She shot Boris Johnson a look that would have curdled cream: HENRY DEEDES watches as the Prime Minister comes face-to-face with the Commons liaison committee
HENRY DEEDES: All lazy, last-minute revisers will be familiar with the conundrum. You spent all night preparing for one essay topic only to turn over the exam paper in the morning and find those rotten teachers have not included it in their set of questions. You sensed the Prime Minister (main) was trying to pull off a similar trick yesterday when he came face-to-face with the Commons liaison committee (inset), that rag-tag collection of Parliament's most self-aggrandising blowhards and chest-puffers. He responded to each query put to him, with a waffly series of ill-prepared replies.
Boris' Commons walkout: PM lambasted for dodging Brexit tirade - 'This is contempt!'
Mr Habib, whose legal challenge to the Protocol was rejected by Northern Ireland's High Court last Wednesday, highlighted a clip shared by the DUP's official Twitter account. In it, Mr Johnson is seen leaving the Chamber just as Mr Wilson, MP for East Antrim and the DUP's chief whip, begins speaking.
Undeterred, Mr Wilson continued: "On 23 June my colleague for Lagan Valley, asked the Prime Minister, whether Article Six of the Act of Union 1800 has been impliedly repealed when the Northern Ireland Protocol was approved by the House of Commons. The Prime Minister, answered emphatically no."
Referring to the case brought by Mr Habib and others, he pointed out the Mr Justice Colton had agreed with the Government's lawyers that the Northern Ireland Protocol was not in conflict with the Act of Union because Article Six of the legislation had been "overridden" by the passing of the Withdrawal Act.
He added: "Now here's the point Mr Speaker. The government's case was approved, presented and argued before the Prime Minister gave the answer to my colleague in the House of Commons.
"And that answer, therefore, must have been a misleading answer to the House.
"I want to know whether the Prime Minister can be called to apologise for that misleading answer, but more importantly, called to outline what actions to undermine the damage."
House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle then intervened to suggest Mr Wilson qualified his remarks by adding the word "inadvertently".
Mr Wilson continued: "I would like to know, can the Prime Minister be called to apologise for inadvertently misleading the House.
"And secondly, outline what steps he intends to take to undo the damage, which the change in the Act of Union has caused constitutionally and economically to Northern Ireland?"
Ben Habib subsequently told Express.co.uk: "The Prime Minister is informed that there is a point of order coming, and the Prime Minister knew that a point of order was coming, and he knew what the question was.
"And instead of sitting there having the respect he should have the seriousness of the question he got up and walked out of the chamber.
"I think Sammy was too gracious to say that it was an inadvertent misleading of the house, because I think it's either incompetent or it's deliberately misleading."
Mr Habib added: "Here you have a Prime Minister who's just not prepared to face up to what he's done.
"It just raises the hair on the back of your neck, to just get up and walk out of the Commons."
The Northern Ireland Protocol is the mechanism agreed by both the UK and the EU with the purpose of preventing a hard border on the island of Ireland.
Unionist critics - including Mr Wilson - argue that it has resulted in a border down the Irish Sea, effectively driving a wedge between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, and damaging the constitution in the process.
Ireland has 2 vitally important (and biggest) markets for exports and imports. They are the USA and the UK. The EU's mantra on European "Union" seeks to prevent Ireland trading with it's biggest partners.
You may think Kate Hoey is mad, but I believe it is not in Ireland's best economic interests to be in a trading bloc that seeks to penalise Ireland's biggest customers. The deal as it stands is just as bad for Ireland as it is the UK.
The UK is eager to have/continue the special trading relationship that it has had with Ireland since before the EEC (never mind the EU) was formed. In particular, the North West of Ireland and the West of Northern Ireland are much more dependant on one another than on London, Belfast or Dublin.
If there has to be trading posts set up, that will be at the EU's insistence, and (presumably) at Ireland's cost. Because it is not our Single Market. Compare and contrast this with the dispensations given to the Canaries, French dependencies, even the UK bases on Cyprus.
When we were in the EU, and the Channel Islands, Isle of Man etc were not, the EU did not adopt the same position as in Northern Ireland now.
The best people to decide whats best for Ireland, are the Irish Electorate.
I find it difficult to follow your reasoning.
Once we left the EU, there had to be a customs border, the border had to go in the Irish Sea.
There were no other realistic options.
Once we became a third country the number of border checks were bound to increase.
Nobody moaned about the small number of border checks between UK/NI that took place while we were still members.
The number of checks that would be required would be directly related to our post Brexit alignment with the EU.
I recall Michelle Barnier making it very clear in the Boris negotiations, when he said that it would be possible to maintain frictionless trade, and that the amount of friction would depend on the closeness of our ongoing relationship.
Boris wanted to diverge without friction.
Having his cake, and eating it was not on offer.
The friction is causing hold ups, yet this could be avoided with a stroke of a pen, by signing a veterinary agreement.
This would reduce the number of checks required by 80%.
This could even be done on a temporary basis.
Boris has chosen instead to unilaterally extend grace periods to minimise the problems.
Some of the delays are being caused by a lack of staff.
Therefore out fault.
There is no doubt in my mind that Boris has caused this mess.
I think that the border checks have created a wider problem.
At least some of the protests in NI appear to be about the imposition of a border between UK/NI, rather than border checks.
I dont think the protests have anything to do with sausages.
I dont think that Boris will able to decrease tensions in NI, even if he were able to reduce checks.
Although the border checks will just exacerbate the situation.
If my memory serves, when Boris ripped up Theresa Mays backstop, he came up with the protocol as an alternative.
There was no Irish Sea border in the backstop.
As far as the Unionists are concerned, it would appear that the border that separates them from the rest of the UK is the problem, nothing to do with EU rules.
Whatever happens to the protocol, the border will remain.
As I have said before the real problem is Brexit.
I am not sure that minute islands anywhere are at all relevant.
I appreciate that you find it difficult to follow my reasoning. The reason is quite simple. Try removing the enormous set of blinkers you have on, which keep making you adopt the frankly ridiculous position that absolutely everything about the EU is wonderful, and everything about Brexit is terrible. That is as unsustainable as saying there are no problems at all.
You start by saying
"The best people to decide whats best for Ireland, are the Irish Electorate."
Yet you have no problem whatsoever ignoring the UK electorate in relation to what is best for the UK. It is trite to try and blame Brexit just on the Conservatives. It happened like this:-
1. In 2014 an essentially single-issue Party, UKIP won the UK European elections 2. The Conservative Party, worried that they were about to be overtaken on the Rabid Right, promised a free vote on the EU 3. The UK electorate voted to Leave 4. In subsequent elections, the Tories promised a Hard Brexit, and got a massive Majority. You know, from the UK electorate
I don't like that any more than you do. But Democracy doesn't involve everyone agreeing with me.
Ireland's economy is being massively changed by Brexit. The Irish people deserve a free vote as to whether economically (and only economically) they would be better off being part of the British Isles. As opposed to being part of a European "Union" that wants to prevent them trading with their neighbour.
There has been a deal agreed between the UK and the EU about the island of Ireland. It is a bad deal. 2 parties agreed to it. And 2 parties, not 1, are at fault for that.
I appreciate that you don't agree with that. You keep banging on about the faults of one side. While totally ignoring the other. It's like being in the playground "He started it, Miss!"
Guess which 2 nations had little or no say in it. Northern Ireland. And Ireland.
PS-love these irrelevant "minute" islands outside or inside the EU when it suits. Like the Canaries-that have a population way higher than Northern Ireland. Or that tiny little Greenland. Or French Guiana-that are free to import US processed meat
Brexit: EU postpones ban on British meat sales in NI
BBC Heading = "Brexit: EU to postpone ban on British meat sales in NI" Inaccurate heading I think... The EU have extended the transition period at the request of the UK Government. In addition - there is no 'ban on sales' The goods have to be checked There is a big, big difference.
Comment posted by Chris, at 10:56 30 JunChris 10:56 30 Jun So we kick this can a few more paces down the road. What we need is a proper solution!
Comment posted by GMcG, at 11:23 30 JunGMcG 11:23 30 Jun You won. Get over it.
More to the point, get ON with it. Where are these Brexit benefits? Still waiting.
Reply posted by PS, at 11:30 30 JunPS 11:30 30 Jun to GMcG
" You won. Get over it.More to the point, get ON with it. Where are these Brexit benefits? Still waiting. " PS replied: Not have a delayed and elongated vaccine rollout to highlight one benefit
Comment posted by World Leading Shambles, at 10:56 30 JunWorld Leading Shambles 10:56 30 Jun Taking back control = Asking/begging the EU to let us sell fresh sausages from one part of the UK to another.
You Cultists were really sold a pup...........
Reply posted by The Voice of Reason, at 10:57 30 JunThe Voice of Reason 10:57 30 Jun to World Leading Shambles
" Taking back control = Asking/begging the EU to let us sell fresh sausages from one part of the UK to another.You Cultists were really sold a pup........... " The Voice of Reason replied: But they knew what they were voting for....
Comment posted by Captain Whacky, at 11:19 30 JunCaptain Whacky 11:19 30 Jun Has anyone had a tangible benefit from Brexit yet? Asking for a friend!
Reply posted by PS, at 11:32 30 JunPS 11:32 30 Jun to Captain Whacky
" Has anyone had a tangible benefit from Brexit yet? Asking for a friend! " PS replied: Independence from an interfereing political monster. Far too long have the politicians in this country been lazy cos they had another government making the legislation.
JunDarth Tory 11:26 30 Jun This is what happens when you 'Get BREXIT done' without knowing what that actually entails.
Suck it up, there's plenty more like this to come.
Reply posted by Heightschapel, at 11:57 30 JunHeightschapel 11:57 30 Jun to Darth Tory
This is what happens when you 'Get BREXIT done' without knowing what that actually entails. Suck it up, there's plenty more like this to come.
Heightschapel replied: Suck this up: Brexit is an accomplished fact and whatever the minor difficulties, there is no going back to the EU.
Comment posted by Ian, at 11:07 30 JunIan 11:07 30 Jun What a stinking mess, thanks to Johnson 🤡 and the Tories 🤪
Reply posted by God My O, at 11:22 30 JunGod My O 11:22 30 Jun to Ian
What a stinking mess, thanks to Johnson 🤡 and the Tories 🤪
God My O replied: same old same old
Comment posted by Egregious, at 11:08 30 JunEgregious 11:08 30 Jun Surely the fact supermarket's and the like are switching to local suppliers is a good thing for the country?
Reply posted by hiphopanonymous, at 11:28 30 Junhiphopanonymous 11:28 30 Jun to Egregious
Surely the fact supermarket's and the like are switching to local suppliers is a good thing for the country?
hiphopanonymous replied: Which one?
JunMorveer 11:21 30 Jun You won, deal with it.
Junubercurmudgeon 11:47 30 Jun to Morveer
" You won, deal with it. " ubercurmudgeon replied: They don't need to deal with it. Most people who voted for it are retired. They're sitting back, watching the value of their houses go up, watching the chaos, satisfied that they've achieved something with their lives by putting a cross on a piece of paper five years ago.
JunOriginalGinger 11:35 30 Jun As usual Political unionism has shot itself in the foot backed themselves into a corner.
The EU didn't want Brexit & neither did NI. The protocol was dreamt up & agreed by the British Government supported by the DUP's mates the ERG. The whole crisis of the protocol has the DUP's fingerprints all over it but Loyalists, as always, are sticking their heads in the sand and blaming 'them uns'
Reply posted by Hallmarky13, at 12:59 30 JunHallmarky13 12:59 30 Jun to OriginalGinger
As usual Political unionism has shot itself in the foot backed themselves into a corner.The EU didn't want Brexit & neither did NI. The protocol was dreamt up & agreed by the British Government supported by the DUP's mates the ERG. The whole crisis of the protocol has the DUP's fingerprints all over it but Loyalists, as always, are sticking their heads in the sand and blaming 'them uns' " Hallmarky13 replied: Barnier and Varadkar dreamt up this mess, ditching the remote electronic verification system that Kenny and the EU had already agreed upon. A vindictive sabotage of the Referendum vote. Only the EU luvvies are blind to these shenanigans. A very sad bunch.
Comment posted by AnyonebutGordon, at 11:03 30 JunAnyonebutGordon 11:03 30 Jun Can the BBC stop talking about sausages I am trying to work and the thought of a plate of nice snorkers with some mash potato and baked beans is making me hungry !
Reply posted by Next slide please, at 11:06 30 JunNext slide please 11:06 30 Jun to AnyonebutGordon
Can the BBC stop talking about sausages I am trying to work and the thought of a plate of nice snorkers with some mash potato and baked beans is making me hungry !
Next slide please replied: Forget the beans, gravy instead.
JunStuart 11:00 30 Jun I can't imagine why anyone in NI would wish to buy British bangers when they can go to the butchers in Moira and buy the best they've ever tasted and from a huge range of flavours. I believe there's another first class place for bangers in Derry though I have no personal experience of that one.
Reply posted by andrew, at 11:10 30 Junandrew 11:10 30 Jun to Stuart
" I can't imagine why anyone in NI would wish to buy British bangers when they can go to the butchers in Moira and buy the best they've ever tasted and from a huge range of flavours. I believe there's another first class place for bangers in Derry though I have no personal experience of that one. " andrew replied: Can you tell me where I can get Melton Mowbray pork pies ?
Comment posted by Robledo, at 11:05 30 JunRobledo 11:05 30 Jun This hard Brexit is unfolding daily into a complete disaster for UK citizens and business. Return to sanity and ask the EU to give is a free trade deal.
N Reply posted by Next slide please, at 11:06 30 JunNext slide please 11:06 30 Jun to Robledo
" This hard Brexit is unfolding daily into a complete disaster for UK citizens and business.Return to sanity and ask the EU to give is a free trade deal. " Next slide please replied: How has it affected you?
Comment posted by Newsense, at 11:23 30 JunNewsense 11:23 30 Jun Most people in NI eat the likes of Cookstown, Denny, Richmond and Clonakilty sausages.
If anyone if complaining about British sausages it would be British farmers.
People in NI could easily live without British sausages.
Reply posted by rich1974, at 11:28 30 Junrich1974 11:28 30 Jun to Newsense
" Most people in NI eat the likes of Cookstown, Denny, Richmond and Clonakilty sausages.If anyone if complaining about British sausages it would be British farmers.People in NI could easily live without British sausages. " rich1974 replied: And NI can also export sausages to the EU. Its a win win but it has been politicised by Boris and NI unionist
Comment posted by mopeysky, at 11:07 30 Junmopeysky 11:07 30 Jun 571 MPs voted for this deal
How many off them bothered to read it & if they did, why would they vote for a deal which meant we couldn't ship sausages to NI?
So either 571 MPs didn't read it, or they didn't understand it
Either way, the way it was forced thru in 3 days
There should be a legal challenge to it being voted for because it didn't go thru proper due process
C Reply posted by CH, at 11:31 30 JunCH 11:31 30 Jun to mopeysky
" 571 MPs voted for this dealHow many off them bothered to read it & if they did, why would they vote for a deal which meant we couldn't ship sausages to NI?So either 571 MPs didn't read it, or they didn't understand itEither way, the way it was forced thru in 3 daysThere should be a legal challenge to it being voted for because it didn't go thru proper due process " CH replied: Bozo rushed the deal through so it couldn't be scrutinised by parliament, Brexiters backed it (though they now railing against it) and the rest had to back it really or be seen by some as trying to reverse the vote (which they weren't, they were trying to get the best deal possible for the UK).
In any other time the country would be demanding Bozo resign but instead it's been Brexit at any cost. 75 11
More replies (4) T Comment posted by TenPole TadPole, at 11:11 30 JunTenPole TadPole 11:11 30 Jun Anyone else remembering ROI Horse and Donkey meat found in 'beefburgers' processing in Netherlands and sold in UK ...?? 77 32
C Reply posted by colin, at 11:38 30 Juncolin 11:38 30 Jun to TenPole TadPole
" Anyone else remembering ROI Horse and Donkey meat found in 'beefburgers' processing in Netherlands and sold in UK ...?? " colin replied: Remember BSE? Resulted from tory reduction in animal foodstuffs standards. 103 34
More replies (12) D Comment posted by David Jatt, at 11:32 30 JunDavid Jatt 11:32 30 Jun The only way to solve the problem, while keeping peace in Northern Ireland, is to rejoin the SM or the CU. Why won't Brexiters/Govt just admit it and get on with it? Will save us all a lot of fuss.
But I guess that's not the point any more is it? 68 25
C Reply posted by Cwtsh Cymreig, at 11:45 30 JunCwtsh Cymreig 11:45 30 Jun to David Jatt
" The only way to solve the problem, while keeping peace in Northern Ireland, is to rejoin the SM or the CU. Why won't Brexiters/Govt just admit it and get on with it? Will save us all a lot of fuss.But I guess that's not the point any more is it? " Cwtsh Cymreig replied: And something very much along those lines is PRECISELY what ALL the Leave Campaigns promised us in 2016. There's footage online of Farage talking about Norway style deal & Johnson & Hannan saying we absolutely didn't need to leave SM. 60 11
More replies (13) G Comment posted by Grumpy Skipper, at 12:27 30 JunGrumpy Skipper 12:27 30 Jun British media - Frost extends grace period unilaterlly and demands EU to be more flexible on NI Protocol. Reality - Unelected Frosty is begging EU for extension of grace period. Taking back control huh? 😅 48 10
C Reply posted by Cwtsh Cymreig, at 12:32 30 JunCwtsh Cymreig 12:32 30 Jun to Grumpy Skipper
" British media - Frost extends grace period unilaterlly and demands EU to be more flexible on NI Protocol. Reality - Unelected Frosty is begging EU for extension of grace period. Taking back control huh? 😅 " Cwtsh Cymreig replied: Oh & as reported elsewhere (not on BBC for some reason), not only has the UK had to adhere to the terms of the treaty this time round, having acted improperly & unilaterally the first time...... but UK is also having to make a firm commitment to align with EU standards for the duration of the grace period. 30 2
More replies (6) P Comment posted by Picard, at 11:04 30 JunPicard 11:04 30 Jun The EU are far too kind to us 62 27
B Reply posted by Billy Ball, at 11:17 30 JunBilly Ball 11:17 30 Jun to Picard
" The EU are far too kind to us " Billy Ball replied: That generosity of spirit has really came through from the past several years. Glaringly in fact.
What has came from our side is lies. 79 26
More replies (6) B Comment posted by Billy Ball, at 10:58 30 JunBilly Ball 10:58 30 Jun This appeasement of bleating sectarian unionists like Kate Hoey and Jim Allister however comes with a few clauses.
The main one being that the untrustworthy British government implements the NI Protocol fully after three months….
Boris Johnson's Brexit minister blames Theresa May for problems with Northern Ireland Protocol
Boris Johnson's Brexit minister has blamed Theresa May for problems with the implementation of border arrangements for Northern Ireland.
Lord Frost told members of the Northern Ireland Assembly on Friday that current issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol were "to a very large degree" the fault of negotiations under Mr Johnson's predecessor as prime minister.
The protocol - agreed and signed by Mr Johnson and which replaced Mrs May's "backstop" - is designed to avoid a post-Brexit hard border on the island of Ireland and is a key part of the UK's divorce deal with the EU.
However, Mr Johnson has said the current implementation of the protocol - which keeps Northern Ireland within much of the EU's single market and customs rules - is having a "damaging impact" on the people of Northern Ireland.
Lord Frost is seeking adjustments to the implementation of the protocol and told assembly members on Friday that it should not be looked at as a "sort of definitive text".
DUP member Christopher Stalford, whose party is opposed to the protocol due to concerns of new trade barriers between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, suggested Lord Frost had been left to "clean up the mess" of the protocol.
Mr Stalford quoted Mrs May's former chief of staff, Lord Barwell, who last month claimed Mr Johnson's government knew the protocol "was a bad deal" but intended to "wriggle out of it later".
Lord Frost responded: "We intend to implement what we signed up to but it's the fact of implementation that's causing the problem.
"I would say that it was the inheritance that we inherited from the previous government and from the previous negotiating team that has been a significant part of the difficulty, and the reason the protocol is shaped as it is, is because we had a particular inheritance from the previous team who could not get their deal, rightly in my view, through parliament.
"Unfortunately we were not able to go back to scratch and do things in a different way and I think the previous team are to a very large degree responsible for some of the infelicities in this protocol and the Withdrawal Agreement that we might be better without but unfortunately we are where we are."
Lord Frost this week announced the UK government would "set out our approach" to the protocol within the next two weeks, as he called for a "new balance" in its implementation.
He told assembly members: "It's not reasonable to say, given that the situation has changed in various ways and given that parts of the protocol remained to be worked out, that it is a definitive text and as of October 2019 that's it and there's nothing more to say."
Ireland has 2 vitally important (and biggest) markets for exports and imports. They are the USA and the UK. The EU's mantra on European "Union" seeks to prevent Ireland trading with it's biggest partners.
You may think Kate Hoey is mad, but I believe it is not in Ireland's best economic interests to be in a trading bloc that seeks to penalise Ireland's biggest customers. The deal as it stands is just as bad for Ireland as it is the UK.
The UK is eager to have/continue the special trading relationship that it has had with Ireland since before the EEC (never mind the EU) was formed. In particular, the North West of Ireland and the West of Northern Ireland are much more dependant on one another than on London, Belfast or Dublin.
If there has to be trading posts set up, that will be at the EU's insistence, and (presumably) at Ireland's cost. Because it is not our Single Market. Compare and contrast this with the dispensations given to the Canaries, French dependencies, even the UK bases on Cyprus.
When we were in the EU, and the Channel Islands, Isle of Man etc were not, the EU did not adopt the same position as in Northern Ireland now.
The best people to decide whats best for Ireland, are the Irish Electorate.
I find it difficult to follow your reasoning.
Once we left the EU, there had to be a customs border, the border had to go in the Irish Sea.
There were no other realistic options.
Once we became a third country the number of border checks were bound to increase.
Nobody moaned about the small number of border checks between UK/NI that took place while we were still members.
The number of checks that would be required would be directly related to our post Brexit alignment with the EU.
I recall Michelle Barnier making it very clear in the Boris negotiations, when he said that it would be possible to maintain frictionless trade, and that the amount of friction would depend on the closeness of our ongoing relationship.
Boris wanted to diverge without friction.
Having his cake, and eating it was not on offer.
The friction is causing hold ups, yet this could be avoided with a stroke of a pen, by signing a veterinary agreement.
This would reduce the number of checks required by 80%.
This could even be done on a temporary basis.
Boris has chosen instead to unilaterally extend grace periods to minimise the problems.
Some of the delays are being caused by a lack of staff.
Therefore out fault.
There is no doubt in my mind that Boris has caused this mess.
I think that the border checks have created a wider problem.
At least some of the protests in NI appear to be about the imposition of a border between UK/NI, rather than border checks.
I dont think the protests have anything to do with sausages.
I dont think that Boris will able to decrease tensions in NI, even if he were able to reduce checks.
Although the border checks will just exacerbate the situation.
If my memory serves, when Boris ripped up Theresa Mays backstop, he came up with the protocol as an alternative.
There was no Irish Sea border in the backstop.
As far as the Unionists are concerned, it would appear that the border that separates them from the rest of the UK is the problem, nothing to do with EU rules.
Whatever happens to the protocol, the border will remain.
As I have said before the real problem is Brexit.
I am not sure that minute islands anywhere are at all relevant.
I appreciate that you find it difficult to follow my reasoning. The reason is quite simple. Try removing the enormous set of blinkers you have on, which keep making you adopt the frankly ridiculous position that absolutely everything about the EU is wonderful, and everything about Brexit is terrible. That is as unsustainable as saying there are no problems at all.
You start by saying
"The best people to decide whats best for Ireland, are the Irish Electorate."
Yet you have no problem whatsoever ignoring the UK electorate in relation to what is best for the UK. It is trite to try and blame Brexit just on the Conservatives. It happened like this:-
1. In 2014 an essentially single-issue Party, UKIP won the UK European elections 2. The Conservative Party, worried that they were about to be overtaken on the Rabid Right, promised a free vote on the EU 3. The UK electorate voted to Leave 4. In subsequent elections, the Tories promised a Hard Brexit, and got a massive Majority. You know, from the UK electorate
I don't like that any more than you do. But Democracy doesn't involve everyone agreeing with me.
Ireland's economy is being massively changed by Brexit. The Irish people deserve a free vote as to whether economically (and only economically) they would be better off being part of the British Isles. As opposed to being part of a European "Union" that wants to prevent them trading with their neighbour.
There has been a deal agreed between the UK and the EU about the island of Ireland. It is a bad deal. 2 parties agreed to it. And 2 parties, not 1, are at fault for that.
I appreciate that you don't agree with that. You keep banging on about the faults of one side. While totally ignoring the other. It's like being in the playground "He started it, Miss!"
Guess which 2 nations had little or no say in it. Northern Ireland. And Ireland.
PS-love these irrelevant "minute" islands outside or inside the EU when it suits. Like the Canaries-that have a population way higher than Northern Ireland. Or that tiny little Greenland. Or French Guiana-that are free to import US processed meat
Northern Ireland Protocol agreed with EU by Boris Johnson is ‘not definitive’, says Brexit minister
The UK government does not regard the Northern Ireland protocol it agreed with the EU as part of Boris Johnson’s withdrawal deal as “definitive”, Brexit minister David Frost has said.
Despite the protocol forming part of an international treaty signed by the UK, Lord Frost said it was not “reasonable” to regard its text as the final word on arrangements for the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
In comments that will be seen as deeply ironic in the light of the government’s implementation of Brexit on the back of a 52/48 vote, the PM’s senior negotiator argued that the protocol was difficult to operate because it enjoyed only 50/50 support among the Northern Irish public.
Lord Frost came under fire from nationalist members of the Executive Office Committee at Stormont, who told him that the UK government should implement the deal it had agreed.
“It’s your deal,” said the committee’s SDLP chair Colin McGrath. “If your deal is so shoddy, why did you negotiate it?”
And Sinn Fein’s Martina Anderson – an MEP at the time of the Brexit talks – told Lord Frost: “You were Britain’s chief negotiator for Brexit. Your eyes were wide open and your fingerprints are on every page of the protocol.
“The majority of people here in the North rejected Brexit and the majority of parties here in the Assembly, who represent the majority of people, rejected Brexit but support the protocol.
“You were the chief negotiator. You were not asleep. You knew there were going to be trade adjustments. The dogs in the street knew that there were going to be trade adjustments. Even the DUP Brexit cheerleaders knew there were going to be trade adjustments and they felt you threw them under a bus.”
Ms Anderson said that a recent poll had shown just 6 per cent in Northern Ireland trusted the UK government over the protocol.
Ireland has 2 vitally important (and biggest) markets for exports and imports. They are the USA and the UK. The EU's mantra on European "Union" seeks to prevent Ireland trading with it's biggest partners.
You may think Kate Hoey is mad, but I believe it is not in Ireland's best economic interests to be in a trading bloc that seeks to penalise Ireland's biggest customers. The deal as it stands is just as bad for Ireland as it is the UK.
The UK is eager to have/continue the special trading relationship that it has had with Ireland since before the EEC (never mind the EU) was formed. In particular, the North West of Ireland and the West of Northern Ireland are much more dependant on one another than on London, Belfast or Dublin.
If there has to be trading posts set up, that will be at the EU's insistence, and (presumably) at Ireland's cost. Because it is not our Single Market. Compare and contrast this with the dispensations given to the Canaries, French dependencies, even the UK bases on Cyprus.
When we were in the EU, and the Channel Islands, Isle of Man etc were not, the EU did not adopt the same position as in Northern Ireland now.
'Brussels WON'T blink first!' Boris told he must 'back down' in Brexit row -expert warning
Brexit tensions between Britain and the European Union have surged over recent weeks, with talks collapsing between UK Brexit minister Lord Frost and European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic over a solution to the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol. Brussels has threatened to launch a trade war against Britain if it does not implement checks on goods entering Northern Ireland under the terms of the Brexit deal.
Under the terms of the Brexit trade agreement struck at the end of last year, the UK and EU can impose tariffs on the other's exports for breaching the pact, pending independent arbitration.
Earlier this week, Brussels urged the UK to consider a Swiss-style veterinary agreement with the bloc on agri-foods to end a row over some goods moving between Britain and Northern Ireland.
But Lord Frost insisted Britain will not adopt EU law on agri-foods to solve difficulties with post-Brexit trade with Northern Ireland.
He told think tank the Policy Exchange: "Obviously aligning with, or adopting, the EU's agri-food legislation is not going to be a solution.
"We are sometimes accused of being ideological for not accepting that, but actually the ideological thing is to say the only solution to these problems is that we should adopt EU law, and that is simply a non-starter."
But political experts are warning the EU holds the advantage in the row over the Northern Ireland Protocol and claimed the UK is running out of options at the negotiating table.
Wyn Grant, a British political scientist and professor of politics at the University of Warwick, told Express.co.uk: "The EU and the UK have reached an impasse in their negotiations.
"Admittedly, the UK could follow Switzerland in temporarily accepting agriculture and veterinary regulations (which is where the main problems are), but that would be seen as incompatible with the spirit of Brexit.
"The UK signed up to the Protocol, but does not seem to realise its implications, or at least thought that the EU would interpret it 'pragmatically' or 'flexibly' which does not happen in a continental law tradition."
He further warned: "The EU is not going to blink first and is prepared to take further legal action and/or impose tariffs on UK exports.
"Trust has broken down between the parties. There are not many options for the UK in terms of retaliation.
"Tensions could escalate much further than anticipated.
"Hanging over it all is the threat of a turbulent summer in Northern Ireland and substantial damage to the peace process."
The Prime Minister has also been told to back down in the UK's explosive row with the EU as it's a battle he can't win and would be foolish to retaliate against any punishment from Brussels.
Alistair Jones, Associate Professor in Politics and a University Teacher Fellow at De Montfort in Leicester warned Brussels "is in the right" and "holds all the cards" in the escalating row over the Protocol.
He told Express.co.uk: "The EU is in the right. They were in the wrong over the vaccines issue earlier this year, when Ursula von der Leyen activated Article 16 and then retracted within hours of issuing it.
"In that circumstance, as she subsequently admitted, she was in the wrong.
"Currently, the EU has the upper hand and holds all the cards.
"The UK has tried to bluff everything eg asking for extra time before enforcing the agreement.
"Lord Frost has suggested that the EU is in the wrong by not allowing any flexibility.
"They do not need to, as the Protocol was approved by Parliament."
He also warned: "The UK will have to back down.
"If the EU were to punish the UK, any attempt from Boris to retaliate would be a disaster.
"The rest of the world would see the UK making an agreement with the EU, then failing to abide by said agreement (even though it was ratified in the UK Parliament) and trying to pick a fight because they do not like what they have agreed or were unaware of the consequences of said agreement.
"It will do nothing for the UK's international credibility or the attempts to strike deals with other countries."
1. Why does the EU have to make things so difficult for the British Isles (for want of a better term) in relation to Northern Ireland? When we were in the EU, there were no similar restrictions imposed to the parts of the British Isles that were not in the EU, such as The Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. Similarly, the Canary Islands seem to have all sorts of exemptions, allowing them to be in or out of the EU whenever it suits. It's almost as though the EU is being sulky and vindictive.
2. The various bits about petrol prices in this thread. There are only 3 significant oil exporters/producers in the Continent of Europe. Russia, Norway, and the UK. None of which are in the EU. Being in or out of the EU is irrelevant to pricing. The simple reasons why petrol is expensive in this country are because of the taxes we impose and the pandemic.
1. Why does the EU have to make things so difficult for the British Isles (for want of a better term) in relation to Northern Ireland? When we were in the EU, there were no similar restrictions imposed to the parts of the British Isles that were not in the EU, such as The Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. Similarly, the Canary Islands seem to have all sorts of exemptions, allowing them to be in or out of the EU whenever it suits. It's almost as though the EU is being sulky and vindictive.
2. The various bits about petrol prices in this thread. There are only 3 significant oil exporters/producers in the Continent of Europe. Russia, Norway, and the UK. None of which are in the EU. Being in or out of the EU is irrelevant to pricing. The simple reasons why petrol is expensive in this country are because of the taxes we impose and the pandemic.
Brexit fury as fishermen list 'litany of frustrations' with EU deal
Alastair Carmichael argued that six months on from the UK's exit from the EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) the country's ailing industry has yet to be given the big boost that was expected. He tore apart Boris Johnson's fishing deal with Brussels, saying it fell short of the "sea of opportunities" the Prime Minister had pledged to trawlermen.
Mr Carmichael said fishermen, processors and exporters up and down the country are "suffering from structural problems created by the new barriers put up between them and their biggest markets" thanks to Mr Johnson's deal.
He claimed figures in the industry are "crying out for help, for change, and for meaningful action from the Government responsible" but are being met with "scant interest" from ministers.
Writing in The Scotsman, he said: "The year did not start in an auspicious manner, with seafood exporters rocked by new trade barriers erected with just days' notice, leading to enormous losses in trade in the early weeks of January and the frankly humiliating situation of fishermen taking their catch all the way to Denmark to avoid the chaos our Government created.
"When I called an urgent debate on the growing disaster at the time, ministers dismissed them as 'teething problems'.
"What we have seen since has put the lie to that claim."
Mr Carmichael also took aim at the Prime Minister's post-Brexit immigration system, which he claimed was having a knock-on effect on the fishing sector.
He said he had received letters from skippers on the Scottish isles who simply cannot acquire enough staff to man their boats.
Many fishermen relied on foreign labour to keep their vessels running before Brexit.
But the UK's new immigration rules mean employers in multiple sectors are struggling to fill roles.
Last month a Guardian columnist warned that Hull's fishing industry is on the brink of becoming extinct.
Claire Armistead said Brexit was supposed to reinvigorate the industry but instead could be the final straw for the port city's maritime trade.
She said: "For the fishing community of Humberside, on the austerity-battered north-east coast of England, it is as if a slow-motion car crash has suddenly been fast-forwarded."
She pointed to the Kirkella, a British super trawler based in Hull which has been caught up in post-Brexit fishing arrangements.
The vessel which previously caught 10 percent of cod and haddock sold in UK chip shops is grounded due to failed post-Brexit negotiations with Norway.
Ms Armistead said such woes blighting the industry are "an embarrassment for Brexiteers, who wielded fishing as a key weapon in the campaign to quit the EU".
Ireland has 2 vitally important (and biggest) markets for exports and imports. They are the USA and the UK. The EU's mantra on European "Union" seeks to prevent Ireland trading with it's biggest partners.
You may think Kate Hoey is mad, but I believe it is not in Ireland's best economic interests to be in a trading bloc that seeks to penalise Ireland's biggest customers. The deal as it stands is just as bad for Ireland as it is the UK.
The UK is eager to have/continue the special trading relationship that it has had with Ireland since before the EEC (never mind the EU) was formed. In particular, the North West of Ireland and the West of Northern Ireland are much more dependant on one another than on London, Belfast or Dublin.
If there has to be trading posts set up, that will be at the EU's insistence, and (presumably) at Ireland's cost. Because it is not our Single Market. Compare and contrast this with the dispensations given to the Canaries, French dependencies, even the UK bases on Cyprus.
When we were in the EU, and the Channel Islands, Isle of Man etc were not, the EU did not adopt the same position as in Northern Ireland now.
Brexit ultimatum as EU poised to slam door shut on UK financial services
Ireland has 2 vitally important (and biggest) markets for exports and imports. They are the USA and the UK. The EU's mantra on European "Union" seeks to prevent Ireland trading with it's biggest partners.
You may think Kate Hoey is mad, but I believe it is not in Ireland's best economic interests to be in a trading bloc that seeks to penalise Ireland's biggest customers. The deal as it stands is just as bad for Ireland as it is the UK.
The UK is eager to have/continue the special trading relationship that it has had with Ireland since before the EEC (never mind the EU) was formed. In particular, the North West of Ireland and the West of Northern Ireland are much more dependant on one another than on London, Belfast or Dublin.
If there has to be trading posts set up, that will be at the EU's insistence, and (presumably) at Ireland's cost. Because it is not our Single Market. Compare and contrast this with the dispensations given to the Canaries, French dependencies, even the UK bases on Cyprus.
When we were in the EU, and the Channel Islands, Isle of Man etc were not, the EU did not adopt the same position as in Northern Ireland now.
The best people to decide whats best for Ireland, are the Irish Electorate.
I find it difficult to follow your reasoning.
Once we left the EU, there had to be a customs border, the border had to go in the Irish Sea.
There were no other realistic options.
Once we became a third country the number of border checks were bound to increase.
Nobody moaned about the small number of border checks between UK/NI that took place while we were still members.
The number of checks that would be required would be directly related to our post Brexit alignment with the EU.
I recall Michelle Barnier making it very clear in the Boris negotiations, when he said that it would be possible to maintain frictionless trade, and that the amount of friction would depend on the closeness of our ongoing relationship.
Boris wanted to diverge without friction.
Having his cake, and eating it was not on offer.
The friction is causing hold ups, yet this could be avoided with a stroke of a pen, by signing a veterinary agreement.
This would reduce the number of checks required by 80%.
This could even be done on a temporary basis.
Boris has chosen instead to unilaterally extend grace periods to minimise the problems.
Some of the delays are being caused by a lack of staff.
Therefore out fault.
There is no doubt in my mind that Boris has caused this mess.
I think that the border checks have created a wider problem.
At least some of the protests in NI appear to be about the imposition of a border between UK/NI, rather than border checks.
I dont think the protests have anything to do with sausages.
I dont think that Boris will able to decrease tensions in NI, even if he were able to reduce checks.
Although the border checks will just exacerbate the situation.
If my memory serves, when Boris ripped up Theresa Mays backstop, he came up with the protocol as an alternative.
There was no Irish Sea border in the backstop.
As far as the Unionists are concerned, it would appear that the border that separates them from the rest of the UK is the problem, nothing to do with EU rules.
Whatever happens to the protocol, the border will remain.
As I have said before the real problem is Brexit.
I am not sure that minute islands anywhere are at all relevant.
I appreciate that you find it difficult to follow my reasoning. The reason is quite simple. Try removing the enormous set of blinkers you have on, which keep making you adopt the frankly ridiculous position that absolutely everything about the EU is wonderful, and everything about Brexit is terrible. That is as unsustainable as saying there are no problems at all.
You start by saying
"The best people to decide whats best for Ireland, are the Irish Electorate."
Yet you have no problem whatsoever ignoring the UK electorate in relation to what is best for the UK. It is trite to try and blame Brexit just on the Conservatives. It happened like this:-
1. In 2014 an essentially single-issue Party, UKIP won the UK European elections 2. The Conservative Party, worried that they were about to be overtaken on the Rabid Right, promised a free vote on the EU 3. The UK electorate voted to Leave 4. In subsequent elections, the Tories promised a Hard Brexit, and got a massive Majority. You know, from the UK electorate
I don't like that any more than you do. But Democracy doesn't involve everyone agreeing with me.
Ireland's economy is being massively changed by Brexit. The Irish people deserve a free vote as to whether economically (and only economically) they would be better off being part of the British Isles. As opposed to being part of a European "Union" that wants to prevent them trading with their neighbour.
There has been a deal agreed between the UK and the EU about the island of Ireland. It is a bad deal. 2 parties agreed to it. And 2 parties, not 1, are at fault for that.
I appreciate that you don't agree with that. You keep banging on about the faults of one side. While totally ignoring the other. It's like being in the playground "He started it, Miss!"
Guess which 2 nations had little or no say in it. Northern Ireland. And Ireland.
PS-love these irrelevant "minute" islands outside or inside the EU when it suits. Like the Canaries-that have a population way higher than Northern Ireland. Or that tiny little Greenland. Or French Guiana-that are free to import US processed meat
Tory MPs who hyped Brexit fishing benefits have abandoned us, fishermen say
Ireland has 2 vitally important (and biggest) markets for exports and imports. They are the USA and the UK. The EU's mantra on European "Union" seeks to prevent Ireland trading with it's biggest partners.
You may think Kate Hoey is mad, but I believe it is not in Ireland's best economic interests to be in a trading bloc that seeks to penalise Ireland's biggest customers. The deal as it stands is just as bad for Ireland as it is the UK.
The UK is eager to have/continue the special trading relationship that it has had with Ireland since before the EEC (never mind the EU) was formed. In particular, the North West of Ireland and the West of Northern Ireland are much more dependant on one another than on London, Belfast or Dublin.
If there has to be trading posts set up, that will be at the EU's insistence, and (presumably) at Ireland's cost. Because it is not our Single Market. Compare and contrast this with the dispensations given to the Canaries, French dependencies, even the UK bases on Cyprus.
When we were in the EU, and the Channel Islands, Isle of Man etc were not, the EU did not adopt the same position as in Northern Ireland now.
Devastating': Crops left to rot in England as Brexit begins to bite
Ireland has 2 vitally important (and biggest) markets for exports and imports. They are the USA and the UK. The EU's mantra on European "Union" seeks to prevent Ireland trading with it's biggest partners.
You may think Kate Hoey is mad, but I believe it is not in Ireland's best economic interests to be in a trading bloc that seeks to penalise Ireland's biggest customers. The deal as it stands is just as bad for Ireland as it is the UK.
The UK is eager to have/continue the special trading relationship that it has had with Ireland since before the EEC (never mind the EU) was formed. In particular, the North West of Ireland and the West of Northern Ireland are much more dependant on one another than on London, Belfast or Dublin.
If there has to be trading posts set up, that will be at the EU's insistence, and (presumably) at Ireland's cost. Because it is not our Single Market. Compare and contrast this with the dispensations given to the Canaries, French dependencies, even the UK bases on Cyprus.
When we were in the EU, and the Channel Islands, Isle of Man etc were not, the EU did not adopt the same position as in Northern Ireland now.
The best people to decide whats best for Ireland, are the Irish Electorate.
I find it difficult to follow your reasoning.
Once we left the EU, there had to be a customs border, the border had to go in the Irish Sea.
There were no other realistic options.
Once we became a third country the number of border checks were bound to increase.
Nobody moaned about the small number of border checks between UK/NI that took place while we were still members.
The number of checks that would be required would be directly related to our post Brexit alignment with the EU.
I recall Michelle Barnier making it very clear in the Boris negotiations, when he said that it would be possible to maintain frictionless trade, and that the amount of friction would depend on the closeness of our ongoing relationship.
Boris wanted to diverge without friction.
Having his cake, and eating it was not on offer.
The friction is causing hold ups, yet this could be avoided with a stroke of a pen, by signing a veterinary agreement.
This would reduce the number of checks required by 80%.
This could even be done on a temporary basis.
Boris has chosen instead to unilaterally extend grace periods to minimise the problems.
Some of the delays are being caused by a lack of staff.
Therefore out fault.
There is no doubt in my mind that Boris has caused this mess.
I think that the border checks have created a wider problem.
At least some of the protests in NI appear to be about the imposition of a border between UK/NI, rather than border checks.
I dont think the protests have anything to do with sausages.
I dont think that Boris will able to decrease tensions in NI, even if he were able to reduce checks.
Although the border checks will just exacerbate the situation.
If my memory serves, when Boris ripped up Theresa Mays backstop, he came up with the protocol as an alternative.
There was no Irish Sea border in the backstop.
As far as the Unionists are concerned, it would appear that the border that separates them from the rest of the UK is the problem, nothing to do with EU rules.
Whatever happens to the protocol, the border will remain.
As I have said before the real problem is Brexit.
I am not sure that minute islands anywhere are at all relevant.
I appreciate that you find it difficult to follow my reasoning. The reason is quite simple. Try removing the enormous set of blinkers you have on, which keep making you adopt the frankly ridiculous position that absolutely everything about the EU is wonderful, and everything about Brexit is terrible. That is as unsustainable as saying there are no problems at all.
You start by saying
"The best people to decide whats best for Ireland, are the Irish Electorate."
Yet you have no problem whatsoever ignoring the UK electorate in relation to what is best for the UK. It is trite to try and blame Brexit just on the Conservatives. It happened like this:-
1. In 2014 an essentially single-issue Party, UKIP won the UK European elections 2. The Conservative Party, worried that they were about to be overtaken on the Rabid Right, promised a free vote on the EU 3. The UK electorate voted to Leave 4. In subsequent elections, the Tories promised a Hard Brexit, and got a massive Majority. You know, from the UK electorate
I don't like that any more than you do. But Democracy doesn't involve everyone agreeing with me.
Ireland's economy is being massively changed by Brexit. The Irish people deserve a free vote as to whether economically (and only economically) they would be better off being part of the British Isles. As opposed to being part of a European "Union" that wants to prevent them trading with their neighbour.
There has been a deal agreed between the UK and the EU about the island of Ireland. It is a bad deal. 2 parties agreed to it. And 2 parties, not 1, are at fault for that.
I appreciate that you don't agree with that. You keep banging on about the faults of one side. While totally ignoring the other. It's like being in the playground "He started it, Miss!"
Guess which 2 nations had little or no say in it. Northern Ireland. And Ireland.
PS-love these irrelevant "minute" islands outside or inside the EU when it suits. Like the Canaries-that have a population way higher than Northern Ireland. Or that tiny little Greenland. Or French Guiana-that are free to import US processed meat
Brexit: David Frost admits it’s ‘too much trouble’ for firms to trade with Northern Ireland
David Frost says he understands why businesses are abandoning trade with Northern Ireland because his Brexit agreement has made it “too much trouble” to carry on.
The negotiator of the deal – which created a border in the Irish Sea – admitted he had not fully foreseen the “chilling effect” of the punishing new red tape, which has left smaller firms facing higher costs.
There are “companies in Great Britain who decide that it’s all too much trouble, reasonably enough – can’t be bothered to engage with the process,” Lord Frost acknowledged.
“They are often SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises] and micro-businesses. Dealing with this is a significant call on their time and they decide it’s just not worth it,” he told a parliamentary inquiry.
“That’s why you are seeing some of the trade diversion and supply-chain issues to Northern Ireland that we’re seeing.”
The admission came ahead of Lord Frost unveiling a new “approach” to the Northern Ireland protocol next week, sparking fresh tensions with the EU.
The government insists that the recent three-month truce over the sale of chilled meats and availability of medicines has failed to solve the crisis caused by the protocol.
Brussels has been accused of “intransigence” in the ongoing talks and of a “lack of understanding of the sensitivities in Northern Ireland”.
Questioned by a Lords committee, Lord Frost refused to set out what his new approach might entail – beyond the aim to make goods “flow as freely as possibly between Great Britain and Northern Ireland”.
The Brexit minister also:
* Claimed that increased cross-border trade between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is “a problem” he wanted to discourage.
* Revealed he expected £500m to be spent on trader support services, saying: “That is the cost of the protocol.”
* Rejected the EU’s insistence that there is no alternative to the protocol, pointing to a future consent vote at Stormont, and asking: “Then what is that vote about?”
* Argued it would be “inconceivable” to press ahead with protocol-style arrangements after a no vote, warning: “The politics would be quite significant at that point.”
The comments came as the fishing industry accused Tory MPs who had hyped the potential gains from Brexit of going “very quiet” as those benefits failed to materialise.
The National Federation of Fisherman’s Organisations protested that nothing was now heard from even the “most vociferous supporters” on the Conservative benches.
Peter Hain, the Labour former Northern Ireland secretary, warned that Lord Frost had lost the trust of unionists, nationalists, the EU and the Dublin government, saying sarcastically: “That’s a pretty successful negotiation, isn’t it?”
The EU accuses the UK of failing to abide by the protocol – by introducing checks at Northern Irish ports and by supplying data on cross-sea trade – but London blames an over-zealous implementation
Hmmm. I can understand the foodbank not giving the item out as part of their standard issue for fear of being seen to make a political statement, but to refuse to accept them sends out a bad signal regarding the need for donations.
At our foodbank we have trays in which very short dated or non standard stock are placed and anybody whether foodbank customer or soup kitchen guest can help themselves freely.
Surely this would be a better option in this instance.
State pension warning as Brexit means some Britons face NHS charges
Under newer rules, UK citizens who have moved to the EU since December 31, 2020 will not be able to get NHS healthcare when they come back to the UK on visits.
Now the UK is out of the European Union, there is no NHS cover in the UK and no ability to get coverage.
This is due to the NHS having a residence-based qualification system.
The Government website even states: "Those who are not ordinarily resident in the UK, including former UK residents, are overseas visitors and may be charged for NHS services."
The Government website goes on to explain that UK national who moved to the EU on or after January 1, 2021 should not expect to use NHS services for free when visiting the UK.
Any treatment that a person may have to pay for will be charged at 150 percent of the national NHS rate.
Mr Porter highlighted charges will also apply to Britons living in an EU country before 2021 who will be eligible for a British state pension in future.
The Government advises visitors to the UK to take out the necessary healthcare coverage via insurance which can cover their needs.
This is particularly important, it states, for those who have pre-existing healthcare conditions.
Jason Porter, director of specialist expats financial advisers, Blevin Franks, commented on the matter.
He said: "Treatment on a return to the UK was specifically exempted when the UK was a member of the EU.
"But now, for new arrivals there is no NHS coverage and no ability to get coverage without paying for it.
"It will therefore be necessary to buy travel insurance which includes health cover for visits back to the UK."
Comments
HENRY DEEDES: All lazy, last-minute revisers will be familiar with the conundrum. You spent all night preparing for one essay topic only to turn over the exam paper in the morning and find those rotten teachers have not included it in their set of questions. You sensed the Prime Minister (main) was trying to pull off a similar trick yesterday when he came face-to-face with the Commons liaison committee (inset), that rag-tag collection of Parliament's most self-aggrandising blowhards and chest-puffers. He responded to each query put to him, with a waffly series of ill-prepared replies.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-9766493/HENRY-DEEDES-watches-Prime-Minister-comes-face-face-Commons-liaison-committee.html
Mr Habib, whose legal challenge to the Protocol was rejected by Northern Ireland's High Court last Wednesday, highlighted a clip shared by the DUP's official Twitter account. In it, Mr Johnson is seen leaving the Chamber just as Mr Wilson, MP for East Antrim and the DUP's chief whip, begins speaking.
Undeterred, Mr Wilson continued: "On 23 June my colleague for Lagan Valley, asked the Prime Minister, whether Article Six of the Act of Union 1800 has been impliedly repealed when the Northern Ireland Protocol was approved by the House of Commons. The Prime Minister, answered emphatically no."
Referring to the case brought by Mr Habib and others, he pointed out the Mr Justice Colton had agreed with the Government's lawyers that the Northern Ireland Protocol was not in conflict with the Act of Union because Article Six of the legislation had been "overridden" by the passing of the Withdrawal Act.
He added: "Now here's the point Mr Speaker. The government's case was approved, presented and argued before the Prime Minister gave the answer to my colleague in the House of Commons.
"And that answer, therefore, must have been a misleading answer to the House.
"I want to know whether the Prime Minister can be called to apologise for that misleading answer, but more importantly, called to outline what actions to undermine the damage."
House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle then intervened to suggest Mr Wilson qualified his remarks by adding the word "inadvertently".
Mr Wilson continued: "I would like to know, can the Prime Minister be called to apologise for inadvertently misleading the House.
"And secondly, outline what steps he intends to take to undo the damage, which the change in the Act of Union has caused constitutionally and economically to Northern Ireland?"
Ben Habib subsequently told Express.co.uk: "The Prime Minister is informed that there is a point of order coming, and the Prime Minister knew that a point of order was coming, and he knew what the question was.
"And instead of sitting there having the respect he should have the seriousness of the question he got up and walked out of the chamber.
"I think Sammy was too gracious to say that it was an inadvertent misleading of the house, because I think it's either incompetent or it's deliberately misleading."
Mr Habib added: "Here you have a Prime Minister who's just not prepared to face up to what he's done.
"It just raises the hair on the back of your neck, to just get up and walk out of the Commons."
The Northern Ireland Protocol is the mechanism agreed by both the UK and the EU with the purpose of preventing a hard border on the island of Ireland.
Unionist critics - including Mr Wilson - argue that it has resulted in a border down the Irish Sea, effectively driving a wedge between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, and damaging the constitution in the process.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/boris-commons-walkout-pm-lambasted-for-dodging-brexit-tirade-this-is-contempt/ar-AALSKTz?ocid=msedgntp
Comments below.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-57644497
BBC Heading = "Brexit: EU to postpone ban on British meat sales in NI"
Inaccurate heading I think...
The EU have extended the transition period at the request of the UK Government.
In addition - there is no 'ban on sales'
The goods have to be checked
There is a big, big difference.
Comment posted by Chris, at 10:56 30 JunChris
10:56 30 Jun
So we kick this can a few more paces down the road.
What we need is a proper solution!
Comment posted by GMcG, at 11:23 30 JunGMcG
11:23 30 Jun
You won. Get over it.
More to the point, get ON with it. Where are these Brexit benefits? Still waiting.
Reply posted by PS, at 11:30 30 JunPS
11:30 30 Jun
to GMcG
"
You won. Get over it.More to the point, get ON with it. Where are these Brexit benefits? Still waiting.
"
PS replied:
Not have a delayed and elongated vaccine rollout to highlight one benefit
Comment posted by World Leading Shambles, at 10:56 30 JunWorld Leading Shambles
10:56 30 Jun
Taking back control = Asking/begging the EU to let us sell fresh sausages from one part of the UK to another.
You Cultists were really sold a pup...........
Reply posted by The Voice of Reason, at 10:57 30 JunThe Voice of Reason
10:57 30 Jun
to World Leading Shambles
"
Taking back control = Asking/begging the EU to let us sell fresh sausages from one part of the UK to another.You Cultists were really sold a pup...........
"
The Voice of Reason replied:
But they knew what they were voting for....
Comment posted by Captain Whacky, at 11:19 30 JunCaptain Whacky
11:19 30 Jun
Has anyone had a tangible benefit from Brexit yet? Asking for a friend!
Reply posted by PS, at 11:32 30 JunPS
11:32 30 Jun
to Captain Whacky
"
Has anyone had a tangible benefit from Brexit yet? Asking for a friend!
"
PS replied:
Independence from an interfereing political monster. Far too long have the politicians in this country been lazy cos they had another government making the legislation.
JunDarth Tory
11:26 30 Jun
This is what happens when you 'Get BREXIT done' without knowing what that actually entails.
Suck it up, there's plenty more like this to come.
Reply posted by Heightschapel, at 11:57 30 JunHeightschapel
11:57 30 Jun
to Darth Tory
This is what happens when you 'Get BREXIT done' without knowing what that actually entails. Suck it up, there's plenty more like this to come.
Heightschapel replied:
Suck this up: Brexit is an accomplished fact and whatever the minor difficulties, there is no going back to the EU.
Comment posted by Ian, at 11:07 30 JunIan
11:07 30 Jun
What a stinking mess, thanks to Johnson 🤡 and the Tories 🤪
Reply posted by God My O, at 11:22 30 JunGod My O
11:22 30 Jun
to Ian
What a stinking mess, thanks to Johnson 🤡 and the Tories 🤪
God My O replied:
same old same old
Comment posted by Egregious, at 11:08 30 JunEgregious
11:08 30 Jun
Surely the fact supermarket's and the like are switching to local suppliers is a good thing for the country?
Reply posted by hiphopanonymous, at 11:28 30 Junhiphopanonymous
11:28 30 Jun
to Egregious
Surely the fact supermarket's and the like are switching to local suppliers is a good thing for the country?
hiphopanonymous replied:
Which one?
JunMorveer
11:21 30 Jun
You won, deal with it.
Junubercurmudgeon
11:47 30 Jun
to Morveer
"
You won, deal with it.
"
ubercurmudgeon replied:
They don't need to deal with it. Most people who voted for it are retired. They're sitting back, watching the value of their houses go up, watching the chaos, satisfied that they've achieved something with their lives by putting a cross on a piece of paper five years ago.
JunOriginalGinger
11:35 30 Jun
As usual Political unionism has shot itself in the foot backed themselves into a corner.
The EU didn't want Brexit & neither did NI. The protocol was dreamt up & agreed by the British Government supported by the DUP's mates the ERG. The whole crisis of the protocol has the DUP's fingerprints all over it but Loyalists, as always, are sticking their heads in the sand and blaming 'them uns'
Reply posted by Hallmarky13, at 12:59 30 JunHallmarky13
12:59 30 Jun
to OriginalGinger
As usual Political unionism has shot itself in the foot backed themselves into a corner.The EU didn't want Brexit & neither did NI. The protocol was dreamt up & agreed by the British Government supported by the DUP's mates the ERG. The whole crisis of the protocol has the DUP's fingerprints all over it but Loyalists, as always, are sticking their heads in the sand and blaming 'them uns'
"
Hallmarky13 replied:
Barnier and Varadkar dreamt up this mess, ditching the remote electronic verification system that Kenny and the EU had already agreed upon. A vindictive sabotage of the Referendum vote. Only the EU luvvies are blind to these shenanigans. A very sad bunch.
Comment posted by AnyonebutGordon, at 11:03 30 JunAnyonebutGordon
11:03 30 Jun
Can the BBC stop talking about sausages I am trying to work and the thought of a plate of nice snorkers with some mash potato and baked beans is making me hungry !
Reply posted by Next slide please, at 11:06 30 JunNext slide please
11:06 30 Jun
to AnyonebutGordon
Can the BBC stop talking about sausages I am trying to work and the thought of a plate of nice snorkers with some mash potato and baked beans is making me hungry !
Next slide please replied:
Forget the beans, gravy instead.
JunStuart
11:00 30 Jun
I can't imagine why anyone in NI would wish to buy British bangers when they can go to the butchers in Moira and buy the best they've ever tasted and from a huge range of flavours. I believe there's another first class place for bangers in Derry though I have no personal experience of that one.
Reply posted by andrew, at 11:10 30 Junandrew
11:10 30 Jun
to Stuart
"
I can't imagine why anyone in NI would wish to buy British bangers when they can go to the butchers in Moira and buy the best they've ever tasted and from a huge range of flavours. I believe there's another first class place for bangers in Derry though I have no personal experience of that one.
"
andrew replied:
Can you tell me where I can get Melton Mowbray pork pies ?
Comment posted by Robledo, at 11:05 30 JunRobledo
11:05 30 Jun
This hard Brexit is unfolding daily into a complete disaster for UK citizens and business.
Return to sanity and ask the EU to give is a free trade deal.
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Reply posted by Next slide please, at 11:06 30 JunNext slide please
11:06 30 Jun
to Robledo
"
This hard Brexit is unfolding daily into a complete disaster for UK citizens and business.Return to sanity and ask the EU to give is a free trade deal.
"
Next slide please replied:
How has it affected you?
Comment posted by Newsense, at 11:23 30 JunNewsense
11:23 30 Jun
Most people in NI eat the likes of Cookstown, Denny, Richmond and Clonakilty sausages.
If anyone if complaining about British sausages it would be British farmers.
People in NI could easily live without British sausages.
Reply posted by rich1974, at 11:28 30 Junrich1974
11:28 30 Jun
to Newsense
"
Most people in NI eat the likes of Cookstown, Denny, Richmond and Clonakilty sausages.If anyone if complaining about British sausages it would be British farmers.People in NI could easily live without British sausages.
"
rich1974 replied:
And NI can also export sausages to the EU.
Its a win win but it has been politicised by Boris and NI unionist
Comment posted by mopeysky, at 11:07 30 Junmopeysky
11:07 30 Jun
571 MPs voted for this deal
How many off them bothered to read it & if they did, why would they vote for a deal which meant we couldn't ship sausages to NI?
So either 571 MPs didn't read it, or they didn't understand it
Either way, the way it was forced thru in 3 days
There should be a legal challenge to it being voted for because it didn't go thru proper due process
C
Reply posted by CH, at 11:31 30 JunCH
11:31 30 Jun
to mopeysky
"
571 MPs voted for this dealHow many off them bothered to read it & if they did, why would they vote for a deal which meant we couldn't ship sausages to NI?So either 571 MPs didn't read it, or they didn't understand itEither way, the way it was forced thru in 3 daysThere should be a legal challenge to it being voted for because it didn't go thru proper due process
"
CH replied:
Bozo rushed the deal through so it couldn't be scrutinised by parliament, Brexiters backed it (though they now railing against it) and the rest had to back it really or be seen by some as trying to reverse the vote (which they weren't, they were trying to get the best deal possible for the UK).
In any other time the country would be demanding Bozo resign but instead it's been Brexit at any cost.
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Comment posted by TenPole TadPole, at 11:11 30 JunTenPole TadPole
11:11 30 Jun
Anyone else remembering ROI Horse and Donkey meat found in 'beefburgers' processing in Netherlands and sold in UK ...??
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Reply posted by colin, at 11:38 30 Juncolin
11:38 30 Jun
to TenPole TadPole
"
Anyone else remembering ROI Horse and Donkey meat found in 'beefburgers' processing in Netherlands and sold in UK ...??
"
colin replied:
Remember BSE? Resulted from tory reduction in animal foodstuffs standards.
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Comment posted by David Jatt, at 11:32 30 JunDavid Jatt
11:32 30 Jun
The only way to solve the problem, while keeping peace in Northern Ireland, is to rejoin the SM or the CU. Why won't Brexiters/Govt just admit it and get on with it? Will save us all a lot of fuss.
But I guess that's not the point any more is it?
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Reply posted by Cwtsh Cymreig, at 11:45 30 JunCwtsh Cymreig
11:45 30 Jun
to David Jatt
"
The only way to solve the problem, while keeping peace in Northern Ireland, is to rejoin the SM or the CU. Why won't Brexiters/Govt just admit it and get on with it? Will save us all a lot of fuss.But I guess that's not the point any more is it?
"
Cwtsh Cymreig replied:
And something very much along those lines is PRECISELY what ALL the Leave Campaigns promised us in 2016. There's footage online of Farage talking about Norway style deal & Johnson & Hannan saying we absolutely didn't need to leave SM.
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Comment posted by Grumpy Skipper, at 12:27 30 JunGrumpy Skipper
12:27 30 Jun
British media - Frost extends grace period unilaterlly and demands EU to be more flexible on NI Protocol.
Reality - Unelected Frosty is begging EU for extension of grace period.
Taking back control huh? 😅
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Reply posted by Cwtsh Cymreig, at 12:32 30 JunCwtsh Cymreig
12:32 30 Jun
to Grumpy Skipper
"
British media - Frost extends grace period unilaterlly and demands EU to be more flexible on NI Protocol. Reality - Unelected Frosty is begging EU for extension of grace period. Taking back control huh? 😅
"
Cwtsh Cymreig replied:
Oh & as reported elsewhere (not on BBC for some reason), not only has the UK had to adhere to the terms of the treaty this time round, having acted improperly & unilaterally the first time...... but UK is also having to make a firm commitment to align with EU standards for the duration of the grace period.
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Comment posted by Picard, at 11:04 30 JunPicard
11:04 30 Jun
The EU are far too kind to us
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Reply posted by Billy Ball, at 11:17 30 JunBilly Ball
11:17 30 Jun
to Picard
"
The EU are far too kind to us
"
Billy Ball replied:
That generosity of spirit has really came through from the past several years. Glaringly in fact.
What has came from our side is lies.
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Comment posted by Billy Ball, at 10:58 30 JunBilly Ball
10:58 30 Jun
This appeasement of bleating sectarian unionists like Kate Hoey and Jim Allister however comes with a few clauses.
The main one being that the untrustworthy British government implements the NI Protocol fully after three months….
Boris Johnson's Brexit minister has blamed Theresa May for problems with the implementation of border arrangements for Northern Ireland.
Lord Frost told members of the Northern Ireland Assembly on Friday that current issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol were "to a very large degree" the fault of negotiations under Mr Johnson's predecessor as prime minister.
The protocol - agreed and signed by Mr Johnson and which replaced Mrs May's "backstop" - is designed to avoid a post-Brexit hard border on the island of Ireland and is a key part of the UK's divorce deal with the EU.
However, Mr Johnson has said the current implementation of the protocol - which keeps Northern Ireland within much of the EU's single market and customs rules - is having a "damaging impact" on the people of Northern Ireland.
Lord Frost is seeking adjustments to the implementation of the protocol and told assembly members on Friday that it should not be looked at as a "sort of definitive text".
DUP member Christopher Stalford, whose party is opposed to the protocol due to concerns of new trade barriers between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, suggested Lord Frost had been left to "clean up the mess" of the protocol.
Mr Stalford quoted Mrs May's former chief of staff, Lord Barwell, who last month claimed Mr Johnson's government knew the protocol "was a bad deal" but intended to "wriggle out of it later".
Lord Frost responded: "We intend to implement what we signed up to but it's the fact of implementation that's causing the problem.
"I would say that it was the inheritance that we inherited from the previous government and from the previous negotiating team that has been a significant part of the difficulty, and the reason the protocol is shaped as it is, is because we had a particular inheritance from the previous team who could not get their deal, rightly in my view, through parliament.
"Unfortunately we were not able to go back to scratch and do things in a different way and I think the previous team are to a very large degree responsible for some of the infelicities in this protocol and the Withdrawal Agreement that we might be better without but unfortunately we are where we are."
Lord Frost this week announced the UK government would "set out our approach" to the protocol within the next two weeks, as he called for a "new balance" in its implementation.
He told assembly members: "It's not reasonable to say, given that the situation has changed in various ways and given that parts of the protocol remained to be worked out, that it is a definitive text and as of October 2019 that's it and there's nothing more to say."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/boris-johnson-s-brexit-minister-blames-theresa-may-for-problems-with-northern-ireland-protocol/ar-AALYzzB?ocid=msedgntp#image=2
The UK government does not regard the Northern Ireland protocol it agreed with the EU as part of Boris Johnson’s withdrawal deal as “definitive”, Brexit minister David Frost has said.
Despite the protocol forming part of an international treaty signed by the UK, Lord Frost said it was not “reasonable” to regard its text as the final word on arrangements for the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
In comments that will be seen as deeply ironic in the light of the government’s implementation of Brexit on the back of a 52/48 vote, the PM’s senior negotiator argued that the protocol was difficult to operate because it enjoyed only 50/50 support among the Northern Irish public.
Lord Frost came under fire from nationalist members of the Executive Office Committee at Stormont, who told him that the UK government should implement the deal it had agreed.
“It’s your deal,” said the committee’s SDLP chair Colin McGrath. “If your deal is so shoddy, why did you negotiate it?”
And Sinn Fein’s Martina Anderson – an MEP at the time of the Brexit talks – told Lord Frost: “You were Britain’s chief negotiator for Brexit. Your eyes were wide open and your fingerprints are on every page of the protocol.
“The majority of people here in the North rejected Brexit and the majority of parties here in the Assembly, who represent the majority of people, rejected Brexit but support the protocol.
“You were the chief negotiator. You were not asleep. You knew there were going to be trade adjustments. The dogs in the street knew that there were going to be trade adjustments. Even the DUP Brexit cheerleaders knew there were going to be trade adjustments and they felt you threw them under a bus.”
Ms Anderson said that a recent poll had shown just 6 per cent in Northern Ireland trusted the UK government over the protocol.
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/northern-ireland-protocol-agreed-eu-145754487.html
Brexit tensions between Britain and the European Union have surged over recent weeks, with talks collapsing between UK Brexit minister Lord Frost and European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic over a solution to the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol. Brussels has threatened to launch a trade war against Britain if it does not implement checks on goods entering Northern Ireland under the terms of the Brexit deal.
Under the terms of the Brexit trade agreement struck at the end of last year, the UK and EU can impose tariffs on the other's exports for breaching the pact, pending independent arbitration.
Earlier this week, Brussels urged the UK to consider a Swiss-style veterinary agreement with the bloc on agri-foods to end a row over some goods moving between Britain and Northern Ireland.
But Lord Frost insisted Britain will not adopt EU law on agri-foods to solve difficulties with post-Brexit trade with Northern Ireland.
He told think tank the Policy Exchange: "Obviously aligning with, or adopting, the EU's agri-food legislation is not going to be a solution.
"We are sometimes accused of being ideological for not accepting that, but actually the ideological thing is to say the only solution to these problems is that we should adopt EU law, and that is simply a non-starter."
But political experts are warning the EU holds the advantage in the row over the Northern Ireland Protocol and claimed the UK is running out of options at the negotiating table.
Wyn Grant, a British political scientist and professor of politics at the University of Warwick, told Express.co.uk: "The EU and the UK have reached an impasse in their negotiations.
"Admittedly, the UK could follow Switzerland in temporarily accepting agriculture and veterinary regulations (which is where the main problems are), but that would be seen as incompatible with the spirit of Brexit.
"The UK signed up to the Protocol, but does not seem to realise its implications, or at least thought that the EU would interpret it 'pragmatically' or 'flexibly' which does not happen in a continental law tradition."
He further warned: "The EU is not going to blink first and is prepared to take further legal action and/or impose tariffs on UK exports.
"Trust has broken down between the parties. There are not many options for the UK in terms of retaliation.
"Tensions could escalate much further than anticipated.
"Hanging over it all is the threat of a turbulent summer in Northern Ireland and substantial damage to the peace process."
The Prime Minister has also been told to back down in the UK's explosive row with the EU as it's a battle he can't win and would be foolish to retaliate against any punishment from Brussels.
Alistair Jones, Associate Professor in Politics and a University Teacher Fellow at De Montfort in Leicester warned Brussels "is in the right" and "holds all the cards" in the escalating row over the Protocol.
He told Express.co.uk: "The EU is in the right. They were in the wrong over the vaccines issue earlier this year, when Ursula von der Leyen activated Article 16 and then retracted within hours of issuing it.
"In that circumstance, as she subsequently admitted, she was in the wrong.
"Currently, the EU has the upper hand and holds all the cards.
"The UK has tried to bluff everything eg asking for extra time before enforcing the agreement.
"Lord Frost has suggested that the EU is in the wrong by not allowing any flexibility.
"They do not need to, as the Protocol was approved by Parliament."
He also warned: "The UK will have to back down.
"If the EU were to punish the UK, any attempt from Boris to retaliate would be a disaster.
"The rest of the world would see the UK making an agreement with the EU, then failing to abide by said agreement (even though it was ratified in the UK Parliament) and trying to pick a fight because they do not like what they have agreed or were unaware of the consequences of said agreement.
"It will do nothing for the UK's international credibility or the attempts to strike deals with other countries."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/brussels-won-t-blink-first-boris-told-he-must-back-down-in-brexit-row-expert-warning/ar-AAM0Zo5?ocid=msedgntp
Alastair Carmichael argued that six months on from the UK's exit from the EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) the country's ailing industry has yet to be given the big boost that was expected. He tore apart Boris Johnson's fishing deal with Brussels, saying it fell short of the "sea of opportunities" the Prime Minister had pledged to trawlermen.
Mr Carmichael said fishermen, processors and exporters up and down the country are "suffering from structural problems created by the new barriers put up between them and their biggest markets" thanks to Mr Johnson's deal.
He claimed figures in the industry are "crying out for help, for change, and for meaningful action from the Government responsible" but are being met with "scant interest" from ministers.
Writing in The Scotsman, he said: "The year did not start in an auspicious manner, with seafood exporters rocked by new trade barriers erected with just days' notice, leading to enormous losses in trade in the early weeks of January and the frankly humiliating situation of fishermen taking their catch all the way to Denmark to avoid the chaos our Government created.
"When I called an urgent debate on the growing disaster at the time, ministers dismissed them as 'teething problems'.
"What we have seen since has put the lie to that claim."
Mr Carmichael also took aim at the Prime Minister's post-Brexit immigration system, which he claimed was having a knock-on effect on the fishing sector.
He said he had received letters from skippers on the Scottish isles who simply cannot acquire enough staff to man their boats.
Many fishermen relied on foreign labour to keep their vessels running before Brexit.
But the UK's new immigration rules mean employers in multiple sectors are struggling to fill roles.
Last month a Guardian columnist warned that Hull's fishing industry is on the brink of becoming extinct.
Claire Armistead said Brexit was supposed to reinvigorate the industry but instead could be the final straw for the port city's maritime trade.
She said: "For the fishing community of Humberside, on the austerity-battered north-east coast of England, it is as if a slow-motion car crash has suddenly been fast-forwarded."
She pointed to the Kirkella, a British super trawler based in Hull which has been caught up in post-Brexit fishing arrangements.
The vessel which previously caught 10 percent of cod and haddock sold in UK chip shops is grounded due to failed post-Brexit negotiations with Norway.
Ms Armistead said such woes blighting the industry are "an embarrassment for Brexiteers, who wielded fishing as a key weapon in the campaign to quit the EU".
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/brexit/brexit-fury-as-fishermen-list-litany-of-frustrations-with-eu-deal/ar-AAM5RGv?ocid=msedgntp
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/brexit-ultimatum-as-eu-poised-to-slam-door-shut-on-uk-financial-services/ar-AAM8hSG?ocid=msedgntp
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/tory-mps-who-hyped-brexit-fishing-benefits-have-abandoned-us-fishermen-say/ar-AAM8Vmz?ocid=msedgntp
Devastating': Crops left to rot in England as Brexit begins to bite
https://www.euronews.com/2021/07/14/devastating-crops-left-to-rot-in-england-as-brexit-begins-to-bite?utm_source=yahoo&utm_campaign=feeds_news&utm_medium=referral
Brexit: David Frost admits it’s ‘too much trouble’ for firms to trade with Northern Ireland
David Frost says he understands why businesses are abandoning trade with Northern Ireland because his Brexit agreement has made it “too much trouble” to carry on.
The negotiator of the deal – which created a border in the Irish Sea – admitted he had not fully foreseen the “chilling effect” of the punishing new red tape, which has left smaller firms facing higher costs.
There are “companies in Great Britain who decide that it’s all too much trouble, reasonably enough – can’t be bothered to engage with the process,” Lord Frost acknowledged.
“They are often SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises] and micro-businesses. Dealing with this is a significant call on their time and they decide it’s just not worth it,” he told a parliamentary inquiry.
“That’s why you are seeing some of the trade diversion and supply-chain issues to Northern Ireland that we’re seeing.”
The admission came ahead of Lord Frost unveiling a new “approach” to the Northern Ireland protocol next week, sparking fresh tensions with the EU.
The government insists that the recent three-month truce over the sale of chilled meats and availability of medicines has failed to solve the crisis caused by the protocol.
Brussels has been accused of “intransigence” in the ongoing talks and of a “lack of understanding of the sensitivities in Northern Ireland”.
Questioned by a Lords committee, Lord Frost refused to set out what his new approach might entail – beyond the aim to make goods “flow as freely as possibly between Great Britain and Northern Ireland”.
The Brexit minister also:
* Claimed that increased cross-border trade between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is “a problem” he wanted to discourage.
* Revealed he expected £500m to be spent on trader support services, saying: “That is the cost of the protocol.”
* Rejected the EU’s insistence that there is no alternative to the protocol, pointing to a future consent vote at Stormont, and asking: “Then what is that vote about?”
* Argued it would be “inconceivable” to press ahead with protocol-style arrangements after a no vote, warning: “The politics would be quite significant at that point.”
The comments came as the fishing industry accused Tory MPs who had hyped the potential gains from Brexit of going “very quiet” as those benefits failed to materialise.
The National Federation of Fisherman’s Organisations protested that nothing was now heard from even the “most vociferous supporters” on the Conservative benches.
Peter Hain, the Labour former Northern Ireland secretary, warned that Lord Frost had lost the trust of unionists, nationalists, the EU and the Dublin government, saying sarcastically: “That’s a pretty successful negotiation, isn’t it?”
The EU accuses the UK of failing to abide by the protocol – by introducing checks at Northern Irish ports and by supplying data on cross-sea trade – but London blames an over-zealous implementation
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/brexit-david-frost-admits-it-s-too-much-trouble-for-firms-to-trade-with-northern-ireland/ar-AAM9HJK?ocid=msedgntp
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/brexit-live-erg-poised-to-expose-eu-s-failings-in-fightback-against-legal-action/ar-AAMb1Jt?ocid=msedgntp
Under newer rules, UK citizens who have moved to the EU since December 31, 2020 will not be able to get NHS healthcare when they come back to the UK on visits.
Now the UK is out of the European Union, there is no NHS cover in the UK and no ability to get coverage.
This is due to the NHS having a residence-based qualification system.
The Government website even states: "Those who are not ordinarily resident in the UK, including former UK residents, are overseas visitors and may be charged for NHS services."
The Government website goes on to explain that UK national who moved to the EU on or after January 1, 2021 should not expect to use NHS services for free when visiting the UK.
Any treatment that a person may have to pay for will be charged at 150 percent of the national NHS rate.
Mr Porter highlighted charges will also apply to Britons living in an EU country before 2021 who will be eligible for a British state pension in future.
The Government advises visitors to the UK to take out the necessary healthcare coverage via insurance which can cover their needs.
This is particularly important, it states, for those who have pre-existing healthcare conditions.
Jason Porter, director of specialist expats financial advisers, Blevin Franks, commented on the matter.
He said: "Treatment on a return to the UK was specifically exempted when the UK was a member of the EU.
"But now, for new arrivals there is no NHS coverage and no ability to get coverage without paying for it.
"It will therefore be necessary to buy travel insurance which includes health cover for visits back to the UK."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/state-pension-warning-as-brexit-means-some-britons-face-nhs-charges/ar-AAMdrxS?ocid=msedgntp
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/brexit-news-live-kent-roadblocks-in-place-for-holiday-traffic-as-stores-warn-of-ni-protocol-price-hikes/ar-AAMj6Ry?ocid=msedgntp