Brexit and moving London forward

Completely agree. A 12 year old boy was told to '**** off' by two adult men yesterday as he walked up the tube stairs in Walthamstow. My friend was there to defend him, but where are we if 12 year old boys can't walk home from school without being abused?
So many other micro-aggressions are being reported. The far right have become far more entitled since the Brexit vote.

Clear and detailed indications of how things would change should have been put before the electorate well before the start of the EU referendum campaigns. As I understand it, most other countries that use referenda do require more than 50% - more like 65% or 70% - for a decision. Mature, sensible, countries. And I suspect that the populations of those countries are a lot better educated and knowledgeable about their countries' economies, politics, etc.
One entirely predictable result of the outcome is that the far right are moving into control in the government, so don't expect any moving forward together for the whole country. The reason so many people feel alienated and disaffected is that the country voted for the Tories, who do not believe in supporting the regions, or the disabled, or the NHS, or in using tariffs to protect UK industries from product-dumping by other countries. Now the government is even more right-wing, so even if there is a little period of soothing the north etc, it won't last long. The right have been handed on a plate all the excuses they ever needed to finally kill-off the NHS and the remaining welfare state. Well done the Brexiters. If they had got more involved with politics in the UK and in the EU years ago we would not be in this position at all. Now London is going to have suffer along with the rest of the UK, at least for the next few years.

I agree 100% with all you say.

I used to be a BIG supporter of EU membership but not any longer.

Why can't our immigration department, since it already has a points system, refine that to include visas for all the EU people presently employed in London provided they undergo criminal records checks?

Why can't we make individual free trade agreements with all the existing countries that we deal with? It surely can't be that difficult? Copy the EU agreement, print it off, have a meeting and agree that nothing has changed- we still want reciprocal trade and to keep existing talent, but don't want criminals or people who monopolise our social housing and only claim benefits.

I just can't see why that's such a difficult thing to do. We have 2 years- minimum in which to do it. The EU was great as a trading block, and its early human rights stuff was good- pioneering gay rights for example. Then it went loopy, resulting in our being unable to deport murderers and drug dealers and having to compensate terrorists whose Human rights" were infringed. Today again there are headlines in the Daily Mail about a convicted murderer from eastern Europe who came here, unchecked, as is normal, and murdered AGAIN.

The Mail claims there are 200 foreigners arrested each day in London Met area alone!!!

From the money we save from subsidising the rich landed gentry with mega EU farming subsidies, we can then afford to build far more social housing, so that nurses, once again can afford to live in London.

Given that most people who voted out of the EU were serving their best interests, Londoners have to do what serves their best interests too.
Nicola Sturgeon is protecting the wishes of those she represents, Sadiq Kahn should be able to do the same. This is what politicians are elected for, to represent the wishes of their electorate. It is widely reported that many people who voted out wanted to kick big business, therefore it was not uppermost in their mind to 'get positive results for everyone'.Normally, I would agree with you, however this is the position we have been forced into.

forgot to add: with either staying in the EU if possible (perhaps teaming up with Scotland?) or re-join. They should welcome us with open arms because we are affluent and progressive, upholding EU values. Support Scotland, they are struggling with similar issues in this regard.

I'm afraid that people pushing for London are completely off the Ball, with their extreme and damaging suggestions, I hope most of you are joking, team up with Scotland, Ha-Ha! The Scots would welcome another hand out I'm sure. To be successful we need to be united and encourage all sections of the UK to pull together, does anyone think that just because we are leaving the EU, that the way ahead has to be printed out perfectly for us, we should intend to work together for the good of all and not dream about what could be if,if and if!

It is a great pity they did not fully explain the possible Brexit scenarios well before the referendum, so people understood what they were voting for exactly. It is clear that a proportion of the voters still think they voted for immediate expulsion of all immigrants, plus anyone with a slightly non-English surname, and maybe even German tourists. They, and even more Brexit voters, seem to think you can just magically and suddenly increase exports to non-EU countries to make up for the flight of investment, manufacturing, etc, and the turmoil of the transition period. And everyone forgot to mention that the UK is supposedly still groaning under the weight of staggering debt - hence the failure to put resources into the NHS and the areas with high immigrant influxes.

They did.

However it was nullified by the Leave party labelling any suggestion that there would be difficulties as "Project Fear" along with the suggestion that "Project Fear" was entirely imaginary.

Now it is seen that the Leave party stance was in fact "Project Crossed Fingers", the idea that none of the things that could go wrong would go wrong. Ther's an illusion that the many countries suffering financial impact as a result of the referendum will somehow be miraculously well disposed toward Britain as a result and grant them preferential trade status, or have, in the wake of their own economic difficulties, the money to buy what we want to sell.

In order to advance London, the problem will have to be solved elsewhere, in the areas where largely older voters who were often motivated by illusions of sovereignty or feelings of isolation and frustration at being 'left behind' by the pace of change in our society,.

As you imply what is needed is proper education, an idea unfortunately contaminated by reflections of "re-educattion" in certain Communist states or Blair's manipulative "Education, education, education". However, don't hold out hope. There are still people who, like some of the Greeks, believe that all that is needed is a programme of 'anti-austerity' and a denial of any debt.

Chris365 and E17; Do have the right idea, work together to get the most from our independence from the EU. London should not be separate from the rest of UK this is simply a No,No! As far as the City bringing people from the EU here who will earn and pay high taxes, what about the majority who come from outside the EU, don't they pay taxes also! Being London orientated many commentators do not know what has happen to the small towns around London, I did a survey of many of these towns that in the early '70's were prosperous now you will find that their shopping streets are mainly full of Charity Shops or boarded up! This is down to the ever growing City and Globalization sucking in workers who then have to spend time and money traveling into London. They don't all get the high salaries that some of you imagine!