I have had to strictly ration my ‘you couldn’t write it moments’ over the disaster that is Brexit and the handling of same by May’s government. However, my award certainly goes to Lord Lawson’s “I’m not worried about my carte de séjour application”.
The hypocrisy, ignorance and arrogance is breathtaking.
Of course Lord Lawson is not worried about Brexit. He has his wealth to protect him.
As to his response to ‘Was it all worth it?’, little detail of the benefits and hedging his bets! And no, Lord Lawson you and your ilk will not suffer, as ever it is ordinary people who will.
Julia Higginbotham Lot-et-Garonne
Of course, all will be well post-Brexit for Nigel Lawson with his wealth and privilege.
He was part of the Tory establishment whose “greed is good” financial policies contributed to the 2008 financial crisis. His views on climate change help to ensure we are bequeathing an uncertain environmental future to generations to come.
He is helping to deprive those future generation of young British people of the adventure of being able to travel freely, work, live and love in the most attractive cultural melange in the world.
John Wood, Lot-et-Garonne
Congratulations on the Lawson scoop. What hypocrites these Brexiteers can be! I don’t see him standing in line at his nearest prefecture in the early morning with his phone bills for the past five years.
Talking of which, can anyone explain why someone who has lived in France for 19 years, paid income tax and taxe foncière and taxe d’habitation all that time, has to prove he is a genuine resident? Or even put himself through the exhausting procedure described recently by one of your own journalists?
Bob Evans, Ain
I am delighted that Lord Lawson has taken the advice of the Ministère de l’Intérieur, the British Embassy, the British Community Committee of France and the British in Europe, as well as that expressed in The Connexion, to get a carte de séjour.
He considers the paperwork to be among the ‘tiresome rather than serious’ impacts which Brexit will have on people living in France. As a retired MP, his pension is paid for by the British taxpayer but many more people do not have such a luxury and, with the UK pension the least generous in Europe, also now have to pay for translations of documents to obtain their cartes de séjour plus trips to the prefecture. For them, exchange rate stability is vital.
Lord Lawson is ‘confident Britons in France will be able to continue their lives without significant disruption’. Those who come out with this are woefully unaware of the truth of the situation.
Claire Godfrey, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Lord Lawson obviously subscribes to the “It’ll be alright on the night” school of thought. He clearly does not believe in his own utterances, however, otherwise why apply for a carte de séjour?
Surely if he was that sure of what comes out of his own mouth he would not see the need? After all he clearly hasn’t applied for one before, after his many years of living in France.
Peter Duff, Vienne
Note: Lord Lawson's interview was published in The Connexion's June 2018 edition - Click here to view
