Re: Doctors say it is Racist to charge NHS Health Tourists!

That is a possible necessary outcome.

I'd prefer to see how we cope if we can manage to stop feeding the world.

Ideally, I'd like the NHS be used only for proven British nationals and any medical help denied to anyone here illegally and, of course, all health tourists.

I'm not sure how much more we'd save, but I think this should be tried first.

Re: Doctors say it is Racist to charge NHS Health Tourists!

Honestly Solasch, I do wish you would take those rose-tinted EU goggles off!

Both you and the rest of Europe behind closed doors, are in no doubt that the UK is Europe’s primary intelligence and security Master. We have four levels of security, The Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), The Security Services (MI5), Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), and the Defence Intelligence Service (which supports the tactical intelligence needs of the Armed Forces).

The UK also shares a close bilateral intelligence and security relationship with the US which no other country does. It is also part of the “Five Eyes” consisting the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Not one single other country possesses such a relationship that stretches way beyond Europe and especially the EU.

I would go as far as to say that no other nation like the UK has an intelligence and security organisation with the breadth, depth, experience and reach of the UK.

Thank the good Lord, the UK has never given away to the EU, any of our security powers regarding our national security (apart from some powers of policing and justice). I know from reading about it in the past, that some of the EU countries wanted the EU to develop its own operational intelligence and security capabilities but guess what, the UK has opposed it each and every time. They struck out all references to national security in the draft European Constitution, which in the end, was not ratified at the Lisbon Conference in 2007. (I wonder why?)

You have instead, The Club de Berne, which brings the EU member states together along with Norway and Switzerland intelligence services. You also have The Club de Madrid and the Kiloton network which allows for the distribution of security information to the Club de Berne.
The UK is a major player in all of these groups and they will be seriously weakened if the UK is not asked to continue to be a member. Most of the above only really exist for the exchange of information and networking.
To be honest, the Kiloton networks only operates at a low level of secrecy anyway, and is too insecure for the passing of sensitive intelligence because of the many memberships.

So there you have it Solasch, As far as security and intelligence is concerned, it would be nice if the EU acted like grown ups and continued to share intelligence on Terrorism and Crime. Organisation's such as Interpol do a great job, but PLEASE, do not try to make out that the UK would be the loser and would be weakened without such cooperation. I can never see it ever happening, regardless of the bluster that comes out of you. Europe itself would be the biggest loser without our Intelligence and Security Services, and the EU knows this full well.

It is Europe itself that will be at greatest risk.

Accept it.

Re: Doctors say it is Racist to charge NHS Health Tourists!

It's nice to know that we have actually made some good decisions regarding the EU.

I suspect that our intelligence services are something that the EU particularly would like to gain control of.

I bet Compo would give them away in a heartbeat!

Re: Doctors say it is Racist to charge NHS Health Tourists!

You know why the american intelligence services try to avoid involvement of the british? Too many moles in london.

You should read the report for the house of lords: Brexit: the proposed
UK-EU security treaty, a citation from it's summary.

We note, however, that the terms of the transition agreement would disbar the
UK from retaining a governance role in EU agencies, reducing its influence on
policy and decision-making. We note also that Article 168 of the Withdrawal
Agreement would authorise EU27 States to refuse to extradite their nationals to
the UK during the transition period, in accordance with domestic constitutional
requirements. The practical impact of this change is unclear, and we shall look
further at it in coming months. In the meantime, we recommend that the
Government publish a contingency plan, to include the effect of any disruption
on UK extradition arrangements.
We support the Government’s aim to secure a future relationship with Europol
that retains as far as possible the operational status quo, on both sides. But we
are concerned by the Government’s transactional approach to negotiations on
this issue: the fact that the UK is a major contributor of data to Europol should
not lead the Government to underestimate the impact of Brexit upon the UK’s
role and influence in Europol, as in other EU institutions.
The closer the integration that the UK seeks with Europol, the more compromises
the Government will have to make. Any agreement will have to take account of
the accountability of Europol to the Court of Justice of the EU, and is likely to
require continuing alignment with EU data protection legislation, as well as
budgetary contributions.
The Government has been clear that it wishes to retain all the benefits of the
European Arrest Warrant. But this is unlikely to be achievable: even the EU’s
agreement with Norway and Iceland (which has yet to be brought into force)
allows an ‘own-national exemption’. It also provides an indirect but influential
role for the CJEU.

Re: Doctors say it is Racist to charge NHS Health Tourists!

Nice one man, with you all the way on that, politics aside.

Re: Doctors say it is Racist to charge NHS Health Tourists!

Britain and the EU have pledged to continue cooperation on security issues through institutions such as Europol and Eurojust after Brexit, although a proposed “operational cooperation” between police and justice systems remains vague.
However, British officials have warned that a no-deal Brexit would be a step back for security cooperation. “Our security relationships are unconditional with our European colleagues... We need each other. This is a two-way street and that isn’t going to change,” Alex Younger, the head of the MI6 foreign intelligence service, told Reuters in an interview earlier on Friday. “The relationship that exists between us and our European partners is closer than I have ever known it in my 30 years as an intelligence officer. Brexit doesn’t fundamentally alter those relationships,” he said.

Bernard Emie, director general of France’s Direction Generale de la Securite Exterieure (DGSE), said Europe faced unprecedented threats and that the three allies had to reinforce their cooperation despite an uncertain political environment. “The European continent is under growing threat of interference and external aggression,” Emie said.
“These challenges cannot be dealt with solely at a national level. They need a strong and coordinated response ... especially from our three services.”
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ge...-idUKKCN1Q41RW