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Impact of Brexit on translation industry?
Thread poster: sam@fr-uk
Jack Doughty
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In memoriam
Forum (@ Tom & Sheila) May 27, 2015

I think this topic is in danger of being closed because it is too political, but I have found a forum where the issue is being discussed.

http://www.urban75.net/forums/threads/tory-uk-eu-exit-referendum.334842/


 
Tim Drayton
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Postal vote May 27, 2015

Incidentally, it is important to note that this new rule gives you a postal vote from your country of residence. You do not have to travel to the UK to exercise your vote.

 
sam@fr-uk
sam@fr-uk
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TOPIC STARTER
Wider concerns May 27, 2015

Sheila Wilson wrote:

For the thousands and thousands of Brits who have chosen to settle permanently in other EU countries, there are far more personal worries. Will we actually have the right to work at all? What will happen about our pension and health care entitlements? Will we even be able to stay in our adopted countries or will we be forced to go back to a non-EU UK?

Personally, it's such a nightmare scenario that I can't think of it at the moment. If there's anything I can do to stop it happening, please let me know. I imagine we won't even be given a vote, even though it affects our lives so fundamentally.


Having been an ex-pat myself, I sympathise with your concerns, Sheila. We can only hope that governments would have the good sense to introduce reciprocal arrangements for those already working in the countries affected, otherwise the situation would be chaotic for all concerned. The French consulate estimated that more than 300,000 French citizens live in London alone.

I'm sure there are many ways you could help spread awareness, starting with any eligible voters you know in the UK. You could also write to newspapers and post on their online forums.

In any case, it's not a foregone conclusion!


 
Tim Drayton
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Register before it is too late! May 27, 2015

Tom in London wrote:

Cyprus is an exception.

"Irish citizens in the UK are eligible. Residents from two other EU nations, Malta and Cyprus, also qualify, along with others from the Commonwealth."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32872211

[Edited at 2015-05-27 10:54 GMT]


From the same article:

"British, Irish and Commonwealth citizens over 18 who are resident in the UK will be eligible to vote.

So too will UK nationals who have lived overseas for less than 15 years.

..."

This is what I am referring to. But people will have to make the effort to register before it is too late.


 
Tom in London
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Not really political May 27, 2015

Jack Doughty wrote:

I think this topic is in danger of being closed because it is too political......


I hope not - the concerns voiced here are of a professional nature pertaining to the work of translating. On the other hand, it's all speculation. But the Bank of England feels it's necessary to develop a scenario for what would happen, so politics or no politics, I think it's legitimate for particular sectors of the economy (such as translators) to do the same.

[Edited at 2015-05-27 11:12 GMT]


 
Tom in London
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Polls May 27, 2015

sam@fr-uk wrote:

.....

In any case, it's not a foregone conclusion!


One thing is certain: judging by recent past performance in the run-up to the recent General Elections in the UK, none of the opinion polls will be reliable and we should not believe any predictions as to the result of the referendum.


 
Tim Drayton
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The registration process starts here ... May 27, 2015

http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/register-to-vote/british-citizens-living-abroad

I have been through it and it is not particularly onerous. Those British citizens living in other EU countries should do all they can to spread the word among their compatriots permanently resident there.


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
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Occupation May 27, 2015

Tim Drayton wrote:

http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/register-to-vote/british-citizens-living-abroad

I have been through it and it is not particularly onerous. Those British citizens living in other EU countries should do all they can to spread the word among their compatriots permanently resident there.


Does this also include occupied Northern Cyprus?


 
Tim Drayton
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Good question May 27, 2015

Tom in London wrote:

Tim Drayton wrote:

http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/register-to-vote/british-citizens-living-abroad

I have been through it and it is not particularly onerous. Those British citizens living in other EU countries should do all they can to spread the word among their compatriots permanently resident there.


Does this also include occupied Northern Cyprus?


Good question. Given that all British citizens living abroad are eligible, provided they have lived in the UK in the past fifteen years, I would imagine so. I am not sure if they are more likely to be pro or anti, given that the EU acquis is suspended there.


 
Dan Lucas
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There are two sides to this coin May 27, 2015

Tom in London wrote:
The same would apply to all UK businesses trading with the EU. I see billions of pounds wasted on transaction costs. But is the average British citizen listening? I fear not.

We listen to the arguments that confirm our existing biases. Are you yourself listening to the voices pointing out the estimated £30-billion plus annual cost of EU regulations?

As a translator I foresee no major issues in the event of Brexit. I deal with clients in Asia and North and South America already. I see no reason to suppose that dealing with France will be any more difficult than dealing with a client in, say, Singapore.

Anyway, let's try to maintain a little economic rationality here. Remember that any trade barrier that Europe were to throw up would in most cases hit European industries and companies at least as hard as UK companies. Economic interdependence means exactly that. It's a two-way thing.

Take the UK car market, which is the second largest in Europe at roughly 2.4 million vehicles annually. European marques account for half of all cars sold in the UK. In the event of Brexit, do you really think VW, Audi, Skoda, SEAT, Opel, BMW, Mercedes, PSA and the rest of the European auto companies are going to be urging the EU to erect trade barriers with the UK to make business more difficult for them in their largest foreign (EDIT European) market?

Turkeys don't vote for Christmas. Trade barriers of that kind would lead to Japanese and Korean auto suppliers taking market share and laughing all the way to the bank. Even with a Brexit trade and commerce would go on - just as it did before the EU existed.

Dan
PS Not that I think Brexit will happen, but still



[Edited at 2015-05-27 12:12 GMT]


 
Tom in London
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Yes, but May 27, 2015

Yes Dan - but alas the referendum will be a plebiscite. Meaning: the plebs will be allowed to decide.

 
Dan Lucas
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That is democracy... May 27, 2015

Tom in London wrote:
Yes Dan - but alas the referendum will be a plebiscite. Meaning: the plebs will be allowed to decide.

...like it or not. Plebs and patricians both have the vote. Sure, democracy also dilutes the potency of individual action; this is a truism. It's clearly far from perfect, but would anarchy, autarchy or oligarchy be any better? Other people have the right to vote and they will often disagree with ourselves.

Dan


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
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I know but.... May 27, 2015

Dan Lucas wrote:

Tom in London wrote:
Yes Dan - but alas the referendum will be a plebiscite. Meaning: the plebs will be allowed to decide.

...like it or not. Plebs and patricians both have the vote. Sure, democracy also dilutes the potency of individual action; this is a truism. It's clearly far from perfect, but would anarchy, autarchy or oligarchy be any better? Other people have the right to vote and they will often disagree with ourselves.

Dan


I know, but like John Adams in 1788, I worry about "the tyranny of the majority".


 
RobinB
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Flawed rationale May 27, 2015

Dan Lucas wrote:
We listen to the arguments that confirm our existing biases. Are you yourself listening to the voices pointing out the estimated £30-billion plus annual cost of EU regulations?


If a non-EU UK wishes to export to the EU (which it will have to), it will have to comply with most EU legislation anyway, but without having any say whatsoever in its development. As the UK already has significant opt-outs in some areas dear to Little England (in particular employment law), where exactly are the benefits of the Brexit going to come from?

And if EU legislation is so bad anyway, how come Germany manages to have a considerably more healthy export sector than the UK, together with an appreciably higher standard of living coupled with a markedly lower cost of living(!) than the UK, even though employment legislation is considerably less flexible than in the UK (though by no means anything like e.g. France)? Likewise, if being in the EU is a barrier to the UK exporting to China, how come Germany already manages to export many times as much as the UK there? (answer: one significant reason is precisely because it's a member of the EU).

Anyway, let's try to maintain a little economic rationality here. Remember that any trade barrier that Europe were to throw up would in most cases hit European industries and companies at least as hard as UK companies. Economic interdependence means exactly that. It's a two-way thing.

Take the UK car market, which is the second largest in Europe at roughly 2.4 million vehicles annually. European marques account for half of all cars sold in the UK. In the event of Brexit, do you really think VW, Audi, Skoda, SEAT, Opel, BMW, Mercedes, PSA and the rest of the European auto companies are going to be urging the EU to erect trade barriers with the UK to make business more difficult for them in their largest foreign (EDIT European) market?


I do so love these sophistic arguments! The rest of the EU will be more than happy to export to the UK as long as the UK doesn't throw up any additional trade barriers to those existing at present. But equally, the UK will continue to have to comply with the vast majority of existing EU legislation, as well as future legislation - even though it won't have any influence at all on that legislation.

[/quote]Turkeys don't vote for Christmas.[/quote]

It would be nice to think that, but unfortunately history proves that theory wrong, time and time again. You can fool some of the people all of the time.

Robin (who would no doubt be able to swap his non-EU UK passport pretty quickly for a Scottish EU passport)


 
RobinB
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Got a Scottish connection May 27, 2015

Sheila Wilson wrote:

For the thousands and thousands of Brits who have chosen to settle permanently in other EU countries, there are far more personal worries. Will we actually have the right to work at all? What will happen about our pension and health care entitlements? Will we even be able to stay in our adopted countries or will we be forced to go back to a non-EU UK?

Personally, it's such a nightmare scenario that I can't think of it at the moment. If there's anything I can do to stop it happening, please let me know. I imagine we won't even be given a vote, even though it affects our lives so fundamentally.


Agreed entirely. I've been in Germany for close on 30 years now. However, a Brexit would most likely be followed in close order by Scottish independence coupled with EU membership, so any Scottish connection would bring you a new EU passport. Dinna fash yersel tae much, as we say.

However, I do think that most EU countries will also look favourably on some sort of fast-track dual nationality for UK citizens who are at risk of being stranded in their adopted homes.

Robin


 
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Impact of Brexit on translation industry?







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