Send them to live next door to remainers

[The_Equalizer]

I get paid handsomely for my analytical skills.
I'm not sure what anyone would pay you for, though

Tell me which bit you disagree with?
That there are not plenty of jobs in Germany?
That the standard of living is higher there, if you take account of cheap housing?

And that - in a nut shell - is the UK's Achilles' heel. Our housing costs are off the scale.

[sasguru]

And that - in a nut shell - is the UK's Achilles' heel. Our housing costs are off the scale.

To be fair, vetran raised an intersting point. I don't know why more Brits don't work in Germany, say.
The only ones who do seem to be of the educated professional class, yet Germany is crying out for tradespeople.
Pay is about the same as here, but you get a lot more spending money due to cheap housing.
The culture of beer and football is familiar.
Germans generally like Brits, too.

[The_Equalizer]

To be fair, vetran raised an intersting point. I don't know why more Brits don't work in Germany, say.
The only ones who do seem to be of the educated professional class, yet Germany is crying out for tradespeople.
Pay is about the same as here, but you get a lot more spending money due to cheap housing.
The culture of beer and football is familiar.
Germans generally like Brits, too.

I had my sights on Berlin a few years back until sprog number one rocked up. I've settled for a quieter/less expensive part of the UK instead. I've always felt Brits and the Germans had much in common.

[sasguru]

I had my sights on Berlin a few years back until sprog number one rocked up. I've settled for a quieter/less expensive part of the UK instead. I've always felt Brits and the Germans had much in common.

I like Germany, go every year on account of having a friend and some in-laws there.
What I've noticed recently is how much cleaner it is.
When did people start throwing crap on the streets here and think it OK to do so?

[BlasterBates]

I get paid handsomely for my analytical skills.
I'm not sure what anyone would pay you for, though

Tell me which bit you disagree with?
That there are not plenty of jobs in Germany?
That the standard of living is higher there, if you take account of cheap housing?

Interestingly mortgage rates are quite a bit cheaper in Germany and I dare say across the Euro zone. So although appartments are cheaper to buy. a 10% difference, a key factor in cheaper housing costs are the significantly lower mortgage rates.

There was a lot of "crowing" about the UK not being in the Euro but there is no doubt there is a price to be paid, i.e. people in the UK are worse off because they have to put up with interest rates which are higher than they would be if they were in the Euro, as of course Economists predicted.

...and there will be an even bigger price to pay when the UK leaves the EU.

[sasguru]

Interestingly mortgage rates are quite a bit cheaper in Germany and I dare say across the Euro zone. So although appartments are cheaper to buy. a 10% difference, a key factor in cheaper housing costs are the significantly lower mortgage rates.

There was a lot of "crowing" about the UK not being in the Euro but there is no doubt there is a price to be paid, i.e. people in the UK are worse off because they have to put up with interest rates which are higher than they would be if they were in the Euro, as of course Economists predicted.

...and there will be an even bigger price to pay when the UK leaves the EU.

Disagree with you there. Joining the Euro would have been a mistake, said that back in 2001.
Maybe mortgage rates are higher but on the hand we have the flexibility with the pound.
As I keep saying we had a good cherry pick with the EU, our own currency, no political integration guaranteed, have our economic cake and eat it.
And now we just tore that up for what will be a worse deal, if any.

[Paddy]

I know a couple of permies who returned to Eastern Europe because the wages are almost on a par with the UK and the cost of living is much lower.

Disposable income in Europe has always been higher than the UK

[vetran]

To be fair, vetran raised an intersting point. I don't know why more Brits don't work in Germany, say.
The only ones who do seem to be of the educated professional class, yet Germany is crying out for tradespeople.
Pay is about the same as here, but you get a lot more spending money due to cheap housing.
The culture of beer and football is familiar.
Germans generally like Brits, too.

I didn't in the way you thought as Germany isn't a recent joiner of the EU

recently joined EU countries

hence my dismissal of your analytical skills.

But as you raise it, some brits did leave the UK 136,000 however most people I know emigrating have gone further like Australia or Dubai. Comes to something when Germany is less attractive than USA, Spain, China or France.

Emigration nation: who are the thousands fleeing Britain each year? - Telegraph


I suspect not many people want to emigrate from a country that most of the world think of very positively.

This may change if we manage to turn the UK into a complete basket case.

[SueEllen]

I like Germany, go every year on account of having a friend and some in-laws there.
What I've noticed recently is how much cleaner it is.
When did people start throwing crap on the streets here and think it OK to do so?

There always through crap on the street.

I remember at 19 being open mouthed in shock that someone would open their car door and just throw the rubbish from their car on to the road. What I was shocked by most is that:
1. It was dry rubbish e.g no liquid containers that could leak
2. There was a bin a metre away.

The difference is due to council cuts roads are cleaned less frequently.

[woohoo]

I had my sights on Berlin a few years back until sprog number one rocked up. I've settled for a quieter/less expensive part of the UK instead. I've always felt Brits and the Germans had much in common.

We planned on moving when in our thirties but looking after ill parents (they seem to line up to be taken care off) stopped that and now, well we both make excellent money and have a pretty good standard of living. For all it's faults the UK has an awful lot to offer. Plus it helps that I like the rain.

I did meet a German on holiday in US and he did comment that we made the right decision to leave the EU, seems that not all Germans are content.