommanderGalaxian

                Re: Passport, driving licence validity

                "Our old friend Mr Worstall has already covered the French and the language issue. Not likely to happen, how do Germans and Spaniards currently converse at the EU? Not in French....".

                English will not be an official EU language after #Brexit:

                http://www.politico.eu/article/english-will-not-be-an-official-eu-language-after-brexit-senior-mep/

    2. Mephistro
      WTF?

      Re: Passport, driving licence validity(@ Conrad Longmore)

      Why all those downvotes? Unless all the parties involved act as responsible adults -something really difficult in this context, as has been already demonstrated to exhaustion with all this Brexit brouhaha- the best you can expect a priori is a chance similar to flipping a coin.

      Please consider a similar scenario, where Scotland leaves the UK. Would be Scottish citizens allowed to use UK passports in the remaining UK territories? Same thing here.

      And before someone starts talking about the economic interests involved, please take in account that all the parties involved -leavers,remainers and the EU itself- have shown a marked tendency to shoot themselves in the foot, repeatedly.

      Of course, an easy solution to this issue would be the UK govt. swapping the old EU passports for the new UK ones for free and with minimum hassle for citizens. But again, past experiences don't give too much hope of this happening.

      1. Wupspups

        Re: Passport, driving licence validity(@ Conrad Longmore)

        Of course, an easy solution to this issue would be the UK govt. swapping the old EU passports for the new UK ones for free and with minimum hassle for citizens. But again, past experiences don't give too much hope of this happening.

        I bet they charge twice as much as a standard 10 year renewal.

    3. Alan Edwards

      Re: Passport, driving licence validity

      My UK driving licence is good enough to get me a hire car in America, why would France be any different?

      There is also the International Driving Permit, which all of Europe is signed up to or at least recognises. Good for a year, costs £5.50 at the Post Office.

      1. James 51

        Re: Passport, driving licence validity

        Your (I am assuming) UK driving license is valid in France under EU law/treaties etc etc. Depending on how far outside of the EU we stray, that particular law/treaty etc etc might not apply any more. In which case the Brexit team has two years to negotiate an international treaty with the EU, have it signed and ratified and perhaps have laws passed in twenty eight countries to implement it. With the two years cause I don't see that deadline being extended. That's why your driving license might not be valid in France or twenty six other countries in a few years time.

        1. This post has been deleted by its author

          1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

            Re: Passport, driving licence validity

            "Will UK licences and passports be valid after the UK no longer exists? I.e., when N.I. & Scotland go their separate ways..."

            Slightly less minor point. It's not just "the UK". It's the United Kingdom Of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The "United Kingdom" bit refers the union of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland so if Scotland leaves, the remainder becomes Great Britain and Northern Ireland. If the two Irelands unify, we become Great Britain. Wales is a principality in doesn't really come into the name of the country at all. Even England alone could carry on using the name "Great Britain" as the largest portion of the area/Island once knows as "Greater Britain" in the same way the United States of America means one country and doesn't include the sovereign states of Canada or Mexico.

            1. James 51

              Re: Passport, driving licence validity

              I always thought that the Great Britain part was Scotland, England and Wales as the 'great' part was an issue with multiple islands near by having the same name and the largest was called great <island name>. If that is accurate I doubt rUK or England and Wales would be able to accurately use the term Great Britain to describe themselves.

              1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

                Re: Passport, driving licence validity

                Great Britain is the main island of England, Wales and Scotland as opposed to Brtanny, or Lesser Britain, a region now part of France.

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Passport, driving licence validity

          Your (I am assuming) UK driving license is valid in France under EU law/treaties

          Well, you know what they say about assume...

          Under EU law licenses are equivalent.

          Under non-EU law they are valid. That's why a US license holder can drive in France on their US license, but (apart from 3 or 4 states) they can't exchange it for a French licence if they move to live there.

          Post-brexit a UK driver won't be able to swap their licence for a French one, but they will be able to drive in the EU using it.

  6. Phil O'Sophical Silver badge

    Speculation

    Nobody’s really sure what the future holds for the UK or for its economy

    here’s a quick rundown of how leaving the European Union will affect you

    Don't you mean might affect you?

    British drivers may need to have their passports stamped at border crossings

    Oh noes, not just inspected but actually stamped as well? There are no border crossings within the Schengen area (well, except for all those where EU countries have just re-imposed them due to the migrant crisis) so this will only apply at the entry points like Dover & Calais, where passports are already inspected. Just as they currently may be at the French/Swiss border, the French/Belgian border, etc.

    As for finance, British motorists get a pretty good deal already, you'll never find a 0% interest deal in France, for example, because it's not legal under French law, so it clearly isn't EU law driving that. If Germany wants to keep it's biggest European market happy it might even offer better deals to UK drivers over time.

    There may also be some positive outcomes. The plan to exchange info on speeding tickets will probably fall, so if you're flashed by a camera on a French autoroute you'll not find yourself getting points on your UK licence.

    1. gv

      Re: Speculation

      "If Germany wants to keep it's biggest European market happy it might even offer better deals to UK drivers over time."

      It's likely that the EU will impose tariffs (to discourage others from exiting), so my guess would be that German cars would become more reassuringly expensive.

      1. itzman

        Re: Speculation

        German cars would become more reassuringly expensive.

        And correspondingly rare.

        Heck Jaguar could reverse engineer an Audi..

        1. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

          Re: Speculation

          "Heck Jaguar could reverse engineer an Audi."

          You do realise that Jaguar has been Tata for a while now? Along with Land Rover.

          And while we're at it: Rolls-Royce belongs to BMW and Bentley belongs to Volkswagen.

          1. itzman

            Re: Speculation

            the point was about cars made in Britain, not car companies owned by pension funds

        2. Peter Gathercole Silver badge

          Re: Speculation

          Rare would be welcome.

          On my way to work yesterday, I was on the A34 southbound overtaking the commercial vehicles, in a stream of three BMWs immediately in front of me, and at least two behind!

          BTW, I'm in something that could, just, be described as a British car, although it is a little elderly.

        3. CommanderGalaxian
          Facepalm

          Re: Speculation

          Yup Jaguar. That iconic symbol of Indian motoring technolgy.

          1. Phil O'Sophical Silver badge

            Re: Speculation

            That iconic symbol of Indian motoring technolgy.

            Indian motoring money.

            British motoring technology.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              "British motoring technology."

              That's why it has been on sale several times, and ended in Indian hands...

          2. itzman

            Re: Speculation

            designed in bombay and built in kolkotta

            who taught you to hate your country?

            Perhaps you should leave it.

            1. MJI Silver badge

              Re: Speculation

              Funny but I can't think of many reasons to buy Audi over British alternatives. And for 4wd any reason not to buy a Land Rover model - on older ones spares are so cheap and plentiful.

        4. JohnMurray

          Re: Speculation

          People that buy Mercedes or BMW are unlikely to bother much over a few percent tariff....and cars made in this country will have parts made abroad, which will also, if we foresake free trade, have an import tariff imposed upon them.

  7. David Roberts
    Thumb Up

    Have an upvote

    Came here to post much the same about border checks.

    There seems to be an entire industry growing around spouting Brext bollocks.

    1. itzman
      Happy

      Re: Have an upvote

      There seems to be an entire industry growing around spouting Brexit bollocks.

      Well there you go, it's a new employment opportunity!

  8. 's water music

    what does brexit mean for me...

    ...as a what does Brexit mean for me "journalist"?

    ...as a dev-ops practitioner?

    ...as a "content" aggregating site operator?

  9. Wolfclaw

    All guess work, apart from the fact that the motorist will be screwed by everybody the first chance they get. I can understand a car made in the EU may cost more, but a car made in the UK should then become cheaper RIPOFF me smells !!

    1. Alan Brown Silver badge

      "but a car made in the UK"

      will become a rare thing.

      1. phuzz Silver badge

        There's still some UK owned and run car companies. There's Morgan, erm, and McLaren?

        1. james 68

          McLaren is majority owned by the Bahrain royal family, only 25% of it is owned by a Brit.

      2. itzman

        Re: a "car made in the UK" will become a rare thing.

        Have you told NIssan and Toyota and Jaguar that? To name but three.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          "Have you told NIssan and Toyota"

          assembled != made in. They're still Japan cars. And assembly plants move where labour is cheaper and exporting easier.

        2. Lars Silver badge
          Coat

          Re: a "car made in the UK" will become a rare thing.

          "Have you told NIssan and Toyota and Jaguar that? To name but three."

          Not a response to any particular person. But it goes without saying that those companies have prepared for a Brexit since the beginning. The Japanese PM warned about it before the election.

          What could one expect then. NIssan has a factory in Spain and Toyota in Poland, France, Portugal, and the Czech Republic.

          If those companies produce cars in the UK for the EU market, why would they not cut down in the UK if they profit from it.

  10. wolfetone Silver badge

    Nearly a week in to Brexit, the fact insurance MAY go down is the only good thing to come out of all this.

    Also, there is a new rule in regards to non-EU cars driving in the EU. Lots of people renting cars in Switzerland and driving in to France etc are getting slapped with massive fines.

    1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

      Insurance may go down?

      Until the Gov coffers get even emptier that they are now. 10 more years of Austerity.

      VAT at 25% and IPT at 20%. Income tax at 33%,60% and 80%

      Oh goody. Welcome to the Brave New World.

      1. JohnMurray

        Re: Insurance may go down?

        Income tax at 33%, 60% and "pay some if you feel like it please Mr Branson/Murdoch/Barclay/Rothmere"

    2. WonkoTheSane
      Headmaster

      More likely, insurance company profits may rise a little without hitting us in the wallet.

    3. Phil O'Sophical Silver badge

      Also, there is a new rule in regards to non-EU cars driving in the EU. Lots of people renting cars in Switzerland and driving in to France etc are getting slapped with massive fines.

      Goit a source for that ludicrous claim? Switzerland is in Schengen, and in the EEA.

      Are you sure you're not confusing it with cars rented in France being driven on Swiss autoroutes without paying for the little Swiss toll sticker? That will net you a hefty fine.

      1. Voland's right hand Silver badge

        Goit a source for that ludicrous claim? Switzerland is in Schengen, and in the EEA.

        It is not ludicrous, it is an interpretation of one of the most recent Eu directives on hire and rental cars.

        https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/may/28/eu-citizens-car-hire-switzerland

        It is a nasty protectionist measure to ensure that you cannot get an out-of-Eu hire contract car for use in Eu. So as far as Brexit this will affect most company cars as they are officially on a hire/lease agreement - you do not own them. It will become effectively impossible to take them abroad.

        1. Phil O'Sophical Silver badge

          It is a nasty protectionist measure to ensure that you cannot get an out-of-Eu hire contract car for use in Eu.

          It looks much more like some over-zealous lawyers misinterpreting some carelessly-drafted regulations.

          The document covers import/export of goods, and it's probably article 215 that's causing the confusion. The document seems to refer to EU residents (not citizens) who use a non-EU registered vehicle to import stuff, and then plan to leave without the said stuff, i.e. delivery drivers. It suggests that such people have no need to declare and pay import duty on the vehicle itself at the border, as long as it leaves within a defined reasonable time.

          Applying it to hire cars seems plain daft, and no doubt the hire companies will challenge it.

          It wouldn't affect UK people post-Brexit since they wouldn't be residents of the Union.

          -

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I assume Brexit will not affect the illegality of UK residents owning an Italian registerd car (I know someone who lives in the UK and inherited a car in Italy who had to make an emergency trip back to Italy to sell it when he discovered he faced a significant fine for not having the car legally registered which,as not being resident in Italy he was unable to do.)

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Care re-reg

      "I know someone who lives in the UK and inherited a car in Italy who had to make an emergency trip back to Italy to sell it when he discovered he faced a significant fine for not having the car legally registered which,as not being resident in Italy he was unable to do."

      Sucks to be him eh? The rules are clear - you've got 6 months to re-register it (though I'm not sure what happens if you take it out of the country for a while during that period). After that if the police stop you you can be more than fined , you can lose your vehicle.

      Personally I'm sick of seeing right hand drive bulgarian and romanian registered vehicles all over london. Seems to me they've deliberately been registered in those countries (presumably with lax registration systems - turn up with cash, sorted) to avoid speeding and parking tickets here.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Care re-reg

        "Personally I'm sick of seeing right hand drive bulgarian and romanian registered vehicles all over london. Seems to me they've deliberately been registered in those countries (presumably with lax registration systems - turn up with cash, sorted) to avoid speeding and parking tickets here."

        I think because those countries you've pointed out are in the EU the fine can still stand. However I've driven the toll road coming in/out of Dublin in a UK registered car, didn't pay the toll, but I've never received the fine. So there's some truth in what you said.

        However, six months in this country you have to register your vehicle if it's foreign. I know of one Romanian Transit van that's always full of scrap metal that's been here for 12 months and hasn't had UK plates on it yet.

        Anonymous because:

        a) I don't want to get my fine from the Garda

        b) I don't want to get kneecapped for being a snitch

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Care re-reg

          "I think because those countries you've pointed out are in the EU the fine can still stand."

          Sure , it still stands. But its rather academic I can't see Little Snotbury Council sending a debt collector over to some village hut in the Carpathians to collect a parking ticket fine to be honest.

      2. Voland's right hand Silver badge

        Re: Care re-reg

        Personally I'm sick of seeing right hand drive bulgarian and romanian registered vehicles all over london. Seems to me they've deliberately been registered in those countries

        You are blaming the wrong person. Blame the British PLOD.

        Bulgaria nowdays has a full electronic car tax, insurance and MOT database. AFAIK Romania is the same.

        It is The British PLOD that can't be arsed to talk to them to arrange querying it. They do not even need to do it real time, just dump the ANPR from the ferry terminal cameras and request the records in bulk. Other countries in Europe already do cross-border checks, it is simply a matter of The PLOD being Lazy to the point where they do not bother even with local enforcement and mandatory re-reg. They actually can impound an exiting car that has overstayed its welcome (6 months in last year per Eu regs) and scrap it there and then.

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        "bulgarian and romanian registered vehicles"

        You would see German and Czech registered ones in other areas also (especially expensive cars). They are leased or long-term rented vehicles, often. There are companies specialized in that business. Cheaper tax on them, and usually cheaper insurances as well. It is often used to mask the real "owner" of the vehicle also, very useful to escape from fiscal controls and the like, not only tickets and fines.

  12. damian Kelly

    Trucks might actually be allowed to do 60MPH on the motorway again too.....

    1. m0rt

      Drive much?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "Trucks might actually be allowed to do 60MPH on the motorway again too....."

      And hopefully back to 70 for buses + coaches too. Though I can't see it myself, the general policy these days seems to be to slow traffic down deliberately.

    3. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

      And that's a good thing?

      If you have been close tailed by an American 18 wheeler or a UPS Van train (truck plus TWO Trailers) at 80mph on I-80 through UTAH then the 90kph limit is an absolute godsend.

      1. Toltec

        Re: And that's a good thing?

        Any reason why you did not just let them past?

    4. itzman

      Re: Trucks

      as opposed to 56mph?

      Big deal

      1. m0rt

        Re: Trucks

        https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits

        Motorway speed limits for Lorries in the UK are 60 mph.

        1. StephenD

          Re: Trucks

          But, if I've understood correctly, all the new ones are required to be fitted with a 56mph speed-limiter.

          1. Phil O'Sophical Silver badge

            Re: Trucks

            All the new ones are required to be fitted with a 56mph speed-limiter.

            Wouldn't be surprising. The EU limit is 90 km/h, which is 56MPH, so probably easier to limit all international lorries to 90 km/h.

            The real nuisance is that these are only accurate to 2% or so, due to tolerances and tyre wear, so you get the situation where lazy drivers just push their foot to the floor and let the limiter hold the speed. One lorry ends up doing 88 and the other 90, and the faster one tries to overtake, on a two-lane motorway. It surely wouldn't have been impossible to permit brief overtaking bursts of 100km/h?

  13. John Mangan

    Yawn.

    Nothing is going to change for a lot more than two years (assuming that no country - out of 27 - is suicidal enough to spike extensions to the talks). For the next 2-10 years we will be locked in unending horse-trading and politicking. In the meantime we will continue to be members of the EU (but with no influence), we will continue to pay our subscription, immigration will remain unchanged, there will be no new money for the NHS or any other bribe that was offered.

    By the time this comes to pass most of the 'leavers' will have forgotten they voted for it and will have moved on to blaming some other entity for all of their woes.

    Oh f@ck!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Yawn. / blaming some other entity for all of their woes

      I would blame immigrants. After all, if we're not going to deport them, or at least put in them labour camps, they're PERFECT for blaming, init?

      Plus, but of course, we can blame the EU for being irrational i.e, instead of giving us the benefits of EU membership but with no obligations, they will insist (rididculous, I tell you) that those benefits and obligations are somehow... linked and you can't have one without the other... What?! Are they mad?!

    2. itzman

      Re: Yawn.

      I dont think negotiations with the EU CAN last more than 2 years unless everybody in the EU wants them to.

      And the signs are that a quick divorce is what they want.

      1. John Mangan

        Re: Yawn.

        "I dont think negotiations with the EU CAN last more than 2 years unless everybody in the EU wants them to."

        Exactly, if someone doesn't agree to extend and the talks are not complete then WTO rules come into force; 10% tarrifs on cars, 35% on dairy, etc. and apparently the rules are 'not favourable' for financial services (alarm bells anyone?).

        Greenland took two years to sort out essentially fishing and they were far less deeply embedded in the EEA, as was, than we are in the EU.

        Shortened talks do NOT work in our favour.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Yawn.

          Shortened talks do NOT work in our favour.

          Which is exactly why the UK govt is refusing to invoke Artticle 50 right away, without some initial negotiations, and Juncker is insisting on an immediate trigger so that he can control it all. He's even had the gall to announce that he issued a "Presidential Ban" on all other countries from talking to the UK about terms before Article 50 is invoked. He's running scared, worried that this is only the first crack in the EU wall. He's right.

          1. Jediben
            Headmaster

            Re: Yawn.

            He's a prick. (Juncker, not Johnson - Johnson's an moron).

            I just hope house prices crash so I can actually afford one.

            1. Richard 12 Silver badge

              Re: Yawn.

              If house prices do crash, you definitely won't be able to afford one.

              If they fall it's because mortgages become far more expensive, thus completely ****ing over everyone - repossessions, and only cash buyers can afford anything.

              The more likely scenario is that they don't rise as fast, because mortgages become a little bit more expensive and the big cash buyers go elsewhere.

              If you can't afford one last week, the effects of leaving the EU makes it far less likely you'll be able to afford one in three years time.

          2. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Yawn.

            "He's even had the gall to announce that he issued a "Presidential Ban" on all other countries from talking to the UK about terms before Article 50 is invoked."

            How dare he insist that a single trading block negotiates as such - the nerve of the man!

            1. Richard 12 Silver badge

              Re: Yawn.

              Indeed. Funny how that is exactly what Article 50 says, and his job is to remind countries what the treaties they signed say.

      2. dajames

        Re: Yawn.

        I dont think negotiations with the EU CAN last more than 2 years unless everybody in the EU wants them to.

        It's a little more complicated than that. The terms agreed in the negotiations have to be approved by the European Parliament, and it's not clear what happens if they don't approve those terms. Presumably more negotiations would have to take place and a new agreement put before the Parliament -- always assuming that there's still time.

        It is, in theory, possible for the Parliament to keep rejecting the terms, but also for the EU to refuse to give the UK more time ... what happens then?

        Popcorn ...

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Yawn.

          what happens then

          The poster above you is correct. The treaties lapse, all agreements are dead in the water, and default WTO rules come into force.

          1. John Mangan

            Re: Yawn.

            You know, I believe that Boris is bright enough (whatever you think of his schtick) to have known that negotiating a sensible and beneficial withdrawal that 27 other national entities have all agreed to (in line with their own national self-interests) would be a hideous game of russian roulette which really does lend weight to the view that he never expected to win and only wanted to undermine Cameron.

            If that is true then I would guess right now, rather than planning for said sensible and beneficial agreement, he is tearing around the hamster wheel in his mind wondering how he can still be Prime Minister without shooting his political career in the head.

            I want to see him get the job and i will stand an applaud while he chokes on it.

        2. itzman

          Re: Yawn.

          what happens is we are out with no deal.

          and can charge WTO tarriffs in European imports.

          So boosting UK economy.

          1. John Mangan

            Re: Yawn.

            "what happens is we are out with no deal.

            and can charge WTO tarriffs in European imports.

            So boosting UK economy."

            . . . and get charged them in return. Noone wins in that scenario.

  14. Kaltern

    Oh look another article whereby a journalist tries to stir up possibles and maybe's as an article. What's next, the impact that Brexit has on drone ownership?

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The illegality of owning a vehicle plated in that country as a non resident was already the case, brexit won't change that. It might change how long you get to undertake the process as you are supposed to do this within 3 months of arrival at the moment, queue comment about huge amounts of expat brits driving and living in france with english plated cars, some of them sporting CT stickers in a bid to pretend to be doing the right thing.

    I just chopped my brit license in for a french/international one a few weeks before the referendum and bought the classic vehicle I have wanted for years in the UK and even paid a little over the odds for a scruffy dog eared candidate so I could complete the somewhat long winded import process before brexit potentially screwed it all up.

    Discuss if in the long term the value of classic cars in the UK will become lower because of being less accesible to continental buyers, Bearing in mind also that there are people who use that as a investment vehicle.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "Discuss if in the long term the value of classic cars in the UK will become lower because of being less accesible to continental buyers,"

      I doubt private sales will be affected in the least, There are already import taxes & VAT payable on private imports, they might go up or down a bit but I can't see it having a major effect.

      "Bearing in mind also that there are people who use that as a investment vehicle."

      Tough shit. Cars are meant to be driven, not sit in some rich guys basement garage collecting dust until he smells a profit.

      1. Jediben

        Same with houses - new law should invoke 99% tax on all BTL incomes.

        1. Richard 12 Silver badge

          Say what?

          That would lead to an instant increase in dodgy and just plain criminally insane landlords, as all the good ones immediately leave the market.

      2. JohnMurray

        And after we stagger out of the EU, everything you buy from there will have VAT charged (as now) and import tax charged...

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Used cars? Insurances?

    Of course the used car market won't be touched. There are not much used cars from the EU with the driving seat on the wrong side <G> That's mostly a fully internal market.

    About insurances, coverage outside the UK will need to be discussed. Right now an EU insurance covers you in any EU country - no need of the "green card" or whatever is called in English.

    I believe there will be an agreement to ensure it, but it also mean that there will still be rules to abide - be them EU-UK agreements or the "green card" system, which may still be an obstacle for smaller insurance companies.

    Medical assistance abroad for citizens of both "areas" will need to be discussed, and if not free, travelers in both directions will need an additional insurance.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Used cars? Insurances?

      the "green card" system,

      My "green card" lists all the countries where it is valid. 46 countries are on the list, one is crossed out as being not currently valid (Iran). It goes way beyond the EU, and is the subject of separate agreements.

      It still requires that the insured vehicle be correctly registered in the country where it is kept, of course. As a previous poster has pointed out you usually have 6 months to make that change after moving country.

  17. M7S

    Customs tarrifs within the EU

    A colleague of mine who motorhomes across the EU each year has advised us that when crossing from Spain to France, the vehicle is now searched and duties levied on alcohol by the French "as the duties in France as higher than in Spain". When it is pointed out that the vehicle is destined for the UK and duties should not be levied in any event he is advised to reclaim the difference when he leaves France. This has happened a couple of times to him and is being reported by others as well.

    They do this knowing it is not practical for most people to reclaim, or at least not worth the bother (and its the sort of thing where one can imagine that that there will only be one window processing claims for those leaving France and it will be open from 15:15 to 15:35 on alternate Thursdays in a town far from any port, or route to one)

    Therefore I see little actually getting worse in this regard under whatever regime(s) eventually are in place.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Customs tarrifs within the EU

      the vehicle is now searched and duties levied on alcohol by the French "as the duties in France as higher than in Spain".

      If the alcohol is for personal use that is a violation of EU law, and he should take the police officers' numbers and make a complaint to the French authorities. The fact that the final destination is the UK makes no difference whatsoever. Sounds more like border cops lining their pockets.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Customs tarrifs within the EU

        "If the alcohol is for personal use that is a violation of EU law, and he should take the police officers' numbers and make a complaint to the French authorities."

        Anyone who's spent any time in France knows that the French interpret EU law in their own special way. I've been pulled over by french customs after going through a peage in the MIDDLE of france. I was asked where I was going, how much cash did we have on us etc etc. After 5 mins they waved us on but it was clearly an illegal stop since customs officers should have no power there, but what can you do? If you argue with them then you risk ending up spending a nice evening at a police station with your car being taken to pieces outside.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Customs tarrifs within the EU

      There are the rules on alcoholic beverages:

      http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/common/travellers/within_eu/index_en.htm

      Unless your colleague is beyond those limits, he's being blackmailed. Also, being both France and Spain in the EU and Schengen area, while it doesn't prohibit checks, I found surprising its vehicle is even checked. When moving across France, Italy, Germany, and Austria, I never encountered a check. Switzerland does checks, but exactly because movement of goods is not free.

      Also, AFAIK you can request a reimbursement of VAT or other taxes only if you're not an EU citizen. It can be done in different places.

    3. captain veg Silver badge

      Re: Customs tarrifs within the EU

      That's a special rule for "motorhomes". Every right-thinking person hates them with a vengeance.

      -A.

  18. Handy Andy

    what a pointless 'article'.

    The biggest impact of brexit so far is the gold rush to produce these utterly vacuous articles on how any chosen subject will, sorry MAY become worse. In every case the exact opposite (positive) outcome is just as plausible.

    And the huge waste of time anyone looking for actual facts is suffering

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      these utterly vacuous articles on how any chosen subject will, sorry MAY become worse. In every case the exact opposite (positive) outcome is just as plausible.

      Just like Climate Change articles, really.

    2. Brewster's Angle Grinder Silver badge

      Ah, yes, as my old epistemology professor used to say, "an 'actual fact' is any statement proving I was right to vote Brexit."

      Unfortunately, there are no facts about the future---there are only facts about the past---that's what makes the future "the future"; all we can do is guess the likelihood of events happening. We may, for example, presume the sun will rise tomorrow, but if a rogue black hole passed through it overnight, there'd be a supernova before dawn.1

      So, if you have already decided the probably of things improving equals the probability of them getting worse, then, indeed there is nothing here to learn. But if you want to open your mind to the range of options that might occur and the probability of them occurring, then the article and the ensuing discussion have been delightfully informative.

      1: To zeroth order a supernova is a black hole appearing in the middle of a star. A blackhole plunging into a main sequence star would produce similar effect: a massive influx of material, heating it up to ignition point and creating an explosion that rips apart the star.

      1. Richard 12 Silver badge

        One of the facts

        Fuel is more expensive.

        Oil is priced in USD. The pound is way down against the USD.

        All oil products now cost more.

        The moment the current supplies and futures hedging start to run out, prices at the pump rise.

        That affects everyone who buys or uses anything transported by road, or any road transport.

        100% certainty, because it has already happened.

  19. Bob Vistakin
    WTF?

    the longer-term effects of Brexit remain to be seen

    I've cut 'n' pasted that for you one more time here, so it'll be easier to find for next time.

  20. Ripper38

    Pointless article, sterile debate

    Have to agree with one commentard. We're getting inundated with a mass of pointless, speculative space filling articles about what may, could, might happen to insular Britons/English if Brexit etc and so on. There's not even a "should" or an "in all probability" let alone, and God forbid, anything resembling an enagement to make it happen.

    (nb. I say insular as opposed to those of us Britons/English on the other side of the water very merrily exploiting, uh benefiting from the EU).

    Furthermore, and from a relatively safe distance of several hundred clicks away in Merkalland I can say that British politicians are doing us proud: between the Labour meltdown and the Tory skullduggery it makes the Borgias, the Medicis and the Game of Thrones look decidedly tame.

    PS. Make Boris PM the hang, draw and quarter the conniving bastard.

  21. James 51

    'Brexit could make the insurance industry more competitive'

    Doesn't you mean allow it to offer less protection?

    1. Nixinkome
      Trollface

      Re: 'Brexit could make the insurance industry more competitive'

      Depantry:

      <fewer>

      1. James 51

        Re: 'Brexit could make the insurance industry more competitive'

        Both could apply. Lower pay outs on the same issues and offering insurance for fewer circumstances.

  22. tiggity Silver badge

    profiteering

    In addition to whatever "real" costs there are associated with Brexit (probably plenty in the long term as EU countries will have incentive to shaft UK to discourage other exits ), there will be plenty of profiteering, as any excuse to raise prices is happily taken by many (not all, but significant proportion) of companies

  23. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Treason?

    I'm beginning to wonder if the people spreading disinformation are in the pay of a foreign power. Certainly Mr. Putin seems to be pleased about the imminent breakup of the EU. Maybe MI6 could do some digging or have they already been turned :(

  24. nonpds

    I think it's all a joke......for the most part

    Car industry; Well this is possibly an excuse to raise prices. Australia car prices are not higher than in the UK and neither are the USA car prices.

    Petrol; This is just a joke, the only reason petrol prices are so high is because of the greedy government taxing it to death. The mention in this article possibly short term, well that's just silly too, we know the government will not allow prices to drop much as this takes money out of their thieving pockets.

    I find the whole mess a joke with the exception of the ignorant, racist people, this is no joke and makes me sad to be English .

    If only there could be a government that was run like a proper business, my goodness it could become very powerful.

    1. H in The Hague

      Re: I think it's all a joke......for the most part

      "If only there could be a government that was run like a proper business ..."

      Yeah, like all businesses are run efficiently and provide the best possible customer service? :)

      1. James 51

        Re: I think it's all a joke......for the most part

        Indeed. Just like BHS and Woolworths.

  25. EvaQ

    passports stamped at border crossings

    "British drivers may need to have their passports stamped at border crossings in the future". Sure! And maybe British drivers may need to bribe the border officials. And maybe British cars will get thoroughly inspected with dogs and mirrors and other detectors. And maybe there well be a black market for Euro-Pound exchange.

    Flash-back to entering the USSR / DDR?

  26. 73N

    Isn't the register meant to be about IT?!

    Fail to see how endless speculation of possibilities is constructive, perhaps the reg needs to calm down and instead of regurgitating the same old rubbish as the tabloids have a think about what positives could come out of Brexit for the IT industry - what are our dreams as a country for the industry, if we do indeed leave Europe then each of us Brits will have a much louder voice to influence political will. There will always be winners and losers in change, it doesn't make it a bad thing - just creates new opportunities and those that adapt to change fastest are usually the ones who win.

    There is also no sense in worrying about things that are out of your control... if instead everyone focuses on things we can control then it is much more likely that this will have a positive outcome.

    1. Bigg Phill

      Re: Isn't the register meant to be about IT?!

      I was wondering how many posts I would have to read before someone else asked this.

      Brexit impact on the IT industry - valid

      IT in the car industry - valid

      Brexit impact on the car industry - do one

  27. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "The historic low interest rates consumers have enjoyed in recent years will be hard to maintain thanks to the plummeting value of the pound..."

    Have you looked at the value of the Pound against the Dollar or the FTSE 100 share index today?

    Already they are rebounding, give it a few more days and things will be back to normal once people realise the sky isn't about to fall down (at least, not just yet).

    Just another meaningless scare story.

    1. James 51

      Assuming they're not dead cat bounces pensions and businesses like banks have taken a tremendous beating. Brexit changes the structure of the UK economy in the long term. We have all the weakness and disadvantages mid and long term spelled out but no one can know if there will be any advantages. Wondering about what is going to happen isn't meaningless, it means we can respond faster to a given scenario as we've already thought about it. I just wish the leave campaign had a plan for winning.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        I just wish the leave campaign had a plan for winning.

        Oh, they have a plan, but as always "no plan survives contact with the enemy".

        1. James 51

          Actually they didn't and they don't:

          http://news.sky.com/story/1717826/backtrack-on-give-nhs-350m-eu-money-promise

          Just below the second picture (the one of Boris wrestling with his hair).

  28. Anonymous Coward
    Meh

    Car prices

    "Throughout the campaign, experts said that even if the UK left the EU, the prices of new cars shouldn’t rise too much "

    People forget that many car prices could crash in price.

    We could easily scrap many tarrifs and import limits for non-eu made cars...Kia,Hynundai, Toyota, Honda, Nissan will all gladly take up the slack for Renault, Peugeot and VW.

    We may even get to see the Japanese micro cars we don't get here because of the tariffs.

  29. GrumpenKraut
    Boffin

    There will be more days of sunshine in the UK

    caused by the heat emitted by a million speculations "What Brexit means to your X".

    I can prove this scientifically, just trust me. -------------->

    Seriously, from the perspective of a Kraut somewhat shocked by the outcome, I just wish you the best. Only time will tell.

  30. Pompous Git Silver badge
    Happy

    Passport to Pimlico

    For some reason this all reminds me of that excellent 1949 British comedy that I recently watched again. Perhaps it was the use of "unchartered" in the story, when the writer clearly meant "uncharted".

    This is all very amusing as viewed from the colonies.

  31. NeonTeepee

    The only real FACT about the Brexit

    The 'experts' that everyone is now quoting about how terrible/great it will all be were completely wrong at predicting the outcome,

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon

Other stories you might like