The UK trade figures were altered as we finally left the EU, disrupting comparisons. We are told they were changed from an Intrastate  to a Customs basis, and were told there were missing numbers from the early months after the change owing to data collection issues. As many Remain MPs and commentators thought the issue of the EU was all about trade it is irritating that the numbers were disrupted just as we left.
Now things should have settled down a bit we can compare 2022 as we came out of covid lockdowns with 2019 before covid and before exit. The 2022 figures show goods imports and exports both strongly up . I use goods because the Remain MPs never seemed interested in our good surplus in services and our success in selling services to non EU Â Countries despite the absence of services chapters in EU trade deals with other countries.
Non EU trade has continued t9 grow faster than our EU trade as it was doing when we were still in the EU, and is larger than our EU trade. Our imports from the EU are still very large. We need to adopt the various policies I have been proposing to grow more of our own food, produce more of our own energy and make more of our  own goods. Governmentb has promised the first two and needs to get on with the methods to do so.
It was always strange that UK pro Remain MPs and commentators always pretended the EU was just a free trade area when it was a customs union as part of a much bigger Union where the other members saw the importance  of wide ranging EU level government, single  currency, common debts, common foreign and security policy and the rest.Even on the issue of trade the Remain MPs were wrong.Our trade has not been badly damaged by the exit. It is up, though as in the EU we still import  more than we export to the continent  and need to tackle the imbalances.
August 31, 2023
That is all very good economic news, . . . but is the OBR made up of remain MPs???
It is the OBR that reports a 4% damage to the UK’s GDP is related to Brexit.
August 31, 2023
They are still forecasting it, but it has yet to happen. It is why their economic forecasts have been consistently below the actual outturns.
August 31, 2023
4% over a decade when they can’t get the next quarters right. The OBR makes astrologers look competent.
August 31, 2023
@Peter+van+LEEUWEN – How can you suggest that an entity that since its inception has never been any where close to being right – can have any meaning. That is without factoring in, that yes they are EU remain disciples.
August 31, 2023
Do you mean this? From March 2023:
https://obr.uk/box/how-are-our-brexit-forecasting-assumptions-performing
“On trade and productivity, we assume that the volume of UK imports and exports will both be 15 per cent lower in the long run than if we had remained in the EU, reducing the overall trade intensity of GDP. And we assume that this leads to a 4 per cent reduction in the potential productivity of the UK economy. The reduction builds over time with the full effect felt after 15 years.”
August 31, 2023
‘we assume’ means ‘we wish it were true’ – hilarious mob.
August 31, 2023
Rees mogg said it will take fifty years before we see the benefits.
September 1, 2023
We are talking about the OBR, not about Jacob Rees-Mogg.
August 31, 2023
The OBR is no longer fit for purpose
August 31, 2023
You’ve misunderstood the 4%. It is not a report of anything that has actually happened, it is a guess of the very long-term reduction in GDP that they think will happen in the future. Given the accuracy of their predictions a few months in advance I think we can safely ignore anything they predict about 20 years in the future. And yes, the OBR is made up of Remainers, just look at the senior staff there.
August 31, 2023
â It was always strange that UK pro Remain MPs and commentators always pretended the EU was just a free trade area when it was a customs union as part of a much bigger Union where the other members saw the importance of wide ranging EU level government, single currency, common debts, common foreign and security policy and the rest.â
It was initially sold to the British public as a âCommon Marketâ long before the days of Brexit.
Debate was around the price of butter(more expensive but less important to Europeans), continuing trade with the Commonwealth, European productivity compared to the UK etc. No mention of a single currency, foreign policy and so on back in the 1970s.
August 31, 2023
You were not listening to the Anti-Common Market League. They told you all of that and about the single currency, single defence force single country.
August 31, 2023
Most people never read the Treaty of Rome.
September 1, 2023
You don’t need to read it. The first line is enough to show our treacherous politicians as liars, particularly Ted Heath. They rely on the public not taking much interest in anything political to foist their views and actions upon us.
August 31, 2023
â We need to adopt the various policies I have been proposing to grow more of our own food, produce more of our own energy and make more of our own goods.â
Yes but we continue to do far less of all these things. I remember a publication called âThe Directory of Opportunities for Graduatesâ from back in the days when there was plenty of work and the bosses were paying.
So many of those companies featured, particularly manufacturers have now gone. Taken over by overseas concerns, markets for their product in the UK undercut, put out of business for killing people with asbestos, etc, etc.
There used to be many small manufacturers in London which have now completely disappeared. The service sector grew but the importance of domestic production and its absence is now beginning to be commented on.
September 1, 2023
I grow a fair amount of my own food, but due to the Net Zero nonsense it is no longer easy and I would expect many home growers to give up, especially newbies. I refer to the non peat formula composts made compulsory from next year which are rubbish compared to the old stuff. They contain all sorts of garbage and I am convinced weed killers as well which cannot be composted out. The local authority composting system takes any old rubbish from people’s gardens, with no knowledge of what people have put on their grass and plants. It all seems of a piece to bring us down further and further with ever decreasing quality of products at aver increasing prices.
September 1, 2023
The OBR’s forecasting is about as reliable as Mystic Meg’s. The only reliable thing about it is that it is ALWAYS wrong.
August 31, 2023
Covid still disrupted the 2022 trade figures, with the UK hit big:
– Our large aerospace industry relies on exports impacted by the air travel downturn.
– There was also a shortage of chips for cars, which affected both imports and exports.
We are unlikely to see the complete picture of these elements of goods trade figures until 2024, but these will partially recover this year.
August 31, 2023
Once again the appalling SoS Environment Therese Coffey has been instrumental in weakening environmental protection in our country. Aided and abbetted by Michael Gove, she has abandoned the long held principle that the polluter pays and intends to load our precious trout rivers with yet more damaging pollution, this time from housebuilding run-off
An amendment tabled by the government to the levelling up bill orders local authorities to ignore nutrient pollution from new developments in ecologically sensitive areas in England, including the Norfolk Broads and the Lake District
Under the current system, which is derived from EU law, developers are not allowed to add more pollution to already-polluted protected areas. The proposed changes would demonstrably reduce the level of environmental protection provided for in existing environmental law. Yet the government has not adequately explained how, alongside such weakening of environmental law, the new policy measures will ensure it still meets its objectives for water quality and protected site conditions.
Apparently Govey thinks another 100,000 houses in our national parks are more important than protecting our rivers, which already under this government have become open sewers. Shame on both of them.
August 31, 2023
where else will we put the immigrants?
August 31, 2023
But the âpolluterâ does not pay, which is why we prefer to create our pollution via a third party an import. Itâs academic of course but the politicians can claim to have reduced CO2 – funny that in this instance they think of this island separated from the rest of âthe planetâ.
They hope we will not see their madness.
August 31, 2023
Exactly.
August 31, 2023
I believe most of the pollution in rivers comes from farmland runoff.
As to pollution from housebuilding, the answer would seem to be to stop the import of 700k people a year, all of whom need a place to live.
Woodland does a good job in suppressing floodwaters and helps to filter out pollutants, so plant trees not houses and restore our temperate rainforests.
August 31, 2023
Agreed. Well said.
August 31, 2023
@Sakara Gold Prove it, really prove it. EU Bureaucrats are not scientist they do not use scientific facts, they are not elected and they are not accountable to the people of the EU.
Has at any time has Michael Gove stated that 100,000 new homes in our National Parks is more important than the environment?
August 31, 2023
Eloquently put. Gove, Coffey and their cronies are a disgrace,
August 31, 2023
‘under this government have become open sewers’ not fair – they have all been the same.
August 31, 2023
Caught in a self-made trap but that’s what happens when you elect scum parties to government who put their own interests above all else
August 31, 2023
Correct
August 31, 2023
If we didn’t continue to accept millions of immigrants, we wouldn’t need 100,000 new houses !
August 31, 2023
Old Albion
Exactly. One poor policy forces another !
August 31, 2023
ain’t that the truth
August 31, 2023
Problem is that many of the native population don’t want to work / look unhealthy / have a lot of serious psychological issues / WOKE and LGBT nonsense / tattoos – and the rest – and that’s just the working class.
This is all part of Western civilisation falling apart. We need to get the churches / media / the arts / educators to try and instill some fundamental values such as work ethic / family values / being properly masculine/feminine / being responsible towards others / patriotism etc ..
Politics can’t resolve all these profound issues although it can do a fair bit (and I’d start by reintroducing some kind of military service where you can do military training or care work). And even in politics, so many of our politicians are mediocre (or rubbish). We got to figure out how to get people into Parliament who are real leaders with proper business experience.
If not, it’s like trying to treat a serious medical issue with just paracetamol.
August 31, 2023
Exactly, but not only that, 600,000 ADDITIONAL people EVERY YEAR as we have arriving at the moment, effects everything, not just houses.
We simply cannot build the infrastructure necessary to support three extra cities the size of York or Portsmouth each year. Without sufficient extra houses, schools, hospitals, GP surgeries ( and the GPs to man them), and every other service, provision for our own people inevitably get worse.
Emissions inevitably rise with every additional person arriving to live in our country, so the Green extremists in and outside Parliament demand more sacrifices from all of us to meet their fallacious climate change targets.
The latest idea, banning replacement oil boilers by 2028, and the rumbling argument over mandatory sales of EVs are just a couple of examples.
Cannot politicians of all parties not see why people are so angry ? Sooner or later one party is going to have to break ranks and campaign to put a stop to all this nonsense. They will certainly pick up seats. Hopefully it will be the Conservatives. I only hope that every one of our constituency parties is selecting candidates who are sceptical and realistic abut these issues. The last thing we need is a whole lot more Net Zero enthusiasts in Parliament.
September 1, 2023
That party (and I presume you mean the Not-a-Conservative one) will only do it if it is forced to by an existential threat. We saw that with the EU Referendum: Cameron only pledged one when UKIP was starting to seriously threaten it.
People who say “vote to be Conned again because Labour will be worse” are completely missing the point. The CONs will only change tack if they are absolutely forced to in order to survive.
August 31, 2023
OLD ALBION
I second that , sir.
August 31, 2023
Yes, and Sunak is trying to sell us this as something positive along with his idea of forcing criminals into court to face their sentencing. This man is deluded if he thinks these policies will win him the next election.
August 31, 2023
The more that I hear about the Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, the more impressed I am. His current visit to China is a case in point
China is still the UK’s fourth largest trading partner, but concerns over threats to civil liberties in the former British colony of Hong Kong, espionage by China in the UK, and China’s support of Russia during the invasion of Ukraine have led to tensions between our two countries.
Speaking to the BBC yesterday, Mr Cleverly said his visit was an opportunity to speak “directly and unambiguously” on areas of disagreement and “work together where it is in our mutual interest to do so”.
In a cabinet of mediocrities, James Cleverly has shone out as head and shoulders above the rest of the field and shows foresight and knowledge of international affairs. Cleverly should keep his job in Sunak’s imminent reshuffle.
August 31, 2023
SG. Your last paragraph made me laugh, ‘..in a cabinet of mediocrities..’ surely too generous!
However, I still doubt the foreign office comprehends properly the danger posed by a China ruled by a dictator facing economic disaster. Cleverly should start his SE Asia visit by meeting with the regional nations being threatened by their overbearing neighbour.
August 31, 2023
They did provide a few more anti hacking and eavesdropping devices than last time. Let’s hope they worked.
August 31, 2023
‘ruled by a dictator facing economic disaster. ‘ – I thought you were talking about our PM!
August 31, 2023
He may as well stop off in Saudi and take MBS another âfeministâ book as Baerbock did! Advertising our governments bigoted and insular small-mindedness is not conducive to maintaining Britain influence in the world, which was always grounded in comprehending and respecting different cultures.
August 31, 2023
I translate your trade report as moving in the right direction but could do better. Ridding our industry, manufacturing and financial, of all that residual EU restrictive law would be a good next step. The deceptuve attitude of those in power cannot be trusted to do this so hold them to the fire.
On the question of deception I would add this on ULEZ.
Khan says it is to save lives, a lie, he desperately needs ths money. Were it to save lives he would ban all none compliant vehicles. However he prefers to keep collecting the fees and fines from the use of none compliant vehicles.
Sunak recognises the near revolt developing in the outer suburbs of London against Khan’s policy, but opts to do nothing, though he has the means. He is quick to define it as a problem for Khan and Starmer, a labour problem. He is looking ahead short term in anticipation of votes for his lot at the next GE.
So we have the dishonesty of Khan and the cynicism of Sunak, all of which neatly defines the political age we are transitting. Those that pay for this in every sense are the electorate of outer London. I hope they are becoming increasingly aware and turn their ears to the voice of Reform, a genuine Conservative party.
August 31, 2023
Is the Usurper playing the same cynical game with illegal immigration?
August 31, 2023
@Sakara Gold – and China is the Worlds largest polluter, is not playing any part in your NetZero desires at any level. China has approved more Coal Power stations this year that will produce more pollution than the whole of the UKâs combined out put, all for you to have more EVâs on UK streets. Massive contradiction in your thought process, China good, UK bad.
August 31, 2023
China is playing a very large part: providing the polluting turbines and panels etc; doing the manufacturing we are too pure to do; and encouraging the international community to put pressure on the West to commit suicide.
August 31, 2023
Politically, economically, militarily and socially we are nothing to China âŠweâre now just a small customer buying their wares
August 31, 2023
+++
We are but poor hill farmers with the tally man callingâŠ.
August 31, 2023
Except our sheep will be confiscated by the cultists.
August 31, 2023
It is doubtful that Mr Sunakâs imminent reshuffle will do anything to change the odds against his party being re-elected to govern. Never known so many people to be of the view that the party that was formerly Conservative needs to be consigned to a long time out of office to reflect upon the stupidity of the policies that they adopted.
August 31, 2023
The Tory MPs are too blame …they let the move to the left happen
August 31, 2023
Nope!
They should all goâŠevery single one.
JR could do all of their ridiculous jobs ( heâd get rid of all green linked ones I bet) standing on his head, playing chess and drinking a cup of coffee!
AND the result would be 100% better.
August 31, 2023
+1
August 31, 2023
+1
September 1, 2023
So you support us cuddling up to the world’s largest CO2 polluter …. China produces 29% of global emissions.
Just to clarify, you think it is good to export jobs, manufacturing, industry and money to the vile Chinese regime and then pay to import the products they produce with their 29% of global CO2 emissions?
August 31, 2023
We donât need to fret about reducing imports from the EU. German industry has collapsed to âcovid lockdownâ levels, instead of obtaining LNG from Russia via the EU (Russia is now the EUâs biggest supplier đđ€Ł) why not just pump our own gas, or frack?
Soon there will be nothing to import from the dead continent. So we need to concentrate on import-substitution industries. Putin has been wonderfully successful at that and if a âpetrol station-posing-as-a-countryâ can do it, surely we can too?
August 31, 2023
Well said
I fear this era of compromise by those in power to form a standardised approach to ‘everything’ will mean that the UK will have less and less an identity in the real world – the quality of our leaders will determine our fate, unfortunately they have already compromised themselves in line with the NWO.
Imports and exports, under netzero, will soon become as unimportant as our living standards meet the lowest common level of the 3rd world.
August 31, 2023
That is good news if true John, and no more than I expected, but with so many errors and changes and corrections being made to so many reports, it is difficult to take comfort from any so called official statistics nowadays.
The real wonder is how we are managing to still export stuff when we have such high costs in the UK, but then I guess manufacturing volume is not what it was, and so it’s really all about the growth in services.
August 31, 2023
âNHS flu and covid vaccine programmes brought forward due to risk of new covid variantâ
At least this time they are limiting it mainly to over 65s or those with certain health conditions or jobs. But who would not trust them after the lies and dishonesty concerning the very many vaccine injured from the (clearly significant Net Harm and even to children) Covid Vaccine Programme? Not for me this time thanks very much. I personally know four people who developed sig. & serious heart arrhythmias following the last Covid vaccine. The statistics on risk benefit look extremely poor to me.
August 31, 2023
LL
My neighbour has been on the Cardiac ward in the Royal United in Bath for over 3 weeks with pericarditis believed to have been caused by the vaccinations heâs received
Not safe and effective
August 31, 2023
Sir John
As usual your analytic mind looks at hard results. Others buy into media hype about a few in real terms miss-steps and try to conflate that to mean that is the same as the bigger picture.
The real World was always bigger than the unaccountable bureaucratic run EU.
To many, me included the formal desire was to be part of a free democratic nation, something that doesnât figure in the EU, and thier united states of Europe agenda. The however of course, is our remain Parliament is still trying to be a EU mini-me as opposed to being a democracy. The refusal of Parliament to take on the job of being the UKâs legislator is an insult to themselves and us in suggesting they are a part of the democratic process. The HoC seemingly will kowtow to any one outside of the UK while refusing their job in the UK. The HoC, this pretend Conservative Government will do the bidding of all the worldâs dictator while refusing to honour their commitments to those that pay and elected them.
The mind set off some of our elected politicians needs to change, be reset and be refocussed on being first and foremost a real Democracy, not a dominion of some foreign ruler. Or they could answer why do we need them? Remain means redundancy, becoming just a local council following someone elses diktats
August 31, 2023
Also, immediate priority right now must be a plan to create a sophisticated defence system that can shoot down hypersonic missiles and also shoot down drones inside the UK. We have to turn the UK into an armed fortress and also to keep immigrants out (again this is NOT about racism but we can’t pay for all these immigrants long-term, certainly not the ones doing low-grade jobs. We need a far more robust immigration policy). But keeping our trading channels as free and open as possible.
Also the country voted our of the EU / Single Market but we still need to find a way to stay close to our neighbours on matters of security / immigration / culture / trade etc whilst still remaining outside the EU / Single Market. (Working with our geographical neighbour over creating sophisticated defence systems would be a good start – including sharing the costs of developing this new technology).
August 31, 2023
It is amazing how much we are selling to the EU given that Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with access to the EU Single Market. Or so some claim:
http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2022/07/22/my-contribution-in-the-northern-ireland-protocol-committee-day-2-debate/#comment-1330678
“Only yesterday I sent an email about that to Hilary Benn, Labour MP for Leeds Central, headed:
âRecord exports to the EU, but not from Leeds Centralâ
âThe recent CityAM article âÂŁ16.9bn boost for Brexit Britain as UK to EU exports hit highest level ever recordedâ should have made it clear that none of those exports came from Leeds Central, because …”
Who started this nonsense about Northern Ireland being in a uniquely privileged position?
Which is now being repeated by this US Senator:
https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2023/08/27/windsor-framework-people-of-ni-do-not-understand-how-good-a-deal-it-is-says-us-senator/
“Windsor Framework: People of NI do not understand how good a deal it is, says US senator”
He thinks it’s “a windfall for Northern Ireland”, because âThey are the only place that has the dual benefits of being firmly planted in the market of Great Britain and the European Union at the same time”.
August 31, 2023
The EU and the GB markets are there for any NI business that wants to take advantage
September 1, 2023
And for any US business as well.
August 31, 2023
At least Rishi has shown he has a great sense of humour where Grant Shapps is concerned.
Can’t wait for the photo of his head, complete with goggles, sticking out of a tank Ă la M Thatcher.
August 31, 2023
Right now Shapps isnât thinking about his new position in defence âŠheâs thinking ââif Iâm good enough for defence secretary Iâm good enough to be prime ministerââ
August 31, 2023
@glen cullen – thinking?
August 31, 2023
Exactly! Shapps in his 5th cabinet post this year! Has had no time to really mess anything upđ.
Personally I think our Defence Sec should visit the front line where our volunteersâ are fighting. Give him an idea of what his job is about!
Let him see what âfull mobilisationâ looks like too – and why itâs requiredâŠ
September 1, 2023
sighs of relief in the Departments he leaves?
September 1, 2023
As he’s a qualified pilot with his own Piper Saratoga, I suspect we will see Grant Shapps sitting in the cockpit of a Typhoon first – or taking the stick flying a Poseidon alongside an RAF pilot.
September 1, 2023
He’ll no doubt wear the RAF uniform and call himself ‘ginger’
August 31, 2023
Is it 1st April – Grant Shapps appointed Defence Secretary
Its not a question of effective UK trade its a question of effective UK government ….I don’t see a conservative government
August 31, 2023
Update –
Rishi Sunak is reshuffling his cabinet this morning, and appoints Michael Gove as the new Prime Minister
August 31, 2023
@glen cullen – don’t know the man, he has no record of ability or achievement, he comes over as peripheral Boris acolyte at best. Although reading his entry in Wikipedia I would be very concerned, worried if just one tenth of what is stated is true.
August 31, 2023
So Grant Shapps is now to move to Defence. So how many ministerial positions has he had now been through, 9 is it? Well he was hopeless at Energy, Transport, Party Chairman, Housing⊠and seemed to know nothing about any of these topics and failing miserably. Still he has his HND from Manchester Poly. (so he clearly rather struggled at school despite having been to good ones).
Still, why would a minister need to be remotely bright or to know anything about the subjects for which they are the minister? They very rarely do after all as they endlessly demonstrate. We saw this in spades with John (ERM) Major as Chancellor and then as PM – though that did not end too well with the Tories destroyed & Labour in power for 3+ terms. The disaster of ~ 15 years Blair and Brown followed.
Sunak clearly out to give Labour an even large majority this time 350+ perhaps? Not even the courage to do anything about the ULEZ mugging or illegal migration or growth, or tax levels, or to stop the endless government waste, or to sort out the NHS, or to ditch net zero⊠no change no chance Rishi.
August 31, 2023
So the Letby inquiry is upgraded to statutory. So when are we starting the net harm Covid vaccine inquiry? Who caused the gross negligence in vaccinating people under about 60 for no reason? At least they are now limiting the new one to 65+ even that is highly questionable where are their net benefit computations?
August 31, 2023
So the new Energy Security and net zero minister has a degree in maths and philosophy from Exeter College, Oxford. (Claire Coutinho) a shame it is not physics/engineering/maths but she should surely be able to see & understand that Net zero, climate alarmism and the solutions being pushed are all total lunacy (and the very reverse of UK energy security).
First job to change the name to:- The Department for cheap, reliable & on demand energy & electricity.
She should push fracking, nuclear, drilling & mining fossil fuels. Including the circa 80% of energy (mainly fossil fuels) needed for heat, industry, fertiliser, tractors, transport⊠and stop burning wood at Drax – but doubtless she will follow the CO2 devil gas religion and continue the fraud!
August 31, 2023
She will not, donât worry.
August 31, 2023
I wonder what pseudonym he’ll be using tomorrow
September 1, 2023
When the media circus raises a voice, it can be all change in the Government sinecures.
August 31, 2023
Thank you for these clarifications about the state of our trade. Growth for the UK will be found in markets beyond the EU, which as you point out is a protectionist customs union. Both it’s demographics and politics (loss of cheap Russian gas, addiction to uneconomic green energy and unsustainable social security benefits) condemn it to long term decline. The UK is on broadly the same path unless it can make better use of freedom of choice afforded by Brexit. So far the forces of obscurantist appear to have the upper hand.
August 31, 2023
It is not only pro remain MPâs that come out with these untruths, fibs and falsehoods, it seems to be repeated by anyone who presents or is invited to be a guest on the BBC and the mainstream media.
Sensible facts such as presented by the good Sir John are very rarely aired. But many thanks to Sir John so that ordinary people and local councillors that campaigned hard to leave the EU are equipped with facts to prove the countryâs decision was correct.
August 31, 2023
Because of the CCC âthe science is settledâ argument, the BBC doesnât have to include any alternative discussion âŠtheyâve expanded that style of debate to âallâ topics that they donât like
August 31, 2023
What an appalling choice Sunak has made for Ben Wallace’ replacement as SoS Defence in Grant Schraps, which once again callls into question his judgement
Schraps was a complete failure as Chairman of the party. When Transport Secretary he failed to close the borders at the start of the Chinese plague virus crisis, allowing the virus to rapidly become established here and cause 180,000 deaths. He presided over the HGV driver shortage and then the petrol crisis, claiming for weeks that there was in fact no crisis at all. He failed to commit the HS2 line to Leeds but presided over months of DVLA strikes caused by his mismanagement of the pay and conditions negotiations.
Though the government has committed to the Northern Powerhouse Rail more than 60 times in the last seven years, not a single mile of track was built while Schraps was Transport Secretary.
Ministers promised they would deliver 4,000 new zero emission buses â yet not a single one has made it onto the road thanks to Schraps obstruction and opposition to EVs as the Energy and Net Zero minister
Schraps legendary failure to upgrade the national electricity grid, install the 40,000 EV charging points promised or authorise any onshore wind and solar projects will go down in history as the worst ministerial incompetence shown by any government since the war. And now this man has been put in charge of the defence of the realm. Heaven help us.
August 31, 2023
Relax, we have long since stopped defending the Realm. He can do no more harm.
August 31, 2023
Governments don’t grow food farmers do and they won’t grow it unless they can harvest it and for that they need workers and so to make a living – also they were promised payments to compensate for the loss of CAP payments but are still waiting.
Your piece today is just another gripe at the EU and shows how divided opinion in this country has become. I agree some remainers are on a bent to get us back in but they are wasting their time because the EU types are not stupid and most certainly don’t want british troublemaking back again so instead of trying to argue the past with them you should instead be telling them the door has been slammed and their efforts for a reversal now are a complete waste of time.
August 31, 2023
Somehow the UK manages to grow less food than it did in the 1980s. I watched an online interview with Sir Julian Rose (ex-Soil Association Board). He had a lot of wise advice on how to reverse this trend.
August 31, 2023
The days of scything wheat are over. Nobody would do it – automation is the way to harvest food now. The cheap labour led to lower investment and research in technology, we need to reverse that and ensure that menial jobs don’t need humans (or don’t need them in such large numbers).
August 31, 2023
Sir John,
If the issue of the EU was only about trade, then it is unlikely there would have been a majority to leave.
The CPTPP is about trade, and greater trading opportunities in the future.
August 31, 2023
âLondonâs revolt against the Ulez scam is set to shatter politics as we know it
The Tories should urgently pull out the stops to back Susan Hall, the one woman who can defeat Sadiq Khanâ
The sensible Allister Heath today.
But Susan Hill is a nonentity (no one even knows her name) & she is clearly not even fully against ULEZ and Sunak could easily stop ULEZ now if he remotely wanted too. But he want to maintain the fiction that it is all Kahn and Labour typical duplicity from him.
August 31, 2023
Iâm confused by the Tory ULEZ policy â
Its their policy, they own it, they told the mayor to implement it, but the PM says he doesnât like it, the Tory candidate for Mayor of London doesnât like it and most of the Tory MPs when questioned say they donât like it
SO WHICH IS IT ! are the tories for or against ULEZ
August 31, 2023
A bit like their ‘fracking for shale gas’ policy ….its on its off its on its off its on its off
September 1, 2023
Apparently Schapps, when he was Sec of State for Transport, approved the extension of the existing LEZ to the north and south circulars.
Khan upped the ante and made it the whole of Greater London as a cash-grab.
So it would seem that when it comes to ULEZ, the Not-a-Conservative-Party basically supports a slower boiling of the London frogs than Labour. Which is why Sunak won’t stop it.
September 1, 2023
+1
August 31, 2023
Khan was a “non-entity” but he was elected! But how and why? I feel there is something about our polling system that does not reflect the live principle of one man/woman one vote. Ditto the USA.
August 31, 2023
Derek – The Khan puppet was installed by the Globalists.
September 1, 2023
55.2% of Globalists voted to renew their trust in Sadiq Khan as Mayor of London in May 2021.
August 31, 2023
LL
The tories support the ULEZ policy so thereâs very little chance of any interference from them
August 31, 2023
ONS: “Exports to EU countries were at ÂŁ17.4 billion in July 2022, the highest level since records began in January 1997.” So, no impairment due to Brexit there.
However, our trade deficit with the EU at ÂŁ92bn for 2022 is much higher than in 2019. Why so ? Energy imports make up a large part of it I imagine and will continue to do so as we have deliberately inhibited local oil and gas production.
August 31, 2023
Roy, before people mention inflation (6.9% avg for this period), ONS total trade figure to the end of June 2023 of ÂŁ1,749.6 billion is 15.4% UP on the previous 12 months.
Trade direction
UK exports ÂŁ851.6bn 19.5% change from previous 12 months
UK Imports ÂŁ898bn 11.7%
August 31, 2023
How do we produce more of our own goods if every company that produces such goods which is British has a ‘for sale’ sign on it? Either it is important that we protect British companies from predation as every other well run country does or we accept that it doesn’t matter where stuff is made, how many highly paid jobs we have, or how much of the wealth that is generated in Britain remains in Britain. Allowing spiv-run investment companies to dominate our public share registers and then vote to flog off ‘their’ companies to the highest bidder is the end result. What will they do when there is nothing left of scale to flog off? What will we do?
August 31, 2023
forthurst,
Correct. There are no barriers to entry, formal or informal, to prevent foreigners buying UK business. That is not the case elsewhere.
Some will argue this is essential for free trade. However free trade only ever worked for us, as a country, when most of the world had no industry and we wanted them to take our goods. Only selfish individuals now make money flogging off our major industries to foreign buyers.
Similar to when we forced China to take our opium and got tea and porcelain in exchange. Though free trade is not an inherently evil policy like drug selling.
September 1, 2023
forthurst, don’t British companies own foreign companies and large share portfolios in other countries?
The Canadian pension funds seem to own a lot of our profitable enterprises; shouldn’t we ask instead why our workplace pensions don’t own the UK national lottery and why they often have to buy poor-return green shares as the automatic portfolio option unless you go in and change it?
September 1, 2023
ons.gov.uk 06/07/2023 âForeign-owned business in the UK: business count, turnover and aGVA, from the Annual Business Surveyâ.
ons.gov.uk 03/03/2022 âOwnership of UK quoted shares: 2020â.
Thatâs the easy bit to find.
Now British-owned business in other countries: more difficult to find, somewhat possible usually by looking for British companies on the X âs Stock Exchange (eg, 91 on the various US exchanges).
Maybe Robert Kimbell could help?
August 31, 2023
The new appointees to the Cabinet suggest that nolessons have been learned.
Another Labour government seems inevitable, but then… we’ve had socialist government for 20-30 years, only the colour of their rosettes varies.
August 31, 2023
I prefer Socialist candidates to wear red rosettes. Then we have the right politics to blame for the socialist mess.
August 31, 2023
UK Trade â Energy imports via interconnectors as at 12:00hrs
16.1% = 5.98gw (in old money on ave. 1gw = 1 power station)
August 31, 2023
Conversely we could import less and grow our own industries.
August 31, 2023
I wonder if anybody in the Cabinet has expressed that idea?
September 1, 2023
that would be quite novel
August 31, 2023
True perspective is never quite there, in part because the headline writers in the media are not also writing the story â it is âclick-baitâ, to support advertisers.
Here in the UK we have the ONS, even though they are recording data after the event it has never turned out to be correct. However, the ONS is clear in its âterms of useâ the figure published wont be correct and will be altered some time down the line to reflect reality.
UK GDP has shown signs of growth in the last quarter, it is now just 22% of that in the US for the same period. Why so far behind? The IMF(?) even shows France to be doing 100% better than the UK in GDP growth, the World is nearly on a different planet to the UK with and average GDP some 750% better than the UKâs â why? It can only be those that manage the UK, 13 years of Conservative Government mismanagement, are fighting not supporting.
The EU as a whole like the UK is languishing at the bottom of the World stage in GDP terms, is there a similarity in management style?
Logic, this Conservative Government of 13 years has to go and be replaced by a UK Government, then let the UK join the World, be part of the World and grow with the World. Everything our remain Conservative Government and remain Parliament is fighting against. One wonders what would have happened if our HoC had put as much energy in to supporting the UK as they do fighting it – how much further we all would be.
August 31, 2023
Off topic, but still relates to the problems we are all faced with.
13 years of failing Conservative Governments and still they learn nothing. Jobs are handed out based on Loyalty to the Gang Boss and not based on ability or having the acumen, experience to do the job required. Someone that has already failed, but stays loyal gets the full support of the Gang Leader.
The so-called red wall MPâs appear to be more Conservative, could serve this country better than this residue of the BJ Cabinet(voting out Boris, and keeping him whoâd have thought it) who are clinging on while managing to destroy what is left of the once great party.
August 31, 2023
We will do nothing like suggested here and the situation here will get worse, much worse, so no point in discussing further, we have not got the people in place here capable of managing the situztion, Boris sacked all who were any good broke all trust with he EU and business (fcuk business) then allowed Truss and Kwartang to slip in with their disastrous budget nearly wrecked the whole country – so my guess is very likely in the end it will be a job for the IMF
August 31, 2023
I have often thought that many of those avid Remain “celeb” fans like Linaker, Coogan and Grant et al did not fully understand the Single Market and the Custom Union tagged onto it.
It should have been a FTA but protectionism was the basis of the plan. Thus every member was controlled on tariffs, VAT and international trade agreements. And the beneficiaries of the not-so-FTA? Why German manufacturers and French and Italian agriculture – the founding fathers of the EU Federal State of Europe project (or as some may decide and link – etc ed
August 31, 2023
Sonâs landline disabled and digital phone provided.
Guess what?
It doesnât work!!
WellâŠas everâŠthereâs a surprise!
One more step back to the cave.
August 31, 2023
Who said “there will be no cakes on the table – only salt and vinegar”
September 1, 2023
Donald Tusk.