Eskenzi PR and Marketing put out a press release yesterday reporting a sampled survey of 1000 people. They said that one third of those asked had stopped buying EU goods. Reasons given included extra costs and delays in getting the goods into the UK and an unwillingness to buy EU goods given the attitude of the EU to trade with us in recent months.
I would be interested to know whether your experiences bears out this survey. Does it worry you? Do you yourself seek substitutes for EU products?
It is curious if true that the EU is trying to impede exports to us as well as seeking to make our exports to them difficult. The UK has made clear it was not going to impose new barriers at our ports to get in the way of the substantial volume of imports from the EU that we have accepted, and is working with a grace period at our borders. Despite this there are reports of surcharges on card transactions and postal delays. It is also true that some continental websites have failed to collect UK VAT as required leading to an extra bill for the UK consumer who expected VAT to be included in the pricing,
I myself have long followed a policy of buying UK food items wherever possible, to cut the food miles and to back UK fishing and farming. My second choice is to import from a developing country who are in more need of the trade and who have warmer climates offering products we cannot grow here.
February 16, 2021
Very interesting data in the PR release.I am glad to see that it is as many as a third and hope that this will increase
I have taken the decision to stop buying EU produce because of the EU’s attitude and their playing Silly B….s with our fisherman , our meat and our other exports
So I will not buy French butter & cheese;Danish bacon or butter;Italian ham , prosciutto ,olive oil , Spanish Chorizio , olives or fish from non U.K sources
February 16, 2021
Your “playing silly…” is simply the European Union’s applying the same approach to the UK as it does to all the hundreds of countries which are neither in the Customs Union nor the Single Market.
What would you expect?
Sounds like you’ll have a rather diminished quality of life. I doubt that Farage will give up his fine Burgundies though, nor many of the elite who fooled you into voting Leave.
February 16, 2021
I suppose one might expect a more pragmatic approach, that is if one felt able to take Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney seriously when he called for that:
http://inewsly.com/2021/02/16/ireland-seeks-pragmatic-approach-to-brexit-border-protocol
However one also recalls that he was in the forefront of those pretending that at present there is no border on the island of Ireland and one must not be allowed to “re-emerge”, for example:
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/taoiseach-frustrated-over-british-failure-to-secure-brexit-deal-1.3315410
âWe had a deal today in relation to a wording that, in our view, would provide the assurance for many people who were concerned about the potential re-emergence of a Border on the island of Ireland.â
As I said at the time:
https://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2017/12/04/two-views-of-brexit/#comment-905007
“As the Irish government is sufficiently crazy to rule out âanything that would imply a border on the island of Irelandâ, when it is self-evident and undeniable that there already is a border, and moreover an international border, for all kinds of agreed purposes, legal and practical, it really seems utterly pointless and a complete waste of time and energy to try to negotiate any kind of agreement with them.”
February 17, 2021
Of course there is a border and it must be respected by both the Irish and British governments. I live in hope that the EU will be consigned to history soon and remove not only their contribution to that problem but all those enshrined in Boris’ “trade deal”.
February 16, 2021
MiC so what was the ÂŁ39bn paid to secure? What did the UK get for the agreements over EU fishing in our water, the settled status freely given to EU citizens, the work visas for musicians from the EU. The six-month waiver on paperwork at British ports for imports from the EU? If what we got were no different than WTO terms? Just what benefits over basic no-deal WTO terms did the UK achieve?
Ireland decided to leave the UK there was no silly business with them in fact to this day they have common travel areas, voting rights, access to UK University and hospitals, specialist treatments (it makes me wonder if we ever bill back).
February 17, 2021
The ÂŁ39 bn was what the UK owed in membership fees. Nothing to do with the future. And you got a massive benefit over WTO rules because the deeal with the EU is tariff- free. Rejoice!
February 17, 2021
It should have been offset by our contribution to EU assets over the years.
February 17, 2021
Grey, so Boris Johnson felt that this tariff-free trade from the UK to the EU was worth ÂŁ39 billion when we actually have a trade deficit with the EU? Even though the EU is treating the UK as a ‘Third Country’. We are told some EU ports are holding up drivers for three to four days ‘to check loads’.
https://fullfact.org/europe/no-deal-divorce-bill-payment/
February 17, 2021
Wrong on four counts.
February 17, 2021
Rubbish, Grey. Given that the EU will continue to benefit from what we paid for with our excessive contributions over 48 years, the EU should be paying us. At current prices and contribution levels the EU owes us about ÂŁ500bn.
February 19, 2021
Pensions for one. We are paying some EU pensions until the 2060’s and no one other than the EU was legally liable for EU pensions otherthan the EU. So we shouldn’t be making UKtaxpauers pay for them. Plus we foolishly agreed to pay an amount linked to an average of what we were paying in the last years of our membership, ie: an amount around 25% of all EU pensions and not the amount closer to 7% which is the percentage of UK EU MEPs and other staff…and this is before extra unfairness such as our pensioners, paying for EU pensions, later pension dates and WASPI unfairness etc….
February 16, 2021
Martin, There aren’t “hundreds” of other countries, there are 166 (though there are arguments about one or two). Moreover the EU shouldn’t have the same approach to the UK as to most of those other countries – because there’s supposed to be an EU-UK a trade treaty.
And nobody fooled me into voting leave – I made my own mind up over period of about 30 years – despite both UK governments and the media being relentlessly pro-EU.
February 16, 2021
I think that like a lot of remainers, you are revealing that your pro-EU sentiments are just a form of snobbery. If eating a piece of French cheese compared to New Zealand cheese really improves someone’s “quality of life’ then they have some notion of quality that I don’t share.
February 16, 2021
@David Peddy; If only it was so simple, UK labelling laws often allow the disguise of true origin for many products, not that they break any current law.
If we are to ever champion a post Brexit revival of UK based manufacturing we need to have very clear labelling laws (that can be backed up by international law), the face of the packaging, or marketing, needs to clearly display the products true origins, not just were ever the last significant process was carried out. For example, take a certain luxury car, whilst it is assembled here, as much as 80% of the tooling & components could have been imported, so whilst many UK jobs exist at the UK assemble factory few exist within what should be a much wider UK supply chain. Is that car truly “Made in Britain”, and more importantly, should it be permitted to display such a marketing tag?…
February 16, 2021
Indeed-much larger labels please, so i can see them. Big “red tractor” made in UK followed by England,Scotland,Wales, NI.
I also try to find ROW suppliers if UK supplier not available. If the only supply available is EU, then i will usually do without. Supply chains respond to demand.
February 17, 2021
+1
February 16, 2021
David,
the Danesproducemost of thier Bacon in the UK,so what are you talking about. British jobs?
February 16, 2021
Really. Can you please tell us which brands and I might start to buy some again?
February 16, 2021
Bill, what is your source for that quote? Is the pork bred on British farms?
“UK pork imports in October totalled 40,500 tonnes. Imports from Denmark, in particular, were lower; Danish imports accounted for 37% of the total in the month last year but were only 31% in October 2019 as supplies fell by 22%.” – source pigworld.
February 16, 2021
The EU really will not care. The EU is treating out fishermen and farmers like they come from a third country. And the EU is treating them like they come from a third country becgase they do. And they come from a third country because that is what you voted for.
February 16, 2021
and all those imports from UK are no longer available – EU go hungry. All those food supply countries and businesses exporting will be denied the work, jobs and income from us….such a shame.
February 16, 2021
But the UK is not any old third country, it is a third country which has painstakingly negotiated preferential arrangements with the EU, for the little they are worth.
https://ec.europa.eu/info/relations-united-kingdom/eu-uk-trade-and-cooperation-agreement_en
“The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement concluded between the EU and the UK sets out preferential arrangements in areas such as trade in goods and in services, digital trade, intellectual property, public procurement, aviation and road transport, energy, fisheries … ”
I did say that it was not worth the bother trying to negotiate a fresh treaty with a vindictive and obstructive EU, and I was not the only one to say that:
https://briefingsforbritain.co.uk/for-the-last-time-an-eu-trade-deal-isnt-worth-it-for-the-uk/
“For the last time â an EU trade deal isnât worth it for the UK”
February 16, 2021
Andy, If only they did come from a third country – it would mean we had a WTO trade relationship with the EU. A lot safer for us.
February 17, 2021
Indeed.
February 16, 2021
I deliberately buy food produce not in the EU particularly R o Ireland. I also write to supermarkets to ask for British goods and ask them to explain why there is not a larger choice.
Reported in the papers last week the utter madness of importing 82% of our coal (from Russia after Putin poisoned people on our streets!) rather than produce ourselves! We need coal for steel production at the very least, manufacturing security! We need it for heat intensive manufacturing like glass and ceramics. Again, what are the nutters in cabinet thinking!
China has a lot to answer for. WHO has made it absolutely clear with sham investigation to the pandemic they are in China’s pocket. China is trying to dominate the world. All advantages through Fake Paris agreement, WHO etc needs to be withdrawn and tariffs for all China’s imports. Again, only Trump prepared to stand up to China.
When is the govt going to do the same for all procurements? Trump did it for USA!
Horizon Europe allows EU to tender for defence contracts,, that should be stopped. UK pays ÂŁ80 for Eu army that should be stopped. What are your nutters in cabinet thinking when they have destroyed jobs and businesses by the hundreds of thousands?
Rip up the servitude plan or at least the NiP and WA. Why is Gove intent on delivering May’s BRINO? He pushed for it under her and he is doing the same now. Has stated UK full y committed to NiP, not the DUP.
Johnson cannot be trusted in any regard. He is a danger to our democracy, economy and way of life. He needs to be ousted ASAP.
February 16, 2021
Hope, Spot on for every single point.
February 16, 2021
Hope
+1
February 16, 2021
You forgot to mention Ireland David.
February 16, 2021
Given the Irish Republic government’s seemingly perpetual antithesis towards the UK, I’m reluctant to buy Irish butter and beef. The likes of Coveney and Varadkar did their best to undermine us throughout the ‘negotiations’. Such bad faith is bound to be reciprocated.
February 16, 2021
+1
February 16, 2021
Quite right. The EU have chosen to be our enemies. It is sad, and we never wanted that, but it would be foolish to bury our heads in the sand and try to deny it. So buying from the EU becomes a treasonous act. After all, you wouldn’t have bought German goods during WWII, would you?
February 16, 2021
Most of the French army at Waterloo were wearing British made boots.
February 16, 2021
Everytime I hear from Nicola Sturgeon and Ian Blackford (which is way to often) it rather puts me off buying Scottish things too! But I know that most Scots are far more sensible than these dire lefty lawyers and their appalling (SNP ed)of Scotland.
February 17, 2021
+1
February 16, 2021
Meanwhile Liz Truss avoids parliamentary questions about post Brexit EU trade, including the shellfish issue. She shifts them onto other departments instead.
That tells you itâs an unsatisfactory situation which will not improve. So the minister seeks to shift the blame elsewhere.
February 16, 2021
Me neither
February 18, 2021
I agree. I have been much more careful since 2016. No more EU wine and cheese, particularly since alternatives are just as good. My last two cars were Audi but no more German cars. Fish now comes from Brixham or Grimsby.
Watching Cornwall: This Fishing Life on BBC fishermen are looking more to local markets with great success.
And talking to a sheep farming friend, who sold lamb in the village, he tells me that the price of U.K. lambs has shot through the roof due to demand so he wonât be selling locally for the near future.
I use local farm shops and grow my own veg.
February 16, 2021
Europe is not the EU and the EU is not Europe
February 16, 2021
UK officials telling businesses to set up hubs in EU countries to help with the EU disruption and red tape- the same Johnson said would not exist! JD Sports saying last week it was setting up a warehouse creating a thousand jobs in EU rather than here!
JR, what is your govt, Gove, doing about this!
February 16, 2021
Dom, they are inexorably linked
February 16, 2021
Absolutely right Dom – I have friends in Europe and certainly intend to return to Italy on holiday given the opportunity.
However the fact is that there is (or at least was) a ÂŁ100B pa deficit in trade with Europe (not the EU) that represents ÂŁ2B in “wealth” leaking across the Channel every week – in the wrong direction. I do believe that EU regulations have helped to create this imbalance but it is with the European Countries not the EU – so buying British will help to correct this imbalance.
February 18, 2021
I will go to Italy, a country that has been shafted by Germany, but never France or Germany.
February 16, 2021
it might as well be…
February 16, 2021
Tell that to the EU.
February 16, 2021
So are you buying EU goods?
February 16, 2021
Good morning.
I can honestly say that I do not go out of my way to avoid EU produced food. The EU is a political project of which there are 27 members, and those members will be the ones that suffer not the Brussels Bureaucrats. It would be nice however to see things properly labeled and especially produce that comes from England.
The ‘Food miles’ position is a good one. Not that I am all for cutting CO2, but if we can produce things here, at a good price and good quality then I see no reason why this should be more readily adopted. Same too with developing countries. Trade not Aid !
February 16, 2021
“properly labelled” in deed.
I think it was Tesco that is selling British Carrots.
Produced in SPAIN but packed in UK.
February 16, 2021
Billy perhaps you missed this – A Tesco spokesperson said: âA small number of bags of our British carrots were incorrectly labelled as having been grown in Spain. We are sorry for the confusion caused and would like to reassure our customers that all of our carrots described as British are grown in the UK.â27 Dec 2020
February 16, 2021
a-tracy I did miss. Thanks.
February 16, 2021
I avoid EU goods where possible, and have done since around 2017 due to the threats and bullying by the EU. The EU will learn, as businesses do, that giving your best customer the worst terms and treatment leads to a loss of that customer. There are plenty of countries that are prepared to trade fairly without all the baggage that accompanies EU trade or membership.
February 16, 2021
Companies in the EU tarde with the UK and its consumers not the EU, so what are you talking about. So, you think the companies are out to bully the UK consumer?
February 16, 2021
Bill Brown, The companies and people in the EU are less to blame than the EU itself is, but whilst they do nothing about the EU, and even support it, then they are not blameless. The EU has been blatantly hostile and vindictive towards the UK. It’s attitude has been noticed and, like the majority on here, I avoid buying EU products.
February 16, 2021
I agree with you Shirley, but lets not confuse a curmugenly EU out for making life difficult for the UK with the people of Europe who do not deserve the self harm politics of Brussels. The people of Europe are having a tough time with covid as well as our departure. They do not have our freedom to rid themselves the burdon of EU control as we do any government we do not like. We left from a position of strength, being the 2nd nett contributor. Most EU countries are dependents.
February 16, 2021
Slightly OT. My wife receives a couple of occupational pensions from France.
Once every six months she needs to prove she is still alive – but whereas French residents are easily able to upload their proof digitally, my wife needs to send in a paper copy which takes longer and provides no assurance that it has been successfully delivered. This is despite having an online account with the pension provider (and has been the case even before Brexit).
I would have thought that a solution for this would be something that could be easily negotiated between our two countries.
February 16, 2021
Strange isnât it? I would have thought that a digital upload to a French site would be as easily done from the UK as from France.
As your wife I have got a bit of a pension from France and also has to prove every year I am still alive. The uploading of both a less than three months old UK utility bill and of the form I have received from the French pension provider duly signed and dated appears to satisfy them.
February 16, 2021
My German pension demands same but Matthau must be in hard copy.
February 16, 2021
I’m with you on this John. Our family actively seek out British made goods and try to buy British meat and veg starting with English first, then Fair trade or Commonwealth produce. Our car is one made by JLR and although it is no longer British owned, it employs many workers here and is an iconic British brand with much British technology. Electrical items are not so easy but most of it is from either Japan or S Korea unfortunately. I don’t buy European wines now. If they chose to make life difficult for us then let’s return the favour. Share and share alike.
February 16, 2021
Europe isnot the EU
February 16, 2021
Bill, isnot is not a word.
February 16, 2021
YOU chose to make life difficult for us. This is what YOU voted for. You left the club. Stop moaning that you donât have the advantages of club membership.
February 16, 2021
Don’t nit pick. You and I know what I mean.
February 16, 2021
Andy I really couldn’t give a damn if life is difficult for you.
February 16, 2021
my heart bleeds for him.
February 16, 2021
We don’t want the supposed “advantages” of the EU empire, thank you, Andy. Life is a lot easier out of the EU already, as the vaccine issue has shown. How long have you been moaning about Brexit? – 4 years? – longer? The changes are inevitable – get used to it.
February 16, 2021
Still feeling vindictive, then?
February 17, 2021
You could consider moving to the EU that you seem to like so much.
February 16, 2021
F U S
+1
February 16, 2021
I bought my last Citroen when they ceased production of the CX. I had owned many variants. Since, I have always bought Japanese based on their reliability. I have an english made japanese car in Spain.
There is a more than adequate range of english cheeses. World sources of wine are readily available in the UK which they are not in Spain.
Temporate climate grown food should be expanded in the UK especially fruit. We can grow most requiring a mediteranean climate under glass or polythene. Tropical food should come from our Commonwealth and other friendly nations.
Were I to return to living in the UK, what would I miss. Inexpensive good wine, very good quality pork in all its manifestations, abundant and reasonably priced fish and shellfish, and occasional Cabrales cheese. A police force that acts as such and does not see itself as a social sevice apart from helping children and mothers to and from school. They arrive when you need them. Climate and clean air and the Spanish. The latter not suffering from PC, Woke whatever it is, or unnecessary health and safety, plus of course their lack of armies of jobsworths telling you what you cannot do. Nor are they up their own backsides relating to their history or statues commemorating it. A history every bit as unpalatable if not more so than the UKs. I would be returning to a country, magnificent in many respects as being currently demonstrated by the NHS, but equally one unsure of what it is having been battered for the last sixty years by a liberal elite.
February 16, 2021
Thank you for your post, Secretaria. Best wishes in Spain.
February 16, 2021
+1
February 19, 2021
if I were you, I would stay where I am. Good luck to you.
February 16, 2021
The change in VAT rules is entirely driven by the U.K. I note you cleverly avoid saying that and try to get us to blame the Europeans.
Only large businesses are at all equipped for all the extra red tape this government has brought in. If you tell a small business in Holland for example that they have to register for U.K. VAT in order to send product here they are just going to tell you where to stick that and stop selling to the U.K. Many have done just that.
February 16, 2021
John E who is responsible for the individual Country work visa rules Spain itself or the EU?
February 16, 2021
John E, The harder the EU makes it to trade with the EU, the less trade we’ll do. I prefer that, but if you moan about it perhaps you should have a word in the EU’s ear?
February 16, 2021
Our politicians ought to stop referring to âour friends in Europe â. The Brussels bureaucrats are not our friends. Confiscating the ham sandwiches of truck drivers and other mind boggling petty activities are not the gestures of friends. We can import goods from non EU countries, indeed the US alone could supply virtually every product, and we should do so until a more sensible trading relationship is restored by our true friends in Europe.
February 16, 2021
They are our neighbours, some closer than others, but even on that basic level apparently they do not want to be our good neighbours as contemplated in Article 8 in their own Treaty on European Union:
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A12016M008
“The Union shall develop a special relationship with neighbouring countries, aiming to establish an area of prosperity and good neighbourliness, founded on the values of the Union and characterised by close and peaceful relations based on cooperation.”
But then that is what the EU is like, its treaties and laws are only to be obeyed when convenient.
February 17, 2021
Indeed.
February 16, 2021
I now try to buy British only items, and have e mailed my supermarket to see if their British suppliers would put the union flag on their produce, many already do.
February 16, 2021
I am very determined to avoid EU goods and produce now. Unfortunately all my food shopping is done on line by my wife. I donât know if it tells you where your tomatoes are from. If I go into a supermarket I will definitely buy British. Dutch tomatoes have no taste at all.
As far as manufactured goods go. TVs – always buy Sony. White goods, from now on, will be Samsung – sorry Bosch, wonât be buying from you unless you open a UK factory. Cars – have been buying Toyotas for 25 years. Currently own an excellent, British built Avensis.
As an aside, I think I heard on the radio yesterday that all Jaguars will be fully electric by 2025. Things are moving on apace. Or, ipace, even.
February 16, 2021
Mike, Me too – I avoid EU products and produce whenever possible.
However there is no point to buying battery electric cars when the infrastructure – power stations, Grid, and street cabling – is not being built. And for home heating typical electricity cost is 16p per kWhr whereas gas is under 3p per kWhr – so even using ground source heat pumps (4kw heat needs 1kw of electricity), heating costs will be higher. Even if the ÂŁ20k – ÂŁ30k installation costs are ignored. And the lack of available electricity when the wind doesn’t blow is also ignored.
February 16, 2021
I shop based upon availability, quality then price. Rarely do I concern myself with origin.
The UK often provides good availability and quality but due to housing and wage prices is hampered on price. Living costs need to reduce and innovation and productivity to increase to become more competitive.
February 16, 2021
NS – We’re similar, German and French vehicles mainly; who knows where Dell computers, Iphones and Ipads are produced (well more than 50% of the manufacturing)? I don’t; Italian pasta; In the UK, 80% of cut flowers come via the Netherlands, according to the British Florist Association, although a significant proportion originates in Kenya; I haven’t a clue where the household cleaning products I buy are manufactured. Never taken the slightest interest in finding out.
Having said this I’m buying more local farm vegetables now and local farm meat, eggs, British milk and I am taking more notice of fish never even looked before. I started buying British cheese and butter when I heard British producers were having problems exporting. When I read today the Spanish are charging extortionate visa fees for one-off performances for creatives making it unviable for them when the UK gave Spanish artists free work visas I will make my own little protest on that.
February 16, 2021
When reading the data one assumes it is a consumer survey as 6 out of 7 comments already posted also assume. 1000 is a very small sample and a THIRD avoiding EU products is a very large proportion. Curious, until you look at Eskenzi PR web site.
Their sphere of operation is cybersecurity and high tech’!!!!! So, it does not take much imagination as to the bias of their sample which could not be further away from food imports.
I totally agree with you Sir John that we should all concentrate on buying home grown food where ever and whenever possible and cut down the ‘food miles’.
February 16, 2021
If there is a choice of an EU or non-EU product I opt for non EU because of the appalling approach to the UK leaving the âclubâ.
However, in trying to avoid buying from China (which is a major challenge) if there is a choice Iâd rather buy EU products than Chinese products.
February 16, 2021
As I’ve been ‘locked up’ or ‘locked in’ (or whatever the dreadful expression is) for most of the last twelve months it’s been difficult to buy small occasional purchase items. For example I use an electric toothbrush (US I think) for which I can’t get replacement brushes easily so a friend helpfully ordered me some brushes from Amazon. They work just the same, but I see that they are made in China. It’s hard to get away from their products isn’t it? (Mind you, it’s also hard for me to get away from a halfway decent Bordeaux too!)
February 17, 2021
Sharon, kindly explain how you expected the EU to react when the UK chose to leave? By giving it all the benefits of EU membership but none of the obligations? Seriously?
February 17, 2021
What “benefits” are they, Alisdair? It cannot be access to the EU’s single market because every country on the planet has such access (that is if the EU wants access to the other country’s market).
February 16, 2021
It has been our policy not to buy French goods for years. This avoidance has now become wider to encompass nearly all EU origin goods. Initially it was to help develop British made items, but as the EU spiteful measures continued it is now a reaction against anything to do with them. EU’s hostility has now become a driving force for us, and other friends and family.
February 16, 2021
Our family have avoided EU good’s for some years now and actively seek out UK goods wherever possible.
The vindictive bitter behaviour which the EU have and continue to show towards us will ensure our choice to support UK first and then anyone but the EU will continue.
February 16, 2021
The EU have never been our friends, proven by how they constantly want to hurt us.
Their reactions to the UK are akin to that of the democrats for Trump and everything decent – They can’t forgive him for showing up their base qualities, so they try to destroy him for being honest.
Excuse the second post, but I must say it…
February 17, 2021
Indeed Bryan/
February 16, 2021
Sir JR,
The EU is not Europe and Europe is not the EU
1) Countries which are neighbours often tarde with one another
2) There is noconcioiuspolicy of the EU to stop imports to the UK as the UK is a very mortant market
3) I sit on the board of three European companies our trade has been delayed but it goes on as usual with the UK
4) not buying European products, if they are cheaper is a luxury lots of UK consumers cannot afford and as a consumer makes no sense.
5) We all wish to support less developed counties but that sholdbe done in trade consessions and openess to the UK market.
6) The way the questions are asked makes little econmic or rational sense and they are biased against Europe as well
February 16, 2021
would somebody care to translate?
February 16, 2021
That’s what I thought Fred.
February 16, 2021
Sorry I can’t help you Fred. English is the only language at my command.
February 16, 2021
Well, Bill, you know what they say about a non executive director compared with a supermarket trolley? You can fill both with food and drink, but only the supermarket trolley has a mind of its own.
February 16, 2021
Well said – the old ones are the best ones.
February 21, 2021
Before you wrote your aphorism, did you check how many non-exec positions some on this blog might have (had)?
February 16, 2021
We bought a couple of items for our business from France recently. This is a supplier I get on well with. I don’t see why our business relationship should be soured because of politicians, who he most likely despises as much as anyone else.
February 16, 2021
We buy no EU goods or services. Itâs quite hard avoiding the energy services. If there is no alternative to what we want, we do without.
Iâm sorry the Boris struck such a dreadful deal. It confirms theses continentals in their belief that we are stupid. It means the lesson to recover our serious reputation will have to be very much more harsh than otherwise.
February 16, 2021
If there is something in the shop, of the right quality and at the right price, then I will buy it. If there is a choice, then I will favour UK goods, where available.
I go out of my way to avoid Chinese goods, if possible.
February 16, 2021
Since China began dumping cheap but not cheerful many years ago, it gets harder and harder to find products that are better and safer- they drove decent manufacturers out of business.
We never demanded inspection and rejection of imported goods. It took me several emails and complaints to China on the subject of Radio Frequency impact before they relented and refunded. I wasn’t convinced that the other side knew what RF was about.
February 16, 2021
My local supermarkets generally have less stock (particularly fresh), smaller range and lower quality. Prices have also risen ahead of inflation. I cannot, with confidence say which sources this relates to, but something fundamental in terms of competition or costs seems to have occurred. Over the past year GBP has regained strength against USD and Eur, also remained flat or strengthened against many of the latin American and African countries from which UK imports. Also odd that giving all the talk of fishing one ends up eating Asian catfish as the affordable option.
Obviously the vastly inappropriate policies throughout the world this past year may lend partial explanation, but it does feel incomplete.
February 16, 2021
“It is curious if true that the EU is trying to impede exports to us as well as seeking to make our exports to them difficult.”
I believe the People’s Vote should have been implemented, but can you reconcile the above statement with the following prediction that you made in the title of a blog post dated October 21st, 2018:
“There will be no economic blockade of the UK when we leave the EU”
February 16, 2021
Sir,
I have not knowingly bought anything EU since 2016, I am stubborn and do not like bullies so the EU attitude goes against my grain.
I have researched countries of origin as some goods from the EU hide behind their British looking packaging , HP Sauce for instance!
The most irritating is fruit, as even during the English picking season this year all pears were EU produce, so I did without.
Iâm really pleased that a third of Brits are now boycotting EU goods and farm produce, lets hope it spreads more.
February 16, 2021
this is not the EU these are European farmers who are selling and where doesteh figure of 1/3 come from, source please
February 16, 2021
Bill, Read JR’s post – that’s where the 1/3 comes from.
February 16, 2021
Mike, Sainsburys have great British apples and Conference pears at the moment. They are superb.
February 16, 2021
Braeburns are very good, but can come from other than UK- check carefully.
February 16, 2021
A lot of useful items from Bulgaria and Russia used to be available on large internet retail sites. That has stopped. Many sellers removed.So I have more or less stopped using those âmarketplacesâ.
It is now difficult to contact a friend in Sweden. Letters used to take just a few days. Weeks now.
AND grrrrrrrrr! I used to buy decent clothes ( cotton, natural fibres and nice designs) from an American firm. Now when you go to their website it says â you canât shop here cos you are in the EUâ. This started before Brexit but it is still the case!!
February 16, 2021
Oh…a lot of wonderful farm shops stepped up to the plate when the ghastly supermarkets let many of us down. I will buy British meat for as long as Boris allows meat consumption and British fish if there are ever fishmongers again.
February 16, 2021
search ‘Grimsby Fish (home deliveries etc) – no need to go out!
February 16, 2021
Thanks Fred. That’s useful.
February 16, 2021
Thanks!
February 16, 2021
Have tried to avoid purchasing anything from Eu Countries if possible, but certainly better labelling of UK produce would help (packaged in the UK not good enough) better promote our own goods.
For many years now, wine from new World Countries, Cars from Japan/South Korea.
Yes we do still have some holidays in Europe, but not as many as in the past, and the Villa rented has an English owner.
February 16, 2021
It costs more to buy from the EU now because of Brexit. It costs more to sell to the EU now – if you even can – because of Brexit. There may be no tariffs but the Tory pensioners have erected massive non-tariff barriers.
These lead to the extra costs, which leads to higher prices, which leads to less choice for consumers, which leads to fewer jobs. You were all told this for five years and you knew best. Except you didnât.
It was inevitable that the gutless Brexiteers would try to blame the EU or Remainers for Brexit, but their efforts will fail. Because whilst the elderly may go along with it, the young will not and it is todayâs young who will hold the public inquiry.
I feel very sad for those many business owners – many of them small businesses – whose years of hard work have been ravaged in weeks, many behind hope of saviour, by Tory pensioner Brexit. This is why policy should not be decided by old people who donât like foreigners.
February 16, 2021
Andy, It was inevitable that gutless Remains would try to blame Brexit rather than the EU. But I feel very sad for the many small business owners whose years of hard work have been ravaged by untargeted national lockdowns that hysterical middle aged people like you have insisted on having. When we have the public inquiry into the lockdowns it will be people like you who will be rightly blamed.
February 17, 2021
Ah, but I did know best! Things are going swimmingly at the moment. It will take a few years but we will get there.
I am a pensioner. Thank you Andy for my 4 weekly stipend. I am not a Tory.
I am just a pensioner. Not a âTory pensionerâ. Thank you again.
February 16, 2021
How pleasing to read that a third of other English have been doing the same as myself and boycotting EU products since they decided to make sure that we will be ‘completely killed’ as Nouveau Napoleon told us and Barmier with Verhoftwat plotted to colonise us with the help of their quislings in the UK.
Unfortunately, my wife is from the other side of the Manche and has found a very good cheese shop, buying at least eight pieces of it every week. I eat the surprisingly varied and excellent English cuts and Swiss Gruyere. We are both getting rather fat as a result.
The government response to the EU playing silly bees in their vindictive trickery following the Johnson sellout has been pathetic. We have the same obstructive paperwork as they do for third countries from the time that we were members. We should be confiscating their sandwiches and demanding that their lorries full of cruelly produced animal products are fully documented and inspected and if they are not, send the truck back on the return ferry.
February 16, 2021
The wine merchant in Germany that provides an Italian wine to my wife and her friend, has ceased shipping direct to the UK customers, post Brexit. They now buy it from a UK importer, VAT registered, that sells it for ÂŁ9.60 a bottle delivered, compared to the Sterling equivalent of ÂŁ8.19 delivered from pre Brexit Germany.
Pre-Brexit, a woman from Uttoxeter, faced a UPS demand for ÂŁ93 after purchasing ÂŁ292 worth of bed linen from a company based in Berlin (with a UK internet domain name). UK based buyers placing orders of more than ÂŁ135 with European websites also face having to pay import duties. The unexpected post Brexit bill for the bed linen order, (since refunded by the website), was made up of ÂŁ19.81 in duty, ÂŁ58.40 in VAT on the purchase price and ÂŁ3.96 VAT on the duty; plus, an ÂŁ11.50 collection fee levied by the courier firm. (HT: Guardian)
February 16, 2021
it is not compulsory to buy from them, is it?
February 16, 2021
I’ve posted on this topic before. Buy British if you can, it helps the UK balance of payments and has a side effect of poking the
EU in the eye.
However, if you are attempting to buy British, one’s shopping experience can be made doubly difficult because in most cases the labelling on products is small and bordering on misleading e.g. company registered in London ( the London address comes first ) followed by another address in, say, Dublin. So where was this product produced and packaged. No prizes for guessing.
In the above case it is likely any tax on company profits would go to Dublin ( EU ). A double whammy for the UK economy.
Pass a law requiring the Union Jack with the letters UK in bold be printed on all UK products together with the County. I believe this will encourage more people to buy British. But any system needs to be simple and prominent.
I don’t normally shop at Aldi but why is it I can easily purchase British Rape Seed Oil from them but not from Mr Sainsburys.
February 16, 2021
I head a ÂŁ16 million turnover business with significant imports of raw materials from the EU and significant sales of finished goods to the EU. There have been small but not hugely significant hold ups in trade flows either way but there are extra costs being charged to us due to extra clearance costs both ways. We also have some extra regulatory costs as we now have to be audited by two bodies not one and have to appoint a representative in the EU for regulatory matters. There is then some added cost of revised labelling. I can state with some authority now that the total extra cost of being outside of the Single Market to our business is around ÂŁ20,000 per year with some added hidden costs (extra time for the paperwork processing). Very unwelcome but not in itself enough to inflict deep harm. I did not want to leave the EU but lay out the actual facts in as dispassionate way as possible for you and your readers.
February 16, 2021
so your cost to sales has gone up by 1 in 800.
February 16, 2021
Thanks. I’m dividing the ÂŁ20,000 extra cost by the ÂŁ16 million turnover to get 0.125%, and reflecting that in terms of GDP the EU Single Market was worth about 2% averaged across the EU according to a report issued by Michel Barnier but more like only 1% to the UK which was one of the member states benefiting least. It should have been seen as a gift to us when Michel Barnier was appointed as the EU’s chief negotiator, but not once did anybody in the EU government point towards his 2012 report exposing the marginal nature of the benefits of being in the Single Market “club”.
February 16, 2021
Perhaps you could try sourcing your raw materials from the UK (the more patriotic thing to do) or, if that is not possible, from a non-EU country. I am not aware of any raw materials that can only be obtained in the EU – if there are then it would be interesting to know what they are.
February 16, 2021
Correction – sour grapes ALWAYS come from EU countries.
February 17, 2021
A natural hedge of costs/revenue in euro’s presumably, nice. The purchases /sales may not be to unrelated parties , irrespective it seems a fair enough balanced trade.
February 16, 2021
So you business faces extra pointless costs – presumably costs you can recover with small price rises or job losses.
But the point is your experience is replicated across the economy – with a huge net negative impact. We already know of some particularly badly affected industries – fishing, farming, musicians, fashion, aviation. The point is though that there is precisely no benefit for this loss.
We now have an idea of what the Brexiteers have stolen. They have given nothing in return.
February 16, 2021
“The point is though that there is precisely no benefit for this loss.”
Completely wrong. The gain is that the extra demand from UK consumers for domestic products will grow UK businesses and cause jobs growth in UK businesses. If UK consumers switch their buying to UK domestic products, UK businesses *have* to expand to meet the extra demand.
And by the same token, the irrational actions of the EU in trying to hamper trade must negatively affect EU businesses. They can’t maintain the same turnover if they are losing their markets to increased trade friction caused by the EU itself.
February 17, 2021
No, not a âhugeâ impact. A trivial impact. He imports raw materials from the EU and exports finished goods to the EU. As someone calculated, a trivial cost of 0.125%. A minuscule fluctuation in the Euro/Sterling exchange rate has more effect.
Indeed, Sterling has gone up recently from 1.08 to 1.14 – a massive 6%!!! And you are gibbering about a 0.125% increase in costs.
February 16, 2021
We stopped buying EU goods before the referendum and continue to do so. We have never supported this deal and wanted a full WTO Brexit. The deal is shocking and has deserted our fishermen and coastal towns. The only reason you have not yet seen huge public protests is due to lock-down but they are coming soon.
February 17, 2021
Roger the deal seems to be a big business deal only to protect them from import and export tariffs. SME’s have been deserted other than those who already had export contracts with the rest of the World outside Europe as they had their customs docs ready on all their consignments. A lot of the big transport companies operating in the UK are foreign-owned so they are flexing their soft power by quietly not providing services to SMEs. Our Royal Mail and Parcelforce hasn’t stepped up. Six weeks later and our government isn’t sorting this out.
I would suggest people use our soft, quiet ability to spend our money supporting the British traders, SMEs most affected by the ‘Third Country’ full treatment we are getting.
February 16, 2021
For the past year we have allegedly been âfollowingâ the science.
Now apparently we face an âirreversibleâ decision which must therefore be postponed.
So what the Hell is it then? Science or sorcery?
Well..I think we all know. It is âYou will never return to normal!â
One thing the âgovernmentâ is determined about however is that for a second year the most important Christian festival, Easter,will not happen.
If I were a sane MP I would shudder in the face of the lies.
February 16, 2021
âThe UK has made clear it was not going to impose new barriers at our ports to get in the way of the substantial volume of imports from the EUâ
So a cowardly response to EU aggression from the U.K. government. They expect the UK public to do their job for them.
It is high time we had a new party for genuine conservatives to park their votes, while the Tories go the way of the old Liberal party.
February 16, 2021
Exactly. We have a government of cowards who are happier betraying their own people and their own country than standing up to the EU. It is contemptible. I used to vote Tory but will be voting Reform UK in future.
February 16, 2021
Yvonne Eskenzi (of Eskenzi PR & Marketing) âIt is evident to see that UK consumers are being put off buying goods from the EU due to the various complications that Brexit has created. We can only hope that this is a temporary measure. Post-Brexit Britain is still in its embryonic stage, and the true nature of our new relationship will have to be measured across the course of the following months, and indeed yearsâ.
But âAvast me hearties, follow captains Patel, Jenrick, Dowden, Williamson … and Redwood, war on the wokeâ. When one cannot do anything much, call for a âculture warâ.
February 16, 2021
Agree – no more Mercs, not much in itself but it will add up
February 16, 2021
There was no need for this. When your back is pushed up against the wall and your government won’t retaliate against unfair unlevel playing field terms then you have to start retaliating to protect UK cheese makers and milk producers, farmers, fishermen, every time we hear one sector is taking a punishment beating to make an example then people subconsciously change their opinion of the Country doing the beating.
All this crowing with Southern Ireland bypassing the UK roads to get to and from the EU, well that’s a good thing, no more free passes for van after van on our motorways back and forth, we don’t even collect fuel tax as they arrive tanks full.
The problem is John, previous governments imported so many of our key goods like vans and cars and the looms wires and cables that used to be made in the UK to run them that we presently don’t have a choice. Some say in newspapers that there will be milk and cheese shortages (but recently we were told farmers were having to throw tonnes of milk away and our cheesemakers were having problems exporting so that can’t be true – our supermarkets need more local buying of these products as export to the EU has been threatened).
The Eu have given you five months notice that UK imports from the EU are going to be very difficult come June 30. Your government need to discover from shipping documents (are you checking Eu imports at all at the moment?) who is buying what products in huge quantities and ensure we have a choice. This is going to get worse as they have made their intention clear that they want to push the UK into the CU and SM with all the hand-tying restrictions that includes.
February 16, 2021
A-tracy, Good comment. I wonder if the government is actually taking any notice of the real things you highlight consequent upon EU hostility and vindictiveness, or will they be taken by surprise? Again.
February 16, 2021
We always try to buy good value local British and avoid EU goods and services although packaging and PR hype can be misleading and needs to be claerer. We even buy Scottish products despite the hate coming from the SNP. Foolish Varadkar has put us off buying Irish products after being unhelpful to Britain.
Why buy from an organisation that now not even pretends to be helpful? Forbidden Sandwiches. delaying critical fish to buyers due to labelling and spoilt Christmases of thousands of innocent humble truck/lorry drivers is beneath contempt. Further invoking NI protocol so quickly then reversing after international outcry. The vaccine grandstanding then the proverbial fan fallout. The China EU trade deal. The Russian Nordstream 2 has pipeline. The French lab in Wuhan……
The whole EU facade is now laid bare.
Those of us who have watched it’s bumbling mistakes are not surprised. It blames others while claiming false credit for protecting poeple. How hypocritical the EU is as many continentals are realising and asking “What is the point of the EU?” .
February 16, 2021
I think is was either 2018 or 2019 when the EU released figures which showed their exports to the UK had dropped. Over the years I have read numerous comments from people stating they will not buy cars, cheese, wine etc from mainland Europe. Germany and France in particular. Opting to buy Japanese cars and New World wines.
I have also made a concerted effort to buy British goods for at least 3 years to support our own producers. Where this is not possible, I have bought goods that are from non EU countries, especially those countries who have been most vindictive against the UK because we voted to leave the EU.
It is fortunate that a growing number of supermarkets are recognizing their customers preference for British goods and are making this preference more widely available. Afterall all, all that is happening is that the UK is now finally doing what France, Germany and other EU countries have always done – we are supporting our own producers.
February 16, 2021
I buy local (Devon and West Country) to the extent that produce and practicalities allow and when not then, in broad order of preference, elsewhere in England, our devolved countries, New Zealand, Australia, and others overseas. Yes, EU intransigence has become a psychological barrier to buying produce from EU countries, especially France, which, if many here feel similarly, is a bit tough for some of the producers there who are still the same people earning their living by making a good product. They and we are casualties of petty bureaucracy. I still buy olive oil from Spain, olives from Greece, and similar for which I do not know of a suitable alternative.
February 16, 2021
For many years I have tried not to buy goods from China, purely because I believed decades ago moving our manufacturing there was a strategic mistake as many now agree. This, however, became increasingly impossible.
As regards EU, try to buy UK produce/products but if the Commission continues its hostile attitude and the Government continues with this appallingly weak Brexit Treaty in the key areas e.g. fish. N.I. then I will try 100% to avoid EU stuff.
February 16, 2021
I try not to buy EU food. If I am tempted, I think of our prime minister’s phrase, our dear friends and partners in the EU. This stiffens my resolve.
I also try not to buy goods, particularly electrical goods, made by the Chinese communist party.
February 16, 2021
Are all Public tenders now ”UK Only’ ??? or do we still have to invite the EU ???
BUILD BACK BUYING BETTER
Iâll continue with the stupid Tory strap-lines until someone tells me to stopâŠ.please tell me to stop and also please tell the Tory Party to stop using such a ridiculous strap-line
February 16, 2021
Yes. We are very anti EU, but pro Europeans and Europe. Unfortunately to get at the politicos we have to ensure we buy British or elsewhere and not from Europe whenever possible. The message will get through eventually. If you treat your neighbours and best customers with contempt, then expect them to shop elsewhere. They’ve used and abused us for too long, seeing us as their cash cow!
February 16, 2021
The cash-cow is not going to be British Bull’d any more!
February 16, 2021
It is of course the UK that is impeding imports from everywhere. The UK has imposed a unique taxation system requiring every company in the World outside of the UK to apply and collect British taxes on behalf of the British government for goods less that ÂŁ135. For this privilege, they also charge a fee to all these companies.
Govt Reference
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-vat-treatment-of-overseas-goods-sold-to-customers-from-1-january-2021/changes-to-vat-treatment-of-overseas-goods-sold-to-customers-from-1-january-2021
February 16, 2021
Thank you for the link RichardM very interesting.
So John is RMâs claim true that we the only Country in the World that has this âunique taxation systemâ for imports into the UK?
So do EU Countries have to charge local VAT on their exports and remit them to their local Country and then add in UK VAT to remit to the UK, with what fee?
February 16, 2021
The UK government is committed to free trade and is a party to the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation:
https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tradfa_e/tradfa_e.htm
and so it should not set out to create unnecessary obstacles to imports from the EU or anywhere else.
Instead our government should keep loudly pointing out to the world in general and to the UK population in particular that the EU collectively and all of its continuing member states individually have also signed up to that solemn global treaty and unless they want to be exposed as hypocrites and cheats they should stop playing silly games with our trade, and moreover draw public attention to similar commitments made by the member states through their own supposedly solemn treaties.
Once the British public had understood that our EU friends and partners are not behaving as one might expect from friends and partners each of us could decide whether to join in a boycott of their goods.
February 17, 2021
âLoudly pointing outâ. Brilliant! China will be quaking, the EU will be holding urgent meetings! The Brits are going to … wait for it .., loudly point something out.
Thanks Denis, a brilliant insight into how feeble Brexit has made tge UK
February 17, 2021
Alasdair, well that is much more British isn’t it, calm, peaceful, and effective than our American cousins behave when they’re a bit miffed.
February 17, 2021
Get yourself a dictionary and look up “propaganda”.
February 16, 2021
I know of a bike shop here in the UK which buys in lots of components from Italy. They have been experiencing a lot of delays getting supplies. Now they are finding that some Italian suppliers have stopped taking orders from UK for all of 2021. A Japanese component supplier has its European distribution centre in The Netherlands and these too have suspended new orders to UK for this year. The main reasons being given for all of this is the time and effort needed to complete extensive paperwork, plus the need for UK customers to be registered for VAT in all of the domains from where they seek to import goods.
There is of course a flip side to this, which all free market business will understand.
February 16, 2021
To answer your question directly, I will no longer buy any product from any EU member state if I can possibly avoid doing so – to the extent of going without, or choosing something completely different, if there is no alternative available. Yes, I am aware that this is petty and vindictive and amounts to little in the greater scheme of things, but it is no more petty or vindictive than has been the EU’s treatment of Britain in recent times. Leaving that French wine on the shelf and picking a nice South African or Australian gives me a warm and rather satisfying glow. It’s extemely therapeutic!
February 16, 2021
Look for English wine – some starting to be stocked in supermarkets – all tried very good indeed.
February 16, 2021
The attitude of the EU has completely changed the way I do my shopping and are now very vigilant as to especially where my food has been grown and packaged.
For me labelling is a big issue however not everyone has the time or the patience to read every label of where the goods where either grown or packaged which can be at times confusing.
My main task this year is to support British farmers and producers whenever I can without cutting off EU countries that produce food that we cannot buy.
I have changed to only buying vegetables that are home grown and in season therefore reducing food miles and are looking forward to what the different vegetables are produced each season.
To add much more of our food that we eat now is homemade stopped buying ready meals completely, batch cooking and freezing is the future for us as a family.
February 16, 2021
Off-topic, euromaniac Guy Verhofstadt admits that the EU’s efforts on vaccination have been a fiasco, and worries that only 4% have been vaccinated across the EU, a long way behind 20% in the UK, but nonetheless he still thinks the answer lies in further European integration and “a real health union”:
https://euobserver.com/stakeholders/150931
Thank God we are now out of this process of “ever closer union”; that is, apart from our fellow citizens in Northern Ireland who have been shamefully abandoned by Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, with the latter apparently now considering whether instead he should stab all of us in the back:
https://www.politico.eu/article/deal-for-common-eu-uk-food-safety-standards-on-the-table-sefcovic-says/
“Deal for common EU-UK food safety standards âon the table,â Ć efÄoviÄ says”
Like Theresa May’s “common rule book” for goods it would of course be the EU’s rule book:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5947249/PM-hopes-common-rule-book-EU-break-Brexit-deadlock.html
“Dublin gives cautious welcome to PM’s plan for ‘common rule book’ with EU as she bids to break Brexit deadlock over Irish border – but Eurosceptics warn UK would stay lashed to Brussels”
February 16, 2021
There seem to be delays in posting parcels to EU countries. I sent a parcel to Holland and it took over a month to arrive. Ex-Pats in Spain are reporting similar problems with their parcels stuck in customs.
February 16, 2021
I have always tried to buy British. Most supermarkets make it easy to identify British produce by putting the union flag on the packaging. Non-food items are much harder to identify. Like you, I choose non-EU countries if there isnât a UK option, especially developing and Commonwealth countries.
February 16, 2021
I do now make conscious efforts to avoid placing business with Evil Empire located firms because of the bad attitude the E.E. exhibits. I have no recent experience of trying to import from there so am unaware directly of extra costs or delays.
This situation does not worry me at all. The U.K. was always the most outward-looking, internationally engaged of the E.E. 28 (per Wolfgang SchÀuble) and diversifying sourcing away from the Evil Empire is now a natural and positive step.
I do have concerns that your colleague Tobias Ellwood is able to recognise our defence cannot depend upon Chinese and Russian materiel suppliers but apparently fails to see the Evil Empire cannot be relied upon either.
February 16, 2021
Most of UK Industry has adapted and moved on –
BMBI @TheBMBI – The February #construction update from @beisgovuk
is now available. The report confirms that construction output grew by 4.6% in Quarter 4 of 2020 compared with Quarter 3. See the latest figures from BMBI, @ONS , @IHSMarkit and @CPA_Tweets
February 16, 2021
I have tended to buy British, then Commonwealth and then EU farm produce, but, given the EU’s current pettiness, I may well refrain from buying the latter at all and go without buying out-of-season vegetables.
I see from recent responses from George Eustice, et al, that there’s a lot of rhetoric, but seemingly not a lot of action on the part of the Government to take the EU to task for its apparent breaches of WTO trading rules. I know that there’s a danger of it becoming a tit-for-tat scrap, but isn’t it about time that the Government asserted itself over these matters?
February 16, 2021
Me too Sir John.
I buy British goods as often as I can and I buy British seasonal fruit, veg and produce at all times. Any tropical fruit I buy is commonwealth or fair trade.
I refuse to fund a hostile, awkward Brussels through my purchases.
Whilst I agree with what Dom says above, it is impossible to separate the two and therefore we must look at the individual countries and the EU as the same thing. It is up to the individual member states to tell the commission that their attitude is harming them all.
We also need our own government to stop being so soft when it comes to dealing with the EU… Fight fire with fire.
February 16, 2021
Iâve bought British for years, it seemed a better way to help the working man than voting Labour then buying foreign.
Since 2016 I have actively avoided anything made or grown in the EU.
February 16, 2021
I am not really convinced that EU is deliberately trying to make exports – imports difficult to us. We left both CU and SM and it has it’s consequences. I’ll wait with eager how the situation looks after grace period is over.
February 16, 2021
Who is making exports difficult for the UK Billy if not the EU – the individual Countries in Europe? Which Countries? At the moment there is no retaliation, do you think headlines like this will allow this lop-sided situation to continue and that the British consumer’s patience won’t snap?
The Guardian report: 1. “UK fish exporters are unable to sell into European markets because of delays at borders”; 2. “Leading supermarket chains are warning ministers of food shortages in Northern Ireland because of new border rules and bureaucracy.” Northern Ireland a part of the United Kingdom! 3. one leader of a UK business organisation. âBut there is not much goodwill in the EU to help British business now. Business people like us can ask for more talks with the EU but optimism that we will get anywhere is in short supply.
There is no grace period on the EU side, the grace period is only on the UK side with creative artists free work visas, no port stoppages, fishing licences allocated… and on.
February 16, 2021
Buy British at every opportunity, support the workers and their companies. If you don’t us them, you lose them. Rocket science it is not.
When you look behind the secret dirty world of foreign renewable energy products and judge them on the real human cost, how can our parliament support such countries companies and their products? Any one of the congregation of the RE Church to Save the World ought to look behind the glittering false world of its preachers.
February 16, 2021
I’ve just carried out an unofficial survey of my own. I have counted the items in mail order catalogue of home and personal items. There were 425.
Only 4 of those had a Union flag alongside with ‘made in the UK’.
Unscientific but probably a reasonable indicator of how our manufacturing economy has been destroyed by recent governments. You know, the ones who say why protect and encourage the making of things here when the same thing can be imported. After all much nicer to sell each other coffee and insurance.
February 16, 2021
I am 100% with Sir John’s last para in particular.
It would be very tempting indeed to take selective similar retaliatory non-tariff actions against certain high-profile (to them) imports from EU suppliers – maybe French champagne, or Italian salami?
February 16, 2021
An Off Piste comment following the viewing of a number of TV programmes on Cornwall and its fishing industry.
People in average jobs, including many fishermen, cannot afford to buy property in the villages of their parents and grandparents. Reason, too many wealthy people are competing for property and prices have soared beyond the grasp of locals.
My solution would be to look at the two tier housing market in Guernsey and apply it to all those desirable Cornish villages. The details of such a scheme should be in the hands of the Cornish alone. First the Cornish should discuss it with Guernsey and then decide how to apply it. The lower middle and working class need secure places to live. Getting them onto the housing ladder is real conservatism.
February 16, 2021
The problem is way bigger and wider than just Cornwall.
Empty properties should be double council taxed for a start.
February 16, 2021
True Fred but you have to start somewhere. Penalising is not a way forward, far too socialist.
February 16, 2021
sometimes common sense is just common sense – not politics.
February 16, 2021
My first choice is to buy as British as possible firstly because it supports our suppliers and secondly because I feel that we have almost always been treated in an unfair manner by the “controllers” of the EU. We have adhered to the “rules” and other EU countries have emphatically not. This does create quite a large resentment in my reaction to the EU in principal and some European countries in general. We can always turn to WHO if things get too bad and then the EU countries will have lost their best and closest customers. Surely they can see this. Idiocy indeed.
February 16, 2021
I do my best to buy British food and having travelled a lot and lived outside Europe for more than ten years, I really think British food is either the best or among the best in the world.
Our beef is second to none and lamb and I always buy chickens from Marks and Spencer, (I live in London) as they label the farm where the chickens come from, usually Norfolk.
Let us not forget dairy from the West Country and the Channel Islands!
And our weather and countryside are the best for vegetables and fruit in season – e.g. strawberries and asparagus – and everyone knows the fish and seafood from the waters around the British Isles are the best.
I would have liked to see more support for our fishing industry and now that the EU leaders are behaving so abominably, perhaps our politicians will stop trying to please and finally take on board EU leaders are not our friends and it is time to support our own producers.
Don’t get me started on Northern Ireland and the vaccine relations!
February 16, 2021
This is not surprising. Surveys always, without exception, show that a majority of Britons prefer to buy British-made goods. Which is hardly surprising: British goods are far better in quality terms than those made abroad, and also, economically, it makes sense to keep British money circulating in Britain, thus keeping British companies in profit and British workers in jobs – and thereby reducing the need for benefits and taxes.
I have been making a concious effort to always buy British for years, but there is a big problem: product labels often do not state the country of origin. The best solution which all patriotic MPs (such as yourself, hint, hint!) should be promoting is simply to introduce a law requiring ALL labels, whatever the product, to state the country of origin of the goods. And this does not mean where goods are packed, but where they are made. This can be justifies as a measure to promote transparency, clarity, freedom of choice, whatever. There is no legitimate reason to oppose such a law, and I hope you will push for it.
February 16, 2021
M&S clothing sold well when it was all U.K. sourced. Now they are in trouble. Even the sizing is not consistent – waists can vary by 2 inches, same garment same size. That proves your point. Wonder if M&S will ever wake up?
February 17, 2021
Bulk orders interpreted by foreign sweat-shops will always imply inconsistency of size, button holes made too small, arm lengths odd, short legs compared to waist etc.
February 17, 2021
I agree, Lynn, you can’t buy M&S bras either their product sizes differ so much between the manufacturers they’re using it is too much trouble to have to post them back all the time and try to find a good fit online. Even the trousers my husband buys every year for ten years have changed in fabric quality and sizing.
The fashions over the last two years have just been off, they don’t even appeal to my mother they are so old-fashioned, ugly colours and designs.
February 16, 2021
I realise itâs anecdotal, but I have noticed many more competitively priced non EU products on the shelves of late – almond milk from California, peanut butter from New Zealand and more non EU originated fruit and veg than usual. Are the supermarkets voting with their purchasing power?
February 16, 2021
Sir John, sorry to go off topic, but I believe this is a serious problem: As we all know, due to many reasons (Brexit, global demographics, international competition and rising standards of living, etc), it is becoming increasingly important to develop robotic crop harvesters. There are several projects pushing this forward in the UK (and I believe the government should be funding these much better, but that’s another matter), one of which is the RASBerry project (Robotics and Autonomous Systems for Berry production) at the University of Lincoln. So far, so good. BUT the commercialisation partner they are working with is a Norwegian company (Saga Robotics). So once again we have the perennial problem: new technology invented in Britain but commercialised abroad.
If you want Brexit Britain to be a success, as I do, then you need to press the government to take action to solve this problem. And the issue here is even more disgraceful, as Lincoln University is publicly funded! Why is the government paying a British university to come up with new technology that will be made abroad, by a foreign company, when we need it so urgently here??? Surely this is something that you need to take up with the universities minister?
For audit trail purposes, my information comes from this highly credible source: https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2021/02/handle-with-care/
Reply I am pushing the Environment and Agriculture Ministry to do more to back Investment in U.K. fruit and veg production.
February 16, 2021
This is an easy decision for me to make. When I look around my home, I see all white goods are Miele as is vacuum cleaner. Kitchen and bedroom furniture also German and in garage two VW Cars which we change every three years. Cars will now be purchased from any company who manufacture them in UK. White goods when need replacing will be from Japan. Cheese UK and wine from New Zealand or Australia. I am doing my very best to not purchase EU goods. I voted Remain in the referendum but have been really upset at how the UK has been treated. Horrified at EU Commission triggering Article 16 as it relates to NI. Fed up with EU criticising our vaccine roll out plan when the public have every faith in our scientific community. They are intent on doing whatever they can to stifle us. Small minded, pathetic and often failed politicians telling the UK what they can and cannot do. I do not know what to do about Ireland. I need to reflect on this issue more in the months ahead. My decision will be based on the Irish leadership. i always knew the EU would throw them under a bus if necessary. This is what they have done.
February 16, 2021
Jane: There is plenty of English wine to be had. Please look for it, ask for it. It may be higher priced than those imports but we should make an extra effort.
February 16, 2021
Yes and many producers offer substantial discounts if you buy a few cases direct. Youâll need to look further afield for decent reds though.
February 17, 2021
Will do. I have tried some but did not like it much. I have read superb reviews on English sparkling but it costs a fortune. Will keep ordering one bottle at a time until I find one I like. Will always do my best to support British business.
February 16, 2021
Well done Jane.
February 16, 2021
Let’s support the home owned and home grown of course, and whilst some disruption following new rules is to expected, I am appalled at the weakness displayed by the blustering bungling ‘Boris’. Time and again he shows he dare not speak meaningfully against the EU. We would not be in this position if he had shown strength in the exit. And we are still humiliated by his betrayal of NI.
February 16, 2021
I stopped buying EU products as soon as their ‘punishment beating’ approach to negotiations became apparent. I nearly weakened over Bavarian smoked cheese – but held firm. The EU’s lost my trade for good. WTO was the way to go.
February 16, 2021
It is not âcuriousâ at all that the EU is trying to impede exports to us.
We have already been threatened with the cut off of the interconnector supply of electricity from France if we do not agree to their demands on fishing and seen their desire to prevent the supply of vaccines manufactured in the EU.
As well as reducing food miles by growing more of our own food and reducing our ÂŁ100bn/YEAR trading deficit with the EU it is imperative we reduce our exposure to bullying trade sanction tactics from the EU by expanding our trade with other countries around the world.
February 16, 2021
I have not bought any French agricultural products since 1990 when CAP supported (with UK taxpayer money) French farmers set fire to one truckload of live British sheep, killing 219 of them as well as poisoning, slitting throats and dousing others with insecticide.
I have since extended my personal ban on buying any EU products wherever possible.
February 16, 2021
This political “gravy train” called the EU will not be long for this earth. Thankfully it is disintegrating before our eyes. Only the globalists want it to survive. Nothing can stop what is coming, nothing.
February 19, 2021
You might be interested by the recent book by Gavin Esler âHow Britain Ends: English Nationalism and the Rebirth of Four Nationsâ, 2021.
Reading this book, I wonder what will come first, the disintegration of the EU or that of the UK. Wanna bet?
February 16, 2021
Brexit and the choice to become a third country is the reason that exporting from the UK to the EU has become more difficult. Blaming the EU for implementing the rules that the UK has agreed to and signed up to is, quite frankly, an abdication of responsibility by those involving in campaigning for, voting for and implementing Brexit. The fact that the same level of checks don’t happen yet in the other direction is simply down to the UK being less prepared than the EU was.
Personally, my buying habits have not and will not change. I will keep buying EU products as before.
February 16, 2021
PP
+ 1
“abdication of responsibility”
Spot on!
February 16, 2021
Peter Parsons
“I will keep buying EU products as before.”
So when the EU collapses, which it will, you’ll find yourself going hungry then….. since you don’t appear to want ours.
February 17, 2021
Is there anything in my comment which makes a claim that I do not buy food and drink produced in the UK? No, there is not.
Your comment says way more about you and your personal ideological predjudices than it does my choice of what I eat and drink.
February 16, 2021
well if you believe they are better carry on…
February 17, 2021
Peter, just to be clear I don’t blame the EU I blame Boris for saying he’d got a good deal when he hadn’t. The EU are like playground bullies (taking people’s butties when the ham in them was probably imported from that Country anyway! Delaying people from getting to class and getting their work done by making them wait in the locked bathroom for days, saying British carrots need endless paperwork to get from the mainland to Northern Ireland, accepting Artists visas for their own musicians and artists then barring British artists one of the biggest group of EU supporters and they poked them in the eye – applying rules you say – well Boris needs to apply Third Country rules or he’ll never get change). Anyone that has been bullied at any time in their life can see exactly what the EU are doing and personally I always stand up to bullies, if Boris won’t or isn’t capable then we need to give him a backbone of support, quietly, calmly without fanfare. He should never have agreed to give the EU a six-month preparation delay whilst agreeing the UK should change from day 1. That is not a level playing field it is the EU laughing about the cherry they took with the cake and they need to be careful that it doesn’t choke them.
February 16, 2021
John, it seems from the posts today that people are finding packaging to be misleading especially when many of us want to buy British. The Scottish Saltire is normally in your face on Scottish produce but the English flag is seldom, if ever seen. We need a concerted effort from manufacturers to display flags of origin more clearly so people can buy British easily. Surely this is not beyond the realms of possibility?
February 16, 2021
FUS
The Union flag is generally considered racist by the woke brigade….so read the labels mate, if you don’t see the flag. It has to say where it’s made.
February 16, 2021
I smiled when I saw the avocados I bought were from Israel once again after all these years!
We have been making an effort to buy locally or British for some years. But its more than that. I find German engineered products either hugely over priced if they are of quality compared to competition or low quality if the price is near to the others.
USA for power tools though checheslovakian or Hungarian made tools are very good.
We will be buying a new car within 2 years, likely to be japanese definitely not EU.
White goods also looking at japanese but if there is a trade deal with USA then thats a possibility.
I don’t think German and French made items will feature as much going forward certainly not in this household.
February 16, 2021
John Robertson
“White goods also looking at japanese but if there is a trade deal with USA then thats a possibility.”
John, there’s still a British company that makes a washing machine, and another that makes a TV. I was surprised when I found out, but google them and see for yourself.
February 17, 2021
Which? tested these two exxx British made washing machines, one got a score of 39% the other one 35%. Funnily enough (and so British), tests were also made against two German brands, Sxxxxxx and Bxxxx by the exxx engineers, and guess what? According to their âunbiasedâ engineers they were as good or better than the German competitors.
If I were still of an age with baby and small children with at least two to three washing loads to run per week, I know exactly which brand of washing machines I would buy.
February 16, 2021
I was going to replace my five-year-old Triumph Tiger 800 with a new Tiger 900 until I found out that Triumph have transferred all manufacturing of production motorbikes to Thailand ! Shades of Dyson ?
I knew that the Tiger 900 is not quite as good a bike as the BMW 1000XS, but at least it would have been British. I will now buy the BMW instead………….
Why can’t UK manufacturers not continue to produce in the UK ?
I see Jaguar are doing the same, with all Discoveries and Defenders built in their EU new EU-subsidised Slovakian factory and their electric vehicles being built by an Austrian-subcontractor.
February 16, 2021
Chris S
“Why canât UK manufacturers not continue to produce in the UK ?”
Cheap Labour and obscene profit, basically.
They must really hate us for expecting a decent wage. My attitude is – if they want to go abroad, let them go. Just dont buy their stuff ever again. Simple.
Besides, in this country we DO have manufacturers of British whi
February 16, 2021
Besides, in this country we DO have manufacturers of white goods including televisions and washing machines.
February 16, 2021
As soon as EU ignored Art 50 and insisted upon sequenced negotiations, we knew bad faith would operate. Despite having lived and worked in European countries for 24 years up to 2017, we now adopt an anti-EU policy wherever possible. We vote with our feet and our wallet. New car in 2018 after a string of German and French cars: Japanese (it’s brilliant). Holidays: in UK. We shop in local farm shops (including a great fishmonger selling only Cornish and Devon-caught) the local butcher and the village store that sources from local producers. We have weaned ourselves off European product and supermarket packaged stuff. (Making locally produced confit de canard is ridiculously easy and economical). Using our last stocks of French wine: new world from now on.
The EU wants a trade war; they can have it.
February 16, 2021
Yep, way to go Brian.
February 16, 2021
Charity begins at home, buy British! The Co-op are pretty good at selling items produced in Britain, just look for the Union Jack!
February 16, 2021
A very appropriate topic Mr Redwood, and one to which I certainly share your sentiment.
I’ve mentioned my buying policy before on here, that is; I dont buy European (or RoI) produce at all.
I only buy British things these days, and will always buy organically grown food where it is available.
Unfortunately where I live we don’t have a Farmers Market open on a Saturday, otherwise I’d make much use of that. However I do see our local supermarket offering an impressive range of British produce. The price is a little higher but well worth it in my opinion.
Originally I stopped buying RoI produce since that country insulted mine during Mrs May’s time in No 10. But soon extended my ‘sanctions’ list to include all EU countries.
I refuse to give my custom to any country that insults mine, or is ungrateful for the sarifices we’ve made for them.
I’m also ‘eco concious’ when it comes to buying, i.e. I wont buy anything from Brazil because of their disregard for the rain forest, and won’t buy anything from the far east because of the disgusting way they treat dogs, bears and horses. I cannot abide animal cruelty.
I do grow some stuff myself, but at the moment still learning the basics i.e. tomatoes, spuds etc. I also have a couple of plum trees and have made some fantastic jam the last couple of years.
EU produce ?……..nah don’t need it.
February 16, 2021
What does the government intend to do to assist our farmers grow food? What about making it illegal to plant savetheplanet paraphernalia on farmland and giving grants to farmers for its removal? What about making it illegal to plant housing for the third world on English farmland and also make it illegal for the Tory party to import the third world posing as ‘economic migrants’, ‘asylum seekers’ etc. What is the point of talking a load of bilge about buying British produce when the government makes no effort to ensure the availability of agricultural land?
February 16, 2021
The thing that has really changed here may not be what people think. Post Brexit, the UK is no longer behind the EU external tariff wall, but has its own list of external tariffs, which in most cases are about half the previous EU level, and in the case of below 2% have been abolished altogether.
This means that the artificial price advantage EU imports had pre-Brexit has dropped sharply, and the UK consumer now has access to imports from World markets that were previously excluded by EU external tariff barriers.
In other words, if UK consumers simply pay attention to *price*, on average they will automatically switch their spending away from the EU, and towards UK domestic production and imports from friendly third countries.
February 16, 2021
Because of the EU behaviour, we have reduced our purchase of EU products in favour of British or non-EU products. Found some nice British white wine from Waitrose…very nice and right on our backdoor! I would say a significant portion of our weekly shop is now non-EU.
February 17, 2021
With the rubbish equivalence “deal” our companies operate at a disadvantage within the protectionist EU and in our home market, well done Conservative politicians!. I won’t be buying anything from EU businesses and I won’t be voting for the Conservatives.
February 18, 2021
Indeed. I do wish that Nigel Farage & Co in the Reform Party would not disregard our unfinished business with the EU. Sure, there is loads of domestic reform needed, but we need total disconnect from all that is EU still in our economic and legal system. We will spin away from the EU orbit anyway over time, but we must hasten the process as consumers and as voters.
I resigned my membership of the Conservatives in 2019, so count me among the disaffected. However, some glimmers of hope with the new Cabinet role for “Frosty” and the promise of legislation to enforce photo ID for voting come 2023 (although no word about how that other major fraud, postal voting, will be treated). We just have to steer Boris away from grandiose vanity projects and get him to stick to the basics.
I still tend towards the view that people get the government they deserve and it was voter power that did for Theresa May, not the Party heirarchy as they would have it. So, we have to use petitions to Parliament and columns like this to make ourselves heard. However, for that to be effective, there has to be a viable alternative as leverage and the only one I can see is Nigel.
February 17, 2021
The EU, especially France, has been making things very difficult for our exporters, and also the unnecessary Northern Ireland protocol has been applied so as to cause maximum disruption. It is high time that we retaliated. There are various options:
– Withdraw recognition of the European Commission and negotiate with only with individual Member States
– Stop all residual payments to the EU
– Scrap the Northern Ireland protocol unilaterally
– Scrap our share transaction tax to help the LSE compete against the Dutch
– Get our Royal Navy to harass European fishing boats in our waters
– Take a red pencil to the Laws and Directives that the EU has imposed since the Maastricht treaty became law
– Impose quotas on certain types of EU imports until we are granted full access to supply financial services in the EU
What is the point in recovering full sovereignty in theory and then not applying it in practice?
February 18, 2021
EU products are absent from our shopping list. Producers would be wise to package with UK produce labels, English apples are now preferable to German Braeburns ! We have read that the UK are issuing fishing licences to EU in the 6-12 mile limit whilst the EU are banning our shellfish. Why are we doing this ?
February 18, 2021
I was puzzled when I read that people in N.Ireland were having difficulty getting seeds etc delivered from GB. Where do the people in the Republic get their seeds etc. from?
February 18, 2021
Its only a matter of time before UK car manufacturers give up making cars in the UK and move into the EU.
The Brexit economic fall out is only just starting
February 19, 2021
I have no idea whether or not there are shortages of EU good or delays in getting them. I have actively avoided buying EU since the Commission adopted their distasteful approach of unicorns, magical thinking and cherry picking with or without cakes. In a year or so I will consider replacing my car when it reaches ten years service. My next car will not be manufactured in the EU.
I may delay purchase of the car until nearer the 2030 cliff edge so that I can still get a petrol powered vehicle that will hopefully be allowed on the roads after this ridiculous deadline.