New documents published by the European Commission show that they will reject UK driving licences as being valid for use in the EU after Brexit and intend to charge a fee for drivers in the form of a driving permit to be able to drive on the continent.
In the report, it seems that after Brexit formally happens, there will no longer be ‘mutual recognition of driving licences, vehicle registration documents and certificates of professional competence for drivers. All current EU law-based rights, obligations and benefits cease, meaning that our current driving regulations in relation to driving in the EU will change, but to what extent is currently unknown.
If no negotiations for licence recognition are put in place, then UK drivers may have to register for an International Driving Permit (IDP) to be able to drive in the EU member states. While contingency plans are being put in place to help protect British drivers, there will most certainly be a change to our driving laws as Brexit negotiations go through, which the EU state “is a consequence of the UK becoming a third country in the road transport sector.”
What does this actually mean?
After Brexit happens, anyone who wants to drive in EU member states might have to register for an IDP. The International Driving Permit – an official multilingual licence, would need to be shown if pulled over when driving in the EU. These are currently in place around the globe, with 140 countries currently recommending or requiring one. Because Britain is becoming what is known as a ‘third country’ which is simply a country that is not part of the EU, we will have to anticipate this change.
As well as potentially stopping drivers from bringing their cars abroad, the new agreements may also prevent you hiring a car with a UK licence. It is thought that an additional permit may be required to allow you to hire a car and a further cost. At the moment, hiring a car in Europe has the same restrictions as in the UK and no charges, but it looks like that could all change after Brexit.
UK licence compromise proposal
The Department for Transport (DfT) responded to these new suggestions and regulations by saying that they will look into creating a deal with the EU of ‘mutual licence recognition’ as that is ‘in the interest of both sides.’
There is a suggestion that by next year, ministers may have the ability to charge and restrict drivers who are bringing their cars into the UK from abroad, allowing a two-way exchange of regulations. These restrictions would most likely be the same as what would be placed on British drivers; the need for an IDP, higher restrictions on hiring a car in the UK and potentially higher charges to bring a car in.
If UK law similarly restricts European drivers, then that will cause a loss in tourism revenue and the economy will be affected, hence the DfT push to gain mutual licence recognition. If we gain mutual licence recognition, it could potentially negate the need for an IDP when driving in the EU and a special permit for EU car hire. However, there still may be a possibility that one would be required as an extra layer of protection for both sides.
Laws in place to ratify EU driving
The UK has already started to plan, with plans to ratify the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic to allow drivers in all member states, excluding Germany, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. If the UK also ratifies and transposes the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic into our national law, then those five countries will be included so that UK driving licences should be accepted in the EU.
A DfT spokesman said, “ratifying the Vienna Convention will guarantee that UK driving licences will be accepted throughout the EU when held with the relevant supporting IDP.” These plans, however, are only in case the DfT mutual licence recognition is not in place in time and provide a safety net for UK drivers. It also works in the case of a no deal, to allow basic connectivity in the transport sector.
UPDATE On the 20th March at 9:32am the government announced their official plans on ratifying the Vienna convention, meaning that the plans to introduce IDPs, as outlined in this article are officially confirmed. For more information, please head here
What do you think the government should do here? Should British drivers have to use an IDP after Brexit? Should we equally demand to see an IDP from EU drivers arriving in the UK? Let us know in the comments below
If this is the case reciprocal arrangements would be brought in by the UK and governments imposing these restrictions would actually look like the petty idiots that they are. An agreement should be easy to reach to prevent this.
Not in the European Club then dont expect to use the European facilities. Same rules apply to all clubs, try walking into a gym if you are not a member. The 37% of the voting population who voted for Brexit are only getting what the wanted, the remainder of the voting population, 35% Remainers, 28% didnt care, must accept the consequences.
Who is this bitter,twisted,person, Dib ?
Someone who cannot even spell,lose,correctly!
You show your ignorance by these,fundamental spelling mistakes,alone!
If you love the EU so much,go and live there.
Your grammar is atrocious. There should be a space between a comma and the following letter, and no space between a letter and the following exclamation mark.
You don’t know what grammar is! You are referring to punctuation errors, not grammatical ones. All irrelevant actually…in ths case it’s the substance of what has been written which counts: try using an ipad and you’ll appreciate the problem!
If it is the substance that counts, why are you whining about spelling mistakes? Get your own house in order before you start criticising other people! (Typed on an iPad-no problem!)
Another excuse. Accept the blame and stop trying to blame someone else, like all Brexit neo-fascists.
The only neo-fascists are the ones in Brussels. It won’t be long before Germany rules the roost and the rest of the countries within the EU will be (again) begging Britain to help them. The EU is quickly turning into a Draconian state. There is nothing at all neo-fascists about the result of the Brexit vote. It was democracy at work and anyone who cannot accept that no longer believes in democracy. A bit like many of the unelected rabble within Brussels.
You can always tell a leaver from their grammar and spelling…
Attacking someone because they spelt a word incorrectly, and trying to destroy the logic of that argument because of it.
You show the normal lack of intellect and logic that has been proven time and again to be the nature of the ardent brexiteer, it’s proven by the fundamental stupidity of not leaving gaps between commas!
If you like the idea of being poorer and worthless after brexit then stay in this pathetic nation.
See we can all play your game.
Yes…I have a few minutes of leisure to fill with no idea how to do so, so let’s insult one another…forget the issue under debate! Your first sentence contains no finite verb. What a dunce! The conjunctive between the words “intellect” and “logic” suggest they are distinctly different in your mind. Your statement is otiose. What a numbskull! The comma in your second paragraph should be a colon. What a blunder! You misuse
the word “pathetic” in your third paragraph, as the uneducated usually do. 3/20 for at least using paragraphs, but “Could try harder”!
Complaining about me using his small minded game against him, and then you do the same.. How far we’ve fallen! What does “hybrud” mean?
One informal use of Pathetic is “Miserably Inadequate” now please explain to me how this once great nation is not miserably inadequate.
Maybe I’m not the bestest evvveer with the English language… But you could use some tuition yourself.. 3/20 for the attempt.
Come on guys, if someone makes spelling, punctuation or grammatical errors it does not make them stupid.
Surely their opinion on a subject is still valid?
If someone can spend around 15 years at school and leave without being able (for instance) to use an apostrophe or differentiate between ‘your’ and ‘you’re’, it makes them at the very least inattentive – and boy, does it it take some inattention not to get around to acquiring those basics in that amount of time. I think it is reasonable to draw conclusions about people’s inability to follow reasoned arguments in other areas, if they display that level of (lack of) education. The alternative possibility, of course, is that they may be blindingly stupid. The certainty is that they all voted for Brexit.
You wrote – ‘ and boy, does it it take some inattention’. Clearly your inattention caused you to err!
I may be missing something, but (despite its excessive length) sidevalve’s sentence appears to be correct both grammatically and semantically.
Grow up, I’ve got a degree in engineering, but when I went to school we were taught ITA. Because of that experiment on children I’ve never been able to spell and I was never taught any grammar.
I’m hardly inattentive or an idiot as you say.
But then again I was one of the majority that voted Brexit. Not that you remainders understand what a majority actually is !!!!!
Mike also spells Brexiteer with a lowercase ‘b’. As it stands for Brussels exit, it should be a capital ‘B’.
It’s actually British Exit… But the point is the same – capital B
Get it right, it stands for “British Exit” or “Britain Exit”. You really do need to do your homework.
Most Brexiteers , have seen have seen pre Eu , and contributed to the economy for many years , as usual the whingers are all worried about their own selfish interest .
If you don’t like the EU go and live in a country outside of it try North Korea one of the few true Sovereign countries in the world. What gives the minority the right to take away freedoms from others and don’t say the majority in the flawed referendum which was only advisory
When you refer to “minorities” are you talking about the EU Parliament?
Personally, I couldn’t care less if I had to get some IDP to drive abroad. Getting unshackled from the the insidious EU is the main thing. Spelling/grammar police fill your boots.
Topical REMOANER !! TRY BEING DEMOCRATIC*
The referendum was democracy at work. We voted “out” and that should stand. Otherwise, democracy is as good as dead. The EU is totally undemocratic and it won’t be long before it totally collapses. Russia may see to that!
I think the boot is on the other foot, don’t you?
With Respect Paul, we are fortunate to live in a democratic society, in this country every eligible citizen is again fortunate to be able to exercise their democratic right to vote, successive governments decided that it should be put to the voters whether we stay in or leave the EU and I personally believe that the government miss calculated the mood of the country on this issue and were surprised by the result. I think also that the remainer’s who didn’t vote also took the result for granted. The fact is that this has become a very important issue to all eligible voters as we find our communities and households very divided. A pity then that those who took the result for granted and chose not to vote now wish they had. As a democracy it is the majority of those that took the issue seriously enough to vote or bothered to that win the day. Are we to have a second general election just because the minority didn’t like the result? Our destiny will soon be back in our hands and I am sure that in time we will prosper just as we did before we joined the Common market as it was then in 1973. At that time the then prime minister Edward Heath signed the treaty to join and then decided some time later to hold a referendum as an afterthought, that wasn’t democratic more autocratic and showed disrespect to the voters on such an important issue. I suggest that if you don’t like the our democratic system then you should consider moving to one of the remaining member EU states who are ultimately governed by none elected MEP’s and power motivated Eurocrats.
Please put a space after commas.
Which word was spelt incorrectly?
Fred – We can’t go and live there easliy in the future – You Ba****ds are stopping us by taking away our European citizenship, so we won’t get healthcare there when we retire anymore. These were our rights as European citizens and you are taking them from us. So many people will never ever forgive you for this!
People living elsewhere in the EU only get health care there because the UK pays for it. In order for the host country to be reimbursed you have to register as living there. Their is currently no proposal to change this arrangement – its all been agreed.
I am living in Paris. I cannot use their public healthcare without paying first and claim back later. Apparently, there is a lengthy process to get reimbursed. Also, the reimbursement is only a fraction of it unless it is a long term illness. It is entirely different from our NHS’ free at the point of delivery philosophy. I don’t know about the situation in other EU member states but would just like to point out that things are not all rosy in EU.
TOUGH S..T. YOU CHOSE TO LIVE
THERE … YOU DESERTER
We’re not European – we’re British! Island dwellers with a proud history. Once we Brexit, we can work to make Britain great again. Let’s work together instead of worrying about the EU.They hate us anyway. The only want us for our money and if there’s a war. Us British are a totally different breed to the “mainlanders” Integration for the sake of it will never work. Hitler discovered this…
cretin
What a wimp you are. Typical remoaner. Time to stand on our own 2 feet. Go and live with the European wimps.
Judging by the intercontinental juggernauts we see on our roads with EU number plates I have a feeling any responsible EU government would not want to jeapordise trade. If they do they are engaging in hybrud warfare against the UK! Same if they decide to erect hard borders and tariff barriers against us.
e.u.have an arrangement with the U.K. where by they can contact d.v.l.a.and prosecute any one from the U.K.who commits any traffic violation in the e.u. but the U.K. are unable to contact e.u. as of yet UK.,do not have a like for like arrangement ??.that is why continental h.g.v. drivers who have committed offences; that was the main reason for the police being given the powers; of on the spot finds,and why european country’s followed our example,but as stated, they can now use retro-spective prosecution e.g speed camera finds.
Our stupid laws are the problem. In most of the EU the owner of the car is liable for all traffic offences. Here, you have to identify the driver and we rely more on speedtraps rather than on-the-spot fines. It makes it very difficult for the UK to enforce penalties on foreigners.
Do you even know what an IDP is and what it is used for ?
It has nothing to do with any club.
The UK driving licence already meets EU standards so what has changed that we would now need an IDP.
And don’t give me some crap about paying into there club.
This is a blatant attempt by the EU of punishing the UK for leaving.
I hope the UK do the same back and I also hope all those UK citizens stop driving to the EU for there annual holiday and spend there money else where.
Driving tests and laws are different in other countries, IDP is a good idea both ways. Should be a test as well
An IDP is merely a translation of a licence into English + adds a photo. Therefore if your licence is already in English & has a photo, an IDP is not needed.
spend “there”money should be “their”
as should be ‘there club’ and ‘there annual holidays’
Oh thank goodness for Donald and John for getting us back on the right side of the road. The discussion about Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation.
Sorry I guess I’m probably wrong in my use of a capital letter for those three words, apologies.
IDP is no big deal – you used to have to get one before the standardised licence was introduced. It’s nothing to do with punishment, just a clear indicator that we are no longer part of the EU and so we can’t have their membership benefits – unless there is a reciprocal arrangement outside of the current legislation.
The IDP is just a translation of your driving license. It was one of those thing you used to have to do before English became the international language. It isn’t a great deal, I don’t know what the issue is here as a lot of the countries within the EU have English as their first language. It all looks like a storm in a teacup. But i guess what will happen is what will happen and we all have to take responsibility for that (meaning the EU and UK)
Yep – Thats democracy for you
So just taking your point, we will surely impose our ‘club’ rules on them when they want to drive their lorries over here. It won’t happen !
So true Dib 🙂
Will no one think of the Irish? They may remain in the club, but a lot of their exports go by road through the UK. How will they manage after we close the UK’s ports to anyone without a GB licence?.
As for Leave or Remain, now that article 50 has been invoked the old GB, the one that we lived in before the referendum no longer esists. So there’s no such thing as leave or remain. It’s now leave or rejoin. If you want to rejoin I suggest you study Herr Junckers recent ‘Federal Express’ speech before you make up your mind.
Actually we can revolk the article 50 leave request right up to the day we leave next year. We only need to rejoin after that date.
Dib: If you were a member of said gym, and you decided to cancel your membership, would you expect to pay to leave? I think not.
I think the “petty Idiots” appear to be Messrs Barnier and Junkier, they’re the ones making an issue of it. Aren’t they?
Whatever the EU imposes, the uK will recipricate, simples.
Don’t want to be in the Club then don’t expect the privileges that go with membership!
If Britain looses jobs and European rights then blame the idle 28% who didn’t vote and the 37% who voted Brexit
A bitter remainer by the sound of things, I remember well Heath taking us into the common market, it was a common trading agreement, not a federal state as now.that is where everything started to go wrong
Few benefits lots of cost please leave immediately and sort it out!
If they want to penalise then we must reciprocate as they are just
bullies . Remember too that the EU was initially devised by Martin Bormann
Hitlers Secretary in 1943 for when Germany won the war! It seems they did
and the EU is living proof of such.
LEAVE NOW
We got there ! Godwin’s Law proven https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_lawhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_law
Absolutely!
Brexit is Best. BREXITERS are STRONG and know what they want. Go and hold hands with the Germans. Wimp.
Britain won’t “lose jobs”.
Foreign lorries will have to be driven by British drivers.
Watching the way some foreign lorries are driven around here this will be a noticeable improvement in road safety, as well as much more jobs for Brits.
Best idea I’ve seen for ages!
What privileges? Us Brits survived quite nicely before we entered the EU. I fact… things were much better in Britain before we made the mistake of joining that undemocratic “organisation”.
The remainer’s made the mistake of taking a ‘Remain’ vote for granted. Don’t make the same mistake in assuming that the 28% who didn’t bother to vote were remainer’s, the stats suggest that 16% of these would have voted to leave!
No more summer holidays in the sunny Britain! Let’s bring the EU to her knees!
Close your eyes… you can then be -anywhere!
Couldn’t agree more with David Doi, these articles are full of dire what might happen suggestions & light on pragmatism.
We’ve brought it all on ourselves.
Yet again the EU are proving what a bunch of bullies they are. !!
Who instigated article 50 again?
It was not the EU
It was the the UK Government.
NO… it was a democratic vote that really instigated it.
Don’t want to be in the Club the don’t expect to use the facilities and rights!
If you voted Brexit then grow balls and take responsibility, you are only getting what you wanted!
Jeez .. Change the record Dib.
Are you completely stupid? people who voted for Brexit do not want any of the E.U rules, rights, or Facilities. That is why we voted out. No uncontrolled immigration, no open boarders, no ruling from unelected dictators in Brussels. The people that need to grow balls are the remoaners, who, like Clinton, can’t accept they lost.
Yet again another deluded and brainwashed Brexiteer winging! The EU never bullied you to leave the Club! It was YOUR decision so stop blaming everyone else. You cannot show the middle finger to someone and then expect they will treat you with respect! Grow up!
Surrey Boy? More like a wimp. Time to stand on our own 2 feet. Brexit is Best.
I voted to stay in and I am 66! When will people like you stop moaning about a decision made by the people and moaning about people who have different views to you. The EU and the UK Government, I hope, will at some stage see sence and come to an agreement that works for both. You have to accept WE are coming out of the EU. Get over it!
I too am 66 and voted to leave. I saw sense and see the Brexit as a “breath of fresh air” A chance for Britain to kick-start a new life for itself. We need to stick together and bring back all that is special within the British people. Britain instigated the industrial revolution. Our genius modernised Europe and our fighting men freed it from tyranny. We should never underestimate what we are capable of when we stand together. We simply don’t need undemocratic foreigners telling us how to run our lives.
Another stupid EU propaganda stunt. There are millions of foreign( EU) trucks on the roads and they will have higher consequences than English driving abroad. Before EU wasn’t a problem.
Actually as someone at the sharp end of all of this, I can tell you that we did have the problem with non UK Trucks as soon as Thatcher Deregulated road Transport here in the UK, so that anyone could drive Trucks & Busses here in the UK, as long as they held the appropriate Licence.
And remember We’re leaving them! Not being kicked out, so we are saying we don’t want to be told what to do by EU, so hey they are not going to and this is a consequence of dropping all EU influence.
At present those “in power” within the EU are acting like dictators. I hope they keep in mind what us Brits tend to do when dictated to by foreigners. In war and in peace, never underestimate the British.
They are saying that they don’t need us. We are saying we don’t need them and their Laws,a lot of which we came up with and won’t be going away and to be Honest I for one would wellcome less EU trucks on our roads, in our Towns and blocking up our Countryside.
Deregulation of Commercial Transport came before we joined the EU, it was a Tory Union bashing exercise. We were in the Common Market & that worked well for us. We should have stayed with that, you can read your History books to see who signed us up for full membership.
It’s true that the traitor Heath signed us up, but you should be aware that the previous Labour government spent its whole term begging to be allowed in, eliciting the famous ‘Non!” from DeGaulle. We should have listened to DeGaulle. Heath lied about the consequence of joining the Common Market trading bloc and the 1975 referendum on staying in (held because the Labour government was so internally divided on the issue) never mentioned the obligation to proceed along a path to a full federated European Union. The British people were cheated when Heath took us in, cheated again when the Labour government failed to mention the ultimate EU obligation in 1975 and then we have been steadily further cheated by steps such as the Maastricht Treaty and the Lisbon Treaty-that-wasn’t-a-treaty-because-a-treaty-needed-full-agreement-and-several-countries-disagreed.
De-Gaulle understood – and he was right, The UK doesn’t fit in Europe. In some ways he was doing us a favour. The British psyche is very different to that of mainland Europeans. We actually have very little in common with those within the rest of Europe. It’s only when there is conflict that Britain alters her perception of Europe. Once we’ve “fought the battles” we retract back into our shells. It is what we are and it can’t just be changed by trading agreements and petty squabbling over fishing rights and such. Things are much more complicated than that. Britain isn’t yet ready ready to become a “bit player” A part of a Federal conglomeration. Our past conquests and the way behaved and saw ourselves globally can’t be swept away overnight. Only time will change things and that time has yet to come.
Don’t you realise that arguments like this puts another feather in the snp Cap
Can they please explain to me why the north Americans and a load more don’t need to have an international driving license in the EU ?
They drive on the “wrong ” side of the road.
Eire will remain in the EU and they drive on the “right” side of the road. We are not such a small minority either. Japan and India are hardly small countries nor are Australia and New Zealand and more locally there is Cyprus and Malta.
I hope the British Government impose exactly the same legislation on the EU as they, vindictively, wish to impose on us.
1/3 of the world drive on the UK side of the road – making the opposite side the ‘right/correct’ side based on populatity and statisitics, and the UK side the wrong side.
Fortunately its “not” a popularity competition!
Not by population size, as India do and they have a massive population, as does South Africa and Pakistan. There is no right or wrong anyway, it’s choice.
How on earth is which side of the road people drive on a correct/incorrect question. Different conditions in different countries have led to the current arrangements and island nations tend to drive on the left. It is like saying having speed limits in some countries in Kilometers or miles is right or wrong or that 70 or 75 mph or 130 kph or unlimited is universally right or wrong. It is a fruitless an argument as most of the paperwork emanating from Brussels. Co-operation on law enforcement would be a good move as would the adoption of an international ISO standard for Bio metric data on D/L’s.
There is no right or wrong as far as the side of the road people drive. In EU countries you can drive on a non EU license as long as you have a valid license to drive from your country. You must also obey the driving laws specific to the EU country e.g. in France you must be over 18. If they ban the UK they will be in breach of their own laws.
Australia and New Zealand have small populations.
Don’t forget Malaysia,Singapore and Hong Kong as well
India drive on both sides of the road, who the hell want’s to drive around Europe out of choice?
I live part of the year in the south of Spain and so need to be able to drive through France and Spain. Tomorrow, I am going to drive my Spanish LHD car to Portugal for the weekend. Some of us have a more outward looking view of the world.
If you become a citizen of Spain, then you’ll be able to drive anywhere in the EU. Simple!
Simply being a citizen won’t help – you will need a Spanish driving licence – taking their tests, etc.
No test needed, just exchange the licence.
Exactly!
It’s not vindictive. It’s just a common-sense solution to not being part of the same legal set-up, exactly what was voted for. Agreed we’d hope for a equal-to-both solution, of course.
It is vindictive, is senseless, has nothing to do with a different legal set up as the UK is prepared to accept the set up as it stands. A typical Junker & Barnier petty mindedness to punish the UK for having the audacity to leave their corrupt organisation. This will hit their citizens as much as the UKs if May stands up to them, if not she’ll be replaced
Exactly. Junker & Barnier want to make our exit as painful as possible by rapping the UK’s knuckles for daring to defy them. Calling us a ‘third world country’ only serves to demonstrate the low esteem in which they have held us since we joined and Maggie had the guts to stand up to Jacques Delors. As you say, Theresa needs to show more backbone. We’ve given way on far more than we thought we would in this process already.
Switzerland is totally encircled by EU states yet they don’t need a permit to drive in them.
This is the kind of behaviour you’d expect to find in the playground.
Ha ha, very good, Rick. You do realize the difference between a ‘third world country’ and a ‘third country’ i.e. technically not an EU member, don’t you?
For the purpose of clarity, the article doesn’t state that the UK is a ‘third world country’. It states that the UK is a ‘third country’. In any case, the EU are wrong to state that the ‘UK’ is a country; England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales are countries.
Wales is not a country it is a Pricipality
actually it is a principality :p
Wales is a Country try asking google if you’re still an unbeliever
Wrong Patricia. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland IS a country, comprising England, Scotland, N Ireland and Wales which are NOT independent countries, although 3 of them have various forms of devolved government. Had Scotland voted for independence then it would have been a foreign country, just like the Irish Republic. Brexit negotiations with the EU are being carried out by the UK government.
That should be “the EU *is* wrong” (grammatically speaking, at least) unless there is suddenly more than one union.
To quote Richard Osman: “By country I mean a sovereign nation recognised by the UN in its own right”. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland don’t satisfy that criterion, but (the Republic of) Ireland does.
They are not calling us a “Third world” country, but a “Third” country, i.e. a third party, not in the EU. It is not an insult but a description of our status as a trading partner. Why should they do us any favours after the unnecessary name-calling that so many of the “Leave” side have been carrying out, and our arrogant government’s assumption that we get whatever we want regardless of the realities? Their concern now, quite naturally, lies with the remaining 27 states, not our suicidal nation.
Czerwona dupa zawsze kojarzy mi się z pewnym naczelnym czworonogiem żyjącym stadnie w Afryce. Pański intelekt podobnie…
It is purely vindictive – the EU has allowed people from the Channel Islands to drive in the EU under a CI licence with no charges at all for years even though they are not part of the EU – and they don’t even pay road tax, and their reg plates don’t even conform to EU standards, and yet we decide to leave and they are hammering us with yet another blow for trying to leave,if the EU want to play hardball like this then we also need to fine drivers from the EU the same way. I just wonder how long before all the Dutch flower lorry drivers start complaining will the EU come back to us with their tail between their legs with a deal.
It’s not vindictive, it’s just a natural result of withdrawing from the treaties that cover the agreement to accept each other’s licenses.
Spot on Roger, as President Trump would say, RECIPROCAL Reciprocal tax, reciprocal documentation, simple A.
Nothing vindictive about it. If we leave, we don’t get the benefits of being in the EU. Not rocket science.
But you WILL be able to drive a vehicle any where else outside the nanny state ..
Totally agree!
Don’t forget Thailand & others in the Far East also drive on the left like us
Roger, it’s not vindictive, it’s all down to agreements. I’m guessing with ill-informed comments like that you voted Brexit.
*claps*
*rolls eyes*
*sighs*
Far, far more people from the UK go to EU countries in their cars or hire cars for their holidays than the other way round. So if EU countries want their tourism hit … *claps* *rolls eyes* *sighs*
The “Brexit” Truly – “A breath of fresh air!” Have you read about the new “Draconian” copyright laws that the unelected idiots at Brussels have implemented? If you record something on one TV in your house, it can’t even be played on another set. Even if that set is the same make. “Laws” are being passed in the EU just for the sake of them. The EU should be renamed “Draconia”
Do you have a link for that? Unless you can provide evidence (and the Daily Mail doesn’t count) I will go with ‘complete bollocks’. For a start, most recordings are made “on” a separate box and not “on” a tv set. The European court has previously ruled that simply viewing a programme does not count as making a copy of it (although a representation of the ‘work’ appears on a screen), nor does a temporary cache of, say, a streamed service, but only permanent recordings count as a copy. Perhaps there has been some tightening up of the rules around streaming which your source has misunderstood, but this has all the hallmarks of the anti-EU brigade’s stretching facts. Or lying. Like about the £350M for the NHS.
What a load of rubbish we did not need a special licence before we joined the eu to drive abroad so now you’re saying we need one just because we have had the guts to leave this is pure discrimination by petty minded people
It is not vindictive – just the natural consequence of our saying “We don’t want to be in your club anymore.” Why should we expect them to let us hang on to all the benefits of being in when we insist on quitting?
Prior to joining we could drive in what is now E.U countries using a British Licence.
We need to mirror this and stop E.licence holders driving over here. That would include Large lorries as well, which would stop all of thier exports to the U.K.
This is just another petty attack on the U.K by the unelected E.U dictators.
Yes! Let’s go to fight the EU! To another Dunkirk!!!
“they” “vindictively” didn’t stupidly vote for Brexit
The EU are not being vindictive they are just proposing to treat the UK as the would other countries not part of the EU. I expect that we will actually end up with a reciprocal arrangement.
We can’t expect to leave the EU and keep all the benefits.
If you think we drive on the wrong side of the road wait until you are riding your horse down the road and want to draw your sword with your right hand and protect yourself from an oncoming horseman similarly attired.
We drive on the original side of the road going back to at least the Romans. Napoleon decided to change the “continent” to the other side of the road as a matter of pique. The Americans adopted the continental system as they were pals with the French and pissed with the Brits.
True, but we are in AD 2018, we don’t ride horses anymore, we have automatic and self-driving cars, so that principle is not applicable anymore.
It doesn’t matter who is right or how we drive, the most important is to make an easy life for everyone, but seems that the Brexit will change many benefits we have and we don’t appreciate until we lose it.
I never saw any benefits, many industries like shipping, fishing , aircraft have been ruined by EU membership
I don’t see how the EU are responsible for those. In fact possibly the opposite is the case – being one group has made them stronger. The Shipping industry as a whole has moved East, not to Europe. The aircraft industry was always small here anyway – and being a member of Airbus has helped hugely (in fact that started even before we joined EU). The Fishing industry has declined in almost all countries – bigger ships means less needed. We were over fishing the seas to such an extent that some popular fish, such as cod, were almost wiped out until the EU brought in quotas and now it had grown back to a more manageable situation.
You probably ‘didn’t see’ a lot of benefits to being in the EU. But you had them and accepted them with open arms, as you were unaware of their sources. It’s becoming clearer and clearer as we go along that leaving the EU is quite possibly the most stupidest decision the ones who voted for it have made. Those responsible for trying to negotiate the best we can out of that decision have the hardest and most thankless task. They have a no-win situation. We really are much worse off since the decision was made – we already are and will be more so for some time to come. What a legacy.
Very true. Very sad. Doors solid closed for generations. In 50 years UK will be on its knees…
We weren’t on our knees before we entered the EU, so why should it be any different? Before we became members, virtually every car on the road was British made. We had a massive manufacturing base and led the world in hi-tech products. Since we became part of that undemocratic white-elephant, all of our industries have vanished. The run-down of UK industry was instigated by the EU. Propping up weaker nations at our expense is behind it all.
Absolutely-spot on!
Driving HGV’s abroad pre EU , the only time i needed idp , was Turkey onward . The only people who whinge , are those with no pride or faith in their country .
True
The EU has much more to lose with the Brexit than does the UK. Much, much more. A top industrialist in the German car industry actually admitted this when interviewed on BBC TV. It makes me laugh when I think of the French being super-chummy with the Germans. Yet again, they appear to have forgotten who it was within Europe who sacrificed millions of their young man in order to free Europe from tyranny… us British. The French are back stabbers…
You protect yourself with your shield, not your sword, and that is normally worn on the left hand side. Riding/driving on the right hand side of the road is much more natural.
Much more dangerous in manual cars.as the right hand is removed from the steering wheel to change gear. As most people are right-handed, this isn’t a good thing. The Americans realised this and it’s one of the reasons why most of their cars are automatic.
Never been to Australia and New Zealand then? Or the small country of India, or Japan?
EU will find restricting our right to drive there if we choose to boost their tourism inflow of cash will be a two edged sword if we require their citizens to be treated the way they might want to treat us.
John
I fact there are 75 counties which drive on the left and 165 which drive on the right. Hardly a tiny minority
There are 195 countries including UN observer states. That means 45 countries either do both or neither!
One has to take into account among those, there are countries where they drive on both sides, sometimes at the same time. So they are on both lists.
If driving a car with a manual gearbox, it is safer to drive on the left. This is because the right hand is “dominant” and should always be on the steering wheel. It’s one good reason why most cars in the USA are automatics.
india drives on left alot of people alone plus many others eg ,australia,cyprus Reality is some drive on left some on right what is the problem ? Yet another EU scare tactic – we manage to drive in Europe pre the EU and will do so after it.
The unelected crackpots will try and find any excuse to stop the Brexit. Why? They need our money. Also, if Russia “kicks-off” they’ll need our nukes!
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/list-of-countries-who-drive-on-the-left.html
Technically, in America, it’s the “right” side. 😉
Alexander Fraser. I up voted your answer but it registered as a down vote and won’t let me change it. Apologies for that. My fingers must be bigger than I thought!
No, if you pass somebody on the right side, you won’t be able to get your sword out.
Unless you are left-handed…
I think you will find it is them that drive on the wrong side When Napoleon was try to take over europe people travelled on the left because most people had their sword on their left side as they pulled out with their right hand to defend them selves He change it round to travelling on the right side in the counties he took over
There are currently 65 countries that drive on the left Alexander
Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, Japan I’m sure they drive on the left.
Actually we are in the minority in Europe but if you look around Japan and the East Asian countries they mainly drive on the left, and one country even changed to the left there as it was easier to get RHD cars there. Although I have to say in 2016 I went to a scout camp in France (Roverway) and drove on the right. I was in my UK RHD vehicle and I actually found it easier to drive on the right, and coming back I found it harder to judge junctions in the UK at first.
The UK though has always been a bit of an oddball though when it comes to standards and this might possibly be why the majority voted to leave the EU (and any remoaners don’t even go down the route of bringing up the 28% who couldn’t be bothered to vote – they made their decision to follow the majority as they couldn’t care less about the result).
It’s funny that the EU has always been about freedom – freedom of movement of people, goods, human rights is the freedom to decide how you want to live your life. And yet when it comes to certain freedoms the EU restrictions these or dictate. Like if you want to change the EU flag on your car reg plate to your own countries flag – this should be a free choice, it’s your car and it’s your decision if you want to be patriotic about your country or about the EU (I’d change my EU plates tomorrow for Welsh dragons if I knew I could legally drive it in the EU without being fined, but I can’t). And this is where the irony of the EU is – your entitled to lots of freedom under the EU as long as you give up your national identity and agree to wave the EU banner is that freedom or dictatorship?
Also the UK does a lot of things different to the EU aside from driving on the opposite side (btw the ROI do too). The UK uses 3 pin mains plugs instead of EU plugs and BT phone sockets instead of RJ-11s are they going to also impose a fee for us to use our electronics within the EU.
Also even though the EU dictates that everything should be metric people in the UK still quite often refer to weights in imperial, a 5lb bag of potatoes instead of 2.5kg bag, or a pint of milk, I also don’t see many people going to the bar and asking for half a litre of beer instead of a pint and the glasses are still marked in pints (although to be fair it would actually be 568ml of beer and not half a litre!).
It seems the EU need to learn a lot more about freedom and people’s freedom of expression before they lecture people on the freedom of movement of people and goods.
NOT SO! China, Japan, India, Australia etc all drive on the best side of the road – by far the largest number by population.
China drives on the RIGHT
Alexander, countries that drive like us on the left.
Australia, New Zealand Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan and India Pakistan, Bangladesh, Cyprus, Malta , Guyana. Eire. Japan UK India have substantial economies.
Alexander – I think you may be wrong. By total world population as many countries are driving on our side as in Europe – Japan, Indonesia, India, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand – to mention a few
I believe they do. We have to in the USA but I’ve hired cars over there with just my UK licence. It’s a relic of days gone by, which some governments or border officials enforce But in practical terms outdated and only involves filling out a form and showing you licence to a person at a post office counter, hardly a satisfactory way of ensuring you are a capable driver!
We can drive in the USA and many other countries outside the EU because we have negotiated a reciprocal agreement where we recognise each other’s standard on individual matters, (in this case the driving license). If the UK is insistent upon leaving the EU and refusing to be bound by the common EU standard we already have (and any reciprocal agreements they have negotiated), it must accept the extra bureaucracy and expense that having diverging standards brings with it. It must spend manpower negotiating a separate agreement with every country for every single issue. This will be very expensive in both time and money, and will take very many years to achieve. – I personally would sooner this money be spent on the NHS instead.
So basically how a lot of countries negotiate with others then…
Yes.
As of early 2016 the UK had exactly ONE professional treaty negotiator employed by the UK state. The tally is now 8,000 & rising.
They do!
Because this article is designed to scare people and try to bolster a case to remain in the EU and go back on the referendum commitment to let the British people decide. Russians, Americans, Brazilians all drive quite happily in the EU and the UK. The good piece on this which the pro EU article ignores is that the UK can revert to its prior limits on axle weights for Large Lorries (TIR) as the EU limits were heavier and unsuited to much of the UK’s road infrastructure, causing much more rapid wear, pot holes and consequential road works.
What causes the damage to the UK’s roads is the shamefully small amount of money that they spend on them, and the fact that, as there are fewer miles of motorway per head of population than virtually anywhere else in the world, they are massively over-used.
I think you’re comparing cabbages to caviar. Hint, dual carriageways would count as motorways in Germany.
So instead of spending money on fixing the roads, the ‘austerity’ government spends it on building a nice new, 12 foot high, fence alongside the M40.
nothing to do with EU, just plain government stupidity.
We make as many of those lorries here as they do elsewhere. We will not revert to lower sized lorries. In fact modern lorries exert less road pressure per tyre than previous, lighter, lorries.
It was always the worst decision to leave the EU. There is no upside so far.
The worst decision was joining in the first place.
I always had an international driving when driving in the USA in the seventies purely because the license required a photo I needed that kind of id. Back then hire car companies in the USA didn’t really like persons to drive out of State.
Because it’s clearly a way for the EU to bully the UK again into remaining in their dictatorship.
It’s not just the US there is somewhere much more closer to home that is allowed to drive on EU roads without being a member of the club and that country (or group of islands) also drive on the same side of the road as us, so also nothing to do with which side of the road we drive on. Purely down to the EU dictators bullying us again for making a choice, a choice which the Way seem to think that even though their policies are allowing people to be free and make their own decisions – people who make the decision to leave them should be penalised more than those that were never part of the dictatorship.
The country I am on about is The Channel Islands, the channel islands has never been part of the EU, and yet drivers from The Channel Islands are free to bring their cars into the UK and the rest of the EU and drive them with no special licence. Channel Islands registration plates don’t even match EU registrations – Jersey start with a J and then 5 numbers, where as Guernesy are 3-5 numbers and can even be printed inverse (white text on black).
If they do go through with this plan then I wonder how this will affect Northern Ireland and Gibraltar drivers, or will they put in special exemptions for Spain/Gibraltar and Northern Ireland/ROI.
Also if they do penalise UK drivers in this way I do hope we follow suit and make those foreign lorry drivers pay too. You can’t have one rule for one and one rule for another. I am wondering if you started charging all those Dutch lorry drivers bringing flowers from Holland to the UK how long would it be before Holland started urging the EU to drop this madness.
Also maybe we’ll have some more polite lorry drivers, the other year I couldn’t believe what happened to me, I was parked up on an A road lay-by, and a Polish lorry driver pulled up behind me, got out, leaving half his lorry on the dual carriageway and walked up to my car, opened my door and started shouting at me telling me I needed to leave the lay-by because he wanted to park his lorry there and the bay was full. I was like omg I’ve never ever, ever known that before, usually if the parking lay-by is full you drive to the next one, you don’t go and shout at another driver and demand them to move. I decided to save arguments, and the fact that his truck was bigger than my car to move to the next lay-by, but I thought we shouldn’t have to put up with this abuse, lorry drivers at one point where known as the Knights of the road
Because this article is childish drivel. The UK observes the relevant Conventions as does the EU. All that will be probably change are things like having to pay for EU Insurance and Heavy Vehicle Axle Weights. It is a childish piece made worse by a misleading Headline which is balderdash. I fear it is more Project Fear….
It shpuld be reciprocal. Do unto others… that way they msy take note. It feels like bully boy tactucs, again. Let’s hope our negotiators grow a backbones
Hardly bully boy tactics, if we leave the club we loose the rights that go with membership!
Perhaps we should blame the 28% who were too idle to use their vote and the 37% who voted Brexit. When jobs and rights go I will know who to blame and it won’t be people on the other side of the Channel.
Correct. Leave the Club equals benefits benefits benefits. A 2 year old can see that. Brexit is Best
I assume you mean people who voted leave, and believe that, have the intellect of a two year old. Enough said!
I’m puzzled by the negative and sore-loser attitude of remainers. What is done, is done. If the vote had gone the other way, I very much doubt that leavers would behave like “spoilt brats who had thrown their rattles out of their prams” All the people I know, who voted to leave and who understand and believe in democracy, would have accepted the vote no matter which way it went. I suspect it isn’t because the leavers “won”, but because the remainers “lost” Maybe the type that want to stay within the EU are just incapable of accepting they’ve lost. If this is so, I’m glad that the vote went the way it did.
And what makes you think that the 28% that did not vote would have voted remain,they could have voted leave
Let’s just get out
This is al a load of tit for tat. Are these politicians for real. It is going to cost motorists again. How damaging will it be for business . How many truck drivers for instance drive abroad and europeans here. Start getting it right now and stop all this nonsence. Passports will be the next issue. Where will this stop.
Cobblers!! and that is me being polite!!
We could drive in Europe before we joined the EU, and as has bee stated previously, why can Americans and others do so and not us?
Yes we of course we could drive in Europe before 1974 but we needed an IDL which is what will be required now.
I don’t think that is quite correct. I drove in France quite a bit before we joined the ‘Common Market’ and I never held an IDL.
I have driven all over Europe and the Staes and Canada and was never required to have an IDL.
Me too
Technically we didn’t join the common market – we joined the EEU, which had as it’s main basis a ‘common market’ encompassing many many ideals for that to happen – some of them still in the early days and some still to be enacted. It was always a political union, not a trading agreement!
Not true, it was a Common Market, later European Economic Union (not political) then and now European Union (political)
I must disagree with you here as that certainly was not the case, it was purely advisory as so few people spoke English at the time. Our licences are now currently identical to our neighbours and so their should be no confusion over miss understanding them.
Haha! No more holidays to Spain or France. I’ve heard Isle of Man is not so bad. You will surely be able to drive there!
Quite right Surrey Boy, because no one had ever been to France or Spain before we got conned into joing “The Common Market”, had they? Spain sucks anyway. Who would ever want to go there? Give me Seaton Carew any day.
Hm, according to the stats Spain is the most popular EU country when it comes to Brits looking for a living place (other than the UK). Oh, and France comes as a second favourite country. It seems that most of the people are quite keen to go there. Not a problem, more space on the Isle of Man for you, then!
Spain is like it is today because British money was pumped into the country. This is something certain governments have attempted to “hide” A good Google will turn-up the truth. It wont be easy to find as many Web-pages have been removed. Anyone with patience will find out what is behind it. We almost broke ourselves in order to bring Spain into (at the time) the 20th Century.
when you can fly two people, one from glasgow, one from london, to barcalona for less and in less time than to get either from one to the other and back, and if you want to stay its considerably cheaper. I think I’m having sun and sangria at my business meetings rather than rain and rip-off water.
Not me… Cornwall/Devon. Pasties and scrumpy. Spend our hard earned monies in our own country and help build up our own coffers! Besides… too much sun is dangerous!
What’s good for tithe goose is good for the gander.
This type of thinking is exactly why we should cut the ties with the EU.
If the EU want to play dirty, then we should do the same. They are just trying to make an example of us to deter any other Nation from leaving the EU.
Are you another Brexiteer winging because our European rights are going because we are leaving the European Club. No membership – No privilages. Hardly Europe playing dirty – grow up and take responsibility for your actions.
Time to wake up! Who’s playing dirty here? No one told British to leave the Club! Stop blaming the UE for everything. It was purely British decision to go alone. Now the British will pay the price. And only the British are to blame for this clusterf*ck!
This is bloody idiot Timmermans and others work. Norway is not in the EU and accepts European licenses and vice versa. Same for Switzerland and couple of other countries which are not in the EU!
Well, before calling other people idiots check your facts. Norway CONTRIBUTES to the EU by pumping around €400 million a year in grants. Swiss also pay the EU. While British prefer to put all the money in NHS instead. What do you expect???
Well actually, we would PREFER to put the money into the NHS, but T. May is going to keep giving money to the EU (I’ve read that it could go on until the 2060s), so we will still be paying.
This latest posture from the EU is just another pointless threat – traffic runs in both directions and the UK runs a trade deficit with the EU, meaning we get more European freight coming our way than British freight going into Europe, hence any restrictions would cause more problem for Europeans than for the UK. Just as with the threats about tariffs, it is not in the economic interest of the EU to cause problems. By the by, the EU also know that it’s not in their economic interest to allow us to leave their club and take away our contributions, but they have no say in whether or not we leave. Fortunately for the EU, our weak government, led and operated by pro-Remain people, is going to keep paying them.
Why change a system that works? And I don’t just mean in terms of driving licences.
The system and I assume you mean the EU doesn’t work and that is the problem. The sooner this corrupt juggernaut goes bankrupt the better
It doesn’t work. Proof? The result of the Brexit vote….
Just another example of how dire Brexit will be. Just look at how Kent will be gridlocked after Brexit: 10,000 HGVs go through the tunnel or Dover each day. The EU ones currently don’t need customs clearance so go through in two minutes. Afterwards, they will need customs paperwork which will need to be checked – currently non-EU drivers are held up for around ten minutes. The queues will tailback over 30 miles every day. Permanent Operation Stack. These figures are from the Road Haulage Association.
At last, someone talking fact and consequences instead of yah boo political rubbish.
We got ourselves in this mess because we did not think of the consequences of leaving the EU. We, a minority 37% of the electorate, voted to leave the EU and need to take responsibility for our actions, instead of blaming someone else.
So right Lee and don’t forget the idle 28% who didn’t vote!
General and local elections have turnouts as little as 50% and often even less. The general election of 2001 had a turnout of 59.4%.
Are you suggesting that all elections don’t really count because there was a huge “idle” count?
Are you suggesting we have a different way of counting votes? There was a referendum for this in 2011. The result was more than 2:1 voting in favour of keeping the existing system. The turnout in that referendum? It was a mere 42.2%.
I hope you realise that referring to “the idle” is completely illogical. Maybe you want the compulsory voting that they have in Australia? Not for me thanks. People who haven’t got a clue are equivalent to “rogue voters” in my book.
I had to laugh at one of the voters who I took to the Brexit referendum. I asked him what he voted, he replied “Labour”. He is illiterate, has a learning disability and lives in a care home. The management encouraged all residents to vote. All legal and maybe even commendable but how might that skew elections/referendums?
I’d rather have compulsory voting and a few ‘rogue’votes, than minority votes taking the moral (?) high ground.
So that’s ok as long as you are on the winning side Lee, who’s taking the moral high ground?
What a wimp you are. Typical remoaner. Time to stand on our own 2 feet. Brexit will be brilliant. Go and live with your wimpy Europeans.
typical Brexiteer, if you weigh up the facts, we are better having a seat at the table and all the member benefits than going it alone as a tiny island in the middle of the atlantic with an empire complex.
The referendum was not framed as binding and if it was, there would have been a more substantal requirement than 50%+1 of those who voted to change the status quo. typical 50%+1 of eligible voter,s or 66% of those who vote in a constitutional decision.
Cameron only held it to keep the Eurosceptic Tories happy, and fully expected it to be about 60%-40% for remain, which it would have been, if Corbyn had actually come out for remain publicly.
We can all agree that the EU isnt perfect, but it is better to try to change it from the inside, than leave in protest. The deals we managed to negotiate as part of the block, are far more vavourable than anything we could get alone, and its not as if we actually make anything any more.
Corbyn is a vacillating buffoon who will promise absolutely anything to gain votes.
Corbyn is more than a buffoon…he is dangerous. I see Corbyn as a “plant” Someone who has been put in his position in order to destroy. Every time I look at him on TV, I see strings being pulled.
His motivation is power and political gain not what is in the best interests of the electorate or the good of the country. His cheap shot to abolish student tuition fees at the expense of the taxpayer and massive borrowing was unprofessional and undermined the governments efforts to reduce the national debt in order to then reduce austerity measures which were required, if you remember to offset the massive debt that the Labour government got us into and turning a blind eye to what the banks were up to when the banking crisis hit.
You can’t change anything from inside that has been tried, and failed. Ever thought why we don’t make anything now? why we no longer have fishing fleets? no longer control our own boarders? why the NHS is crumbling?why we can’t buy a bent or lumpy cucumber? In fact , have you ever thought at all? I think not, you appear to have absorbed all the remainer propaganda and speak from a “I don’t want to lose” idealogy.
What is the point of a referendum then if it is not binding? If the government of the day feels the need to clarify the electorates wishes then the result should be binding. Edward Heath was very shrewd when he took us into the EU, he made sure that we were committed for two and a half years before the referendum and was fortunate that the result was to stay in (mainly by commercially motivated businesses in the city). Are you suggesting that if the referendum result in 1973 had been “No” that Heath would have ignored the result? I remember it well and the Conservative government would have fallen if a “No” vote had not been upheld. Turnout then was 64% and 67% voted to stay in. What is 50% +1? the referendum result was 51.89% leave against 48.11% remain with a 72,2% turnout and a majority of 1’269’501, if this percentage represented seats in the house of commons it would provide a working majority.
Lee, you may not have thought of the consequences of leaving the EU, shame on you as you should have weighed up the advantages and disadvantages through dialogue and debate, for me I am old enough to be able to evaluate the pros and cons in a qualified way. I would argue that the majority of brexiteer’s would have thought things through with a lot of soul searching with regard to the younger generations who do not remember how it used to be and all the good things that have come out of the EU that has made this country a better place to live.
Both countries let known terrorists in, so why the problem?
I have been told of pre-EU experience from hauliers – stuck at French customs for at least two hours……. but currently Eurotunnel is just as painful at times for domestic travelers with trains “breaking down”, but stock is getting old and also very few custom booths being manned.
Not looking good for the future at present.
It won’t be too long before moving goods around by trucks is a thing of the past. New types of transport are around the corner. We must keep this in mind… technology doesn’t stand still. Before long the channel tunnel will be no more than a bad memory. What puzzles me most… why do people keep wanting to move about so much? It isn’t good for our health and the planet. In reality…. things aren’t much different anywhere. Who was it who said ” I crap therefore, I am” Nail on the head.
Well if this licence story is actually true there won’t be any actual lorries crossing the channel either way, it will just be the trailers, put on ferries at Dover / Calais by dedicated tractor units and then collected from the docks by local truck drivers like already happens every day in Southampton and many other container ports around the country.
Better still… put all freight back on the railways and bring back local goods and transit distribution centres.
Well said Richard, my sentiments exactly, get the haulage off the motorways and trunk roads as much as possible.
Throw away the negativity over the Brexit. Accept it as you accept life itself. Have faith in yourself and your fellow Brits. Have you become so brainwashed by the rubbish espoused by those in the EU that you are now unable to see what a superb chance it is for Britain? A fresh start. Let’s face it… the EU was going nowhere. It has become insular and it is totally undemocratic. The EU is also very close to becoming a Federal state. One that will (eventually) be led by Germany. Top German politicians have even admitted that they want to “run the show”
If I remember right we fought two world wars to keep our freedom and the freedom of other European countries too!
In the sixties there were around 55 million people in this country, there were on average one car to every 3 households, now there are 68 million people with an average of 2.5 vehicles to each household. That’s 9 million private vehicles then and 75 million now so it’s not just the number of trucks that’s the problem. It is in the interests of both the EU and UK to retain an efficient system that works for both. The EU need us as much as we need them, the difference is that we will be trading with the rest of the world as well.
Well, what did pro brexiteers expect. When you leave a club/ work place you hand in you membership card, pass etc etc. I expect they will not recognize us displaying EU style number plates. It is now clear there are hundreds if not thousands of similar pieces of minutia which needs to be addressed on both sides in post brexit talks resulting in comprehensive enabling legislation from both sides. Now who honestly thought we could leave the keys on the table and walk out. Now what government can resolve 30 – years of eu related legislation before March 2019?
Anyone who displays the EU badge on their car is showing that they no longer believe in democracy. There is no such country as the EU. Not only will the EU lead to loss of character within member “States”, it will eventually implode. It may take a hundred years, but Europe isn’t yet ready to become a Federal States of Europe.
Foreign holidays now mean nothing. France, Germany, Italy – and the rest are going like High Streets in Britain – all the same. Clones of each other. I find this to be very sad.
Fortunately, by Britain staying out of the common currency and not fully integrating with the EU, we still haven’t lost our character. A truly unique character that would disappear if we stayed within the EU. Long live miles per hour! 🙂
Sounds like more red tape and sour grapes from the EU at us leaving
Sour grapes? If the Brexiteers don’t want membership then we automatically forgo the rights. Try walking into a gym if you are not a member! Simples!
Postmen (and post women) regularly walk into gyms and they’re not (necessarily) members! (work it out for yourself what I mean!) It’s just the undemocratic cowards within the EU espousing more tripe. Fear of losing the UK’s billions.
How more stupid can these officials get ? Why on earth change anything ? However, perhaps a restriction on Eastern European and Italian drivers in the U.K. might be a good idea !
Why not use your REAL name to sign these racist comments?
Whatever the EU impose should be automatically implemented to EU drivers from there. Stop placating these morons, instantly retaliate against this blackmail.
This is typical behavior of petty minded officials who are behaving like immature children..
They need to grow up. There are more important issues to be resolved.
If the government has any sense, they’ll only impose a restriction on foreign lorry drivers. This way, our tourist economy won’t be affected, and it’ll give our haulage companies more of a level paying field in the UK by not being undercut by cheaper (and arguably more dangerous) foreign labour. We’ll also hold the moral high ground over the juvenile and bullying EU.
Don’t reciprocate! Let us allow all EU drivers to use their driving licenses as usual.Thenjust watch the howls of anguish in the EU states as our tourist income escalates and theirs fall off a cliff.
The pre-Referendum scare tactics (the sky did not fall in & the sea did not boil, after the decisive over 2 million voters’ majority verdict in a huge turnout- &, yes, we’re not daft & did know what we were voting for): have raised their ugly heads again. The various E.U. countries will want us to continue driving in their nations- bringing our boosts to their respective tourist industries, fuel & other vehicle-related purchases, & so on. The Referendum result was a democratic mandate to leave this profligate, humanly-speaking unaccountable, & predator organisation (not the nations’ populace) that is the E.U. Stop joining the remoaners’ bandwagons & having your pity-parties: grow up, get over it, & move on.
Rubbish. A minority, 37% of the electorate voted to leave, so not a majority. Despite what is claimed, a majority of the UK did NOT vote to leave, only a majority of those who voted.
All the ‘bully boy’ tactics I’ve seen have been instigated by the neo-fascist leave supporters.
Shame the powers that be couldn’t encourage more to get off their arses and use their democratic right to vote. The odd million votes to remain would have made the difference.
Ever heard of “vice versa”? There might equally have been a million more votes to leave.
The democratic vote was cast. So… why do you have problems accepting it? What is it about the EU that you love so much.? So much… that it appears you are willing to sacrifice democracy. Is it a lack of understanding as to the importance of democracy, or is it just sour grapes? I suspect that most “remainers” are just “sore-losers” Pop off your high horses and pedestals and join the rest of us. Together we can make Britain great again. A World leader, instead of a nation that has been denying the truth and heading (with others) into the undemocratic abyss that is the EU.
You are assuming that 50% of those that didn’t vote plus 1.3 million more would vote to stay, the reality is that the leave % would have increased.
The same as any democratic vote,dolt,you don’t count the non voters.
that is why ‘first past the post’ is non-democratic, dumbkopf.
I will correct you if I may, a referendum is not as in a general election where many parties are vying for votes and ultimately seats in the house of commons, this is a “first past the post” system. A referendum historically involves a choice of two options therefore whichever camp gets the majority of votes wins by a democratic majority regardless of the percentage turnout so as in the EU referendum a turnout of 67% represents 100% of those who voted so a 52.7% majority represents a 64% majority. I hope this makes things clearer Lee.
What a thicko, I think it must be the remainders who are the stupid ones.
Equally, by your logic, a majority of the UK did NOT vote to remain in the EU. Idiot.
True, but you cannot dispute the fact that a majority of the UK electorate DID NOT vote leave.
Because they were too lazy or not interested.
Yes you can because you cannot count those who didn’t vote as they by default have voted equally for and against in other words they have cancelled each other out. If they had voted it may well have been 60/40 to stay in or it may have been 60/40 to leave, we will never know so democratically it is the majority who did vote that wins the day.
Proved my point: another remoaner self-indulgently enjoying their pity-party (& a conspiracy theorist to compound it).
The democratic vote was cast and the result was “out” Accept it or join those who no longer believe in democracy. To my mind, a large swathe of the population in Europe have already done that. Why? Because they continue to accept that their lives are to be controlled by undemocratic leaders. People who, in truth, have no democratic right to rule anyone.
Wrong Lee, a clear majority of those who made the effort to vote voted to leave, democratically if eligible voters can’t be bothered to get of their backsides and vote they deserve what they get and are irrelevant on this occasion. So out of 100% of 67% voted to leave.
The result was not a DEMOCRATIC mandate. The EU citizens were not allowed to vote. Majority of them being settled in the UK for years, paying taxes and contributing to the society. How is that DEMOCRATIC?
Eh ? You must be a non UK citizen is all l can think as the vote WAS for UK citizens to vote on and it was democratic. It was not for anyone non-UK citizen who just happened to be in, working or living in the UK.
But all these for or against Brexit are detracting from the question that this artilce has raised….so lets keep to the point in question.
If you can’t grasp the true meaning of democracy, then we can’t help you. Try Googling.
Yes it was, all citizens eligible to vote had the opportunity to do so, were you eligible? if so did you? if you did you accept the democratic result, if you didn’t you have no say!
I doubt this very much there would need to be a hard border to check and validate leading to disruption and delays which can the be reciprocated here in the UK and no eurocrat worth his or pension would validate such a process. Besides there are plenty more places we can drive if we wish, just imagine the revenue the government could get by charging ALL THOSE vehicles coming into the UK.
As long as the same applies to foreign drivers here I do not care Foreign drivers get away with most motoring offences here at least we will be able to keep tags on them and take the licence away to stop the driving in this country
The EU are simply spitting at us again and it will all be sorted out!
Scaremongering (in relation to Brexit a daily occurrence!). If you live near Dover like I do you would see how much foreign traffic enters the UK. Whatever the EU Mafia impose on us we would do the same on them so there will be a compromise agreement.
If the EU imposes an IDP on British drivers the same rule should apply to
EU drivers in the UK. Hopefully the Dept. for Transport will ratify the Vienna Convention so that UK driving licence’s will accepted in the EU.
Another case of the EU trying to make life awkward for the UK public.
If they used common sense and not tried to impose ridiculous laws we would still have probably been in the EU.
The sooner we leave, the better off we will be.
Straight Bananas !!!
Scaremongering on the one hand, and money on the other – everyone will charge everyone extra for a piece of paper that certifies what your licence already certifies.
Why would this be?, We had freedom to drive and hire cars in Europe long before we joined the European union, more scaremongering methinks.
That’s right by having had your international driving licence . I had one in my early years driving in France. Go to any hire firm, and the first thing they check is whether you have a valid licence.
Without UK money going into EU coffers, the EU can’t survive. That is why the undemocratic cretins in Brussels are coming out with all this clap-trap!
I could not agree more. Let’s get rid of the foreign lorry drivers and make our roads a lot safer.Time for us to show a
bit of backbone over this one.
So let’s all do what we did before and get an IDP – BUT there must be the same requirement on any other EU third world countries for their drivers to come into the UK (including those from Fire unless they do a separate deal with us).
Once again drivers will have to get the IDP, not for the first time in 100 years. We [as a country] must insist that foreign drivers must also have an IDP to drive and or hire a vehicle in the UK. We cannot let others dictate how the UK ensure safety and legality on the roads.
UK driver side hold EU licences that are valid until expiry. Post Brexit, UK drivers will be issued with UK licences and may need an IDP to drive in EU states. More of a problem for EU drivers who wish to drive in the UK, such as the Irish. More scaremongering from remainers. Get over it!
I am sure that EU transport companies would be happy to pay for their drivers to have a IDP to deliver EU goods to the UK. As would the French tourist economy when all the holiday homers sell up and take staycations. Yet another bluster and scaremongering item from our dear, soon to be departed EU friends
This is another EU silly idea but if we have to apply for a IDP then anyone from an EU COUNTRiY must also have to apply for an IDP to drive in Britain. You cannot allow this just to be one sided. The EU are consistently trying anything to make it hard for us NOT to have a good depart from the EU. The EU are only interested in our subscription to the EU and by making it difficult it wants to deter any other country leaving this corrupt system.
People soon forget the reason we are leaving the EU, it’s because we don’t want to lose our identity or be controlled by outsiders. Other eu members will be queuing up to leave once we are out but haven’t got the balls to go for it, yet. Obviously there good points of being a member but in my opinion the bad points far outweigh the advantages. The eu is desperate to stop us opening the flood gates so keep throwing nasty little threats at us. Where’s the bulldog spirit we are and will remain British we managed before and will manage after Brexit.
LEAVING TH EU is self imposed madness! Withdraw Art50 and become sane again, GB and gone?
Whoever wrote this must work for the EU Ministry of Propoganda.
If this is the type of misinformation this web site is putting forward how can we believe any of the other stuff on here. I’m out.
You’ve hit the nail on the head, Arthur. Let us keep in mind just how much history in Europe repeats itself.
Dib if you love the europeans that much stop winging the same old story and go live with them they are more worried about losing the money we pay them and are just scare mongering and we are better off without them I voted no to the common market the first time and if we had we would be better off now.
does that mean Lorry drivers with 2000 gallons of fuel in oversize tanks will be stopped entering UK- we should charge duty on the imported fuel over 10 gallons
2000 gallons? I think not that’s 321 cubic feet
An IDP costs £5.50 from the Post Office and lasts for a year. Less than £6 per year is hardly worth mentioning, most people spend more than that in a couple of hours in the pub. This article is mostly click-bait.
Exactly. A load of nonsense
First of all before we became part of the EU we could drive in the EU with a UK driving licence so once again a petty attitude by Brussels. WE can drive in America with a UK driving licence so what is important about EU?
Does it really matter?? It’s like being back in the play ground and watching kids scrapping over a piece of paper it don’t make sense, won’t it benefit everybody by leaving it alone WHY WHY WHY ! it’s alright for governments to get pissed off with each but it is us the original people that work, go on holidays or visit our families in both side of the channel that will be affected not just in the pocket but also jobs, tourism and what else we need a license for in the UK or Europe. So we left Europe it was a Vote by the British people but we all got to live with it NOT be punished by it. All I ask people of Britain and Europe to remember is what did Great Britain lose to give Europe it’s freedom to government after two world wars. I know my mom lost her dad. It seems funny really that they like to think of the UK as the bad guys but we are the first country to help and give to others without question.
Grow up Europe and get real UK.
Brexit is idiotic and should be stopped, now!
Oh well that’s Brittany Ferries and euro tunnel finished!
this really is just a reflection of what a petty minded organisation the EU has become, further demonstrating our need to get the heck out of it as soon as possible
it is a commonly known fact that many European Lorry Drivers are over here for the weekend because we are much more lax about lorry movement than the Europeans are generally. Hopefully they will be charged because they are driving commercially and perhaps also be restricted to driving within European Parameters.
They should be taxed as an absolute minimum as the cost UK drivers have imposed on them to drive in Europe.
Somehow being EU members worked against us and in favour of European drivers. I doubt that our people have the balls to do something about it but it really is time for us to stop being imposed upon and continue to lose out against Europeans generally. Tax them heavily or put on stricter conditions should they be lorry drivers yet be minimalist with those coming here to holiday. Encourage them to tour and spend their money.
This never applied pre EEC/EU so why the heck should it apply afterwards? especially as all current licence holders meet ‘EU standards’ (whatever that means) just more baloney from an unelected bunch of upstarts!