Brexit

[Dr Sardonicus]

Originally Posted by xilman

<snip>
It is an open secret that various TLAs regarded it as insecure long before then, especially for signatures with a shelf-life longer than that of a Ratner's prawn sandwich.

(UK readers will recognize that description.)

[google google]

Huh. What I found was like a real-life version of Monty Python's Conquistador Coffee sketch...

[Nick]

The first 10 British citizens have been refused entry to the Netherlands.
They had tested negative for Covid but, now that the UK is fully out of the EU, Covid rules also require them to show that their journey is necessary, not merely recreational.

[Nick]

As part of Brexit, the UK has left the Erasmus student exchange program.
British students can no longer easily do part of their degree at another university in mainland Europe.

[moebius]

Originally Posted by Nick

The first 10 British citizens have been refused entry to the Netherlands.They had tested negative for Covid but, now that the UK is fully out of the EU, Covid rules also require them to show that their journey is necessary, not merely recreational.

The British were probably just not allowed to enter the country, because they would go a bit to much into the coffee shops. Much like it has been for the Germans and Belgians in the Limburg province.

[xilman]

As part of Brexit, Britain is now free to raise the limit on contactless payment cards above £45 --- the equivalent of €50 as mandated by the EU.

[xilman]

As part of Brexit, Britain has now removed VAT from women's sanitary products.

Previously it was set at 5%, the minimum allowed by the EU because they were not classed as necessities.

[xilman]

Originally Posted by Dr Sardonicus

[google google]

Huh. What I found was like a real-life version of Monty Python's Conquistador Coffee sketch...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Ratner

[xilman]

Originally Posted by Nick

The first 10 British citizens have been refused entry to the Netherlands.
They had tested negative for Covid but, now that the UK is fully out of the EU, Covid rules also require them to show that their journey is necessary, not merely recreational.

Quite right too, IMO. False negatives exist.

If the situation were reversed (UK were relatively free of a markedly more infectious version of COVID-19 and it were rampant in the Netherlands) I would strongly support additional restrictions on Dutch entry.

[Nick]

I hope you can still get to La Palma when you need to!

[xilman]

Originally Posted by Nick

I hope you can still get to La Palma when you need to!

So do I.

I don't see me needing to do so for a substantial length of time. Most everything I do there can be done almost as easily from here. The main thing I can't do remotely is observational astronomy. There is very likely a way around that too --- I know two amateur astronomers who are ex-support staff at ORM. Neither have large telescopes and neither have a good site. It may well be that they would like to use my kit in return for taking some data for me.

My guess is that Spain will re-open to British tourists around May-June time once a majority of the population in each country has been vaccinated. Precise timings are, of course, impossible to give but current best guess for people like me is April. SWMBO should be done in February.

Added in edit: if the world were magically free of Covid-19 we would probably go over to LP in March and return in May. As it is not, and because of domestic (UK) considerations, we are very unlikely to want to travel before late July anyway.

[moebius]

Originally Posted by xilman

My guess is that Spain will re-open to British tourists around May-June time once a majority of the population in each country has been vaccinated.

Excuse my cynical undertone, this sounds a lot like: ... once a majority of the population in each country has been vaporized.