Brexit

[sexobon]

That subjects like DanaC feel they need the EU to protect them from their own government says more.

[DanaC]

Ahem - citizens not subjects.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Ahem! You beg my pardon.

[DanaC]

Nope. Legally we are citizens. There's a very small number of people who are legally 'subjects'.

On 1 January 1983, upon the coming into force of the British Nationality Act 1981, every citizen of the United Kingdom and colonies became either a British citizen, British Dependent Territories citizen or British Overseas citizen.

Use of the term British subject was discontinued for all persons who fell into these categories, or who had a national citizenship of any other Commonwealth country. The category of British subjects now includes only those people formerly known as British subjects without citizenship and people born in Ireland before 1949. In statutes passed before 1 January 1983, however, references to British subjects are interpreted as if they referred to Commonwealth citizens.

British citizens are not British subjects under the 1981 Act. The only circumstance where a person may be both a British subject and British citizen simultaneously is a case where a British subject connected with Ireland (s. 31 of the 1981 Act) acquires British citizenship by naturalisation or registration. In this case only, British subject status is not lost upon acquiring British citizenship. The status of British subject cannot now be transmitted by descent, and will become extinct with the passing of all existing British subjects.

British subjects, other than by those who obtained their status by virtue of a connection to Ireland prior to 1949, automatically lose their British subject status on acquiring any other nationality, including British citizenship, under section 35 of the British Nationality Act 1981.

In 2010, around 3,500 British Subject passports were issued each year, with the number steadily declining over time.[10]

Though the term British subject now has a very restrictive statutory definition in the United Kingdom—and it would be incorrect to describe a British citizen as a British subject—the concept of a subject remains in the law, and the terms the Queen's subjects, Her Majesty's subjects, etc., remain in use in British legal discourse.[11]

Incidentally, here's John Oliver's take on the matter:

[xoxoxoBruce]

the concept of a subject remains in the law, and the terms the Queen's subjects, Her Majesty's subjects, etc., remain in use in British legal discourse.

It's not what you think you are, but how the government views you in legal dealings. You are still subjects of the powers that be. Off with their heads!

[DanaC]

And I repeat:

and it would be incorrect to describe a British citizen as a British subject

;p

[xoxoxoBruce]

It would be incorrect to put Pug pee in your tea, but when the Queen says you must, the government says you must, the power says you must, you must.

[sexobon]

I think she's saying that as of 1 January 1983 it's PC to say BC and that's no BS.

[be-bop]

We'll I'm a strange beastie, I vote SNP but will be voting out in the Ref, why because the EU has morphed into a many headed monster and it is not what we voted for in the 70's.
Then it was about economic union as a trading block against the economic giant the USA, not as it's turning into a united states of Europe with Germany and France calling the shots.
Despite what the official SNP stance is there are many in the party against the EU but they may toe the party line in the hope of another independence ref.
There is also the immigration issue, now before I'm shouted down as a racist please hear me out I have no qualms about any creed colour of anyone wishing to come to the UK to better themselves work and contribute, but successive governments have not funded public services to cope.
Where I live it take on average 3 weeks to see a Doctor that's how I ended up in hospital with a pulmonary embolism recently and nearly died, just because I couldn't get a doctors appointment to check me over early enough.

[Griff]

Is there an issue with Eastern Europeans taking up immigration slots in GB that would have been Pakistani or Indian? I heard someone selling the idea that British Curry was suffering from a lack of knowledgeable cooks. Is Britain losing its Britishness?

[tw]

This whole mess exists because David Cameron did not even have balls to take on the issue. As a result, his own party and their coalition partner are fractured. He created this mess by not acting as a leader.

Moving on, irrelevant to what happens tomorrow, what will happen to Britian's leaders? If Brexit is approved, will Scotland withdrawal from the UK? That is likely.

A problem directly traceable to so many Britains who do not even know who represents them in Brussels and have no idea how the European Parliament works or is even structured. Ignorance means emotions create decisions.

[DanaC]

Fuck me, tw, not one mention of children ;p

I jest - and very much agree.

personally, I don't see that this referendum was necessary or desirable. This was something that required leadership. The public are being asked to vote on something that is so mired in decades of misinformation and propaganda, even many who are relatively politically engaged have very little understanding of the facts of EU membership.

[Happy Monkey]

All I know is that the EU has too many regulations that mention the word pillow!

[Undertoad]

A steady trickle of needy underclass could break Socialism once the masses realize their cut is being taken... how quickly things are changing



The US has managed it all along as a wholly immigrant nation; the immigrants become successful in their second and third generations, and assimilate, so they're productive and no longer needy. This will happen in Britain too, if the economy and the people accept this fate.

The tweaker said this about his illegal Mexican: "His kid went to American school, now he's an American."

[xoxoxoBruce]

As goes Rolls Royce, so goes the nation.