Theresa May says 95% of Brexit deal is done

[James Wood]

I agree. It’s not good.

Thankfully it’s only approved for 120 days, not permanently. So I think some level headed calmness is required. It’s not as bad as the headlines would have you believe.

It was requested by the National Farmers Union. It’s short term relief to help an industry facing a short term problem. It’s a tough balancing act for the government, pitting off industry and environmental issues is going to be a thorn in the side of every government ever going forward. A lose lose situation in every case.

Leaving the EU presents a plethora of opportunities for the UK to make green decisions.

It reminds me of this article written a few years ago. Plenty of opportunities for the UK, I hope they are taken. Now the the country has left the UK, we have more control over Green issues, so I hope this brings green issues in to a more prominent position in future elections.

The EU is an outsized behemoth beyond reform – the Green case for Brexit | Jenny Jones

This top-down dogmatic project promoting endless industrial development and growth doesn’t fit with the Green vision of a future lived on a more human scale

www.theguardian.com

Hmmm. George Useless the Environment Secretary is what? Oooh. A Farmer. What an amazing coincidence.....

I agree. It’s not good.

Thankfully it’s only approved for 120 days, not permanently. So I think some level headed calmness is required. It’s not as bad as the headlines would have you believe.

It was requested by the National Farmers Union. It’s short term relief to help an industry facing a short term problem. It’s a tough balancing act for the government, pitting off industry and environmental issues is going to be a thorn in the side of every government ever going forward. A lose lose situation in every case.

Leaving the EU presents a plethora of opportunities for the UK to make green decisions.

It reminds me of this article written a few years ago. Plenty of opportunities for the UK, I hope they are taken. Now the the country has left the UK, we have more control over Green issues, so I hope this brings green issues in to a more prominent position in future elections.

The EU is an outsized behemoth beyond reform – the Green case for Brexit | Jenny Jones

This top-down dogmatic project promoting endless industrial development and growth doesn’t fit with the Green vision of a future lived on a more human scale

www.theguardian.com

Oh great. It’s use is only sanctioned for 120 days.

I agree. It’s not good.

Thankfully it’s only approved for 120 days, not permanently. So I think some level headed calmness is required. It’s not as bad as the headlines would have you believe.

It was requested by the National Farmers Union. It’s short term relief to help an industry facing a short term problem. It’s a tough balancing act for the government, pitting off industry and environmental issues is going to be a thorn in the side of every government ever going forward. A lose lose situation in every case.

Leaving the EU presents a plethora of opportunities for the UK to make green decisions.

It reminds me of this article written a few years ago. Plenty of opportunities for the UK, I hope they are taken. Now the the country has left the UK, we have more control over Green issues, so I hope this brings green issues in to a more prominent position in future elections.

The EU is an outsized behemoth beyond reform – the Green case for Brexit | Jenny Jones

This top-down dogmatic project promoting endless industrial development and growth doesn’t fit with the Green vision of a future lived on a more human scale

www.theguardian.com

Oh great, it’s only going to be used for 120 days. Effectively that will be for the next full farming season.
Once used, these poisons remain on the soil and can have long-term impacts on the health of bees.

Neonicotinoids and bees: Despite EU moratorium, insecticides still detectable

Since 2013, a European Union moratorium has restricted the application of three neonicotinoids to crops that attract bees because of the harmful effects they are deemed to have on these insects. Yet researchers have just demonstrated that residues of these insecticides can still be detected in...

www.sciencedaily.com

The lead proponents of Brexit gave an undertaking that our environmental standards would not be lowered once we had left the union. Yet the ink is hardly dry on the agreement and here we are and the government are already rolling back on that commitment.

The Environment Minister who has sanctioned this - George Eustace - is a farmer by profession. Conflict of interest??

 

[Andy]

I agreed with you. It’s not good. Relax
Thankfully it’s only a temporary measure.

A former farmer made the minister for rural affairs? Well I never. They better strip him of that post he’s clearly not qualified

Is politicians and unions working together not what you want, usually?

If you go back and read what I said, I actually agreed with you. The main point is that Brexit is a great green opportunity. Political parties can no longer use the EU as an excuse. By all means criticise the government for this, no doubt it’s a controversial decision. But the Tories won’t be in power for ever, the next government free from EU shackles can make different decisions.

 

[James Wood]

I agreed with you. It’s not good. Relax
Thankfully it’s only a temporary measure.

A former farmer made the minister for rural affairs? Well I never. They better strip him of that post he’s clearly not qualified

Is politicians and unions working together not what you want, usually?

If you go back and read what I said, I actually agreed with you. The main point is that Brexit is a great green opportunity. Political parties can no longer use the EU as an excuse. By all means criticise the government for this, no doubt it’s a controversial decision. But the Tories won’t be in power for ever, the next government free from EU shackles can make different decisions.

And I wonder when the next “temporary measure” will be introduced?
Not temporary for the bees though is it?
And as for Ministers being experienced in the posts they hold, I know a lot of teachers who have worked in fireplace manufacturing and the pottery and ceramic industries.

Well I suppose that they do teach pottery in schools....

 

[Alan M]

NFU lobbied secretly for this late in 2020 - an email was leaked telling members not to discuss the matter openly because there would be public opposition. But of course with other things going on here and in the US it was clearly thought this could now be slipped in under the radar.

 

[Knutsfordian]

There are a lot of pesticides and weed killers where use has been made illegal by the EU, where there are few if any other alternatives. Not qualified to discuss the scientific basis for this, but I do know from personal experience that there are adverse consequences from not being able to use some of these products. It's mot a straight forward right versus wrong answer

 

[James Wood]

There are a lot of pesticides and weed killers where use has been made illegal by the EU, where there are few if any other alternatives. Not qualified to discuss the scientific basis for this, but I do know from personal experience that there are adverse consequences from not being able to use some of these products. It's mot a straight forward right versus wrong answer

I wasn’t saying it was a black and white situation. My observation was that less after we fully exited the EU our government has already rolled back on its pledge to uphold our environmental standards.
But the case against neonics is well founded and backed by much research, so to allow its use is nothing short of a disgrace.

 

[James Wood]

I wasn’t saying it was a black and white situation. My observation was that less after we fully exited the EU our government has already rolled back on its pledge to uphold our environmental standards.
But the case against neonics is well founded and backed by much research, so to allow its use is nothing short of a disgrace.

And now if the reports in the FT are to be believed, next on the shopping list to be savaged are workers rights. Another Brexit benefit!!

 

[Knutsfordian]

And now if the reports in the FT are to be believed, next on the shopping list to be savaged are workers rights. Another Brexit benefit!!

And the big stretch of words is "if the reports in the FT are to be believed" ! Boris has had a few miss steps so far in 2020, I don't believe he is foolish enough to hand Labour and the SNP a free hit less than a month after the Brexit deal was signed. That would run all the way to the next General Election

 

[James Wood]

And the big stretch of words is "if the reports in the FT are to be believed" ! Boris has had a few miss steps so far in 2020, I don't believe he is foolish enough to hand Labour and the SNP a free hit less than a month after the Brexit deal was signed. That would run all the way to the next General Election

More good news about the Brexit dividend!

Irish hauliers 'bypassing Welsh ports because of Brexit', say bosses

Sea port managers fear the shift may be part of a long-term trend to ship from the Irish Republic.

www.bbc.co.uk

And the Scottish fishermen ain’t too pleased either

I suppose that Rees-Smug will be telling them to diversify and starts farming unicorns

 

[James Wood]

And the big stretch of words is "if the reports in the FT are to be believed" ! Boris has had a few miss steps so far in 2020, I don't believe he is foolish enough to hand Labour and the SNP a free hit less than a month after the Brexit deal was signed. That would run all the way to the next General Election

Well, he’s given them yet another free hit by denying needy kids support re basic good
Supplies over the half-term period. But then again, this is the party which has one MP who thinks that parents would trade in food vouchers for drugs and / or booze ahead of feeding their children

 

[Knutsfordian]

Not Brexit but at risk of starting another thread - its good to know that its not just the UK government that makes a cock up. Strange thing is hardly reported on the mainstream news and especially for a country that's held up as a beacon of social equality

Dutch Rutte government resigns over child welfare fraud scandal

Mark Rutte's cabinet resigns after families were wrongly accused and many faced financial problems.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Knutsfordian]

More good news about the Brexit dividend!

Irish hauliers 'bypassing Welsh ports because of Brexit', say bosses

Sea port managers fear the shift may be part of a long-term trend to ship from the Irish Republic.

www.bbc.co.uk

And the Scottish fishermen ain’t too pleased either

I suppose that Rees-Smug will be telling them to diversify and starts farming unicorns

There's always going to be problems - there's stuff happening around chemical product registrations, where some UK products will no longer be included on the EU database. It was always going to happen. The EU have to justify that enormous expenditure on Civil Servants that probably keeps the Belgian economy alive and the rest of Europe wrapped in bureaucracy. I keep coming back to the EU isn't a free trade block - its highly regulated and protectionist to ensure that fair competition does not take place. We do need to spend the next five years breaking free of the EU leash, so that when the inevitable fall out comes the impact will be minimal. We need to minimise EU food imports, unleash our own agriculture and foods business and make up the difference elsewhere. The same with our manufactured goods.

Whilst it's easy to point to the debits on the UK balance sheet, there will be adverse consequences for the EU too. In the case of fish a shortage of fresh shell fish and increased prices. If a bit more effort was put into the home grown fish market, most of this produce could be used within the UK, especially when we finally get our food and drink sector back up and running.

With regards to Irish lorries travelling through the UK, how much benefit is there to the UK economy after you deduct the costs of all the pollution and use of infrastructure? I am more surprised that all eco friendly types haven't been applauding the reductions in traffic

 

[Phil Bradley]

There's always going to be problems - there's stuff happening around chemical product registrations, where some UK products will no longer be included on the EU database. It was always going to happen. The EU have to justify that enormous expenditure on Civil Servants that probably keeps the Belgian economy alive and the rest of Europe wrapped in bureaucracy. I keep coming back to the EU isn't a free trade block - its highly regulated and protectionist to ensure that fair competition does not take place. We do need to spend the next five years breaking free of the EU leash, so that when the inevitable fall out comes the impact will be minimal. We need to minimise EU food imports, unleash our own agriculture and foods business and make up the difference elsewhere. The same with our manufactured goods.

Whilst it's easy to point to the debits on the UK balance sheet, there will be adverse consequences for the EU too. In the case of fish a shortage of fresh shell fish and increased prices. If a bit more effort was put into the home grown fish market, most of this produce could be used within the UK, especially when we finally get our food and drink sector back up and running.

With regards to Irish lorries travelling through the UK, how much benefit is there to the UK economy after you deduct the costs of all the pollution and use of infrastructure? I am more surprised that all eco friendly types haven't been applauding the reductions in traffic

the EU have about one tenth of the number of civil servants that the UK has. So hardly enormous expenditure.

to make the point that it's ok for the UK balance sheet to suffer because the EU balance sheet will suffer too as any sort of righteous justification for this disaster is just perverse.

 

[Knutsfordian]

the EU have about one tenth of the number of civil servants that the UK has. So hardly enormous expenditure.

to make the point that it's ok for the UK balance sheet to suffer because the EU balance sheet will suffer too as any sort of righteous justification for this disaster is just perverse.

But that's an additional civil service ON TOP of the all the individual national states employees. It's still a vast number of additional public servants amounting to an extra 55,000 very highly paid people, whose salary and benefits are cloaked in secrecy so as not to draw attention to the vast costs involved

The point being around the impact on the EU economy, is that normal entities would resolve the blockages to ensure the impact on their own economies was minimised. There is no need for this to be a lose/lose situation but it looks like the EU will put up with that in order to ensure that the UK doesn't benefit by being outside of the EU. If there is any perversity, it lies with the EU.

Brexit isn't a disaster, we got ourselves out just in time.

Just think about it for one moment. Turn the argument round. From where we are now what is the rationale to be in the EU? To take your dog on holiday, give up controls of your borders, allow unfettered immigration, give up control of all your fishing rights, give approx 1% of GDP in membership fees so rising to approx £20billion per year and going up, underwrite EU debts in line with GDP as a proportion of the total EU GDP, join a flawed foreign currency ? And so on. Yes there will be few bumps, but better that than remaining locked in the EU

 

[Phil Bradley]

But that's an additional civil service ON TOP of the all the individual national states employees. It's still a vast number of additional public servants amounting to an extra 55,000 very highly paid people, whose salary and benefits are cloaked in secrecy so as not to draw attention to the vast costs involved

The point being around the impact on the EU economy, is that normal entities would resolve the blockages to ensure the impact on their own economies was minimised. There is no need for this to be a lose/lose situation but it looks like the EU will put up with that in order to ensure that the UK doesn't benefit by being outside of the EU. If there is any perversity, it lies with the EU.

Brexit isn't a disaster, we got ourselves out just in time.

Just think about it for one moment. Turn the argument round. From where we are now what is the rationale to be in the EU? To take your dog on holiday, give up controls of your borders, allow unfettered immigration, give up control of all your fishing rights, give approx 1% of GDP in membership fees so rising to approx £20billion per year and going up, underwrite EU debts in line with GDP as a proportion of the total EU GDP, join a flawed foreign currency ? And so on. Yes there will be few bumps, but better that than remaining locked in the EU

sure these jobs are on top of individual nations' civil service, but the point is it's not enormous in the big scheme of things as you try to claim.

you make sweeping claims that you present as a matter of fact such as "people, whose salary and benefits are cloaked in secrecy so as not to draw attention to the vast costs involved". Utter rubbish. Jobs within the EU are openly advertised, competitively sourced on published bands and scales. Except we can no longer apply for them.

your ingrained and irrational hatred of the EU knows no bounds, you bombard us with this propaganda non stop and the gullible lap it. What you say has no substance, it's just your opinion. You can't put numbers, pounds, euros or any type of quantifiable parameters around your claims. Nothing but your own bloviated conspiracy theory.

 

[Knutsfordian]

sure these jobs are on top of individual nations' civil service, but the point is it's not enormous in the big scheme of things as you try to claim.

you make sweeping claims that you present as a matter of fact such as "people, whose salary and benefits are cloaked in secrecy so as not to draw attention to the vast costs involved". Utter rubbish. Jobs within the EU are openly advertised, competitively sourced on published bands and scales. Except we can no longer apply for them.

your ingrained and irrational hatred of the EU knows no bounds, you bombard us with this propaganda non stop and the gullible lap it. What you say has no substance, it's just your opinion. You can't put numbers, pounds, euros or any type of quantifiable parameters around your claims. Nothing but your own bloviated conspiracy theory.

So 55,000 people on massive salaries and pensions is just incidental - that's why the UK had to contribute £billions to cover salary and pension liabilities indefinitely. You think EU salaries are not cloaked in secrecy - you find the list of EU pay scales and benefits. EU employees are actively discouraged from any sort of disclosure. Look it up.

My anti EU propaganda - get a grip ! We have had 50 years of living the EU dream !! People can see its emperors new clothes - there's nothing there worth a packet of fags !! You say I can't put numbers around my claims - but the irony is that its up to the Remainers to justify this monstrosity. To demonstrate the benefits - and put simply the packet of fags just about covers it !!

My views are my views. I don't speak for others, but never assume they are as gullible as you think. That's the Remainers major folly. They think Brexiteers are all daft idiots. They are not - the idiots are the ones who think they are. AS for conspiracy theories try looking at some of the issues around EU borrowing to support the pandemic recovery fund. An outrageous extension of EU borrowing powers that moves billions of Euros of borrowing off EU countries balance sheets. If we were in there I would be seriously worried !!

 

[James Wood]

sure these jobs are on top of individual nations' civil service, but the point is it's not enormous in the big scheme of things as you try to claim.

you make sweeping claims that you present as a matter of fact such as "people, whose salary and benefits are cloaked in secrecy so as not to draw attention to the vast costs involved". Utter rubbish. Jobs within the EU are openly advertised, competitively sourced on published bands and scales. Except we can no longer apply for them.

your ingrained and irrational hatred of the EU knows no bounds, you bombard us with this propaganda non stop and the gullible lap it. What you say has no substance, it's just your opinion. You can't put numbers, pounds, euros or any type of quantifiable parameters around your claims. Nothing but your own bloviated conspiracy theory.

I think that our dear friend must be a bessie mate of old frog-face, Francois, Rees-Smug, Bone et-al and all the other little-Englanders who would like to turn back the clock and see the Empire and Commonwealth recreated.

And in another part of Daily Mail land, the vicar rides his bycycle through the village whilst his doting wife arranges the flowers in the church before going off to a WI meeting. Meanwhile rosy-cheeked children dance round the maypole watched on by the local PC on his beat whilst stout, good hearted and honest hard-working farm workers bring in the harvest before retiring to the half-timbered local pub ‘The Red Lion’ to be served foaming ale by the cheery landlord....

Meanwhile, in 2020 Britain - the fifth richest country in the world- kids go hungry, are forced to live in dreadful accommodation and will end up with poor educational and health outcomes when they progress to adulthood.

The proud legacy of 10 years of Tory misrule and austerity.

 

[Phil Bradley]

I think that our dear friend must be a bessie mate of old frog-face, Francois, Rees-Smug, Bone et-al and all the other little-Englanders who would like to turn back the clock and see the Empire and Commonwealth recreated.

And in another part of Daily Mail land, the vicar rides his bycycle through the village whilst his doting wife arranges the flowers in the church before going off to a WI meeting. Meanwhile rosy-cheeked children dance round the maypole watched on by the local PC on his beat whilst stout, good hearted and honest hard-working farm workers bring in the harvest before retiring to the half-timbered local pub ‘The Red Lion’ to be served foaming ale by the cheery landlord....

Meanwhile, in 2020 Britain - the fifth richest country in the world- kids go hungry, are forced to live in dreadful accommodation and will end up with poor educational and health outcomes when they progress to adulthood.

The proud legacy of 10 years of Tory misrule and austerity.

Sadly no longer the 5th richest country anymore. We are in G7 relegation fight territory.

Perhaps in Daily Mail land Knutsfordian could be the local golf club bore?

 

[Knutsfordian]

I think that our dear friend must be a bessie mate of old frog-face, Francois, Rees-Smug, Bone et-al and all the other little-Englanders who would like to turn back the clock and see the Empire and Commonwealth recreated.

And in another part of Daily Mail land, the vicar rides his bycycle through the village whilst his doting wife arranges the flowers in the church before going off to a WI meeting. Meanwhile rosy-cheeked children dance round the maypole watched on by the local PC on his beat whilst stout, good hearted and honest hard-working farm workers bring in the harvest before retiring to the half-timbered local pub ‘The Red Lion’ to be served foaming ale by the cheery landlord....

Meanwhile, in 2020 Britain - the fifth richest country in the world- kids go hungry, are forced to live in dreadful accommodation and will end up with poor educational and health outcomes when they progress to adulthood.

The proud legacy of 10 years of Tory misrule and austerity.

Lose the debate and resort to try and stereotype Brexiteers as Little Englanders stuck in the past, whereas the reality is the reverse is true. Pro EU disciples stuck in a past WW2, cold war era with an organisation that is failing to modernise itself to meet the current needs of a modern world.

Then mix that up with a view that the country's woes are all down to a conservative government and austerity over the past 10 years. The reality is that there has always been poverty. No government of any party has managed to eradicate poverty - in any country ! This country now spends more on social security payments than it has ever done, even through the "austerity" period, and vastly more than was ever spent by Labour governments. Yes we would all like to see the whole country be richer and children have everything they need, but unfortunately, whilst its an aspiration we should all share, is it really attainable? We are also measuring relative poverty compared to the abject poverty in years passed. Despite the recent campaigns I remain convinced that current day poverty is far less than the real and vicious poverty experienced by families when I was a child.

 

[Knutsfordian]

Sadly no longer the 5th richest country anymore. We are in G7 relegation fight territory.

Perhaps in Daily Mail land Knutsfordian could be the local golf club bore?

Just goes to show how little you really know about me - never played golf in my life and I am not an avid Daily Mail reader. Again you resort to stereotyping when you cannot understand why I don't agree with you.