I am left wondering why 50 pilots a day are signing a petition to retain the IMC rating
The general Anti-Europe UK position would account for a large proportion
Many others would simply fear the loss of a rating with no replacement.
Only a small percentage would be active current fully competent IMC Rating users.
Your example works against your aims - a professionally trained former instrument rating holder using the IMC to avoid IR currency requirements while flying an aircraft probably not fully IFR equipped and operating in class G IFR probably with no ATS.................all red flags to many Europeans.
Furthermore, their reason for using the IMC seems to suggest that they need an IMC rating to operate simple VFR flights...........in other words having the IMC rating has no impact on their ability to do what they want to do..............thus one could say that not having an IMC rating would have no adverse impact on their flying.
Again I say you must be very carefull about what information you collect but 10 times more carefull about the information you use.
Regards,
DFC