Westminstenders: a feature of the system not a bug

[RedToothBrush]

Tests on the new queuing system in Kent have revealed that lengthy tail backs are a feature not a bug.

We should get used to them because thats normal not the system malfunctioning, but the planned system working as designed.

Today we have found out that there's no money left. The economy is fucked. And tomorrow we will probably all be in T3 with the Isles of Wight, the tip of Cornwall and inner Westminster the only places left in T1.

Christmas has apparently been 'saved' though. Well if you are dumb and lacking in functional brain cells its 'saved'. Trade for Christmas is already thoroughly goosed and indoor family gatherings may come with a extra side of covid. The BBC have done an epic job of 'doommongering project fear' style graphics on this wonderful subject.

Tis the season to be jolly. Jolly fucked.

Also, this:

I want to say there’s a fine line between national pride and national boastfulness that’s almost designed to get you a slap … But there isn’t. There’s a very thick, very heavy line between these two ways of acting. It’s both incredible and wearyingly credible that we contrived to end up on the wrong side of it.

I like Marina Hyde’s description of Nadine Dorries as “the imbecile’s imbecile”.

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000pz4v/newsnight-04122020

Watch it and weep.

True DGR.

Insecurity by UK politicians about the EU politicians? (yes, they are probably more knowledgable, urbane, and articulate). Insecurity by the Brexiteer electorate about what though? Being told what to do by Brussels? About those British jobs 'taken' by EU nationals? One friend said he voted to leave as a protest vote. It's still not clear as to what he was protesting.

Newsnight summary:

John Shirley, owner of freight forwarding company was on Newsnight. He spoke of the UK going back to 1992 imposing all sorts of red tape that will strangle the economy.

He claimed 99% of cargo into and out of the UK is on foreign haulage, he thought they'd have time to put systems in place and pay foreign hauliers 2-3 times as much as they pay now. But, he said foreign hauliers are turning their tail lights on Britain, they have told him they are not coming here after Christmas.

He pointed out either you are in the EU or you’re out and hauliers & their drivers are not prepared to sit days in customs. Drivers in Dover have told him it takes 5-6 hours to get in and out of the EU.

Compare those timescales with the current situation of just minutes to roll off a ferry or train on be on the way.

Logic says either there's going to be fewer deliveries or the UK consumer is going to have pay a lot more to persuade drivers to come to the UK.

Tory Peter Bone say nothing on the matter.

When asked by the BBC if he would take ownership if there is disruption and delays at our borders after a pause he said it's very hard to believe after 4 years that industry has not made contingency plans for whichever outcome whether it is a deal or no deal.

John Shirley responded it’s hard to believe this particular path is being taken, it's economic suicide, it's madness to erect barriers to trade.

When pushed on whether his industry could have been prepared John Shirley said if the EU employed 10 clerks will the UK also have 10,000 clerks that's their exit and entry point to Europe, he doesn't see that happening. Shirley said when he asked UK freight agents if they are working 24/7 they said no they are working 9-5 and not weekends, with 13,500 trucks a day, with an average of 7 consignments that's 95,000 customs entries a day. ( Think he was just talking about Dover).

Peter Bone stayed quiet and the BBC did not challenge what Shirley claimed.

Gove's interview with Nic Robinson on the BBC Today indicated he hasn't met the target staffing levels and he couldn't even say if they'd met the targets for capacity...just that there had been a 4x increase in response to a survey.

One friend said he voted to leave as a protest vote. It's still not clear as to what he was protesting.

Well, a no deal will give him cause then! When shelves are empty and the brown stuff finally hits the fan big time... And with a bit of bad luck all made worse by a really harsh winter & rampant Covid.
This cabinet of spoilt millionaires has a touch of 1780s Versailles about it.

Tatiana I've just watched that Newsnight clip... but it struck me that presenter seems to be conflating and confusing two different issues. This is unhelpful reporting I would think.

One, that regardless of whether we have a deal or not, the long delays at UK borders due to leaving the EU customs union means EU hauliers do not want to risk driving lorries here (and attendant impacts on JIT supply chains etc).

Two, the completely predictable argument about whose fault it is if there is no deal. Seemingly now resting on fish. By those damn French insisting on access to British waters? Or the unfathomable and bewildering symbolic importance of British fishing for Johnson driving choices for the rest of the UK?

Interestingly no one is mentioning at all how Boris had an 'oven ready' deal along wth the WA and PD to get Brexit done on which basis he won his landslide election.

Erm, am I wrong, but didn't Switzerland have Freedom of Movement for EU citizens, even though they weren't in the EU? So Truss is boasting about how wonderful it is for a UK citizen to be visa free for 3 months, instead of for an unlimited time.

Quite a few conditions for EU citizens;

"EU citizens living in Switzerland longer than 90 days" -
"Any EU/EFTA citizen who wishes to stay in Switzerland for more than 90 days/three months must register with the Residents’ Registry Office in their Swiss canton. You must apply for a residence permit within 14 days of arrival in Switzerland. If you will be working, the residence permit doubles as a work permit. If you come to Switzerland as a student, with independent means, to retire, or to be with your family, you must apply for a residence permit for non-working purposes."

"You have to show that you have enough money to support yourself while you’re in Switzerland. In addition, you must have appropriate health and accident insurance. By law, you must take out health insurance with a Swiss health insurance company. Students also need to have proof that they have been admitted to a recognized educational institution."

Looking for work -

"Type L EU/EFTA short-term residence permit: for up to a year. If you have a work contract for less than 12 months, the permit lasts as long as the contract. (Remember, if you’re from an EU-25 state you don’t need a permit if you’re working for less than three months.) This permit is often used when coming to Switzerland to look for work."

Self-employed -

"you have to prove that you can support yourself financially and have adequate insurance cover."

www.expatica.com/ch/moving/visas/switzerland-visas-for-eu-citizens-443220/

Quotas on Romanian and Bulgarian workers up until last year;

Discontinuation of quotas for Bulgaria and Romania.
"Starting 1 June 2019, Bulgarian and Romanian nationals will benefit from full freedom of movement. For permanent residence in Switzerland, they must either be in possession of a Swiss employment contract or sufficient financial funds."

www.bdo.global/en-gb/microsites/tax-newsletters/ges-newsletter/july-2019-issue/switzerland-discontinuation-of-quotas-for-bulgaria-and-romania

Local hiring preferences -

"2017 - ZURICH (Reuters) - Switzerland will start phasing in a new system of local hiring preferences from July, as it tries to head off a clash with the European Union over immigration quotas."

"The new system requires employers to post job openings to employment offices in sectors where the jobless rate hits 8 percent or more, the government said on Friday. The trigger level falls to 5 percent from the start of 2020."

de.reuters.com/article/uk-swiss-eu-labour-idUKKBN1E21UR

@DrBlackbird

1. Absolutely.
2. It’s the fish’s fault ie the EU, it’s companies‘ fault for not preparing for No Deal. It’s certainly not the Tories’ fault.

When pushed on whether his industry could have been prepared John Shirley said if the EU employed 10 clerks will the UK also have 10,000 clerks that's their exit and entry point to Europe, he doesn't see that happening. Shirley said when he asked UK freight agents if they are working 24/7 they said no they are working 9-5 and not weekends, with 13,500 trucks a day, with an average of 7 consignments that's 95,000 customs entries a day. ( Think he was just talking about Dover).

Just watched - what John Shirley said was:

If the UK employed 10,000 clerks will the French also have 10,000 clerks as that's our exit and entry point to Europe, he doesn't see that happening. Shirley said when he asked French shipping agents if they are working 24/7 they said no, they are working 9-5 and not weekends. With 13,500 trucks a day, with an average of 7 consignments that's 95,000 customs entries a day.

But yes, that’s probably just Dover.

Sabrina
That updated EU link is interesting and includes a little cracker I forgot ..
Page 20, para 5.5 - cultural goods
moving antiques out of the EU will be restricted

think of all the Brits with holiday homes in the EU who may have to sell up and bring their belongings home .....

Also, as per page 37
ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/brexit_files/info_site/travelling_en_3.pdf
Brits will be restricted on taking foodstuffs into the EU
so the folks who like to eat British food at their holiday homes
will have to eat local stuff

John Shirley, owner of freight forwarding company was on Newsnight. He spoke of the UK going back to 1992 imposing all sorts of red tape that will strangle the economy.

He claimed 99% of cargo into and out of the UK is on foreign haulage, he thought they'd have time to put systems in place and pay foreign hauliers 2-3 times as much as they pay now. But, he said foreign hauliers are turning their tail lights on Britain, they have told him they are not coming here after Christmas.

More to this story than meets the eye in my opinion.

Who We Are -
"John Shirley Ltd are an unusual international freight forwarder. Although we ship around the world our expertise is the Balkans, and Eastern Europe, in particular Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, The Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia. Slovenia and Slovakia and the Ukraine. One of our main advantages is that John can speak the languages and can therefore communicate directly to the drivers on the ground (who often do not know english)."

johnshirleyltd.co.uk/about-us/

August 2020 -
"Europe's truck wars: Differences over EU's mobility package rage on."

"Since August 20 [2020] drivers are supposed to go back to their company base every 3rd or 4th week. One of the biggest changes, however, is that they cannot spend their weekend breaks in their trucks. Employers are now supposed to pay for them to rent a hotel room."

"But István Galambos, a Hungarian trucking company owner, said there are not enough parking places on the highways, let alone hotel rooms for drivers to stay in." ...

“I believe that these are market protection measures disguised as social measures between Western Europe and the EU Member States that have joined since 2004.” ...

"Lithuania is preparing a legal case against the mobility package at the European Court of Justice."

www.euronews.com/2020/08/28/europe-s-truck-wars-differences-over-eu-s-mobility-package-rage-on

@SabrinaThwaite

When pushed on whether his industry could have been prepared John Shirley said if the EU employed 10 clerks will the UK also have 10,000 clerks that's their exit and entry point to Europe, he doesn't see that happening. Shirley said when he asked UK freight agents if they are working 24/7 they said no they are working 9-5 and not weekends, with 13,500 trucks a day, with an average of 7 consignments that's 95,000 customs entries a day. ( Think he was just talking about Dover).

Just watched - what John Shirley said was:

If the UK employed 10,000 clerks will the French also have 10,000 clerks as that's our exit and entry point to Europe, he doesn't see that happening. Shirley said when he asked French shipping agents if they are working 24/7 they said no, they are working 9-5 and not weekends. With 13,500 trucks a day, with an average of 7 consignments that's 95,000 customs entries a day.

But yes, that’s probably just Dover.

Yes, that bit’s inaccurate, it’s quoted from elsewhere hence the Italics.

Your summary is correct.

More to this story than meets the eye in my opinion.
Do elaborate on your "opinion"

John Shirley knows his stuff.

@Clavinova

A cut and paste for you:

inews.co.uk/news/brexit/brexit-latest-uk-brace-months-food-shortages-1-january-delivery-782518

🐿🐿🐿

Marco Digioia and Duncan Buchanan know their stuff too.

TatianaBis
A cut and paste for you

From your link -
"Even cheddar cheese, a product associated strongly with the UK, could become a rare sight. The UK actually gets most of its cheddar from Ireland"

2019;
"[Ireland's] "largest exporter of dairy products has moved to store over six months of Cheddar cheese in warehousing in the UK as a Brexit buffer."

www.independent.ie/business/farming/dairy/countrys-largest-exporter-of-dairy-stockpiles-cheddar-mountain-as-a-brexit-buffer-37781921.html

I don’t like Cheddar @Clavinova HTH.

Your point, Clav?
Yes, businesses in Ireland trade with the UK. Is that supposed to be news?

A typical post from Clavinova - which in no way negates my post that we had Freedom of Movement with Switzerland and that Truss is crowing about achieving something considerably worse.

Quite a lot of EU countries expect you to register for a residence permit, within in a short time period. It is actually Freedom of Movement of Labour and it's not unusual for the country concerned to expect people to get a job within a 3 month time frame. That the UK never bothered to enforce this is not the fault of the EU. Being required to have health insurance is also a fairly standard condition.

So please explain why, remembering that the residence permit serves as a visa.
We have secured a vital deal allowing service professionals to work in Switzerland visa-free for 90 days
is an improvement on
Type L EU/EFTA short-term residence permit: for up to a year. If you have a work contract for less than 12 months, the permit lasts as long as the contract.

i.e. why 3 months is so so so much better than a year, and will somehow make the UK globally competitive. It's yet again another Truss boast, like the one about the Japanese soy sauce which was going to make it no better than we already had.

For people who boasted about the easiest deals in history, I would have expected something substantially better.

So, in Feb 2019, there was 6 months' worth of Irish cheddar in the UK.

In March 2020, following a pandemic, there were issues with food supplies.

Anyone like to hazard a guess as to what's happened to that 6 mth stock in the 22 months since Feb 2020?

Since Feb 2019.
Reading C&P dulls my wits.

Admissions to hospital have calmed down and staff are returning after sickness. Oxygen levels no longer critical. A hell of a lot of people have died /are still dying. I'm exhausted. Winter not really started yet.

I have no idea what to think about Brexit any more. it really is going to be even worse than predicted isn't it. Does anyone know anything about medication supplies? And which ones?