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Brexit: the UK has left the European Union

Prevent thousands from being murdered by terrorists, the IRA. This is a fact.

Anyone can see the UK government will negotiate with terrorists; thus protecting civilians when the borders are shared. Yet, when the borders are not shared, the UK government is happy to wage an illegal war, killing millions of innocent, under the guise of 'war on terror'.

Where and what is this iota of hunamity you speak of?

Not just by the IRA. Bear in mind the Loyalists paramilitaries too, and atrocities perpetrated by the British Army such as Bloody Sunday. The ROI gave up its historic claim on the Six Counties. All sides forgave each other for those lost decades, centuries even, of hate and violence.

You have to go and see Belfast to understand how fragile the peace is and how easily it can be lost.

Sadly the Brexit ultras in government appear willing to break this peace treaty between two national governments and all paramilitaries in order to keep their ideological Brexit.
 
Not just by the IRA. Bear in mind the Loyalists paramilitaries too, and atrocities perpetrated by the British Army such as Bloody Sunday. The ROI gave up its historic claim on the Six Counties. All sides forgave each other for those lost decades, centuries even, of hate and violence.

You have to go and see Belfast to understand how fragile the peace is and how easily it can be lost.

Sadly the Brexit ultras in government appear willing to break this peace treaty between two national governments and all paramilitaries in order to keep their ideological Brexit.

Seems like you are trying to justify terrorism.
 
Seems like you are trying to justify terrorism.

That depends on your definition of terrorism. The conflict in Northern Ireland was/is a deeply complex matter. The IRA murdered a great number of civilians, as well as targeting British soldiers and politicians for assassination; and there were also numerous atrocities committed by the British Army against the backdrop of a particular UK government policy platform — many innocent people died because of this too.
 
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That depends on your definition of terrorism. The conflict in Northern Ireland was/is a deeply complex matter. The IRA murdered a great number of civilians, as well as targeting British soldiers and politicians for assassination; and there were also numerous atrocities committed by the British Army against the backdrop of a particular UK government policy platform — many innocent people died because of this too.

And the Loyalist paramilitaries too. The UVF alone murdered 500+ Catholics, often at random. The UDA/UFF 400 more.

We can’t go back to that horror, we just can’t. If the ECJ having theoretical authority over the flow of goods from the Six Counties to the Republic is the price for peace, that’s worth paying.

One thing though. This will accelerate the breakup of the Union. The Scots will see Ulster enjoying the Single Market, and will want the same. And if violence restarts, the clamour for a border poll will grow, and Ireland will reunify.
 
That depends on your definition of terrorism. The conflict in Northern Ireland was/is a deeply complex matter. The IRA murdered a great number of civilians, as well as targeting British soldiers and politicians for assassination; and there were also numerous atrocities committed by the British Army against the backdrop of a particular UK government policy platform — many innocent people died because of this too.

Terrorism is violence to effect political gain.

Or does this definition only apply to black/brown Muslims?

IRA were terrorists. Plain and simple.
 
One last time

I’d imagine that they would have thought a Remain win would hurt them as the EU would be a stronger bloc. I am sure Brexit suits them fine.

Don’t know what they would have thought of a Clinton win.

These things didn’t happen so it’s all conjecture as to how another bloc would have reacted to hypothetical outcomes among competitors.
 
I’d imagine that they would have thought a Remain win would hurt them as the EU would be a stronger bloc. I am sure Brexit suits them fine.

Don’t know what they would have thought of a Clinton win.

These things didn’t happen so it’s all conjecture as to how another bloc would have reacted to hypothetical outcomes among competitors.

In other words, had Clinton and Remain won, then democracy and social media would not be blamed.

Lets save the conjecture excuse, the reality is if the results suited then establishment then the liberals wouldn’t be complaining. You know this, I know this, and every man and his dog knows this.
 
In other words, had Clinton and Remain won, then democracy and social media would not be blamed.

Lets save the conjecture excuse, the reality is if the results suited then establishment then the liberals wouldn’t be complaining. You know this, I know this, and every man and his dog knows this.

We are talking about the PRC not “the liberals”. I don’t know what the PRC would think of those potential outcomes. Probably that democracy might get something right on occasion, but that the people cannot be trusted to make the right decision so they should be taken out of the equation.
 
Terrorism is violence to effect political gain.

Or does this definition only apply to black/brown Muslims?

IRA were terrorists. Plain and simple.

I didn’t say that the IRA weren’t terrorists. Just that the conflict in Ulster is/was a deeply complex one. When an economically deprived, geographically isolated and militarily poor island state has its northern territory annexed by a hostile foreign power, the consequences can never be strictly expressed in black and white terms.
 
I didn’t say that the IRA weren’t terrorists. Just that the conflict in Ulster is/was a deeply complex one. When an economically deprived, geographically isolated and militarily poor island state has its northern territory annexed by a hostile foreign power, the consequences can never be strictly expressed in black and white terms.

And when terror groups have associated political parties with MPs, then you have faces to start to negotiate with.

The GFA was a stroke of genius, the best thing to happen in the UK in my lifetime. Peace, after decades of violence. If two utter enemies as Reverend Paisley and Martin McGuinness can come together and have a drink and share a joke, that gives me hope for the rest of humanity.

And then we put that peace at risk with Brexit.
 
A British cheese maker says his firm has lost £270K due to Brexit and other deals n the first year since we left the EU.

https://www.theguardian.com/busines..._eEf_CYstlhEDJcE0hdGjIIiadoR9aZ9-VRS7qs11UVTM

Even export to Canada has stopped, as a £30 order now as a requires £178 fees when the courier turns up to the customer’s front door. Of course, the customer refuses to pay and the courier takes the delivery back.
 
Meanwhile, UK battery ‘gigafactory’ plans huge expansion as electric car demand soars.

The Chinese owner of the UK’s only large-scale battery factory has revealed plans for a big expansion that will put the plant in Sunderland among the biggest electric vehicle facilities in Europe.

https://www.theguardian.com/busines...ctory-electric-car-sunderland-envision-nissan

Brexit is proving to be a resounding success for manufacturing!
 
A British cheese maker says his firm has lost £270K due to Brexit and other deals n the first year since we left the EU.

https://www.theguardian.com/busines..._eEf_CYstlhEDJcE0hdGjIIiadoR9aZ9-VRS7qs11UVTM

Even export to Canada has stopped, as a £30 order now as a requires £178 fees when the courier turns up to the customer’s front door. Of course, the customer refuses to pay and the courier takes the delivery back.

More businesses went bust due to COVID-19. £270K is a drop in the ocean.
 
More businesses went bust due to COVID-19. £270K is a drop in the ocean.

Not for that cheesemaker.

The car industry seems to be holding up ok as it was included in the thin deal with the EU.

But the SMEs are getting killed and full customs checks begin in four days. In rural communities the fishermen and farmers are going out of business because they cannot sell their produce or indeed find labour to bring in the harvest. That big trawler from Hull that landed 10% of Britain’s catch by itself went out just once in 2020, and is being sold to the Norwegians.
 
Not for that cheesemaker.

The car industry seems to be holding up ok as it was included in the thin deal with the EU.

But the SMEs are getting killed and full customs checks begin in four days. In rural communities the fishermen and farmers are going out of business because they cannot sell their produce or indeed find labour to bring in the harvest. That big trawler from Hull that landed 10% of Britain’s catch by itself went out just once in 2020, and is being sold to the Norwegians.

So in all the Brexit project fear predicted the best the Guardian could come up with is a Cheesemaker and her struggles to export to Canada? What the Guardian fails to explain is that same Cheesemaker exports to USA which requires more customs paperwork than Canada. So what if full customs check start in 4 days? These checks aren't new, and have been in existence all along - it's just now the checks include additional countries.

The cheesemaker losing 250K is pittance compared to the Travel, Hospitality, and Retail sector that have been decimated in the Billions, resulted in 100000s job loses, not to mention businesses going bust. Not due to Brexit, but Covid. Why do you ignore this fact?

Maybe the Cheesmaker wasn't so upset when the business was supported by furlough and covid loans. Which have come to an end.

As for the trawler going out once in 2020 - The world was in lockdown during 2020. Again down to Covid.

Honestly, Remainers need to come up with better evidence of Brexit project fear than a cheesemaker and pay attention to the ramifications of Covid which will last for a few more years.
 
From independent.ie

“UK food supplies face further disruption this year due to a "medieval" government IT system that is still not yet ready to process post-Brexit paperwork, The Independent has learned.

Companies importing food from the EU must comply with reams of additional red tape since Saturday but, over the weekend, it was still not possible for some traders to submit vital details of their cargo because government software is plagued by technical bugs.

Problems primarily affected shipments of fruit, vegetables and plants, with importers also experiencing difficulty logging details of animal products.

The government said it was aware of the issue but had not yet established a workaround, meaning that tens of thousands of importers cannot be sure that they are able to submit required forms for food imports.

It comes at the worst time for the UK, which imports half of all of its food during the winter months, mostly from the EU. The country is particularly dependent on EU imports of fresh fruit and vegetables, with around 90pc of lettuces and 85pc of tomatoes shipped in from across the Channel.

Food importers are also frustrated that, from 1 January, they will be forced to manually input data for each shipment because software to automatically upload information won't be ready for months.

"It is like we have gone back to medieval times and we are copying books by hand instead of using a printing press," said Michael Szydlo, founder of Quick Declare, a company that helps dozens of businesses import and export goods.

Business groups have warned that the latest wave of Brexit-related paperwork will cause more disruption at the UK border resulting in less choice and higher prices for British shoppers, as well as more gaps on retailers' shelves.

That would heap further misery on UK households already facing a cost-of-living crisis next year due to soaring bills, stagnant wages and tax hikes.

From 1 January 2022, importers must comply with a host of new requirements including full customs declarations, rules of origin forms and notifications for food imports.

Shipments of plant and animal products will require online forms detailing every type of item as well as its source and destination.

The problems are expected to primarily affect smaller businesses which do not have the expertise or resources to cope.

Just one in four small and medium-sized businesses are ready for the 1 January changes, according to a poll by the Federation of Small Businesses.

“It is absolutely vital that all government systems – including IPAFFS – are working at 100 per cent efficiency in order to avoid supply chain disruption,” said James Sibley, head of international affairs at the group.

The Food and Drink Federation forecasts that imports to the UK will fall sharply in January as businesses assess the situation, as they did in 2021. Problems will be exacerbated this time around by global supply chain disruption that has "severely limited capacity to stockpile" goods, the FDF said.

The federation warned in a recent briefing note it was “inevitable” businesses will experience issues at the border and that “in some cases, this could result in significant barriers to trade that risk blocking delivered from EU suppliers altogether, at least temporarily”.

“For just-in-time supply chains, this presents a real risk which could disrupt the operation of UK supply chains where a critically important ingredient is delayed or fails to arrive. Such delays could also lead to other ingredients already at factories being unusable.”
 
From independent.ie

“UK food supplies face further disruption this year due to a "medieval" government IT system that is still not yet ready to process post-Brexit paperwork, The Independent has learned.

Companies importing food from the EU must comply with reams of additional red tape since Saturday but, over the weekend, it was still not possible for some traders to submit vital details of their cargo because government software is plagued by technical bugs.

Problems primarily affected shipments of fruit, vegetables and plants, with importers also experiencing difficulty logging details of animal products.

The government said it was aware of the issue but had not yet established a workaround, meaning that tens of thousands of importers cannot be sure that they are able to submit required forms for food imports.

It comes at the worst time for the UK, which imports half of all of its food during the winter months, mostly from the EU. The country is particularly dependent on EU imports of fresh fruit and vegetables, with around 90pc of lettuces and 85pc of tomatoes shipped in from across the Channel.

Food importers are also frustrated that, from 1 January, they will be forced to manually input data for each shipment because software to automatically upload information won't be ready for months.

"It is like we have gone back to medieval times and we are copying books by hand instead of using a printing press," said Michael Szydlo, founder of Quick Declare, a company that helps dozens of businesses import and export goods.

Business groups have warned that the latest wave of Brexit-related paperwork will cause more disruption at the UK border resulting in less choice and higher prices for British shoppers, as well as more gaps on retailers' shelves.

That would heap further misery on UK households already facing a cost-of-living crisis next year due to soaring bills, stagnant wages and tax hikes.

From 1 January 2022, importers must comply with a host of new requirements including full customs declarations, rules of origin forms and notifications for food imports.

Shipments of plant and animal products will require online forms detailing every type of item as well as its source and destination.

The problems are expected to primarily affect smaller businesses which do not have the expertise or resources to cope.

Just one in four small and medium-sized businesses are ready for the 1 January changes, according to a poll by the Federation of Small Businesses.

“It is absolutely vital that all government systems – including IPAFFS – are working at 100 per cent efficiency in order to avoid supply chain disruption,” said James Sibley, head of international affairs at the group.

The Food and Drink Federation forecasts that imports to the UK will fall sharply in January as businesses assess the situation, as they did in 2021. Problems will be exacerbated this time around by global supply chain disruption that has "severely limited capacity to stockpile" goods, the FDF said.

The federation warned in a recent briefing note it was “inevitable” businesses will experience issues at the border and that “in some cases, this could result in significant barriers to trade that risk blocking delivered from EU suppliers altogether, at least temporarily”.

“For just-in-time supply chains, this presents a real risk which could disrupt the operation of UK supply chains where a critically important ingredient is delayed or fails to arrive. Such delays could also lead to other ingredients already at factories being unusable.”

Now this is something I agree with. Government IT systems have a track record of bugs. From NHS to Airports. Mainly even pre Brexit.

Government needs to invest more in IT.
 
Now this is something I agree with. Government IT systems have a track record of bugs. From NHS to Airports. Mainly even pre Brexit.

Government needs to invest more in IT.

They are terrible! And so user unfriendly. Even trying to pay tax on line can be a nightmare. I have rung up and their tech support cannot help.

Rotterdam had all this software, procedure, customs staff and port infrastructure sorted out two years ago while the government which left the EU is playing catch-up, and all the while British SMEs are going bust.

The EU would give us the same status as NI has tomorrow - it would help their member states export to us too - and it would sort out so many problems.
 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-59927034

<b>Liz Truss 'willing' to override Northern Ireland-part of Brexit deal.</b>

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss says she will not accept a deal which means goods from Britain being checked as they enter Northern Ireland.

Ms Truss, now the UK's lead negotiator with the EU in post-Brexit talks, was writing in the Sunday Telegraph.

In 2019 the prime minister agreed a deal, known as the protocol, which means some goods are checked from Great Britain.

For the last six months the UK has been attempting to renegotiate that deal.

Next week Ms Truss is due to hold two days of talks with her European Union counterpart Maros Sefcovic.

"I will not sign up to anything which sees the people of Northern Ireland unable to benefit from the same decisions on taxation and spending as the rest of the UK, or which still sees goods moving within our own country being subject to checks," she said.

In July, the UK proposed an arrangement in which goods from Great Britain which are due to stay in Northern Ireland would not be checked and would have minimal paperwork.

Goods which are due to move onwards to the Republic of Ireland would be checked at Northern Ireland's ports.

The EU published its own proposals in October which it said would significantly reduce, but not eliminate, checks on goods.

It has previously said that the easiest way to reduce checks would be for the UK to sign up to a Swiss-style agrifood agreement.

That would involve all of the UK following the relevant EU rules, something the government says it could not accept.

Ms Truss says that when she meets Mr Sefcovic, the EU's lead post-Brexit negotiator, she will be "putting forward our constructive proposals to resolve the situation".

It is not yet clear if these differ from the July proposals.

She has also repeated the UK's willingness to use the Article 16 mechanism of the protocol.

Article 16 sets out the process for taking unilateral "safeguard" measures if either the EU or UK concludes that the deal is leading to serious practical problems or causing diversion of trade.

Those safeguards would amount to suspending parts of the deal.

Ms Truss said: "I want a negotiated solution but if we have to use legitimate provisions including Article 16, I am willing to do that.

"This safeguard clause was explicitly designed - and agreed to by all sides - to ease acute problems because of the sensitivity of the issues at play.”

The EU has said it does not believe the use of Article 16 is justified and that its deployment could lead to the collapse of the wider Brexit deal, the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Next week Ms Truss is also due to meet Northern Ireland's political and business leaders.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has said his meeting with Ms Truss would have a "major bearing" on his next steps.

He has demanded a deadline be set for an end to the protocol negotiations with Brussels.

Sir Jeffrey has warned the party could quit the Stormont executive if there was no change to the protocol.

— — —
 
This is horrible [MENTION=1842]James[/MENTION]. If NI returns to violence, this government will be to blame for sabotaging the Peace Process.

If we just apply to re-enter the Single Market - a deal which the EU offered - this can be avoided.
 
This is horrible [MENTION=1842]James[/MENTION]. If NI returns to violence, this government will be to blame for sabotaging the Peace Process.

If we just apply to re-enter the Single Market - a deal which the EU offered - this can be avoided.

Seems quite straightforward to me, just join the Single Market like Norway and stay out of everything else (CU, ECJ, Fisheries, €, etc). Still delivers an ongoing Brexit but in a sensible and pragmatic way. Norway is consistently the highest ranked country in the world by the UN for human development, so they must be doing something right and obviously don’t need the EU to do it.
 
Seems quite straightforward to me, just join the Single Market like Norway and stay out of everything else (CU, ECJ, Fisheries, €, etc). Still delivers an ongoing Brexit but in a sensible and pragmatic way. Norway is consistently the highest ranked country in the world by the UN for human development, so they must be doing something right and obviously don’t need the EU to do it.

They have certain advantages. They put their North Sea oil and gas revenue into a national annuity fund which has raised their living standards. They have pretty much unlimited HEP off their fjords too and are already carbon-neutral. So they are highly energy-rich.

They are also in EFTA like we used to be, so have not chosen to go it completely alone like us.

They were offered the chance to become full EU members but chose to become rule takers rather than rule makers. I don’t know why, as they are in Schengen too. Their call.
 
What a farce and debacle. What kind of a peace process relies on the transfer of good across borders.

IRA got their peace, terrorists granted immunity from prosecution but now we are lead to believe a pint of milk that must go through custom checks could result in violence?

Bore off.
 
What a farce and debacle. What kind of a peace process relies on the transfer of good across borders.

IRA got their peace, terrorists granted immunity from prosecution but now we are lead to believe a pint of milk that must go through custom checks could result in violence?

Bore off.

It’s actually the Loyalists kicking off. Right now, thousands of them are ready to join the paramilitaries, because they feel that they are being separated from Britain.

The GFA is a brilliant solution to 400 years of strife. Because if there is no visible customs border between the six counties and the twenty-six, the Republicans can continue into comfortable illusion that the island of Ireland is united, while the Loyalists know they are still part of the UK.

If there is a hard border on the island, the checkpoints will be bombed and the guards shot at. So the only alternative is to move the border to the ports.

Brexit has destabilised the precious 24-year peace. But by joining the SM, we can uphold it.
 
It’s actually the Loyalists kicking off. Right now, thousands of them are ready to join the paramilitaries, because they feel that they are being separated from Britain.

The GFA is a brilliant solution to 400 years of strife. Because if there is no visible customs border between the six counties and the twenty-six, the Republicans can continue into comfortable illusion that the island of Ireland is united, while the Loyalists know they are still part of the UK.

If there is a hard border on the island, the checkpoints will be bombed and the guards shot at. So the only alternative is to move the border to the ports.

Brexit has destabilised the precious 24-year peace. But by joining the SM, we can uphold it.

So on one hand they feel they are being separated but on the other hand the single market will only continue the illusion there is unity in Ireland.

Terrorists are terrorists, no negotiations. If these terrorists can call peace based on an illusion then surely they can call peace based on reality.

Democracy trumps the threats of terrorism.
 
So on one hand they feel they are being separated but on the other hand the single market will only continue the illusion there is unity in Ireland.

Terrorists are terrorists, no negotiations. If these terrorists can call peace based on an illusion then surely they can call peace based on reality.

Democracy trumps the threats of terrorism.

Not just an illusion of being a united Ireland, but the reality of a seat at the table in Stormont.

The Loyalists feel they are being separated from the UK by the NI Protocol. If the protocol were to be extended around the whole of the UK, this angry feeling will subside. It’s the only way I can think of to preserve the peace.
 
Not just an illusion of being a united Ireland, but the reality of a seat at the table in Stormont.

The Loyalists feel they are being separated from the UK by the NI Protocol. If the protocol were to be extended around the whole of the UK, this angry feeling will subside. It’s the only way I can think of to preserve the peace.

So we barter democracy for the paltry excuse of anger in a bid for peace? Wow. If we could follow this logic outside the UK, then who knows where we’d be.

Facts do not care about feelings.
 
So we barter democracy for the paltry excuse of anger in a bid for peace? Wow. If we could follow this logic outside the UK, then who knows where we’d be.

Facts do not care about feelings.

This is a subject close my heart which I feel strongly about due to family history and tribe. So with respect, I will not respond to you further on this subject.
 
This is a subject close my heart which I feel strongly about due to family history and tribe. So with respect, I will not respond to you further on this subject.

Fair enough, though I now expect you to understand how Islamists are not terrorists because for many Muslims, just like you, the subject is close to family history and tribe.

One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.

:)
 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-60236169

<b>NI Protocol: Irish Sea border checks ordered to end at midnight</b>

DUP minister Edwin Poots has ordered his officials to halt Irish Sea border checks from midnight.

He had been threatening to act, as part of the DUP's ongoing opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Mr Poots said he had taken legal advice which meant he could direct the checks to stop in the absence of executive approval for them.

The protocol was agreed by the UK and EU to ensure free movement of trade across the Irish border after Brexit.

But unionist politicians have been critical of the arrangements, saying they are damaging Northern Ireland's place in the UK.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said the move, if officials do follow the minister's direction, would be a "breach of international law".

Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill, of Sinn Féin, accused the DUP of a "stunt", adding it was an attempt by the party to "unlawfully interfere with domestic and international law".

Under the Northern Ireland Protocol, checks on goods from Great Britain must take place at Northern Ireland's ports to make sure they comply with EU laws.

But Mr Poots believes the checks are unlawful and cannot continue without approval from the Stormont Executive.

Last week, his bid to force an executive rethink on the issue was blocked by Sinn Féin.

Mr Poots had sought executive support for the checks continuing, ahead of a legal challenge by loyalist blogger Jamie Bryson.

He argued the challenge made clear that checks must be approved by all ministers as they are controversial and cut across various departments.

He said legal advice he had received on Wednesday confirmed that the implementation of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) checks required approval from the Stormont Executive.

Mr Poots said that meant he was able to direct the checks to cease, and he had issued a formal instruction to his department's permanent secretary to halt all checks not in place on 31 December 2020 as of midnight tonight.

The body which represents manufacturing businesses in Northern Ireland, Manufacturing NI, responded to the decision by saying it was advising its members to continue to enact the measures that they had been.

Business leaders have previously told politicians that trading issues needed to be resolved as "a matter of priority".

BBC News NI has contacted the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the UK's Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs for a response.

The minister added that he would prepare a further paper for the executive seeking approval for the measures in due course.

Sinn Féin maintains that Stormont has a legal obligation to enforce the checks, and that the executive agreed in May 2020 to designate Mr Poots' department to perform the controls.

A UK government source said the UK government had been clear that "there are issues with the protocol that threaten political stability and peace in Northern Ireland".

"That's why we're in intensive talks with the EU to fix these issues," the source said. "Both sides have a responsibility to resolve this."
Mr Coveney said the protocol was part of an international treaty.

"So, to deliberately frustrate obligations under that treaty, I think, would be a very serious matter indeed," he said.

Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill tweeted that the DUP were "fixated on their own priorities, which are clearly at odds with where the wider community is at".

The Alliance Party's John Blair said it was "not a time for causing further disruption".

"The minister knows the solutions won't be found in the assembly or the department - it's a matter for the joint UK-EU committee," he said.

He added that the Alliance Party would consider "very carefully" how the matter progresses in the coming days before deciding whether the decision should be challenged in court.

Matthew O'Toole, the SDLP's Brexit spokesperson said the order given by Edwin Poots to civil servants was "outrageous" and that the general public was more concerned with other matters.

"The pretence that this is the biggest issue facing political leaders is a scandalous lie," he said.

"It will not command the support of the Assembly or the Executive and it will be challenged."

The move was welcomed by Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister, who said the protocol implementation was "never compatible" with Northern Ireland's position within the UK.

"The fundamental question though remains, why did it take a year to do this - a year which included excuses and justifications for the very checks Minister Poots now abandons," he said.
 
Very alarming [MENTION=1842]James[/MENTION]. I can only hope that the customs officials rebel against this irresponsible instruction.
 
Very alarming [MENTION=1842]James[/MENTION]. I can only hope that the customs officials rebel against this irresponsible instruction.

Extremely odd that a decision of this magnitude has been taken unilaterally by a mid-level minister in an already fragile power-sharing administration.

Edwin Poots is not even a significant figure himself and he has been an unpopular figure within his own party as well as a proven shirker of responsibility (he did not want to be First Minister), and a failure in the wider context of NI politics as a whole. Poots cannot even get a request signed off by the senior DUP membership to swap his constituency, and yet he thinks that his will alone can override an international treaty agreement and legal document signed by the UK and the EU.

It is a move that is just truly bizarre beyond belief and will surely be overturned in super quick order.
 
The Brexodus continues as Nestlé moves 495 jobs out of the North East to Poland and Czech Republic.

https://northeastbylines.co.uk/brex...xUycprs_6nCisxiuY5dsKMEeLAP0tL2h1UedH8P_FMaoI

Simply not true at all!

Here's why the factory is shutting down:

'A spokeswoman said the majority of production currently in the North East would move to Halifax, West Yorkshire.'

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-60234941

You might want to change your news sources to more reliable and balanced ones as the factory closure has nothing to do with Brexit.

Poland and C.Rep are mentioned due to particular confectionary that has always been manufactured in said countries.
 
The Brexodus continues as Nestlé moves 495 jobs out of the North East to Poland and Czech Republic.

https://northeastbylines.co.uk/brex...xUycprs_6nCisxiuY5dsKMEeLAP0tL2h1UedH8P_FMaoI

Yes this was on the cards.
They are moving some of their production to Halifax which won't mean more jobs there.
The main products produced in Newcastle will now be made in Poland and Czech Republic.
Bad news for the 400 odd employees and their families and local business at the Newcastle factory
 
I wonder how many of these jobs are good jobs with futures and decent terms and conditions.

I wonder how many are short term roles or zero hours contracts.

Brexit allows the corporations to deregulate in terms of worker security, safety, pensions. They have not had time to do that yet but it’s in the pipe.

These are the same jobs available to EU citizens had UK voted to Remain.

The point is job availability is a sign of opportunity, and post Brexit, the UK has more opportunities for workers than the unfortunate unemployed in the EU.

Sooner or later these jobs will be filled by UK citizens, meaning more money in the pocket of UK workers, and EU/non- EU workers (providing they have a working VISA).
 
Croatia has adopted the Euro while joining Shengen agreement with a view to joining the EU.

For such a massive story, there's been a distinct lack of coverage in the news

Croatia is embarking on a historic year as it joins the border-free Schengen zone and ditches its own currency, the kuna, adopting the euro.

The country committed to joining the eurozone when it became the EU's newest member in 2013.

Nationalist parties wanted to keep the kuna, but were overruled by the constitutional court.

It is the twenty-seventh country in the Schengen area, which allows 400 million to move freely between countries.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the changes as "two immense achievements" for the youngest member state of the EU.

She said 1 January - when the changes officially happened - would be a day "for the history books".

Above all, this would be a moment of "joy and pride for the Croatian people", she said.

"It is testimony of your amazing journey, your hard work and your determination."

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Croatia's Prime Minister, Andrej Plenkovic, said on Sunday the country - a former Yugoslav republic that fought a war of independence in the 1990s - had "achieved its strategic, state and political goals" by the two historic changes.

He was speaking at a ceremony at the Bregana border crossing with neighbouring Slovenia, where passports will no longer be routinely checked.

Mr Plenkovic said that Schengen membership would "mean a lot for Croatia as a tourist country, which is to a large extent a destination where tourists travel by car".

He added that "the fact that we will also be in the eurozone gives another signal to all those visiting Croatia".

Croatia's entry into the Schengen zone is expected to boost its tourism industry, which accounts for 20% of its GDP and welcomes millions of visitors each year.

Previously long queues at border crossings with Hungary and Slovenia should become a thing of the past.

The use of the euro is already widespread in the country, with key assets such as homes valued in the currency and a large percentage of bank deposits also denominated in euros.

Experts say moving to the European currency should help shield Croatia's economy at a time of inflation across the globe.

The euro was launched on 1 January 1999 as an electronic currency and became legal tender for about 300 million people in 12 member states on 1 January 2002. With the addition of Croatia, there are now 20 countries in the eurozone.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64144309
 
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has outlined details of the "new Windsor Framework" agreed with the European Union to overcome trade barriers in Northern Ireland following Brexit.

The prime minister said the agreement was a "historic" and a "decisive breakthrough" that "delivers smooth-flowing trade within the whole of the United Kingdom, protects Northern Ireland's place in our union and safeguards sovereignty for the people of Northern Ireland".

The new deal includes:

Green and red lane trade routes - where goods staying in the UK will use a green lane to avoid customs bureaucracy, while goods moving to the EU will use a red lane
UK VAT and excise changes will apply in Northern Ireland - British products such as food and drink, trees, plants and seed potatoes will be available in Northern Ireland and pet travel requirements have been removed
A "landmark" settlement on medicines so drugs approved for use by the UK's medicines regulator will be automatically available in every pharmacy and hospital in Northern Ireland
A new "Stormont brake" - to safeguard sovereignty in Northern Ireland. Stormont can stop changes in EU goods laws from applying in Northern Ireland. If the brake is pulled, the UK government will have a veto that will apply permanently

SKY
 
Funny vid doing the rounds, it seems Mr Sunak is not aware of the irony here:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">'Northern Ireland is in the unbelievably special position - unique position in the entire world - in having privileged access not just to the UK market… but also the EU single market'<br><br>'Nobody else has that. No one. Only you guys, only here’<br><br>Rishi Sunak hails his Brexit deal <a href="https://t.co/StDkAV57qm">pic.twitter.com/StDkAV57qm</a></p>— ITV News Politics (@ITVNewsPolitics) <a href="https://twitter.com/ITVNewsPolitics/status/1630517445369688065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Unrelated but he must have chugged a monster energy before this speech :)))
 
Funny vid doing the rounds, it seems Mr Sunak is not aware of the irony here:

Unrelated but he must have chugged a monster energy before this speech :)))

Very animated. Guess it is good to have a success for once.
 
Very animated. Guess it is good to have a success for once.

Lol..true. so correct me if I'm wrong. Does this now mean that if you want to do business with the EU best to move your head office to belfast? Has this not made unification more likely?
 
Lol..true. so correct me if I'm wrong. Does this now mean that if you want to do business with the EU best to move your head office to belfast? Has this not made unification more likely?

1. Yes. It will be a huge boost for NI’s economy.

2. Best ask @Donal_Cozzie that. He has pointed out obstacles:

2a. Ireland has no NHS and the people will want to see universal FAPOS health care like the Northerners currently enjoy.

2b. NI has a very large civil service and I don’t know how Dublin could accommodate that wage bill easily.

2c. I simply cannot imagine the tricolour flying over Belfast Town Hall. There could be a loyalist intifada. Maybe if Stormont has massive devolved powers and could set its own rules for the Six Counties, it might work. But I think another generation would have to pass on before the border poll says Unify.
 
Amazing how Europhiles are now supporting a tax doging corrupt Tory PM.

No honour among thieves.
 
Amazing how Europhiles are now supporting a tax doging corrupt Tory PM.

No honour among thieves.

I am a Europhile, and my concern is that Rishi will use his Hindutva sympathies to try and replace our Euro partners with deals with India. I think it would turn rank and file Brits against not just the govt, but against the Indian community here if they see more of them making their way over here to take jobs that Europeans were previously doing quite efficiently. Brexiteers voted to leave because they wanted less immigration, not a straight swap for Indian immigrants over European.
 
I am a Europhile, and my concern is that Rishi will use his Hindutva sympathies to try and replace our Euro partners with deals with India. I think it would turn rank and file Brits against not just the govt, but against the Indian community here if they see more of them making their way over here to take jobs that Europeans were previously doing quite efficiently. Brexiteers voted to leave because they wanted less immigration, not a straight swap for Indian immigrants over European.

And this is the trap for the Brexiteers - they unleashed nationalist / xenophobic /racist sentiments, and Europeans felt unwelcome and left so now the NHS doesn't work. So the Gov has to bring in other immigrants, but these ones aren't white Europeans so their base will get even angrier.
 
I am a Europhile, and my concern is that Rishi will use his Hindutva sympathies to try and replace our Euro partners with deals with India. I think it would turn rank and file Brits against not just the govt, but against the Indian community here if they see more of them making their way over here to take jobs that Europeans were previously doing quite efficiently. Brexiteers voted to leave because they wanted less immigration, not a straight swap for Indian immigrants over European.

You know this is not true, it was all about control.

I wouldn't worry too much anyway, Sunak will not be PM come next GE, and even if he was, the legal cap on Non-EU immigration will not increase, so there is no straight swap for Indian immigrants over Europeans, including Ukrainians.

This is precisely why May, Boris, and Sunak cannot lift the cap on Indian immigration - what they can do however is make it easier to immigrate to the UK.

Most Europhiles are not aware of the immigration laws and are falling for the lefty sound bite remainer nonsense.
 
You know this is not true, it was all about control.

I wouldn't worry too much anyway, Sunak will not be PM come next GE, and even if he was, the legal cap on Non-EU immigration will not increase, so there is no straight swap for Indian immigrants over Europeans, including Ukrainians.

This is precisely why May, Boris, and Sunak cannot lift the cap on Indian immigration - what they can do however is make it easier to immigrate to the UK.

Most Europhiles are not aware of the immigration laws and are falling for the lefty sound bite remainer nonsense.

Try visiting Sunderland some time mate, the first town to celebrate the end of the EU. Ask Darren Bent if he'd fancy going back there to live for a spell.
 
Try visiting Sunderland some time mate, the first town to celebrate the end of the EU. Ask Darren Bent if he'd fancy going back there to live for a spell.

Sunderland was the first town to cheer for Brexit only because it was the first UK constituent to announce a result in the EU referendum. And yes, I have visited up North, job decimated, near zero manufacturing. How was Sunderland doing after the 2008 crash?

We have had this discussion before, AUSTERITY is the root cause, always has been and always will be. No one was crying Brexit up to 2008.

Remainers clearly support a discriminative immigration policy - Non-EU vs EU, whereas I support a uniform policy.

There is no reason why EU citizens should walk into the UK, steal jobs (just like Indian immigrants) just because they are from a continent that comprises of 99% white folk.

A fair and just immigration policy is what this country needs, not one that discriminated based on the colour of ones skin and ethnicity.
 
Sunderland was the first town to cheer for Brexit only because it was the first UK constituent to announce a result in the EU referendum. And yes, I have visited up North, job decimated, near zero manufacturing. How was Sunderland doing after the 2008 crash?

We have had this discussion before, AUSTERITY is the root cause, always has been and always will be. No one was crying Brexit up to 2008.

Remainers clearly support a discriminative immigration policy - Non-EU vs EU, whereas I support a uniform policy.

There is no reason why EU citizens should walk into the UK, steal jobs (just like Indian immigrants) just because they are from a continent that comprises of 99% white folk.

A fair and just immigration policy is what this country needs, not one that discriminated based on the colour of ones skin and ethnicity.

Immigration from the EU isn't based on skin colour, it's based on proximity. If I was basing my views on skin colour, I would be calling for more immigration from Australia or USA, but that doesn't make sense in my view. The advantage of the EU is freedom to travel within a relatively localised area, freedom to work in the same, and also freedom of trade. It just makes sense from a logistical purpose, just as the same would apply for USA and Canada, or Australia and East Asian countries.

No one is saying Asians or Africans can't come to the UK, but they should be able to find more advantage to movement within their own continents first and foremost. If they are going to make a difference here, and we have real need then by all means come on over. But not because Rishi is PM and he wants more Modi fans coming here to foment trouble.
 
Immigration from the EU isn't based on skin colour, it's based on proximity. If I was basing my views on skin colour, I would be calling for more immigration from Australia or USA, but that doesn't make sense in my view. The advantage of the EU is freedom to travel within a relatively localised area, freedom to work in the same, and also freedom of trade. It just makes sense from a logistical purpose, just as the same would apply for USA and Canada, or Australia and East Asian countries.

No one is saying Asians or Africans can't come to the UK, but they should be able to find more advantage to movement within their own continents first and foremost. If they are going to make a difference here, and we have real need then by all means come on over. But not because Rishi is PM and he wants more Modi fans coming here to foment trouble.

Already answered, don't worry about Rishi and increase in immigration from India, it is capped by law. Unlike the EU immigration, which had no limits.

EU immigration is discriminative, even if I grant you it was based on proximity. It is not, it was based on preservation of peace, from a continent renowned for war, from countries that tried to bomb the UK.

Would you accept unfettered immigration from non EU nations, such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the commonwealth, which bestowed riches on the UK? NO. Would you accept unfettered immigration from fascist European nations? YES. This is discrimination.

You have a choice (well not anymore) - capped Indian immigrants, or unlimited Ukranians.

Project fear died an ignominous death in 2016.
 
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Already answered, don't worry about Rishi and increase in immigration from India, it is capped by law. Unlike the EU immigration, which had no limits.

EU immigration is discriminative, even if I grant you it was based on proximity. It is not, it was based on preservation of peace, from a continent renowned for war, from countries that tried to bomb the UK.

Would you accept unfettered immigration from non EU nations, such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the commonwealth, which bestowed riches on the UK? NO. Would you accept unfettered immigration from fascist European nations? YES. This is discrimination.

You have a choice (well not anymore) - capped Indian immigrants, or unlimited Ukranians.

Project fear died an ignominous death in 2016.

Freedom of movement did give Britons the option of moving freely as well, be it Italy or Ukraine. Sometimes the biggest opportunities lie outside of the pond, especially in underdeveloped countries. Pretty sure that's how many made their fortunes in US, Australia, Canada etc.
 
Freedom of movement did give Britons the option of moving freely as well, be it Italy or Ukraine. Sometimes the biggest opportunities lie outside of the pond, especially in underdeveloped countries. Pretty sure that's how many made their fortunes in US, Australia, Canada etc.

You said it. The biggest opportunities are outside of the pond, not just in the EU.

Today, Britons do not have freedom of movement to the USA, Australia, Canada - Britons still have to apply for a visa to work, settle, and sometimes to even visit.
 
Britain’s ‘Brexit capital’ shows signs of disillusionment with Tories

Hope can be hard to find on the seafront in Skegness, where the flatlands of Lincolnshire shelve imperceptibly into the grey North Sea, and an economic pall and a sense of broken promises hang over the town.

In Britain’s “capital of Brexit”, the issue of migration continues to dominate, seven years after the town voted to “take back control” of the country’s borders. Meanwhile the impact of the cost of living crisis is everywhere.

Skegness and nearby Boston are the only places in Britain, according to one opinion poll, that still think Brexit is a good idea, but support has fallen sharply and a sense of disillusionment about politics in general is rife ahead of local elections on May 4.

“I voted for Boris Johnson because I wanted Brexit — but the Tories won’t get my vote any more,” said Chris Hughes, a retired lorry driver, over a coffee in the Indulgence café in Skegness high street.

Hughes wants a “clean sweep” at Westminster, but admitted he did not much like the alternative: Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. Indeed, along the Lincolnshire coast, the mood is not one of anger but of resignation. The common refrain about politicians is: “They are all the same.”

Labour strategists have identified the problem ahead of the local elections taking place across much of England next week. “One of the big obstacles is that voters have so little hope that they see no point in voting or switching,” said one ally of Starmer.

It is not hard to identify the symptoms of this malaise in an area struggling with rising living costs. In the Indulgence café, run by local independent councillor Danny Brookes, hot breakfasts are off the menu after energy bills soared from £1,500 a month to almost £4,000.

Brexit seemed to offer a route to a better future, but Brookes feels let down. “There was no oven-ready deal,” said the leader of the Skegness Urban District Society, a group of independent councillors that will next week seek to wrestle control of East Lindsey district council, which covers Skegness, from the Conservatives.

“What about the £350mn a week for the NHS? The NHS is struggling more than ever. I was massively in favour of Brexit, but the promises made weren’t delivered.”

Down the road in Boston, where a record 75.6 per cent of people voted to leave the EU in 2016, people still talk about the Tory-led council’s decision to save money by scrapping the town’s Christmas lights and erecting an eight foot plastic tree instead.

A poll for the UnHerd website in January found that people in Boston and Skegness constituency — the second safest Conservative seat in Britain at the 2019 general election — still marginally agreed by 41 to 37 per cent that Brexit was a good idea. But one local Tory said: “That’s only because Brexit support was so high in the first place — it’s falling off a cliff now.”

The owner of a Skegness shop selling seaside rock and “kiss me quick” hats, who declined to give her name, said: “I voted to come out but it’s a disappointment. I would vote to go back in.”

Few voters mention Brexit spontaneously on the doorstep, but the failure of the UK’s departure from the EU to transform the fortunes of the area and its public services feeds into an air of disillusionment.

The area’s high Brexit vote in 2016 was attributed to local disquiet about an influx of EU workers to help on the area’s prosperous arable farms, but now anxiety about one sort of migration has been replaced by another.

Four local hotels in prime locations on Skegness’s seafront have been turned into accommodation for asylum seekers, part of a £6mn-a-day government programme to disperse migrants across the country.

Sunak has pledged to end the expensive arrangements and wants to turn a former military air base in Lincolnshire called RAF Scampton — used for the famous Dambusters raid — into alternative accommodation, but about 200 asylum seekers are set to stay in Skegness for the foreseeable future.

Beverley Gowler, working in a sweet shop in Skegness’s Hildreds shopping centre, said: “It’s putting people off coming to the town. It’s taking up hotel rooms and there’s nowhere for people to stay.”

Sunak understands the political risks, with polling suggesting that migration is the third most important issue for voters, behind the economy and the NHS.

The prime minister this week pushed legislation through the House of Commons that is intended to tackle illegal migration — notably people trying to reach Britain by crossing the English Channel in small boats. Tory advertising for the local elections focuses heavily on Sunak’s promise to “stop the boats”.

Council leaders were given minimal notice by the Home Office that asylum seekers were on their way to Skegness and the issue is the first thing local people mention, when asked what issues concern them.

Brookes said the “government is outbidding tourists” by buying up rooms in seafront hotels. Others noted that while they cannot get appointments to see their GP or have treatment at the local hospital, migrants arriving in the town had to be medically screened.

Labour admits that Starmer needs a message of hope to capitalise on the sense of national disgruntlement, but in the Boston and Skegness constituency the party is nowhere.

“There’s no love for Keir Starmer,” said Matt Warman, the pro-Remain Tory MP for Boston and Skegness. But he admitted that all politicians had a problem: “The challenge is get people excited.”

Independent candidates form the biggest threat to the Conservatives on both East Lindsey and Boston councils in next week’s local elections.

But Craig Leyland and Graham Marsh, Conservative leader and deputy leader respectively of East Lindsey council, highlighted the millions of pounds from central government pots such as the levelling up fund going into Skegness and the surrounding area.

Skegness Pier, which promises a “New York High Line” style linear garden in the near future, offers a sign of plans to update the image of a resort that boasts 30,000 caravans, supposedly the highest concentration in Europe.

Leyland and Marsh said Sunak had secured the stability to give the Tories a fair hearing on the doorstep and that voters appreciated the investment going into the area. They are confident the Conservatives will retain control of the council.

But the challenge for politicians of all parties — both in the local polls next week and in a general election expected next year — is to fashion a message of hope to raise a national mood that is flatter that the Lincolnshire fens.

https://www.ft.com/content/70c9eee9...ft&token=460adde5-f658-4d2c-b4b2-921fd89f3756
 
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New foreign secretary wants to reset UK-EU ties​


David Lammy’s whirlwind first trip as foreign secretary, organised at very short notice, is not about instant results or even brave new horizons.

It is all about perception - the appearance of a new, vigorous administration, determined to hit the ground running, brimming with goodwill towards some of the UK’s most important partners.

After an evening spent with his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock - the two found time to watch a few minutes of England’s European Championship quarter-final - Mr Lammy’s tour moved to the bucolic surroundings of the country estate of Poland’s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorsky.

After a couple of hours of talks, it was back on the plane for a short flight north to one of Nato’s newest members, Sweden.

Why Germany, Poland and Sweden?

Partly because of Ukraine. Along with Britain, all three countries play important roles in sustaining Kyiv’s war effort. With the new Defence Secretary John Healey on the ground in Odesa, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government is keen to stress that the UK’s commitment to Ukraine will remain rock solid.

“We want to double down on our commitment to Ukraine,” Mr Lammy said, as dragonflies swooped over a tranquil lake and a pair of majestic eagles circled overhead.

France, in the midst of its own election - one which seems destined to have far-reaching consequences - was not on the itinerary. Not this weekend.

No stop in Brussels, either. Sir Keir has said the UK will not return to the EU “in my lifetime”.

But Poland and Sweden are both key European partners and fellow Nato members - good places for the foreign secretary to start exploring the outlines of closer future relations.

“I want to reset both our bilateral relationship and our relationship with the European Union,” Mr Lammy said, adding a reference to Labour’s still rather nebulous pledge to strike a new EU-UK security pact.

He said that when European leaders gather at Blenheim Palace on 18 July for the next meeting of the European Political Community (established by Emmanuel Macron in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine), “the new spirit of co-operation will be on show”.

The trip comes just days before Sir Keir takes his own first steps on the international stage as prime minister, at the Nato summit in Washington DC.

These are tricky times to be shoring up relationships, with France taking a lurch to the right and the US possibly on the verge of returning the unpredictable Donald Trump to office.

Mr Lammy agreed this was a “tough geopolitical moment”, but said it was important not to confuse disagreements between mature democracies with the threats posed by authoritarian regimes.

“I am concerned when I see Iranian drones turning up in Ukraine,” he said.

“I am concerned when I see shells from North Korea being used here on European soil.

"And of course I'm concerned with the partnership that I see Russia brokering across those authoritarian states.”

Other issues hang heavy over the new foreign secretary’s first trip, in particular the war in Gaza.

In Germany on Saturday, Mr Lammy spoke to the need to strike a “more balanced approach to Israel-Gaza”.

It is not clear exactly what he meant, but with ceasefire talks apparently poised to resume, finding a way to end the Gaza war and revive the Arab-Israeli peace process seems destined to consume a large amount of diplomatic time in the coming months.

For his part, Mr Lammy’s famously anglophone host said the relatively new Polish government shared something in common with the incoming Starmer administration.

Both, Mr Sikorski said, were “the product of the public being tired with enthusiasts on the nationalist side of politics” - a remark which perhaps only partially reflected the true nature of last week’s general election.

Mr Sikorski said he looked forward to “a more pragmatic approach” from Britain to its relationship with Europe and said the two ministers had discussed “some creative ideas of how to further that”.

 

UK must apply existing Brexit deals before any reset in relations, says EU​


Brussels has warned the UK that it must fully apply the existing Brexit deals on EU citizens and Northern Ireland before it will entertain a reset in the relationship with London.

A leaked document reported by the Financial Times lists eight demands of the new Labour government in order to “demonstrate the real UK government commitment” to a good-faith reset of the relationship with the EU.

EU leaders have said they are “open minded” about the future relationship with the UK, and Germany has said it is enthusiastic about a youth mobility deal.

They have also raised the possibility of a new EU-UK agreement that could encompass deals on mutual recognition of professional qualifications and other low-hanging fruit.

But the document, written by the European Commission and not diplomats, reflects the deep scars left by the previous government’s approach to the EU, with bloc sources telling the Guardian that the Brexit deal itself was not up for renegotiation.

The European Commission’s concerns were reportedly raised by the EU vice-president, Maroš Šefčovič, at his first meeting with the new EU relations minister, Nick Thomas-Symonds, in Brussels two weeks ago.

Brussels has specifically told the UK it must change the Home Office’s approach to EU citizens who had been in the UK for fewer than five years before Brexit.

The government was successfully challenged on the Home Office’s insistence that those with pre-settled status had to reapply for full settled status once they had been in the country for five years.

The high court ruled that the government’s position was “unlawful”, and although the government has subsequently made changes to its own rules on pre-settled status there are still question marks over the Home Office’s interpretation of the withdrawal agreement deal on EU citizens.

Last week it emerged that several county court rulings and a high court ruling earlier this month had exposed inconsistencies in local authorities’ approach to the rights of EU citizens with pre-settled status to social welfare services.

It has now also emerged that Brussels is pressing ahead with a threat of legal action it first made against the UK government in May 2020. Last week, in a little-reported move, the European Commission gave the UK two months to respond to its concerns over the treatment of EU citizens.

“The United Kingdom’s shortcomings in the implementation and transposition of EU free movement law risks therefore also affecting the implementation of the citizens’ rights under the withdrawal agreement after the end of the transition period,” it said in an official document dated 25 July. “Otherwise the commission may decide to refer the case to the European court of justice,” it added.

The commission had launched infringement proceedings in May 2020 but last week put the UK on formal notice that “several points remain unaddressed, in particular elements concerning EU citizens or their family members (eg children in legal guardianship or extended family members) exercising free movement rights who should be beneficiaries of the withdrawal agreement”.

According to the FT, the latest document also raises the commission’s concerns about the UK authorities’ apparent failure to accurately certify all farm produce exported to the EU or to fully deploy a scheme for travel of pets to the EU.

It also wants the UK to speed up the implementation of a deal to provide the EU with data on the content of parcels.

Brussels has also raised questions about the full implementation of the Northern Ireland trading arrangements agreed under the so-called Windsor framework.

A spokesperson for the Cabinet Office said: “Since taking office this government has been working to reset the relationship with our European friends, to strengthen ties, secure a broad-based security pact and tackle barriers to trade.

“We’ve had very positive engagement in our early conversations and are committed to implementing the withdrawal agreement, including the Windsor framework in good faith protecting the UK internal market.”

The European Commission said: “The EU is committed to a positive agenda with the UK, based on the full respect, and the faithful and timely implementation of the withdrawal agreement, including the Windsor framework, and the trade and cooperation agreement, which are the cornerstone for the EU-UK relationship.”

 
Brexit red tape forces UK cargo airline to fly to US for routine servicing

A fledgling British cargo airline has told how Brexit red tape has forced it to go as far as the US for routine servicing and repairs at huge environmental and financial costs.

The chief executive of One Air, Chris Hope, said the last government failed to do any Brexit impact assessment for aviation and the sector was concerned that Labour would make a similar “mysterious” omission when it opened talks with the EU about a reset in the cross-Channel trading relationship.

The company has criticised post-Brexit rules that require British pilots to be formally re-examined for identical qualifications in the EU at a substantial cost, while engineers’ hard-earned licences are rendered practically worthless outside Britain.

Part of the problem is the lack of mutual recognition for those with professional qualifications between the EU and the UK, something that also causes problems for architects and accountant.

But One Air’s problem is compounded by its position as the only company in the UK operating Boeing 747s.

Servicing and maintenance infrastructure for the aircraft is fast disappearing as passenger airlines switch to Airbus since the pandemic. As part of the Brexit arrangement, EU-based aircraft engineering companies in the bloc could apply to be recognised in the UK before the end of 2022 but there were no takers for 747s.

It means One Air is forced to fight for slots in the one repair workshop in Germany recognised in the UK or go to the US for the work to be done.

“In the seven months of this calendar year so far, we’ve had two [services] that had to go to the US. The kind of incremental cost difference is approaching $500,000 for each of them,” Hope said, resulting in costs so far of $1m (£780,000).

“It is possible for [EU] organisations to get UK approval but … they would have to apply to the UK as if they were a new operator and it is duplicate regulations, which is very involved. The cost and time of doing that is quite prohibitive to potentially service a two- or three-aircraft fleet.”

Similar issues have occurred in the industrial chemical industry, with huge costs associated with compliance to two sets of regulations, both stemming from the same original EU legislation.

The UK has a bilateral deal with the US, something the aviation industry hopes could be a model for a reset in relations with the EU.

Aircraft have to be serviced every three months, which takes a week at a time, with a longer check, taking a month, every two years.

But routine repairs are also a problem as components can only be put in UK aircraft if they are UK approved or covered by the UK’s deal with the US.

“If it is completed by a workshop in the EU and unless that company has been UK approved, it can’t be used and that has significant impact,” said Hope.

Pilots are another issue, with British qualifications “seriously degraded” by Brexit because they are no longer recognised by the EU.

Amy Leversidge, the general secretary of the British Airline Pilots’ Association, called on the new government to heed the association’s repeated calls for “mutual recognition of flight crew and engineer licences, medical certificates, and training organisation approvals, which would benefit all airlines and remove barriers to UK licence holders securing employment”.

The foreign secretary, David Lammy, has said he will be seeking to fix this as part of a wider reset in EU relations the Labour government is seeking.

 
So how is brexit coming along?
You said it. The biggest opportunities are outside of the pond, not just in the EU.

Today, Britons do not have freedom of movement to the USA, Australia, Canada - Britons still have to apply for a visa to work, settle, and sometimes to even visit.
 
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