Westminstenders: Going, going, cummings

[RedToothBrush]

As expected he's fucking off and leaving everyone else to pick up the pieces in January. But it does look like he was eventually shown the door and left with a cardboard box. As he should have been months ago.

This has nothing whatsoever to do with Johnson needing an image change, like the shape shifting creep he is, to one that fits more with the incoming Biden Administration. In other words hes got some serious sucking up to do...

... Meanwhile in Brexit land we are going into yet another final week of talks.

Many expect Cummings departure to signal 'the cave in'. The Eu say we havent moved enough and the uk say the EU wants us to do all the moving... Except the EU have done lots of moving. Barnier is still looking for a groundsman to level his field to play. We have yet to work out we aren't Canada and distance is important to trade.

Of course if we don't get a deal, that Pfizer vaccine in Germany that we want, might be hit with delays and extra costs we just can't afford.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55046594
The situation in Holyhead.

I thought the 2019 election was all about Brexit!

Well so did I. What with an "oven ready deal".

Only that turned out to be a lie so big, it's been seen from space.

TonMoulin
I've noticed Clav avoided my answer when I asked why should Brits be allowed to jump the queue and have some special treatment compare to all the other third countries...

Only that working visas for young people would be reciprocal with the EU.

Greektome
What's your point?

I was wondering what percentage of UK nationals on Erasmus student placements might have grown up in bilingual homes in the UK - with close family ties to their host country in the EU - in which case the obvious target group for Erasmus (students without similar exposure) may be even smaller than we think.

Hopefully being able to buy more goods from other parts of the world at not artificially inflated prices.

I take it you have never had any interest in or sympathy for the issues raised by the FairTrade movement? Once again it’s all about creating a race to the bottom for everyone else isn’t it.

@LouiseCollins28

Dominic Cummings has now left his role as I understand it. He should have gone in the summer time I think, but anyway he's gone now.

I think the UK government needs to invest massively in some areas. What changes would I like to see? Some examples.

• I welcome hugely the proposed investment in our defence capabilties and want to see more of this.
• I'd like to see major investment in moving freight by rail instead of on the roads
• I'd like to see an absolutely vast public investment in nuclear power and other sources and a time bound committment to enegy independence for the UK
• I'd want all existing greenbelt land better protected from housing development
• I'd love the government to make a major intervention in the housing market. I'm sure this is totally unrealistic but for example, incentivising house sales to first time homebuyers by mandating a higher selling price for houses to first time buyers with the government meeting the cost (for the buyer) of the difference between the "first time" selling price and the "exisiting homeowner" selling price.
• I'd like to see whole government departments moved out of London

Louise - I don't see any mention of fishing in this list

I repeat: Not. A. Single. Thing. On. That. List. Can't. Be. Done. By. The. UK. As. A. Member. Of. The. EU.

Louise - I don't see any mention of fishing in this list

It's almost like they are making it up as they go along. No wonder Brexit is such a shit show. It's undercover modern jazz.

@Pepperwort

Hopefully being able to buy more goods from other parts of the world at not artificially inflated prices.

I take it you have never had any interest in or sympathy for the issues raised by the FairTrade movement? Once again it’s all about creating a race to the bottom for everyone else isn’t it.

Then you'd be wrong in thinking that I'm afraid. I can't honestly claim this is something I know a lot about, but I do know something about it. FairTrade is something I am very happy to support where I can.

As you probably know CAP inflates the prices of food produced in Europe to protect EU (OK, OK, mostly French) farmers from international competiton. Sourcing food products more widely should benefit non-EU producers, that's a good thing.

Now people might say, "but what about UK farmers, don't they deserve protection?" and I'm honestly conflicted, ideologically I'd like the market to decide, but I also want UK farmers to thrive and have appropriate protections. I'd like to see more home production, not less (less 'food miles', see)

So I'd like to see equal or more protection for UK farmers and because this would mean our (UK government) protecting our (UK farmers) and because the UK is a country, not an international protectionist club of countries, I think that's absoutely fine

DGR
off topic, but linked to the Utah Monolith
I know who installed this
www.sociometry.com/report_fountain.htm

Louise
You tell me Brexit is a good idea.
Show me one tangible thing that we will be able to check next year ....
Hopefully being able to buy more goods from other parts of the world at not artificially inflated prices.
Such as?
What will you buy more of once EU tariffs go?

Name what product you will buy more of that is currently hit by an EU tariff.

If you cannot, then how will you measure the success of Brexit?

[quote ListeningQuietly]DGR
off topic, but linked to the Utah Monolith
I know who installed this
www.sociometry.com/report_fountain.htm[/quote]
Ah, I'll miss life when it's gone....

Fair cop Prettybird mention of fishing was in a previous post of mine.

Sourcing food products more widely should benefit non-EU producers, that's a good thing.

Once we've finished trying to replicate our existing agreements with these non-EU producers, where will this apparently newly-available produce come from?

Is there anything specific from any particular country that we could be buying cheaper than we do now, and that makes the slightest bit of difference to any of us?

(Genuinely) fine words, but where is that all going to go in the face of Great Britain, and probably Northern Ireland, physical limitations on simply ‘producing more’ and in the face of geopolitical realities of US power??

This might be a good place to drop something I found genuinely inspiring the other day though, but notice how Americans are almost as much at the mercy of the marriage of big companies and politics as we are. urbanhomestead.org/

As we will be, rather, once the protection of being in a similarly powerful bloc is withdrawn.

From 2018 I think

Yeah so Covid double whammy not factored in.

I think we export about 3/4 of the fish we catch to the EU.
Good to know there’s detailed guidance for fish exporters with info on all the certifications needed by exporters, customs requirements and all the various forms, plus what might happen if these are not properly complied with/filled out - the catch may be rejected or confiscated. Still, we’ve taken back control so all is worth it, I’m sure.
www.gov.uk/guidance/export-fish-to-the-eu-from-1-january-2021?utm_campaign=transition_p3g&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=seg&utm_content=ala_act52&gclid=CLTi2tHcm-0CFYfOGwodeDAKtA

"The problem with socialism, is you eventually run out of other peoples money".

When is that going to be true of Johnson's incarnation of the Tories? If any other party had wasted even a tenth of our money that he has stolen to give to his friends the right wing press and Tory party would have been screaming their heads off. As it is, barely a peep.

So @LouiseCollins28 So I'd like to see equal or more protection for UK farmers and because this would mean our (UK government) protecting our (UK farmers) and because the UK is a country, not an international protectionist club of countries, I think that's absoutely fine

a protectionist amalgamation of 4 countries is ok, but one of 27 isn't?

It's all very well wishing for such a long list Louise - but most of those - housing, protecting the green belt, investment in rail vs roads etc. have zero to do with the EU. We could have done virtually all of those things had the will be there.

However, it does look like you will get your wish on defence spending and we will be well equipped to fight WW2 all over again.

Having exclusive control of our own fishing grounds

You know you can’t control fish right?

And that the reason that there is much European fishing of U.K. waters is because British fishermen sold their quotas to EU fishing companies back in the 80s. In the 80s Europe gave grants to fishermen to upgrade and modernise their boats. These grants were to be matched by the national governments but the U.K. government declined to do so. The result was that U.K. fisherman found they couldn’t compete with faster, bigger European boats and sold their quotas to European fishing companies.

Equally, the main fish species caught in British waters such as herring and mackerel have no U.K. market - they’re mainly exported to the EU. Eg 70% of the catch from Brixham in Devon goes to France, Belgium, Spain and Holland. Meanwhile the U.K. buys in tuna and prawns in large quantities from the EU.

Portentous? ( pun intended) https://www.kentonline.co.uk/folkestone/news/brexit-trial-creates-lorry-queue-at-eurotunnel-237992/?fbclid=IwAR0oty5uEDrl3oDuMxCdcJ5nVymjEGQLNlFduqihctveCMaVtV23p88_PmA

Hopefully being able to buy more goods from other parts of the world at not artificially inflated prices.
Such as?

Typical examples here;

"The Maldives has been attempting to find a solution to the high duty tariffs charged when exporting fish products to the EU. While the archipelago usually exports fish to Europek nations, a 24% duty fee is imposed on fish exported to the EU."

Olive oil from Tunisia;

"The chief executive officer of Tunisia’s National Olive Oil Board (ONH) has asked the European Union to increase its duty-free olive oil import quota from the North African country to 100,000 tons."

"While no official response has come yet from Brussels, evidence of the E.U. budging from its current position is scant. A few months ago, just before the COVID-19 outbreak in Europe, officials had turned down a similar request." ...

"an increase in cheap Tunisian imports are more than likely to face strong opposition throughout the trading bloc."

www.oliveoiltimes.com/business/tunisia-asks-europe-to-increase-duty-free-imports/83690

@Peregrina

"The problem with socialism, is you eventually run out of other peoples money".

When is that going to be true of Johnson's incarnation of the Tories? If any other party had wasted even a tenth of our money that he has stolen to give to his friends the right wing press and Tory party would have been screaming their heads off. As it is, barely a peep.

Indeed. I keep having to check in a mirror. The amount of faith in all good things just appearing and happening by magic... I thought I was supposed to be the hippy green idealist loon. Reality says private companies and those at the top of the ladder exist to take. It’s how they both gain wealth and profit.

Hopefully being able to buy more goods from other parts of the world at not artificially inflated prices.

Don’t forget to slap on the increased transport costs.

All the Brexiters claiming we can trade much more with English speaking friends NZ and Aus have apparently never bought from or sent stuff to either.

Clavinova
Tunisian olive oil versus Spanish olive oil - neither will benefit the UK post Brexit
because the Tunisian stuff will still have to get across the Channel

Maldivian Tuna
considering the Maldivian fishery is on the verge of collapse, maybe that is not such a good one for Louise

So Clav, as your DS does not need picking up at the moment
Which products will you buy more of once the EU tariff is removed ?
[smile}