Ken

Mark Cavendish , what a rider! Just one win away from equalling the number of stage wins. And he is English!!! Rule Britannia!

Glad you told me. Still; the bunting, St Georges flag and Rule Britannia blasting out can only heighten the excitement! 24 hrs early!

Antonia: At the risk of being accused of, well everything! This competition isn't about being British !! What is happening with Southgate and the squad is about being English!! I'm sure the the Scots, Welsh and Irish, Scots in particular will want England to lose. That's football for you. I'm also a Brit and proud of being one (and that before football made me proud!!!) First though I'm English and that transcends everything. I shall be cheering England on tonight. Whether they win or not, well we shall see won't we. Denmark are a good team, many play in the U.K. anyway so it will be a stern test for England tonight. Rule Britannia.

A post that manages to not only moan about Brexit but also condemns Mrs Thatcher!! Quite unique, a remoaner and rabid socialist all rolled into one!! we need a new name:. A competition is needed; How about a re-mocialist,

What a great result for England. Obviously not too popular here given no one has said anything congratulatory . In fact nothing!! No more than I should expect I suppose after all a successful story from the U.K. isn't probably welcome!!

You get what you pay for. Neighbours can be a pain in the backside. If you can simply stay away from anyone!! If you can't then you have to put up with anything!

Two fingers, got it. Rule Britannia.

Reality! Brexit is eating away at you like maggots on a a corpse,! Get over it , ypouy lost!

You never had a case Simply trying to put the U.K. down.

Vaccines.Deals with Norway and Australia and now a Nissan plant.

My wife also used to say 'White rabbits, white rabbits' this was repeated going down the stairs backwards!!!! Fortunately she just told me that's how it was when she was a child; she never, as far as I know ever did it!!!!

ALBF: Then we agree to disagree. My belief is that it was only about leaving or remaining in the E.U. I wonder, should you be correct and it was just 'change' what then did people think would be different? I can't imagine that was the reason other than the 'change' meant being no longer 'ruled' by the E.U.! I didn't vote either. but had I been able I would have voted to leave. I think the U.K. will succeed and that's not just simply because I wanted out. I genuinely feel it will because it has to; there isn't a plan B! Two things we very much do agree on! The mindset of Brits hence Brexit and our mutual distaste for Macron.

Presumably the 'change' was to stop being told what to do by the E.U.!!! I suggested that as you didn't say what, you think, they wanted to change from!!

ABLF; A poor construction on my part. You haven't called anyone stupid. Secondly I haven't said that the majority of Brits voted to leave as I feel sure you would know. I do say, as you have, that the majority who voted did vote to leave. That is clear. I ask you again though as you haven't answered my question. What was the reason, in your view why the majority who voted; voted to leave?

ABLF: But you can't blame individuals in the UK for voting Brexit. Because most did not know what they were voting for in the first place. In your view; what do you think they believed they were voting for? I have heard that said many times but no-one has come up with why all these 'stupid' people ; the majority that is; voted to leave!

MINT: "No love for the E.U. and says derogatory things" that was your question. I too have heard people condemn the E.U. on various individual occasions. Vaccinations being a case in point. However I have't Come across anyone who continually says bad things about the EU. other than ALBF. It would be rather strange if the whole of this forum was so satisfied with the E.U. they never criticise it now and again. I still think that by asking the question of people here that you have then the answers won't be satisfactory and will be biased against anyone who does 'slander' the e.U. After all the majority seem to be satisfied with the E.U. I still think that if youn know of people that are continually saying derogatory things about the E.U. your question should be aimed at them. As far as I can see there is only one!!

MINT: I would have thought that the question should be asked of someone who fits your description not generally as, well, how would someone else know? They can speculate, perhaps even quote all sorts of things but you need ask someone directly, if you know of someone that is! Otherwise I can't really see how you can get an answer. Obviously if there is someone who has no love for the E.U. and says nothing but derogatory things about the E.U. perhaps they may wish to answer!! I certainly have no love for the E.U. I have made that clear as for the second part of your question I can't recall saying anything derogatory about the E.U. let alone 'nothing but derogatory!! Ah! perhaps the Vaccine fiasco but I think that everyone agrees with that criticism. Other than that I can't help I'm afraid!!!

I think the French team were suffering from a dose of 'we can't lose'! The Swiss have never been mugs so the two factors combined to put France out. As for England! I am an England fan but thought the Germans would get their act together because they were facing England and win , perhaps two nil!! In fact they were quite poor and have been for a few years. They had one great chance when Muller blew it but England played a solid game and deserved the victory. How far can England go? I think it depends on how good they think they are, like France!!!!

Antonia: Just returned from a very cold swim and read your post. Whilst submerged I arrived at the same conclusion. I doubt we could ever find common ground regarding the E.U. Unlike some here who simply want to hurl insults it has also been, for me, refreshing to talk to someone without ignorant abuse. Rule Britannia!!!!

I could well be misunderstanding electoral law but I don't think so. It is disingenuous to suggest being resident in foreign country (and not in the u.k) allows you to vote in the UK. You have said you need to be resident in the U.K. for , at least part of the last 15 years! I haven't been resident in the uK in that period, hence I can't vote. I stand by what I have said if you are a non resident of the U.K. you cannot vote there.

Then you, and your O.H. were residents in the U.K. and if correct, Antonia was (is ) too, and so entitled to vote. I, on the other hand, am a resident in France and was not entitled to vote even though I'm a U.K. citizen. Was there some coherent point to your post?

No need to apologise. It was simply the thrust of your comments. Perhaps you did vote. You still don't say. I don't find the need to obfuscate personally!

Well, perhaps they should have. Just like you and me; if we wanted to vote we should have gone back to the U.K. You didn't, neither did I. The fact is that only U.K. citizens could vote. No getting away from it I'm afraid. It was a U.K. vote and, from my point of view, tremendously successful!

I'm sorry but the referendum was for those living in the U.K. not all over the world! Falklands, Anguilla whatever next? The referendum was for British people living in the UK. The Pitcairn Islands!! For heavens sake! The referendum was for UK. citizens. Brexit may, or may not, affect these people in the way you suggest but the basic premise is that it was for the British people to vote on and decide. If these people want to concern themselves so much with British politics or elections then perhaps they should live there!

I think the point is that the referendum was about Britain and the people living there. The referendum didn't ask should Brits all over the world leave the E.U. An absurdity! It asked the people living in Britain; should Britain leave the E.U. It concerns people living there, not you and I. though you almost certainly won't agree. We chose to leave the U.K. I don't believe I have any right to determine its future; that's for the people living there and they chose, in my view, absolutely correctly. With regard your two points. I think, inevitably, the U.K. and the E.U. will slowly resolve their differences. They have to. Whether that is 'under the table' deals or not. I do not agree that the U.K. in the foreseeable future, or even distant future, will be part, in name or otherwise, of the EU. Why you should digress into Scottish and Irish sovereignty I don't know. If England were left as the sole country in the British Isles outside of the E.U I believe it would remain so. What Scotland and Ireland end up as is their affair should they have a referendum that like the E.U. one was binding. (incidentally the last Scottish one was but they continue to whinge, or at least the SNP does!)) I feel absolutely confident that Britain will prosper. The world, despite all its troubles revolves around trade and money and Britain is an important member. Protectionism doesn't really work and simply leads to the squabbles that are happening between the E.U. and the U.K. The dust will settle!