Our period in the EU led to the loss of substantial market share in many important areas of economic life. In the first ten years in the EEC our car output halved, before the Thatcher government helped rebuild the industry by inviting in large Japanese producers. German and French cars proved too competitive for the largely nationalised UK industry on entry when the tariffs came off. We lost a large part of our steel industry to more competitive German steel. Under Labour and under Conservatives the progressive closure of most of the large 5 integrated works of the nationalised industry occurred with continental steel replacing some of the lost output.
Our fishing industry went from producing more fish than we consumed to losing large amounts of capacity to foreign vessels under the Common Fishery Policy. Our ports were drained of trawlers and we turned to importing more of what we ate. Large industrial trawlers from the continent , some over 100 m in length were allowed to hoover up too many fish and do damage to the fishing grounds. Our natural resource was plundered.
Our farms suffered under the Common Agricultural Policy. We lost about 25% market share as the EU paid grants to grub up our orchards to import apples and pears from elsewhere. Fruit, vegetables and flowers from expensively heated and subsidised greenhouses in Holland took market share. Vegetables and fruit from hot Spain, short of water, replaced English produce on supermarket shelves. Our beef industry was damaged by an excessive response to BSE, and our dairy industry cut back by inadequate quotas.
Our chemical industry wilted under pressure from German competition. We even started importing more heavy building materials products that we had been able to make for ourselves before. The UK moved rapidly into a large and permanent deficit on goods trade account with the EU. Our trade with the rest of the world grew more quickly and was often in balance or surplus, not deficit.
Today we could change the rules and the pattern of subsidies to produce more of the above. The government should work harder on encouraging more home grown and home produced items as other countries are visibly doing. The threat to ban all new diesel and petrol car sales here as soon as 2030 will undermine our car industry further and needs to be lifted. The pattern of farm subsidies needs to be radically shifted away from wilding and environmental grants to food producing grants. Over 100m fishing boats should be banned. There needs to be a scheme to help set up a new UK fleet of sea going trawlers to catch more of the allowable total in our own waters.Our high energy using businesses should be freed of the burden of extra carbon and emissions taxes. These serve to increase not reduce world CO 2 as they force us to rely on imports with extra transport costs.
July 30, 2023
Good morning,
So pleased at least one sitting MP is still aware of what the Brexit benefits are.
Perhaps, if we had a proper Conservative government in power when we voted to leave the Evil Empire, we would have had plans and laws ready to go on leaving day. But here we are, job only 10% done and one or two lonely voices trying to keep the Brexit promise.
PCP, not the party we hoped we elected.
July 30, 2023
P.S. Title of your new book:
How the PCP failed itself and the Nation over Brexit.
Let’s hear the inside story of incompetence and skulduggery…..
July 30, 2023
Tory MPs who sided with Labour to defy the public vote to over Brexit are now in Govt.! Says it all. I am totally confused by JRâs blog.
JR is fully aware that his party and Govt. are deliberately forcing industry and jobs abroad through the climate scam. This is for a new world order and to ring socialism to the world. Otherwise why have there not been sanctions against India and China?
JRâs party and govt.âs over 14 years have publicly stated inside and outside parliament they will build on âRed Edâsâ âMarxistâ policy. The rhetoric was for election purposes only. 14 years is a long time. The last election showed the public overwhelmingly wanted politicians to act in their national interest by leaving the EU. Johnson given a 85 seat majority to defeat the rogue parliament under treacherous Theresa May. Those in charge in Govt. and the opposition benches- Starmer, Cooper, Miliband did everything they could to overthrow democracy to cancel the largest vote in history! My question: Why is anyone stupid enough to vote for them? Uni party are the same.
July 30, 2023
Baffling isnât it Hope that the British public keep voting for the same three parties, not a cigarette paper to put between them when Farage, Habib and Tice would give us a true Brexit and true Conservative policies, something the not a Conservative Party have no intention of delivering. I think it is mostly because they think to vote for a small party such as Reform would be a wasted vote, especially when the Lab/Cons have the FPTP stitched up between them. But my feeling is, and I say it as a lifelong Tory, that itâs worth the risk because to get the fake Tories or even worse Labour, would be the biggest waste of a vote of all.
July 30, 2023
They would not be letting the world’s trash into our country! Habib has regularly stated we have the right to defend our shores and turn the invading hoards mid-channel back to France.
Remember the French are NOT our friends, far from it!
July 30, 2023
A dreadful waste of thirteen years by Cameron, May, Boris, Sunak and of Borisâs large majority. Essentially all green crap pushing, tax, borrow, print and waste, big gov. socialists. None were very serious (not even Boris) about a real Brexit it seems. Plus they got every single thing wrong over Covid. We now seems to have up to about 1/35 with Vaccine Injuries perhaps 1 million people in the UK or so – many sadly rather young people too. People who had zero need to take the Vaccines and should never have been coerced into doing so by dire people like Javid and Handcock and their medical âexpertsâ.
July 30, 2023
Oh another book should be… Regulators and why they are so ineffective…
July 30, 2023
Leaving the EU has made trade with our largest export market harder and more costly. For no corresponding benefit. Brexit has failed, as predicted. No more to say than that.
July 30, 2023
Brexit has already been a success – and it would be an even bigger one if we had a government that served the people, and took advantage of our freedoms.
July 30, 2023
Quite right
July 30, 2023
Bryan Harris
Plus 100âs
July 30, 2023
+1
July 30, 2023
Got it totally Bryan
July 30, 2023
The EU is a small and declining proportion of global trade. We have only just, in the last 3 years, partly extricated ourselves from their clutches and for almost the whole of that period our economy, and theirs, were largely shut down over the Covid Scamdemic.
Brexit is a long game and we’ve only just started playing it, hamstrung by far too many MPs and Civil Servants who don’t support democracy if they don’t get their own way, and are doing their level best to make it as difficult as possible.
We were in the EEC/EU for 45 years and the hollowing out of our economy was obvious to the majority who voted to leave. In 45 years’ time we will be able to assess whether leaving has been a success.
July 30, 2023
Donna,
Good article in Con Woman yesterday showing how EU lags behind the world in growth. JRâs party totally wedded to EU ( Windsor sell out, level playing fields etc) and has done everything to be in lock step as if we did not leave and in utter contempt of the public wishes and democracy. They are an utter disgrace.
I think I have reached the conclusion Cleverly is too stupid to understand what he is doing.
July 30, 2023
@Donna: I do hope you realise that the UK is an even far smaller and declining proportion of global trade. The UK couldn’t even stand up to competition inside the EU, how is it going to blossom outside?
July 30, 2023
âCompetitionâ like our previous pro-EU leaders giving our fish away to the French and Spanish?
Thatâs not âcompetitionâ – thatâs self-harm.
July 30, 2023
Watch and learn.
July 30, 2023
Declining Peter? I read a chap on twitter who puts out trade figures (trading economics) on a regular basis showing our export markets are up to the Netherlands, Norway, Jordan, Poland, Qatar, Singapore, Uganda, and many others.
We are having problems getting good quality vehicles, vans and reasonably priced cars in the UK and vehicle parts we must open our markets up especially to manufacturers who want to create in the UK again, the Midlands and the North were vehicle manufacturing and parts manufacturers before those industries all got shipped out. You are quite correct no-one owes the UK a living we must create the advances for ourselves and invite in our friends and allies who want to trade openly and create economic growth for all.
It isnât about size, size distracts, it is about delivering on time, keeping promises on good quality and obtaining re-orders, we need to stop waiting to be given permission for what we can create and stop selling growing and successful British manufacturers who then get closed down and our jobs shipped abroad. We then get our favourite products shipped back in with recipes changed, in smaller quantities and more expensive!
July 30, 2023
Peter the EU legislation was always geared to strip us of the ability to âcompeteâ. You cooked the market as well as the books.
We are fed up to the back teeth with the lies, cheats and criminal behaviour of those at the top of the EU.
Thank God and the wonderful British public, left right and centre, who voted to continue to exist and extract ourselves from the EU abattoir.
July 30, 2023
There is no competition in the eu, its a closed shop and we only were it money box. We had to leave as it was not value for money!
July 30, 2023
We await mass expulsions from the H of C, Senior Civil Servants, Judges, Police retiring on fat pensions in order to really start what leaving EU might achieve. Until then the odds are against us with so many of that list acting as 5th columnists.
Sadly I won’t be around to enjoy it.
July 31, 2023
@Barbara, Donna, a-tracy, Lynn Atkinson, MDF.
My remark was a reaction to a very cheap observation/slogan about âdeclining global marketshareâ.
Western populations and economies donât grow as fast as those in the most populous emerging countries. Therefore over the longer term the western GLOBAL marketshares are naturally declining, becoming a smaller percentage of global GDP.
This was a cheap brexiteer slogan, a bit similar to the misleading slogan in brexit campaigning: âThey sell us more than we sell themâ so âwe hold all the cardsâ!
Here the opposite aspect was âforgottenâ by the brexiteers: Over 40% of British exports went to the EU, less than 11% of EU exports went to the UK. Your politicians really believed in these mistaken campaign slogans and calculations!
Inside the single market, it is ALL about competition within the rules. If rules were broken, countries would be taken to court (ECJ). there are also supranational civil servants (EU commissioners) with a task to watch over proper working of the markets. The UK was taking part in establishing these rules.
Maybe the Dutch have been taken to court for their greenhouses running on cheap gas? I cannot remember.
August 6, 2023
âIn 45 yearsâ time we will be able to assess whether leaving has been a successâ.
So 2016+45 = 2061 by which time most of us will be dead, absolutely brilliant comment (but I have to admit it, on par with your usual ones).
July 30, 2023
@Lemming Brexit hasn’t happend so how can you say that? The largest export market is the World, UK sales to the EU are now higher than ever
July 30, 2023
Brexit has not failed. The politicians have failed. Failed to implement it.
July 31, 2023
Brexit has put us into a no-man’s land a place where we don’t want to be – it’s the worst of all outcomes – when instead we should be in the sunny uplands rolling in clover – like we were promised.
July 30, 2023
You are well named! Even having read of the disaster suborning ourselves to a foreign power has been, and JR did not even mention the repercussions of abandoning the borders, you still obdurately demand that we complete the suicide.
Itâs a waste of time talking to people of your closed mindset. Fortunately you comprise a tiny proportion of the population. Most Remainers are good people misled.
July 30, 2023
Lemming :
We had a ÂŁ100bn/YEAR trading deficit with the EU.
What good was that ?
July 30, 2023
It was very good. It meant we were importing lots of things British consumers wanted to buy. You will, I hope, note that since Brexit introduced lots of new and costly barriers to our trade with the EU, prices have gone up markedly. But you knew what you were voting for, right?
Reply Prices gave also gone up quickly in the EU. not Brexit but bad central banking by ECB And B of E plus Ukraine energy crisis
July 31, 2023
Lemming :
A silly answer as even countries eventually must live within their means and I haven’t noticed any difficulties obtaining EU goods since we left.
I did know what I was voting for. It was not to continue to consume EU goods it was to regain our sovereignty so that I and my countrymen would have some influence over those that make our laws and policies by being able to vote them into and out of office.
July 31, 2023
It is much easier to con someone, than convince them they have been conned. And you Lemon have been conned.Just except it and move on.
July 30, 2023
there is no evil empire unless you have lost the plot
July 30, 2023
We’ll act on every crime, Chief Constables pledge – ministers want dramatic improvements (in the Times Yesterday) – sure so what percentage to they currently seriously investigate 1% or 2% perhaps? Also most are not even reported as it is not worthwhile when the police nearly always to almost nothing. Shop lifting up 35% as more and more realise that the police and shops do virtually nothing to deter it I assume.
They do not even take action when clear conclusive evidence is given to them on a plate!
July 30, 2023
Iâd suggest its worse than you describe, police donât investigate, stolen bicycles, home burglary, shop lifting, graffiti, robbery, minor drug use and they donât patrol the streets âŠ.they collect traffic fines and investigate social media infringements ..weâve lost confidence in our police
July 30, 2023
+1
July 30, 2023
Teresa May through inspectorate Tom Windsor decimated the police service into a useless left wing political group of no use to crime and disorder.
We evidence this through their political policing of demonstrations. Peaceful Brexit demonstrations, before covid, had strict routes and directions and wherever possible broken up. Covid and vaccine protests exactly the same- cancelled. Free speech on Twitter, Facebook ordered by govt to cancel and smear prominent voices. BLM and ER allowed anywhere, anytime any route even if it causes economic harm!!
Let us not forget Teresa Mayâs snooper charter, the forerunner to totalitarian state, allowing a vast number of public sector bodies to snoop at your computer traffic without any judicial safeguards!! The only person to speak out a David DavisMP. The rest of JRs mob silent.
July 30, 2023
âI am on motoristsâ sideâ, says PM as he orders review of anti-car schemes
Sunak warns that imposing traffic restrictions fails to take notice of how âfamilies live their livesâ Front of the Sunday Telegraph today.
Well perhaps Sunak you are but the UK state, Mayors, the other ministers, the civil service, LEAs⊠certainly are all for the war on road users. We need action Sunak and not worthless words and another âinquiryâ. We certainly do not need Tory LEA and the London Major wasting our taxes on both sides of a legal action. You Sunak as PM make a damn decision and make it happen. So are you for the rip off ULEX tax and road blocking as your government clearly seem to be or not Sunak? Grow up mate and stop pretending, sitting on the fence and lying for a change.
July 30, 2023
Spot on LifeLogic, Sunak is weak
July 30, 2023
Exactly, just pathetic time wasting. If Sunak isnât capable of making a decision without a review, then what is the point of him or this pathetic Government.
July 30, 2023
LL. I have to agree. All we hear are words from Sunak. He promises a lot but delivers nothing. The Conservatives have no chance at the elections basically because they have achieved nothing except hot air and undelivered promises.
July 30, 2023
Good morning.
Not if you are going to tax and regulate them out of existence, provide foreign companies with vast subsidies at the expense of UK companies and so on.
First and full most, we need cheap and reliable energy. The way this government is heading the UK will soon be de-industrialised and unable to produce anything.
So no, I do not think we can regain lost markets. Because for that to happen we need a change of government and policy and I cannot quite frankly see that in any current political party.
July 30, 2023
Nothing will do any good, as we have an idiot as chancellor. I cannot understand why our host is not the chancellor.
July 30, 2023
Because our host is a Conservative and talks common sense. Sunak and Hunt do neither Conservatism or common sense.
July 30, 2023
Heâs too good, he would make the rest of them look like idiots – idiots never want to look like idiots!
July 30, 2023
Mark B,
JRs party and govt does not want them! Shut down our gas, fracking gas and oil but happy to buy from abroad and transport around the world including wood chip from US forests!! Same for all high energy industries. JRs party has showed it wants low skilled welfare dependent mass immigration to level the world. Why else have a pilot scheme to pay people ÂŁ1600 per month not to work! This is help out to eat out on steroids!! Brought to you by one Sunak and Hunt.
July 30, 2023
National rejuvenation needs to start with repeal of the Climate Change Act and it’s replacement with an Act that encourages reductions in waste and pollution. But who will have the guts to slaughter this sacred cow of the new religion?
July 30, 2023
Its doesnât even need a strong man, all it takes is a true conservative to repeal the climate change act âŠbut where to find a true conservative in this government or indeed 99% of tory backbenches
July 30, 2023
ââNobel Prize winner Dr. John Clauser has had his speech at an IMF seminar cancelled after stating âI donât believe there is a climate crisisâ
First they came for the nobel prize winners than they came for âŠ..
July 30, 2023
Greenpeace founding member, Dr Patrick Moore – on those pushing the climate agenda:
âThey will cause devastation the likes of which the earth has never seen.â
There is a video of the full statement.
July 30, 2023
Reform UK
July 30, 2023
I read the other day that in the last 8 years China has produced more CO2 than we have produced since the start of the Industrial Revolution.
I read it on the internet somewhere. I wonder if it is true.
If it is, and given we are responsible for 1% of global emissions, itâs about time we had a sense of proportion.
That said there are schools in inner cities that have a locker for each child to store their asthma âpufferâ – so widespread is the incidence. If poor air quality is the reason, we must do something about it. That said, I went to school in the 1959s when we had smog so bad we had to tie a handkerchief over our face (that would be yellow by the time we got to school), but asthma was relatively rare.
July 30, 2023
It might be Problem Reaction Solution?
Buy the puffers to âproveâ there is a problem.
Everyone reacts with fear.
Govt. Imposes Net Zero with no opposition whatsoever…solution!
Asthma (1 in 11 kids apparently) probably caused by enclosed, exposed-to-nothing lifestyle and obesity.
But the Wealthy Few want us to believe it is âemissionsâ, âGlobal Boilingâ and no doubt waaycism!!
July 30, 2023
Young children sat in small flats, watching TV on a sofa inhaling either or both cigarette smoke and burgers being burnt might be a factor in some of it..
July 30, 2023
Mickey. I concur.
July 30, 2023
IF poor air quality is the reason ….. funnily enough there doesn’t seem to be much interest in exploring other possible causes for the significant increase in asthma and other allergies over the past 50-odd years. Or autism.
Asthma inhalers are, of course, a very lucrative product for their producers.
July 30, 2023
One of the big problems with the healthcare industries is that making peopleâs health worse (or putting them of drugs for life) often profits them far more than actually curing or preventing diseases. How much will the (as many as 1 in 35 it seems) vaccine caused heart damage cause in the vast numbers extra Cardio consultations & treatments needed?
With extra profits brought forwards for undertakers too. Rather perverse incentives.
July 30, 2023
…and defra reports that our air has never been cleaner ? who to believe ?
July 30, 2023
That’s interesting. I’d like to see figures comparing kids that live in country areas or by the sea with those in inner cities. Maybe it’s the diet of ultra processed, sugar laden foods kids get these days. I’ve seen articles by various health professionals saying that our modern diet is the reason for the explosion in autism, ADHD and all the rest of the issues many children have today.
I read about a study the other day where a doctor put a group of kids (17 kids I think there were) who all had markers indicative of inflammation, insulin resistance and a host of other markers that foretell diabetes, cancer and auto-immune diseases in the future. The sample was of necessity small because the people running the study changed the kids’ diets for just 10 days and they catered all their meals. They basically removed sugar from their diet (not, obviously, the sugar that naturally occurs in food as glucose and fructose) and then retested them. All of them, in just 10 days, had all their ‘markers’ come back to either normal or below (better than normal).
July 30, 2023
Good post Mike. Theres a lot of truth and common sense in your post.
July 30, 2023
Well China are never going to implement a ‘ban’ on petrol cars or gas boilers ….either are Russia, Africa, South America and most of Asia (wokeness & green is a western disease)
July 30, 2023
Mike Wilson :
Chinaâs per capita CO2 emissions are now 33% higher than those of the UK.
July 30, 2023
Donât forget that, as MacMillan pointed out, we also âflogged off the family silverâ.
This has resulted in huge areas of enterprise now under foreign control.
Skills get lost over time too. Fishing is one of the most dangerous occupations and our fleet was poorly equipped as the Hull wives famously pointed out in 1968 after another bad series of losses at sea. I donât think there would necessarily be a rush to take up jobs in that line of work nowadays.
Few get trained for work these days. Employers would rather others do the training and then either poach their staff of employ people from overseas to do it on the cheap.
July 30, 2023
And what ‘Family Silver’ was that ? British Rail ? – An amalgamation of once independent companies which the Tory government was forced by the EU to privatise.
Electricity ? Again, all created my private industry and then nationalised.
British Steel ? Again, all created my private industry and then nationalised.
And so on.
The ‘Family Silver’ was pinched by the State from its rightful (private) owners and run into the ground by the State.
A cheap dig at politician by another politician, although the latter was a bit of a failure.
July 30, 2023
It was enterprises that were actually working like the joined-up, reasonably-priced railway system.
It was also enterprises that were far bigger than they are now, like British Steel.
Not forgetting essential enterprises that the state took over because the private sector screwed up.
âSupermacâ was not called that for nothing. âYouâve never had it so good.â He was right about that too.
Now âdeclinismâ officially holds sway.
July 30, 2023
Some good suggestions here, although I hope we do not go for EU-Biden-style subsidies and protectionism.
It seems thereâs a possible glimmer of hope for the election with the ground being set for the abolition of IHT (43% public support, but crucially an issue likely to get Conservative voters to the polls), and a cutting of some of the worst green crap. It is mainly left wing councils which have driven infuriating, economically damaging and environmentally harmful anti-car measures. Having cars crawl along in 2nd or 3rd gear at 20 mph is not environmentally friendly. The speed and efficiency with which people go about their business has a real economic impact, and restricting it a real cost. The public know this, and a sharp pivot by Rishi Sunak (who is known to be much less âgreenâ than any of his recent predecessors) will win much of the common sense vote. Get rid of the LTNs, the ULEZs, the 20 mph limits, the ban on petrol and diesel cars by 2030. And use as an excuse this latest report showing HS2 to be a disaster to kill this monstrous and wasteful white elephant.
July 30, 2023
Would any voter be foolish enough to vote for an election promise from this lying, deceitful political party? They need to implement these changes before the next election, whilst they still can, to have a chance of gaining the trust of the British people.
July 30, 2023
New data shows the number of families paying IHT increased by 17 percent in the 2020 to 2021 tax year, with average bills hitting ÂŁ214,000.
The nil-rate band, which is the amount a person can pass on after death tax-free, has been frozen at ÂŁ325,000 since 2009.
But itâs OK because only the little people pay this obscene tax.
July 30, 2023
You can bet your life Sunak and Hunt wonât be paying it.
July 30, 2023
Anybody interested in the full story, in particular what Covid might have done to these IHT figures can look at gov.uk 26/07/2023 âInheritance tax statistics: commentaryâ.
For 2020/21, 27,000 estates were subject to IHT, 4,000 more (17%) than in 2019/20. The proportion of deaths leading to IHT was 3.74%.
August 2, 2023
“Accounting for the population size and age structure, the age-standardised mortality rate (ASMR) for May 2023 in England (907.2 deaths per 100,000 people) was above the five-year average (by 2.1%)” ONS
The picture of excess deaths maybe baby boom-related and longevity-related boom death rates. Unless, as some people are speculating, these extra deaths now are down to what we were given to combat covid.
July 30, 2023
Christine :
Correct.
Remember how the PM, when campaigning to be PM, promised that he would allow fracking where the local communities were in favour?
He then banned fracking outright the moment he was PM.
Never mind the promise to reduce net immigration to the “tens of thousands”.
Anyway, I cannot posibly vote for any party that supports Net Zero.
July 30, 2023
+1
I remember reading a study in the 1990s into speed bumps/sleeping policemen that concluded that they donât kill speed and increase environmental pollutants with continued stop/start, slowing/accelerating and brakes on/off âŠpoliticians went ahead anyway
July 30, 2023
The UK has not been keeping itself fit, for business or much else. The nation is bent over, declining in so many ways. Many MPs have been entangled in bad company, developing increasingly careless attitudes and behaviour about important matters. The country has become like a gambling fat and ugly spendthrift drunkard taking lazy options, more inclined to take drugs for a thrill than engage in constructive thought and action. We need new leaders to return our nation to its former high quality standards on the shortest path to better.
July 30, 2023
(Admin note: the tweets showing up to the right of the blog seem to be rather out of date.)
July 30, 2023
You’ve signed up to the level playing field with the EU where they decide on subsidies.
Northern Ireland is a vassal state designed to keep us in lockstep with Brussels so the short answer is NO.
July 30, 2023
Your governments have been planning and implementing Brexit policies for over 7 years by now. I would have expected you to report some modest increases in markets and market shares by now.
The Netherlands has a too large bio industry for its size. Maybe some Dutch farmers can be invited to move to Britain where there is more land?
July 30, 2023
“Government” and “plan” are two words that don’t really belong in the same sentence.
The EU on the other hand does have a plan – the Coudenhove-Kalergi plan, and to replace democracy with authoritarianism.
July 30, 2023
@dave Andrews:
No room for conspiracy theories, there are many different ideas and plans within the EU27. Some are more federalist, some more intergovernmental, and they change through the democratic process of elections in countries and next year in the European parliament. It is not difficult to perceive a general movement to the right, recently. (Italy, Spain, the Netherlands). I will have to accept that, as it is part of democracy.
July 30, 2023
Dave,
what a load of nonsense there are more democratic counties than ours who are part of the EU
July 30, 2023
Your farmers would be welcome. Like we have welcomed most of Europe’s oppressed. đ
July 30, 2023
No thanks. You can keep your completely tasteless food.
July 30, 2023
Peter VL, we the UK general public were told our hands were tied by the withdrawal agreement, which stopped us signing new trade agreements whilst in the transition period from 2016 to 2021 was this correct or not?
Havenât we only been negotiation trade free from January 2021 or December 2021? As you say this government should be on hyper speed on these new friendship trade agreements building a strong network of friends and allies which will be the foundation of our future success. International full connections and friendship is the way to go to raise above the small thinking of punishers that used to be trade friends who sold us a lot more than we sold them.
July 31, 2023
@a-tracy:
The Brexit timeline is described in detail in Wikipedia.
July 31, 2023
PvL, you said “Your governments have been planning and implementing Brexit policies for over 7 years by now. I would have expected you to report some modest increases in markets and market shares by now.”
I did google Brexit timeline Wiki. It confirmed: “Brexit was the withdrawal of the UK from the EU at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020”, so it hasn’t been seven years as several policies and implementation were delayed through the ‘withdrawal agreement’ and ‘transition agreement’.
“The trade and co-operation agreement was announced on 24 December 2020”. We were also paying in as though members until September 2022 when payments started to reduce, we also suffered a ÂŁ2.3bn fine on ‘cheap Chinese imports from 2011-2017’ so all of us had to pay for importers (textiles and footwear) who hadn’t declared properly, message to the UK government why haven’t the culprits paid for this tax fine? It made me wonder how much legal tax we’d paid to the EU for Chinese imports over this period as this was a legacy matter.
John Redwood – I wonder what steps have your government taken since then to make sure importers from China pay all proper UK import taxes if this ‘slipped through customs’ and what steps have your government taken to recoup this money from the importers that the EU identified in their court case?
July 30, 2023
All good stuff John, but it was our own Government over the years, and now, that have allowed all of these damaging policies to either start or continue.
I see HS2 has now been given an “unachievable” rating by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority.
The London Link should have been finished by 2026 it now suggests 2029 or 2033 will be the timescale, with budgets virtually out of control.
It is politicians that have crucified the industries of the past that you mention, with stupid policies, high taxes, and Gold plated regulations, and it continues to this day.
Brexit was a massive opportunity for our Country to change, but politicians proved you could not even do the simple thing right, and just walk away from foreign control. We now have the worst of both worlds, not much say over there, but allowing them to dictate many rules over here.
It would seem many of our Politicians and Political Party’s appear to be absolutely clueless as to the cost of their own fantasies on our population, net Zero being the prime example.
We need a massive change if we are to move forward, and at the moment I do not see anyone in Government or opposition thinking sensibly about our future.
July 30, 2023
+1
July 30, 2023
+1
July 30, 2023
+1. Clueless legacies.
July 30, 2023
The environmental lobby is very powerful. It has the ear of the prime Minister and it bankrolls Labour. The BBC and other media outlets insist on it – as apparently the banks do too. Global warming is “common sense” – in London.
We elected the conservatives under Boris for Brexit. “Get Brexit done”. He did. Then he got us through covid. Mrs May and others introduced the idea of climate change but it was put on steroids and it is doing massive damage down here in North Cambs.
If you want to get re-elected, come to your senses. Fast.
July 30, 2023
That’s an article no one could disagree with unless you’re a hater of the UK and its people of which there are thousands, most of them on the verge of power and indeed some already in power
July 30, 2023
+++
Exactly!
And they have been allowed, encouraged even, to get away with it.
We used to called people like that traitors.
Now I daresay they must be âunderstoodâ.
July 30, 2023
Absolute clarity…
July 30, 2023
It’s certainly a good idea, SJR, to reconsider subsidies and direct them better to purposes that would benefit the country. A government web site tells me there are 869 taxpayer subsidy schemes running at the moment. They include a ÂŁ30m subsidy to a heat pump scheme, ÂŁ585m on social housing ‘decarbonisation’, ÂŁ10bn on ‘renewables’, ÂŁ84m on the net zero hydrogen fund, ÂŁ376m on the local electric vehicle fund, ÂŁ120 on the Scottish zero emission bus fund… the list seems endless. Can I suggest that instead of subsidies being paid to the beneficiaries of these schemes, they are funded by extra taxes being placed on those who want to purchase them? That will soon show who actually wants a green blob future. Tell local councils: you want all-electric council vehicles? See if your council taxpayers will accept paying for their true cost. And if they won’t, too bad, you can’t have them. The UK taxpayer isn’t going to fund your ideological virtue-signalling any longer.
July 30, 2023
All true, all true Sir John.
What can be done but get rid of and replace all those who have been running, or should that be ruining, the country and replace them.
That means a complete overhaul of the political system. But, those running the country are in charge of that too and their main aim seems to be yet more economic damage and control of our lives, speech and thoughts.
Should you and the small handful of like minded MP’s not be concentrating your efforts on ‘draining the swamp’ ?
July 30, 2023
Seems to me that there was an agreement behind closed doors that we would become the financial services district of the emerging super state.
That may bring in a lot of tax, and good for a few, but what a way to ruin a country!
July 30, 2023
Bang on target.
Germany – manufacturing base (enhanced by the single market)
France – agricultural sector (enhanced by the single market)
UK – services sector (not enhanced by the single market)
And they wonder why we left.
July 30, 2023
Italy – former white goods specialist losing out to China.
July 30, 2023
Obviously every word of the article is true.
So why doesnât that truth have every single MP totally up in arms against global entanglement?
July 30, 2023
Follow the money
July 30, 2023
Absolutely!
July 30, 2023
Today I read that the far right anti-renewables faction of the party – now led by the mediocre SOS Energy minister Grant Schrwaps – are once again threatening power cuts if we increase our investement in renewable energy. Nothing could be further from the truth. It was our N Sea windfarms which prevented power cuts last winter! Schwraps gross lack of investment in the National Grid will be the cause of any power cuts
Like it or not, the UK is now connected to the EU’s europe-wide interconnector grid which which electricity flows in both directions. Renewable energy is currently providing roughly 40% of our electricity, more than gas, thanks to the last Labour government’s far sighted decision to support the renewables industry. There will be no power cuts because of renewable energy, only because of the failure of the governments’ energy policy.
Reply What an absurd rant. When the wind does not blow there is no wind power. You need gas, biomass and nuclear to keep us going.
July 30, 2023
Currently generating more than required, so selling electricity via the interconnectors at virtually zero cost.
National Grid continuing their policy of buy high, sell low.
July 30, 2023
@Dave Andrews
Where do you get this bullshit from? The National Grid does not sell renewable energy via the interconnectors at zero cost, far from it. The reason renewable energy is currently so expensive is because Hunt loaded the renewable producers with a windfall profits tax so high that the producers are now leaving the market. Rock on, the fossil fuel lobby
July 30, 2023
SG
You seem to have absorbed the persona of Martin in Cardiff
Are you here to provide balance?
July 30, 2023
Sakara Gold :
Sometimes the exported energy is sold at negative prices.
How can that be commercially feasible?
Because it is cheaper for the National Grid to sell at negative prices than to pay the renewable energy restraint payments,
High entropy, highly variable renewables are incapable of providing chep, abundant and reliable power. They are parasitic energy requiring a parallel gas generated system to bale them out when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine. Either that or we build excess capacity and a very expensive storage system. Or, as is currently planned, we accept expensive energy and intermittency.
They are also very wasteful of the earth’s resources. For each 1 Kg of steel and cement offshore wind produce 1 watt of power, nuclear provides 1000 watts of power for each 1Kg of steel and cement.
July 30, 2023
@SG
Are you not a lobbyist?
July 30, 2023
@Sir John
Huntâs regresive tax system on renewable energy producers has driven Vattenfall from their huge Norfolk Boreas windfarm project off the Norfolk coast, despite having already spent ÂŁ415 million. It is taking âyearsâ to connect new renewable resources to the grid as Schraps has failed to upgrade the network. Sunakâs utter failure to change the planning laws have resulted in not a single onshore wind project being approved in the past 5 years. If there are any power cuts next winter it will be because of these energy policy failings
July 30, 2023
SG :
Vattenfall have cancelled their Norfolk Boreas project simply because they have discovered that wind energy is not as cheap as they thought it was, especially with a predicted 40% increase in costs. And this is for an AR4 project where there is no binding contract to supply at the ÂŁ37.35/MWhr 2012 price (now ÂŁ45.37/MWhr) and hence where they can supply at market prices when complete. So up against the fossil fuel prices which we are informed are 9 times higher than windâŠ
Many wind farms are currently obtaining market prices rather than the lower contracted, but non-binding, Cfd price.
July 31, 2023
Letâs take your point as read. Now, letâs think about one of those Januarys where high pressure settles over the whole of the UK for week after week. The skies are cloudless but the sun is close to the horizon and almost no solar power is generated. A feature of these long periods of high pressure is a complete lack of wind. Wind power is now producing negligible amounts of power. Itâs cold and dark for 17 hours a day.
Whereâs the electricity going to come from?
July 30, 2023
Which is precisely the point at which I stopped reading this.
Get help, SG. Get help.
July 30, 2023
How can we get on with anything hampered by red tape, political correctness and Net Zero?
July 30, 2023
Indeed and all the obstacles very high taxes, red tape, big bloated government, lack of houses, road blocking, wars on small business, rip off energy, lack of housing, daft employment lawsâŠ
July 30, 2023
LL :
It’s not houses that are needed it is hotels, barges and now tents.
July 30, 2023
….and hampered by eu laws that haven’t as yet been repealled …as promised by this government
July 30, 2023
If you think your censorship is going to cure the current consocialist shadow under which we live, don’t act surprised at the GE result 2024.
July 30, 2023
“Can the UK now recapture lost markets and market shares?â
Only when the Conservative Government allows the UK to leave the EU. What was the catchy phrase to get elected oh yes âGet Brexit Doneâ
July 30, 2023
Sir JR
It sounds as if we were getting poorer whilst we were part of the Eu and the total contrary is the case and for most of the period we were members our standard of living rose and the UK economy grew more than the continental economies.
So one can ask the question are this focus on home production really going to solve the challenges we are facing today?
The fact that trade grew faster with the developing world and outside the EU is neither here nor there the rest of the EU grew their trade more with non Eu countries as well , like Germany with China as these countries grow faster than the EU.
On the car industry in the 1970s we were not competitive because we produced low quality cars. (I remember my parents lousy cars).
Blaming all on the EU seems to be the usual Redwood scenario, nothing new there
July 30, 2023
It’s not really about trade bill.
It was about a simple desire for the UK to be an independent nation once more.
Like over 100 nations.
PS.
People are fighting and dying in nations like Ukraine for that simple desire.
July 30, 2023
John, This is why 17.4million people voted for Brexit. We saw that UK was being plundered by EU. We saw their disdain & disrespect for UK.
As we increased quickly in population through open border policies. The destruction of our industries, agriculture & skill sets carried on a pace. Supported by europhiles on the EU gravy train.
I still cannot comprehend how joining the EU as opposed to the European trade deal was going to benefit UK?
But what I find unforgivable is that the political class, the elite & the establishment still want foreign rule for GB. Preferably via EU but also through Globallism? Democracy has almost been annihilated, the people no longer matter. As we all plainly saw in HOC when Bercow, the Labour party & other duplicitous remainers attempt to thwart the people’s vote for Brexit.
Devolution has failed dismally, because those elected ignore the peoples wishes & do what they want or is better for them!
I for one no longer trust a duplicitous Westminster or any of our devolved parliaments. Our cities are becoming no go areas due to mass migration & lack of integration into our society & culture.
While the indeginous British people are pushed further & further to the bottom of society. Yet expected to pay higher & higher taxes to feed non contributors & the ever growing public service waste machine! God help the coming generations!
July 30, 2023
Spot on. English people, particularly Christian men, have no representation in Westminster.
July 30, 2023
Pretty unlikely.
It doesn’t form any part of the strategy for the future – don’t forget we are going to be made to revert to pre-industrialised methods of production, so it is totally understandable that using energy to produce luxury items like cars or even to have energy on tap, just won’t be feasible.
Our capability to produce anything will dwindle as imports slowly subside, but that is just one aspect of life that has been planned for us. Any markets we supplied will also disappear. For a time we will live in the ruins of a collapsed civilisation, from which it will be very hard to crawl out of to re-establish a functioning society again. For all the signs are that mis-education and corruption will spell ruin for all but the global elite, while we own nothing, border on poverty, with little in life to enjoy, and yet we are told that we will be happy!
July 30, 2023
Bryan
It is not what they are telling you that is important – lack of ownership and happiness, but what they are NOT telling you. That you NOT be FREE !!!!!!
July 30, 2023
Held in moderation, Sir John ?
Many thanks. Nice to know that I am right on the money đ
July 30, 2023
The EU is a French-German racket to protect their economic interests. The UK had few cards to play when we eventually were conned into joining the EEC – but the creature known as Heath and the treacherous Civil Servants who did the “negotiating” handed over what few cards we had in their desperation to join “The Club.”
Treason May and Oliver Robbins repeated that process when they negotiated a “deal” which was designed and intended to keep us permanently attached to the EU as a satellite nation. Johnson/Frost’s deal was a slight improvement but Sunak’s Windsor Stitch-up has achieved the May/Robbin’s plan with NI handed over as a hostage to ensure “we behave.”
I don’t expect the treacherous Not-a-Conservative-Party to do any of the things Sir John suggests. They have been lying to, and betraying, the British people for 50 years now over the EU ….. and they are never going to change.
July 30, 2023
+1
July 30, 2023
+many
Sunak sacked 5 of his own MPs to make sure Windsor EU sell out got through unopposed!! The man is a traitor.
July 30, 2023
Which five?
I agree the Windsor Framework was an appalling disaster and a complete con trick from Sunak. The âprotectionsâ he claimed protected the deal were, and are, totally worthless – as he surely knew full well.
July 30, 2023
+1
July 30, 2023
Sir John, the greater majority of your well thought out thread this morning contradicts Conservative Government Policy. The Conservative Government orchestrated an import only policy, while at the same time continued the Blair/Brown direction of sell everything off, we need the money to cover our Politicians mistakes.
Governments has sold of the UK World leading energy companies. It has allowed the sale of ARM & Cobham both strategic elements of UK safety and security, not just sold but allowed them to be asset stripped and moved away. In the Building Supply Industry, cement, plaster, even our World leading glass industry all sold off then moved from the UK. The list is endless, there isnât the space to list them here.
Yes I would agree it is right at times for companies to be treated as commodities, bought and sold. But there has to parameters and boundaries, selling that removes a competitor has and is far to Lax in the UK, it is also anti free market and the meaning of competition. The big one for me and were UK Governments have been plain stupid numpties is âreciprocityâ but appear to have a deliberate policy to encourage it is that foreign entities usually government controlled buying UKâs industry when they would block without discussion the reverse happening.
We have now reached the situation that our own Government is threatening the UKâs survival, its security and the safety of everyone in the Country
July 30, 2023
Sir John your leader in parliment, is out today on the campaign trail. Another speech and no actual work
Sunaak – âI look across the despatch box at Keir Starmer and I donât see any principlesâ – the rest of us, to the PM you are looking in the mirror your own reflection and views, a fellow traveller a comrade. Now you know how the rest of us feel
July 30, 2023
Well, if we don’t like those principles Sunout has more! Absolute garbage about supporting the motorist. Ha ha ha. Like we believe anything this Windsor sellout has on offer.
July 30, 2023
More Electioneering instead of doing
âI am on motoristsâ side, says Sunak as he orders review of anti-car schemesâ writting in todays telegraph
From the Comment section
âPoliticians are aliens. They have all common sense surgically removed as soon as they enter parliament.â
âCouncils are acting on instructions from government, they could have been changed ages ago but this Conservative Government refused.’
You would think from the coments everyone thinks the PM and this Conservative Goverment are telling fibs.
July 30, 2023
Please don’t forget;
Large number of People have been left behind, and are now Economically “Inactive”!
One force at work, is QE (2008/9, 2018/19) has inflated Asset Prices! Trucks, Plant, Deposits, Trawlers,…
Owner Drivers (1 Truck) have been burden by Operator License restrictions (No room to innovate), Parking restrictions and cost, DofT ÂŁÂŁ8k per years holding fee, Custom Union restrictions (Back Loads, big company’s).
Would it be possible to also allow one parent to supplement a Family’s Income by doing Supermarket Logistics (Delivering trailers at night)? Mam, with kids in Truck, sleeping (Safety net up), two loads per night! Holiday paid for, or extra Child Care paid for?
Cheap Energy strategy (As you stated), but we need to Frack for cheap Gas?
Cheap Fuel Duty (Most EU country’s France subsidies Fuel – diesel)?
Support increased farm Production.
Etc,…
This will be Music to the ears of the Poor, Working Poor, and Blue Collar Workers, as a commitment to a High Valued manufacturing domain, where they can seek Self Determination of their own Wealth and Well being!
Not State Dependency, and Universal Credit (Fine as part of a Customs Union, NOT Fine now we are back? to a flexible Economic model)!
So, this forms the basis for Family Firms, Flexibility, and the stability that comes with it!
But with it, comes Housing? Most of these People will not be able to buy a conventional Home, simply because of the House Price Inflation, and the size of required Deposits. My answer would be is to be aware that there are many plots of Land, Brown Field sites, as well as, Green fields sites, that could not be used to build more then one house, but enough land to build a Log cabin, or Container Homes, cheap?
A little bit of Flexibility from Planning?
The result is a cheaper “Cost of Living”!
Excellent Analysis! Re-flatten our Economy to serve the willing, as it was before the EU Customs Union!
July 30, 2023
”The threat to ban all new diesel and petrol car sales here as soon as 2030”
Didn’t you get the memo, its not a threat it’s law ….a law imposed by your government, your party
July 30, 2023
It’s a poisoned pill for any future Labour government. They know Labour cannot remove it for political reasons, given the Tories to shout about when they are in opposition.
July 30, 2023
are you suggesting that this government is going to leave the country in the poo, on purpose, as they realise that they’re going to lose the next election …just to shove it to labour
July 30, 2023
We didn’t need to do most of those things you list nobody forced us we did it by choice. Our government and industrial leaders, bankers and financiers were all involved in this national sabotage and we cannot blame the EU.. most other EU countries held onto whatever industrial structure they had and built on it but not us.. we even sold off all of our deep sea merchant ships while Denmark’s Maersk Line became one of the biggest shipping companies in the world – little Ireland was able to invent Ryanair. Thirty years ago I was in charge of a building project in south of spain where dozens of Brits were flown out to work.. within one year they had all been sent home and the company HQ in Essex sent out polish workers instead.. the brits couldn’t/ wouldn’t work because they were gone missing all the time when they got bsck to camp they had hangovers – thought they were on holidays – eventually we had to send them all home – so where do you go from there?
July 30, 2023
Yes, quite correct. British industry and management, a by-word for ignorance and incompetence.
July 30, 2023
MWB. Correct. A ‘reputable’ bathroom company couldn’t even send out the right shower base. We were told 2-3 days. It took a week, then it was the wrong one. Now we are told it will be another week if we are lucky. When you look at some of the idiots roaming the streets you can see why customer service doesn’t exist.
July 30, 2023
This Conservative Governments race to the bottom with its world class netZero madness sets out to destroy the UK first, without ever reaching NetZero. What is called World pollution is just that âWorld pollutionâ You can close every single bit of the UK down stop all activities move back to the stone age, and the World, the UK will still suffer from pollution. As the rest of the World hasnât joined the race.
They donât understand the problem that they them selves have invented. Export Industry and jobs preferring to import from the highest polluters and then using polluting transporting to bring it back in doesnât solve a thing, it exasperates it.
The obvious high profile massive mistake is the banning of the ICE engine. This Government bans before thinking. It would appear the ICE is needs to be replaced with a Chinese sourced Electric battery(there is no other choice), more bizzare they are cars that getting them market pollutes more than the units to be replace. Some think that their German Badged or even Tesla cars are not in the same league, that’s the slight of hand, they are in reality just rebadge version of Chinese Cars. The EU Commission is complaining that 55% of the production of EU & UK produced cars are basically from China â they have noticed. This is without getting onto the subject of electricity to charge the batteries, today we have been warned yet again we are short of electricity and people have to cut back. So on the one hand Government wants to encourage more electricity consumption then the same Government says we haven’t enough to go around.
On the basis of this the Conservative Government stance and attitude to UK Industry is it would appear that they prefer to subsidise the Chinese State with taxpayer give a ways on Chinese products sold in the UK. So who’s side are they on.
July 30, 2023
Sir John,
You didn’t mention the vast amounts of money we paid for the privilege. They had good reason to call the UK “Treasure Island.” Of course we can rejoin whenever we want – on their terms. Only next time there won’t be any get out clause.
July 30, 2023
The cost was quite small when compared with government waste.
We can’t rejoin whenever we want, as the Maastricht Treaty requires a state to have a debt to GDP ratio less than 60%. There’s no prospect for the UK to achieve that ever again.
July 30, 2023
Donât pretend the EU cares about its own economic or financial rules if the rules donât suit them at the time. There were supposedly strict requirements laid down for any country wanting to join the euro as well, but the EU didnât care and set aside those rules for Greece et al when it suited them politically.
July 30, 2023
In the days of British Leyland, British cars were rubbish. Sales abroad were almost non-existent, whereas UK people bought them because they were cheap and car ownership was not universal back then. That was partly due to taxes and import costs.
If a new UK car maker were to make a product people want, people would buy it world-wide.
However, if you’re talking about foreign makers such as Missan making their cars in the UK and selling them elsewhere, that’s not really the same thing.
When it comes to fish… if the price is right, other countries will buy any surplus the UK may have. It’s really that simple to re-capture market share. However, I’m not convinced our weasel politicians will ever stop the EU fishing in UK waters.
July 30, 2023
China has been working on cheaper EVs since the early 2000s.
Europe is about to be flooded by said cars.
All this presumably with the knowledge and approval of our politicians.
( No wonder they wanted our car industry destroyed)
And now to cap it all it transpires that China will be able to remotely immobilise these vehicles!
Nothing , nothing, nothing learned from Huawei and 5G.
( Good for social credit âŠeh?)
Smart Meters. Bank cancellation and now this!
Good Grief!!
July 30, 2023
Is there anybody in parliament, who’s actually looking out for the british people, the average joe
July 30, 2023
Glen. Dont be silly
July 30, 2023
understood
July 30, 2023
Everhopeful :
“Nothing , nothing, nothing learned from Huawei and 5G.”
Whoever is in charge of our energy wants all of it to come from wind and solar renewables, all produced in China, who also control the metals and minerals required for electrification – motors, generators, batteries and cabling.
How can this possibly give us energy security?
July 30, 2023
There are many, very many, people in this country who do not know where things are made, who by and what with, in particular what is produced here. They get stuff and it does not matter where from – indeed they are helping the world by buying foreign goods.
The importance that we must produce here is virtually ignored – when the MSM talks about employment they generally refer to coffee shops as if they are absolutely vital.
A week or so a contributer, as a response I think to criticism of the country’s performance, referred to our being no. 7 in world rankings of wealth. It is not long ago I don’t think when we were no. 3 and no. 5.
How long on present performance will we be no. 8 and then no. 9 if we don’t start making more products here and using more of our home assets and fuels and people being informed correctly.
July 30, 2023
The country has been socially engineered by the political and ruling classes to be the way it is.
The history of optical fibre production is a case study in how this country has been hurt by its own ruling classes.
The history of deals with countries like India are further case studies on how this country has been hurt by its own ruling classes.
Sure the country could recover, and return to a much more balanced economy, but that is not going to happen with the current blob, its fashions, and the currently selected political candidates for the main parties.
The answers are easy to see, but there is no political will anywhere except amongst the decent ordinary people.
July 30, 2023
The Conservatives won’t roll back ANY of the Net Zero targets. They are too scared of offending people who don’t vote for them. As we have just seen in the Trans Rights debate a change to any “consensus” policy that cuts across party lines can only be approved and endorsed in the UK if the Labour party are the ones who U turn on it – they are the ones who are so embedded in the media and the establishment that they will be praised rather than attacked for changing their minds.
July 30, 2023
Forcing the UK to Import, is how this Conservative Government approaches trade
All evidence suggest the Battery EV has little to offer anyone other than propping up the Chinese State, they have cornered the Worlds production capability, along with the Worlds raw materials. Then they manufacture and distribute the end products by the most polluting means. Then add in to ensure their domination they have effectively blocked competition by being the owner.
There are ways to incrementally reduce traffic pollution in tangible ways. The average personal traffic commute is said to be just 7 miles, today’s average hybrid is good for 30 miles , although the newer ones are now closer to 60 miles. So I would guess 90% of UK journeyâs could be covered by hybrids with a significant drop in pollution. This solution is still to be banned by this Conservative Government – not Chinease enough.
That still leaves the recharge situation, that is where the self charge comes in. An ICE to charge might seem a bit out of kilter, but it gets over the problem of the UKâs lack of resilient reliable electricity supply. After 13 years of knowing the problem this Conservative Government has refused to allow the UK to become self-reliant and resilient in energy, instead they keep to the import only mantra.
Feed into this equation by following the âMotor Sportâ lead, F1 for instance, all F1 cars are hybrid just as the cars that won LeMans this year. Going further F1 is about to follow the lead from US motor-sport(last 20years) and change to 100% renewable fuel. What happens in motor-sport does trickle down to the consumer.
The proble for this Conservative Government, the motor sport direction excludes the use of the Chinese raw material monopoly.
The query then is that the ICE is still in the background and there are a lot of them around. E-Fuels/renewable s as they are called can fuel both old and new cars. There is no pollution.
Then add in the mix Bosch the suppler of basically the greatest chunk of fuel systems for ICEâs has announced a 2.5 billion investment in furthering the use of Hydrogen for cars. Again this work in new old and historical cars again there is no pollution. Then the ‘backward looking’ EU has mandated Hydrogen filling points through out Europe. A more realistic, thought through approach, could reduce real pollution more than the Governments ban on anything but pure Chinese battery.
This Government is giving an Indian Company (Tata) our taxpayer money to produce batteryâs in Somerset with Chinese sourced materials still doesnât achieve what is hyped, it just reinforces their attitude to the UK.
There is a lot more that could be explained and techy â but brevity is called for.
The Conservative Government in their desire to enhance the Chinese State at the expense of the UK economy is fighting allrealistic practical advances with out right bans. They are forcing Chinese imports down consumers throats while not even remotely solving the situation they have nailed their banner to.
July 30, 2023
@Ian B
Clearly I havenât joined up all the dots/elements it would be to verbose. The point is this Conservative Government is focused on Punishment and banning before creating a constructive way forward.
July 30, 2023
Is ULEZ a ânudgeâ to get as many as possible buying the soon-to-arrive flood of Chinese EVs?
The Knightsbridge money-no-object foreign boy racers are exempt from ULEZ in their emission compliant cars.
Not so the care workers or plumbers etc etcâŠ..
And we were the last to be toldâŠnever mind consulted.
July 30, 2023
No ! It is a prelude to UK wide road pricing. London is where it is going to begin.
July 30, 2023
We were before joining the EU entirely focused as an International operator . Our industry and commercial markets were organised towards markets around the world – becoming part of the EU changed all that . Friendship with Europe was one thing but adopting the constraints that came with membership altered our approach . In the early 60s efforts to forge outlets and opportunities in Europe were not easy to obtain , in fact obstacles were often put in our way – I had first hand experience of this as a representative of some British and USA companies . It was not until the Thatcher days before we started to realise the mistake of joining – Brexit became inevitable .
July 30, 2023
Bert+Young ;
i also witnessed at first hand how EU firms were secretly subsidised.
July 30, 2023
To illustrate the Conservative Government problem, we see the attacks on them by what should be supporters- speaking out in the media
âSuccessive Conservative prime ministers have been âsystematically dishonestâ with the public about the trillion pound cost of achieving net zero, the former chancellor Lord Hammond has said.
Lord Hammond said there was a âcross-party diseaseâ of politicians not being straight with voters about the âsignificantâ true cost of the project and the inevitable consequence of slower rising living standards.
âIn a democracy, you fail to take people with you at your peril,â he warned.
âBoth May and Johnson were not straight with the publicâ
Speaking to The Telegraph, Lord Hammond said that both his former boss and her successor Boris Johnson had not been straight with the public on the issue and that there was currently no one in British politics âwho is understanding those sort of numbersâ.
âBoris, basically through weaponising his economic ignorance, tried to pretend that this was not really a cost at all because it would be investment and it will create jobs,â he said.ââŠ.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/07/29/tory-pms-systematically-dishonest-1-trillion-cost-net-zero/
Then again Conservatives have been sidelined at the cost to the UK by this UniParty socialist crowd.
July 30, 2023
Lord Hammond can afford to speak against things such as Net Zero as :
a) Unlike the EU he does not have skin in the game.
b) Cannot be removed from his current position.
July 30, 2023
+many
July 30, 2023
Ian B :
âSuccessive Conservative prime ministers have been âsystematically dishonestâ with the public about the trillion pound cost of achieving net zero, the former chancellor Lord Hammond has said”.
Parliament hasnât got a clue what are the true costs of Net Zero. They never even sked for a costing when the Climate Change Act was passed, which I believe is very unusual.
It is the Climate Change Committee who have been lying to the public about the costs of Net Zero.
It wonât be ÂŁ1 trillion, more like ÂŁ3-4 trillion and then it still will not be achieved â it will be even worse than the âunachievableâ HS2 project. As intended it will destroy our economy and democracy.
July 30, 2023
The last paragraph says it all. Sir John you need to get your colleagues organised appropriately to implement your suggestions.
July 30, 2023
It is bewildering, nay, criminal that these debilitating events have happened to this country because those in power have refused to act for the people. If they in Government, whoever they may be, do not act in the interest of those who elect them, what use are they to us?
July 30, 2023
Indeed. Consider our power generation and total neglect by the Tory’s to collude with the EU to share interconnectors so we are not self sufficient against our National interests.
July 30, 2023
Your suggestions are all sensible. However, to gain new export markets and implement import substitution requires the private sector to have available capital. As long as the State is spending excessively this is not possible. Front and centre of any campaign of renewal must be shrinking the State and
massive cuts in public expenditure. Currently State expenditure is 47% of GDP and annual State borrowing (extrapolated from the first 3 months) is headed for ÂŁ256 billion.
July 30, 2023
Thank you a Tracy ,, it isn’t about size but rather looking after our own Island’s needs. Once one takes on more than it can manage well ,failure ensues and this is what we did with the EU . We didn’t have a hope to manage what was under our noses because it was taken over and companies were seduced into becoming satellite ,poorly managed concerns. The ethos of competition doesn’t produce winners but rather more losers . We need to stop these highly competitive , bringing downers and appreciate what we have, thereby working more cooperatively. Those not resident in our Island should not have a say.
We need to be glad to be alive following covid and what is more with covid on the rise again we need to encourage vaccines weighing up the pros and cons as in any other vaccination or medicine. There is nothing more conceited than someone linking on to an aspect of medicine and ruining what is best for public interest with their out of context remarks.
July 31, 2023
J Redwood MUST be aware that this government is following the |Globalist UK Establishment NWO WEF agenda. Surely he is aware the EU is a corrupt organisation. His comments and the well being of the country and the population are irrelevant. However change is inevitable and panic will ensue. Be patient people, Trust the plan. Enjoy the show. Nothing can stop what is coming, NOTHING.
July 31, 2023
“The government should work harder…” – Yes, infinitely harder! But Sir John, all that most of your historically illiterate colleagues know is that for thirty years Maastricht and its SIs enabled them to do very little but grandstand, while Brexit forces them to work and plan, and working, thinking and engaging goal-driven willpower is beyond them. (Meanwhile the useless HoL packed with political cronies aspires to be an alternative seat of EU government in exile.)
We now have a parliament full of mediocrities, indolent student union demagogues who entered parliament craving a ‘lazy-girl’s job’, supported by a power-hungry left-wing academia. It will take a major political revolution to replace them with hard-thinking workers focused on nation-building.