As long ago as 2016, the British people voted to take back control. We voted to re-establish our sovereignty. The last Parliament sought to subvert and undermine that view. In 2019, given the opportunity, the British public voted again, by a substantial margin, to take back control. They elected, with a decent majority, a Government of a party pledged to do just that, and this Government moved with speed and purpose to take back control. Unfortunately, we still need to debate this matter today because of the conduct of the European Union. There is outstanding business. We still have not taken back proper control in Northern Ireland or over our fishing grounds. I am glad to take the opportunity provided by this Back-Bench debate to urge the Government to fully implement the mandate of the British people given to them both in the referendum and in the general election to take back that control.
I have been angered, but not surprised, by the conduct of the European Union. There is a long history of the European Union antagonising neighbours and potentially friendly states and attempting to use distorted, twisted or simply wrong legal arguments to force things in its own direction against the interests of its neighbours. The EU, in the long negotiations with the UK, always said that it respected the UKās wish to restore its sovereignty and did not wish to deny it, and yet here we have a case where the EU is trying to wrestle our sovereignty away from us in an important part of our country. The EU always promised to respect our internal market, as is reflected in the agreements that we are currently discussing, yet now it wishes to hijack it. It wishes to divert a substantial proportion of GB-to-Northern Ireland trade to the EU for its purposes against the spirit and the letter of the agreement.
Above all, the EU promised to respect the peace agreement. It went on and on about an imaginary border that the UK had no intention of making more complicated or more difficult, and denying the actual border that was already there that was necessary for its purposes and the UKās purposes for taxation, currency and regulatory matters. It has gone out of its way to antagonise the loyalist majority community in Northern Ireland. That is the very opposite of working with us to promote the peace and to reduce the tensions within those important communities.
So what should we do now? Our Government have shown enormous tolerance, restraint and flexibility. I make no secret of the fact that I would not have shown as much flexibility or restraint as they have done, because I am already very angry about the EUās conduct. But they are right that we need to show that we have tried to negotiate a settlement. I hope they will have one more go at trying to get the EU to agree to a common-sense approach to these border issues whereby proper trade can be sustained and promoted so that GB-NI trade is also restored and not interfered with by the EU, because that was never part of the idea behind the original agreement.
I hope the Government will have success in these matters, but we do need to be ready now, as soon as possible, to make our own decisions and to make our own moves if the EU is not yet ready to negotiate a sensible solution. There are several on offer in this debate and in the discussions that have been held over the years. The agreement makes it clear that we can indeed move unilaterally and assert our sovereignty where our internal market is being violated and trade is being diverted, and where there are other failures by the EU to comply with the agreement, which are now several and manifest.
I say to the Government: do not delay over the whole of this summer. Take action now. The trade is being diverted now. The community sentiments are being disrupted now. The peace agreement is being wobbled now. The sovereignty of the United Kingdom is being deeply infringed now. There is plenty of evidence for that, and a good case can be made in the court of world opinion for those who are interested. But this is, above all, a matter between the Government and the British peopleāthe people of the United Kingdom as a whole. We, the Parliament of the United Kingdom, owe it to the people of Northern Ireland to ensure that they are fully part of our single market and country, just as we wish them, with us, to have friendly and good trading relations with the EU.
But if there has to be a choice between peace and our internal matters on the one hand, and our trade with the EU on the other, of course we must put Northern Ireland, peace and the integrity of our country first, whatever threats the EU may make. The EU is the disrupter of trade; the UK is the promoter of free trade worldwide. The EU is the one that is doing harm to the constitutional arrangements in Northern Ireland. We must be rock-fast in our support for the people of Northern Ireland, for the constitution of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom, and for a good solution that allows the restoration of our internal market.
July 16, 2021
Sir John,
This is a post which tops almost all you have delivered.
Thank you. I hope Boris and his cohorts take notice
Reply The government was sympathetic to our aims
July 16, 2021
Reply to Sir John’s reply: I’m sorry, but you are allowing yourself to be bamboozled and played by the government yet again. Yes, I’m sure they are indeed “sympathetic to [y]our aims” but as with everything else, ‘they will the ends but not the means’. They are simply not willing to do what is required to achieve the aims that they are “sympathetic” with.
This is the perpetual problem with this government. Yes, they would like to reduce the number of illegal immigrants, but they are not willing to do what is required: pass a law which specifically disapplies the Human Rights legislation (both domestic and international). Yes, they would like to reduce the left-wng bias of the BBC, but they are not willing to take control of appointments, or decriminalise the Licence Fee. Yes, they would like to help our fishermen, but they are not willing to actually change the allocations unilaterally, or ban EU supertrawlers, or EU fishermen from within our 12-mile coastal waters (even though UK fishermen are banned from the EU’s coastal waters!).
This is a gutless government led by a gutless prime minister. He will do NOTHING on anything because he simply doesn’t have the backbone.
July 16, 2021
+1
And Prime Minister Whitty looks like he’s about to cancel Freedom Day soon. Well… it’s Freedom Day in Name Only now anyway, so what difference ?
July 17, 2021
+1
July 16, 2021
Well said. I too believe ‘Boris’ is all bluster. There is no point in giving him another ‘go’. The fact it has gone on this far is proof he is gutless and wants some kind of appeasement arrangement. We need action to restore our full authority NOW.
July 16, 2021
Oh Dear, JR is suffering from amnesia. It is not the conduct of the EU that he should worry about. Its behaviour predictable. The Tory party and govt negotiated the “oven ready” deal. May stated Brexit means Brexit. Who allowed May to deviate from Lancaster speech to Florence capitulation? it strikes me it was the Tory party. Who took action against May after Chequers? Tory party did nothing. Why would the EU or whoever negotiate the best for themselves against such incompetent treacherous opponents?
What of Johnson and and May saying many times what no British PM would ever do, then did it!! What happened to do or die, die in a ditch, walk away deal or no deal, go whistle for the money type strap lines from Johnson? He then went on to wreck the British economy with a lockdown that was not necessary or required! I feel comforted that he wants a gender neutral, more feminine carbon neutral country which will reduce us all to their world status. His text to Cummings said ti all, he does not want the PM job. He wants to write make money and be happy.
No, JR, not the conduct of the EU- that was expected- the conduct of your party and govt needs to be examined. Your speech was hot air for the masses to deflect blame.
July 16, 2021
+1
Boris was a big mistake! Gutless, spins to agree with all our enemies
July 16, 2021
X Tory
Sadly it certainly looks that way, given the record so far on so many topics.
Then we have the green farce with Ice Vehicles and gas boiler being banned, madness utter madness.
I see Starmer also got a wake up call this morning in Blackpool as well !
July 16, 2021
Good post X-Tory.
How long will they get away with this ?
July 16, 2021
X-Tory, +1
July 17, 2021
+1
And appeasing the Scottish Nationalists by abolishing EVEL.
July 16, 2021
āUnfortunately, we still need to debate this matter today because of the conduct of the European Union. There is outstanding business. We still have not taken back proper control in Northern Ireland or over our fishing grounds.ā
The conduct of our own government has been poor too. The agreement was rushed through over Christmas New Year holiday period. No time was allocated for debate in parliament yet the EU organisation took months mulling it over.
Boris Johnson does not do detail relying on bluff when he gets into problem areas. Our government appears pusillanimous too and always on the back foot.
We cannot continue with fighting talk from Lord Frost but no action.
July 16, 2021
Wrong agreement. The Brexit trade deal was rushed through with no scrutiny over Christmas. But the Northern Ireland Protocol is not in the trade deal. It is in the Withdrawal Agreement.
The protocol was negotiated by Frost and Johnson well before the world had heard of Covid. Johnson fought an election on it in December 2019. The vast majority of voters voted against it but the Conservatives secured a majority in Parliament with a minority of the vote. Opposition MPs asked for extra time to scrutinise the Withdrawal Agreement and Northern Ireland Protocol. The Brexitists said no. They knew what was in it.
Of course, the uselessness of the trade deal makes the protocol worse – but still.
July 16, 2021
Facts, Andy. Truth. Accuracy, realism. No longer welcome in the Conservative Party, the party that gave you Brexit and now blames everyone but itself for the consequences of Brexit
July 17, 2021
The greater problem is that they are even less welcome amongst millions of the electorate, apparently, Carrie J.
Some people want to be lied to, as they always did.
July 16, 2021
Frost resoundingly failed. If he did not fail he was overruled by Johnson and was happy to do so. How else could this ridiculous position be explained?
July 16, 2021
Welcome back PominOz. Yes, John agree with everything you say in this post. This situation must not be allowed to continue.
July 16, 2021
Well said, Sir John. It may be diplomatic to try and renegotiate with the EU, but we all realise it will be a complete waste of time unless the UK is willing to surrender and appease the EU. Scrap the lot. Cancelling the WA and trade agreement will cause short term damage to the UK, but it will be even more damaging to the EU, especially if they lose their huge trading surplus and free UK fish.
The Lisbon Treaty declares that the EU must treat their neighbours fairly, but when did the EU ever respect their own laws, or International laws, if it didn’t suit. It is past time the UK did likewise and fought fire with fire.
July 16, 2021
Shirley M,
Agreed.
July 16, 2021
Would you kindly inform me where in Lisbon Treaty this “fair treatment” is mentioned?
July 16, 2021
Your Points are well made JR, too much time has already passed and been wasted, the present situation is untenable and needs to be resolved rapidly.
I am aware government deadlines seem to be forever extended, but we really should be fixed a date for this to be resolved with the EU if we are going to give them another opportunity.
Meanwhile UK alternative plans should be set out clearly for all to see, so that they can be put in place and actioned immediately should we have further deliberate delay ( and I do believe they are intentionally and deliberately being difficult) on the EU side
July 16, 2021
Sir JR,
Very interesting article anpeech.
“THe EU is trying to wrestle our soverignty away from us”
I am afraid I have to sasy you are unfortuantely getting carried away agian, each individual member-country in the EU is only intersted in a rich and sucessful UK ,so I am afraid I have to fundamentally disagree with your emotional outbursts.
Reply Your view is simply wrong
July 16, 2021
@ Bill B. You are quite wrong.
July 16, 2021
Lifelogic,
So we disagree that does not mean I cannot respect your point of view.
July 16, 2021
Agreed Bill. The EU doesn’t give a toss about UK sovereignty or its internal market. As far as the EU is concerned, the UK has made itself just another “third country” in EU terms, just like many other countries that are non-EU members and have some form of trade relationship with it.
JR and his faction of the Conservative party (ERG/CRG) are simply crying over spilled milk. They have forced Downing Street to paddle up the NI Protocol Shit Creek and get stuck; just like the Ever Given container ship did in the Suez Canal. They are now without the required paddles or Tug vessel, to pull them out of the soft and brown mess they created.
Either the UK implements the Treaty that is the Withdrawal Agreement, including the Protocols that are an integral part of that Treaty; OR, the UK abrogates that Treaty and becomes a “rogue state” in UN terms, for some time before other states collectively agree at the UN, that the UK can again be considered a “sovereign” state. Alas, it is not likely that the UK would retain its seat on the UN Security Council in such circumstances.
July 16, 2021
Sir JR,
So we disagree, I would be more worried if we agreed too much as I am probably politically more towards the middle. thank you
July 16, 2021
Bill Brown
“so I am afraid I have to fundamentally disagree with your emotional outbursts. ”
You are entitled to disagree Mr Brown, and also entitled to say that you disagree, but wrong to accuse our host of allowing emotion to corrupt facts.
July 17, 2021
Steve,
I never used the word “corrupt facts” you did.
July 16, 2021
It is now clear, as if it ever wasnāt, that your Test and Trade scheme is in utter chaos.people are being pinged and then quarantined often for no reason bringing misery to them and the economy.
I know many people now deleting the app and giving a āwrongā phone number. If you must ping people, get them to do a daily flow test instead of quarantine.
Will no one in this bloody useless government realise the total nonsense that is going on and be brave enough to remedy it.
You are losing control with ācivil disobedienceā more and more prevalent. Your vaccine halo has been truly junked.
July 16, 2021
My wife was pinged the other week and had to quarantine despite testing negative.
Our reaction was never “OMG ! I might have Covid. I might get ill !!! Or die !!!!”
No. It was “Oh well. I’ll get those jobs done around the house.”
I didn’t have to isolate btw. Because she tested negative. Which shows just what a farce it is.
July 16, 2021
steady.. my little town area has 7 vented people suffering with covid !
July 17, 2021
I’ve removed the tracking app from my phone. Nhs staff in Sussex have been advised not to use it.
July 16, 2021
Much truth here.
July 16, 2021
Nig 1
Indeed I posted last year that the Test and Trace App took no account of the party walls which divide terraced houses when a family member got pinged because their next door neighbour tested positive, but they had not seen each other for weeks, let alone been in near contact.
Apparently if your phones are within 10 metres of each other for more than 15 mins even with dividing walls between you and your next door neighbour that is deemed a close contact.
Solution switch off the App tracing mode before you get home. !!
Or do not bother to switch it on anymore, as thousands of people are now doing !!
July 16, 2021
Thank you Sir John for another excellent article on this subject.
I agree with every word.
July 16, 2021
+1
July 16, 2021
Sir John,
One only has to look at the track record of the people appointed to the top of the EU. Unelected, unaccountable, and intransigent. All political has-beens and failures. Supported by an enormous bureaucracy openly hostile to the UK. Northern Ireland has become the means by which to undermine the democratic will of the British people. For the EU democracy is just a veneer to placate the masses. We see this from their sham of a parliament. Trying to reason and negotiate with them is a waste of time and effort. This was obvious from the last Prime Minister’s constant early morning summoning to Brussels, solely to agree terms of surrender. There is only one way to deal with a malevolent organisation such as the EU, and that is to walk away.
July 16, 2021
MT, +1
July 16, 2021
“The EU always promised to respect our internal market…” – true enough, but then so did the British Government.
We are not looking for yet more “enormous tolerance, restraint and flexibility” from the people’s Blue Boris and colleagues, but an immediate and enduring forthright, resolute and powerful defence of our interests.
July 16, 2021
You did us proud.
July 16, 2021
+1
July 16, 2021
Exactly right – āwe must put Northern Ireland, peace and the integrity of our country firstā but will Boris do this, I suspect not. In his new post Carrie and Covid socialist form he get it all wrong – net zero, lockdown, the nanny state, taxes as 70 year highs, HS2, energy ā¦
July 16, 2021
He is still pushing vaccine passports too. What has become of the silly man. Is going bonkers a symptom of long Covid or has Carrie sent him round the bend.
July 16, 2021
LL
“He is still pushing vaccine passports too. What has become of the silly man.”
It is’nt him pushing them, it’s his sinister bosses who intend them as the sneaky back door to ID cards. The data from which, by the way, will be held in the US.
Wake up, smell the coffee.
July 16, 2021
Fraser Nelson in the Telegraph today:- Ticking debt bomb is the Governmentās greatest threat
The UK is more exposed than any other country to rising interest rates. No wonder Sunak is worried
Yes but that and the net zero lunacy, the millions awaiting NHS procedures, the idiotic over tax, over regulate and waste policies, the Boris Nanny State, the expensive energy agendaā¦ next election on May 9th 2024 perhaps? Not very long Boris/Carrie.
July 16, 2021
“The UK would ensure anything that was at risk of moving from GB to the EU via Northern Ireland would be submitted to the correct EU checks. ”
— WHY??? Why in the name of God should we do this, when we completely disagree with it?! What we want is for the EU to agree to EQUIVALENCE for the UKās rules and products, so that even though these do not exactly match those of the EU, they are considered āgood enoughā and no discrimination needs to be taken against them, and there need be no checks or paperwork between the UK and the EU. This would solve ALL the problems faced by both exporters and importers, not just in NI but also the rest of the UK. So why donāt we just say that we are UNILATERALLY imposing this solution in NI (where we have the abilty to do so), and will institute NO checks or controls of ANY kind on trade either North-South or East-West?
“The bulk of GB/NI trade is internal UK trade and that would be subject to UK only supervision, using trusted trader schemes, electronic manifests, checks away from the border and the rest of the techniques we use for trade within GB.”
— I’m sorry, but I genuinely don’t understand what you are on about. Are goods that travel from Manchester to London subject to such checks? NO. So why should goods that travel from Machester to Londonderry be subject to them? The UK is ONE country with ONE set of rules. Nothing else is acceptable.
July 16, 2021
We can forget about equivalence in anything if we don’t keep to our treaty obligations
The rest of the world is looking on – and not liking what they are seeing – England going off the rails – I see Spain is already lining up the treaty of Utrecht for examination – it seems the border at Gibralter was pushed out by stealth at various times to allow for the building of the airport runway – they say just to be ready for a correction when all bets are off on International treaties.
July 16, 2021
Blake, you make that saying as though you have some proof āthe rest of the world is looking on and not liking what they are seeing.ā Who? Which national leaders have publicly made these statements you are alluding do and where can we read them. Iāve seen Jacinda NZ it will be her exports into the EU that they are bothered out so we need to make it clear to Jacinda that politically posturing will affect our trade with NZ you canāt sit wanting to make deals with the UK then stab us in the eye. Itās time now that the UK starts to give us the statistics and a page that says these are the Countries that support the UK and are arranging trade deals, what we can and canāt do and let the British consumers make educated decisions of where they spend their money because until Jacinda takes back her silly remarks thats the last NZ lamb Iāll be buying. ENough is Enough of keep taking a beating and allowing our Country to be run down without any retaliation. Boris needs to get a pair.
July 18, 2021
Oh, so it’s the good old British imperial “give us what we want unconditionally or we’ll hurt you” then.
Those days are long gone.
You’ll be learning this soon.
Like Ireland, NZ has more friends than does the Tory UK, I’d wager.
July 22, 2021
What Martin, give the EU a taste of their own medicine. You are a strange person that enjoys the Eu beating up on our manufacturers turning a way a delivery van because the ink was blue instead of black – sounds like the EU is being rather imperial to me. Give us what we want in the EU or weāll hurt you the UK and we will bully you until you submit. Iāve never liked bullies or given in to them.
July 16, 2021
X-Tory – well I think it’s because “As a result of the protocol, NI has in effect remained in the EU’s single market for goods (England, Scotland and Wales have left the EU’s single market for goods). This allows goods to flow to and from NI to the ROI and the rest of the EU as they did while the UK was a member of the EU, without customs checks, tariffs or new paperwork.”
In the meantime – Northern Ireland can freely send products to the UK outbound, on the few products that the GB can’t send to N Ireland that we make in GB why don’t we take advantage of the fact they can freely transfer goods that GB currently can’t into the EU and package them in Northern Ireland making work in Northern Ireland. GB companies that used to deliver to the EU (that are now stopped – which is actually a more important restriction and much more needs to be done by the British government to sort that out or give us a list of products so we can stop buying EU imports on the same products like flowers with soil and chilled meats.)
We can’t expect Northern Ireland to get an opt out but stay in the EU single market and the EU passport, freedom of movement, they have a choice one or the other with a border on-land.
Boris and Frost need to concentrate on why we can’t export from GB to the EU of all these items not just to Northern Ireland, for goodness sakes that affects seven regions not just one.
July 16, 2021
Why do we want Equivalence with them – they are 27 countries – we should ignore them completely and get on with promoting ourselves in SE Asia and Africa that’s where our future lies – liz Truss please note
July 16, 2021
The people in SE Asia and in Africa have long memories.
July 16, 2021
Then you shouldnt have voted for Borisās oven ready deal. Didnt you read it? The bit about a big border between NI and GB?
July 17, 2021
Actually Len I think Northern Ireland has a very good agreement. It is the UK that has a bad agreement with Ireland and the South take advantage over us. I think Boris gave too much away too quickly and some of it will need to be withdrawn if the equivalence on trade of restricted goods does not get sorted out. John Redwood repeatedly warned Boris as did people on this blog.
July 17, 2021
Sir John set an example of principle as he always does and did not vote for it. This sort of information is readily available for you to check before making such wrong statements. It wasn’t just NI he was concerned about but also our fish.
July 16, 2021
As I understood it the Norther Ireland Assembly has the right to end the protocol unilaterally. Brussels was working to prevent the NIA working and being able to do anything. It has to be ended.
July 16, 2021
Sue
That was my understanding as well, but I think only after 4 years had elapsed.
July 16, 2021
Hilarious .
July 16, 2021
Had you won we’d have been in the euro on one-size-fits-all interest rates by now.
July 16, 2021
And 65 million Turks would have moved here, I know, I know.
July 17, 2021
Again you misrepresent the facts MiC
First we were regularly told Turkey would never ever join the EU
Then we discovered talks were already happening for Turkey to align itself with the EU prior to future membership.
Now even you accept that fact you switch to claiming it was feared all their population would move to the UK.
The point is if they joined they would have freedom of movement.
Was it you who told us 10,000 Polish would come to the UK after the joined the EU, then 700,000 arrived?
July 17, 2021
Peter 2
No, It was never feared taht its entire populatin of Turkey would move to the UK, it was used as fake mews during the campaign. SO, please read up on things before you present them as we keep reminding you . thank you
July 17, 2021
Which is what I said bill.
The population of Turkey would have had the ability to freedom of movement into the EU and UK
MiC falsely claimed it was said the whole population that would come.
Big difference in the meaning of language between would come and could come.
Do you realise the difference and how this was falsely spun?
But do keep joining in bill.
Love it when you keep getting told you are completely wrong all the time by our host and others beside me on here.
July 19, 2021
Already in Spring 2016 it was clear that Turkey would not join as a full EU member, essentially because of the Greek-Turkey feud about Cyprus. This was common knowledge since at least the September 2005 discussions around the Additional Protocol that Turkey had condemned. That was confirmed in April 2017 (Euronews, 10/04/2017 āTurkey is no longer an EU candidateā). In the meantime from 2011 onwards both Nicolas Sarkozy for France and Angela Merkel for Germany (and some more in the Nordic countries) had reiterated their opposition to Turkey joining the EU based on pending questions about democracy in Turkey.
Obviously given the support that PM Cameron had previously shown to the candidacy of Turkey, this was largely unknown to the British public, which allowed Farage to stand in front of his (in)famous poster in June 2016.
July 16, 2021
To my mind this has gone on long enough and we should not prolong the agony by fiddling around with grace periods and extensions or exemptions, nor should we falsely invoke Article 16:
https://ukandeu.ac.uk/explainers/article-16-of-the-northern-ireland-protocol/
or indeed any other provision in the protocol; what is needed now is a formal unilateral declaration by the UK government that the UK no longer consents to be bound by any of its terms.
Such a formal declaration would have to be approved by Parliament, and I guess by primary legislation, an Act passed by both Houses, rather than just a resolution passed by the House of Commons, and it should lay out the reasons why the UK is resorting to this unorthodox course of action.
Starting with an open admission that the UK should never have agreed to it in the first place, which honesty would be a novelty and might start to restore our international reputation.
I would rather endure a period of national disgrace than a prolongation of this national humiliation.
July 16, 2021
Denis does this include the terms for all treaties we ever signed or just to do with Ireland?
July 16, 2021
As stated very clearly this is to do with the Irish protocol.
July 16, 2021
An excellent post Sir John and much needed. I suspect that the main obstacle to your getting the solution which we need is Boris, quite possibly under instruction from his cronies at the WEF.
July 16, 2021
https://www.rte.ie/news/brexit/2021/0716/1235509-northern-ireland-protocol/
“European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said that the Northern Ireland Protocol is the solution to issues caused by Brexit … ”
“Mr Martin said: “Our clear sense is … that flexibility has been by the commission, generosity has been shown by the commission … We believe the generosity shown by the EU should be reciprocated”.
July 16, 2021
From the DUP MP Carla Lockhart:
https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2021-07-15a.578.0
“In the High Court in Belfast in 2019, Lord Justice McCloskey made it clear that Brexit was not contrary to the Belfast agreement, nor did the agreement require a customs union or continued regulatory alignment. It is not Brexit but the protocol that offends against Northern Irelandās constitutional guarantee in the Belfast agreement.”
July 16, 2021
Denis Cooper ‘ absolutely – I fully agree with Taoiseach Martin – thing about the EU is if we don’t want to deal with them then we don’t have to- so instead let’s get these new deals going with countries far away – all like we were promised by IDS DD Fox et al and the rest
July 17, 2021
Harvey, give them a chance we could only start this January we had to wait until the withdrawal waiting period after serving notice to get going.
July 16, 2021
I imagine that one main driver of the problem of goods passing between Britain and NI is that the ferry from Wales docks only in the south of Ireland. Is there any way that some ferries could be diverted to NI so that the boot is on the other foot? The increased transit cost may be offset by the decreased lorry miles.
July 16, 2021
I’m sure that if such a route were profitable then it would exist as we write.
“You can’t buck the market” as someone once said.
July 16, 2021
Dr Cross, you can get a direct Ferry from Liverpool, Heysham and Stranraer to Belfast.
July 16, 2021
Don’t see what the problem is – there is no reason that goods bound for NI ccould not be sent from Britain via Dublin – afterall goods from Dublin to the EU pass through Britain – the hauliers call it the land bridge. So for instance goods bound for NI could be offloaded in Dublin inspected by EU officials before being trucked north over the border into NI. No need to bother the customs and anyone else at Larne or Belfast
July 18, 2021
If the goods for NI were landed at Larne or Belfast why would there be any need for a customs inspection?
July 16, 2021
There is a freight ferry service between Cairnryan, Stranraer to Larne in NI. Would add a few hours to the journey though.
July 17, 2021
John, Liverpool is just as convenient, most goods carriers use overnight routes anyway for professional transport because it gives the driver the rest breaks they require to then carry out a full day of deliveries or collections on either side of the water and stay within driving hours rules.
July 18, 2021
There look to be a number of freight ports already in Northern Ireland and if the EU does continue with threats of blockade and disruption perhaps it might be worthwhile to open up routes to the the north – Belfast, Foyle, Warrentpoint. Liverpool-Belfast doesn’t look much further than Liverpool-Dublin.
The economics of using a port are worthless if the port becomes inaccessible..
July 16, 2021
Thank you, these are very admirable sentiments, Sir John, but I don’t hold out much hope that you’ll have influenced much. We could spend years talking about what we can or should do; both the government and the EU have demonstrated their expertise at it! Sadly, it doesn’t mean anything at all until they take action and make it happen. They’re wasting valuable time and energy going over old ground from entrenched positions and, most importantly, they’re wasting the goodwill of the people who put their faith in them. At what point will the government accept that, on balance, the EU simply isn’t good for this country, seize the initiative and move on without them?
July 16, 2021
Just for once, Iād like to see someone stand up the bullying EU.
If Boris fancies himself as being in the Churchill mould, this is how he does it. An address to the nation stating the facts and the sad, but necessary, decision to tear up the so-called deal and stop trade completely.
July 16, 2021
Mike Wilson
“……sad, but necessary, decision to tear up the so-called deal and stop trade completely.”
Agreed. But it will never happen as long as we have a (mandate-less) PM who is half Belgian and a sympathiser to the Irish Republican ’cause’
July 16, 2021
Today’s post is 100% correct Sir John.
July 17, 2021
Like, you’ve fact-checked every claim and assertion, have you, Pauline?
The suggestions as to the motivations re neighbours, of the European Union’s senior people appear to be plain wrong, for instance.
Take the fact that Putin was quite content to discuss Ukraine with Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron, bur declined any UK involvement for one?
July 16, 2021
That is a pretty perfect summary of the real problem. The NIP is important and can be administered correctly. It now needs the EU to treat it in the spirit in which it was negotiated, with the aims we all know they claimed they believed in.
The EU needs to be reminded that although the UK left the EU, we didn’t leave Europe, and that they will need good relations with the UK in the future, and treating us like an inferior is not the way to get this.
July 16, 2021
I wonder what Mo would think?
July 16, 2021
JR
I agree with all you say on the matter, but you know the problem was caused in principal by two cowards, one of French ancestry, the other a half – Belgian catholic.
Likewise virtually the entire establishment has been infitrated by those of anti-English ideology.
Are the consequences really any surprise ?
Speeches no matter how patriotically intentioned won’t solve this. You’ve got yourself saddled to an unwanted and unelectable party. Worse still; every true Brit holds the entire establishment in utter contempt.
It is my honest opinion that you would be wise to consider breaking away from this incumbent shower, and standing as an independent or perhaps joining a party that does defend our sovereignty and democracy….or maybe start one ?
Whatever you do, don’t go down with Johnson’s lot.
Sincere regards to you Sir.
July 17, 2021
Sir John does a great deal of good behind the scenes, and is much respected. He is needed where he is.
July 17, 2021
We have weapons available to retaliate against the EU. The EU say that we still owe them Ā£40 billion. Let us suspend all further payments until the EU removes all unnecessary bureaucracy, not only relating to the Irish Protocol but to all UK exporters. Among others, substantial damage has been done to Scottish exporters of specialist fish products to the EU, with several catches ruined and written off because of bureaucratic delays. In fact, we should compute the damage done to all of the UK’s exporters and deduct the sum from our outstanding debt.
We could make a giant stride towards recovering our fisheries by offering to buy the Dutch industrial scale trawlers that fish so heavily in our waters. The Dutch are rational people. A combination of a good price and the threat of confiscation should they say “No” ought to ensure that there is a deal.
July 17, 2021
And remember, all that is necessary to ensure free trade with friendly nations is a complete absence of Government interventions.