What many fail to grasp is - as English is more or less obligatory for EU youngsters - there’s always far more EUers wanting to come to UK than any other country. And particularly Brits who are shared out over many countries.
This has 2 effects..
3/
As Erasmus is largely reciprocal this means UK academic institutions don’t have to try too hard while EU colleges tend to be generous with Brits. I know my Erasmus year was much better run than German students going in opposite direction. They couldn’t afford to lose us.
4/
Given this you’d think Johnson was right - why bother with Erasmus when the world wants to come to Britain?
But here’s where it gets tricky..
5/
Is the UK govt really going to support hundreds of thousands of Jack & Jules from Luton comp & Middlesex uni spending a year abroad in New Zealand or Canada?
To do what?
Learn a language?
The airfares alone would run into the millions. Or would this be student debt financed?
6/
Clearly this is never going to happen - apart from a few rich students who could finance this - and they can do that in Europe & get a language outside normal Erasmus anyway.
So where would UKs reciprocal students come from - only really one answer..
7/
Non English speaking middle class students from developing world states - but the problem here is while this could be a goer in Brazil, Mexico, Cameron or India - how many British students would reciprocate?
Not many I suspect.
And here’s where I get the UK plan.
8/
UK govt knows a year abroad in Britain is a big earner for UK - so it actually has no interest in a genuine Erasmus rival. It will attempt to squeeze more money out of foreign students in UK knowing that it won’t support “Jack going to Rio”.
But it can’t say this publicly.
9/
To me this is the only logical outcome:
More richer foreign students will be encouraged to come to UK - it’s easy money for Britain.
But Jack from Luton & Jules from Middlesex Uni will have to pay themselves if they want to go anywhere - and they won’t.
/ends.
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2. Immigration will surely be trickier. But is UK govt really going to sabotage this? Will they also make reciprocal EU students going to N Ire unbearably difficult?
No.
As for numbers - English is the most demanded language - so Scotland will have no problem attracting students.
3. Costs - a problem. But not insurmountable it’s a matter of will & priority.
EU as @guyverhofstadt has shown has many interested in supporting UK students in ERASMUS.
In any case ERASMUS is not significantly expensive due to principle of reciprocity & low transport costs.
1. A deal was always going to happen 2. UK rightwing media was not in the place to let May do it 3. As disaster of no deal + COVID became clear Tories accepted a deal had to be done 4. Boris delayed deal to last moment possible to hide scrutiny
2/
So ignore “instant takes” from
Leavers & remainers.
Real issue
Can the UK deviate from EU standards without either restrictions to single market and/or long negotiations.
If the answer is no - then essentially it’s May’s deal with a few added decorations & disguises.
3/
The whole fish thing was ridiculous.
Again as I’ve said all along if fish is the only issue left..a compromise would be found. We eat each other’s fish and both sides know they need to protect fish stocks.
Any claim of “EU victory” here is as silly as any “UK win” claim.
UK Civil Servants believe the UK Govt was involved in a fradulent lobby scheme worth tens of millions overseen by a Conservative MP and former minister.
2/
The former minister of transport - Chris Grayling - is suspected of agreeing a prior contract with Hutchison Port Holdings against the "Ministerial Code" paying him £100,000 a year while still a minister.
3/
The £100,000 a year payment to Chris Grayling kicked in exactly a year after he left the Ministry to technically comply with govt. code.
The payment is nominally for just 7 hours a week "work",
Apart from his stint at the Ministry, Grayling has no transport experience.