A few months ago Mrs May was condemning Russia for the poisonings. The EU imposed sanctions when  condemning  Russian activity in Ukraine.
Yesterday Mrs May met Mr Putin and shook his hand. Doing so with a cross look does not get away from the fact that this  was a significant change of stance from the broken relations of recent months.  This was a recognition that the UK needs a relationship with Russia. Germany led the support for the restoration of Russian votes in the Council of Europe, showing they as  leader of the EU wishes to have an improved relationship with Russia. Mrs May appears to be marching in step with Germany.
Crucial to the underlying position is the German and EU decision to press on with Nord Stream 2, a large gas pipeline to sell Russian gas to Germany and the rest of the EU by pipeline under the Baltic Sea. This major commitment will increase continental Europe’s dependence on Russian gas. It undermines the position of the Ukraine, which could lose pipelines revenues for the gas currently routed from Russia to the West via that link. I find it difficult to understand why they wish to undermine the Ukraine in this way when they claim to be so concerned about its fate.
It is difficult to comprehend why we hear the angry words and see the sanctions imposed when Germany is so determined to improve its relations with Russia and keen to increase her dependence on Russian gas. Mrs May may brief that she had a frosty exchange when meeting Mr Putin, but the truth is she met him and shook him by the hand. The EU will carry on complaining about Ukraine, but they have no intention of taking any action to reclaim Crimea which might well vote to stay with Russia should they be given another  vote supervised by independent observers. The Russian supervised vote was strongly pro Crimea being part of Russia.
The EU and Mrs May have also been complicit in strengthening Russia in the Middle East. I did not want us intervening  militarily in Syria, but if the EU/UK  aim is to block Russian power they  should have taken more action in Syria at a time when Russia moved into the power vacuum created by NATO’s limited involvement. We allowed Russia and Assad to do most of the fighting to remove ISIS, leaving them in charge of most of the country.
On June 24 with full support from France and Germany Russia’s voting rights in the Council of Europe were restored.
Clearly the EU has decided to improve its relations with Russia and to increase its commercial dependence. The rest is just spin.
June 29, 2019
Good Morning,
SIMPLES! Mrs May loves the EU, Germany loves/needs cheap Russian gas to maintain its manufacturing base.
Tell me when Mrs. May last acted in the interest of the UK and against those of the EU….
The question is; WHY?
June 29, 2019
This goes to the heart of what has happened.
Why I support Boris (without a vote) is that I hope he will actually form a cabinet of people who are cleverer, more clued up and better at negotiating than he is. I am thinking of President Reagan who said that he was the stupidest person in the room when in cabinet.
Boris seems to have done this in London.
You only have to look at the huge staff in Downing Street (200) to see how the parliamentary process has turned into a dictatorship run from No 10, briefing against Ministers (David Davis, Dominic Raab) and treating the Cabinet like schoolchildren, who have either one or two staff each.
I very much hope that Boris will reverse this and use the Cabinet rather than Downing Street to come to his decisions.
June 29, 2019
Mayhab chose, yes chose, UK self imposed vassalage for the extension until 31/10/2019. She could not oppose Russia because she agreed not to vote against while in extension!
Mayhab helps/boosts Russia and Germany economies with their bond over the supply of gas (over half Germany’s gas from Russia) while the absolute idiot and traitor this week puts through an uncosted SI at one trillion pounds for green energy- passing more industry and jobs to Germany! She is beyond unfit to hold any office. This has to be reversed.
Trump warned Germany and EU over reliance on Russian gas. it appears Trump is far more sound than these two-faced politico idiots.
Let us not forget Mayhab had a Putin confident to dinner at high cost with ‘the girls’ from the cabinet. She did not think this would be picked up. Yesterday was for the press to con the public.
Germany has coal and gas. I presume the carbon footprint belongs Russias not Germany? nuclear from France. How is Germany going to be carbon free by 2050!
The worse and most dishonest PM in history. That is her legacy.
June 29, 2019
Another travesty was disloyal Gauke’s association voted confidence in him last night! I hope they realise this will cost their party massive vote losses. Gauke could not even fulfil collective responsibility. He was content in letting out a Warbouys for Khan to prevent it! Warbouys since has admitted another four offences. The man who dos not want prison sentnces under six months. Who in their right mind would trust him?
Either associations oust this sort of person or their party will suffer.
June 29, 2019
Why, oh why have the politicians, from all sides, not given any criticism of her antics? Which leads to the conclusion they all traitors.
The swamp doesn’t only need to be drained, but bleached of all influences such as CP, from every public sector institute, including the HoC and HoL
June 29, 2019
I read that the Ford closure in Wales has been replicated with bigger job lines she’s in France and Germany! So nothing to do with Brexit, but that attack on car manufacturing across the EU. Similarly we read EU emission targets cost the iconic Landrover being moved! Presumably if the UK had its own laws and regs it could still build the Defender here instead of passing jobs and profits to other countries!
Farcical Paris agreement all over. It does not save the planet it transfers jobs.
Italy building a wall to stop mass immigration from Balkans. Swedish young angry that immigrants are being prioritised for housing ahead of indigenous people. Hunt should think on this and stop copying EU policy on everything to continue after the UK leaves. No regression clauses, no free security, defence and intelligence sharing. Act in the interest of this country for the interests of our people.
Come 24/07/2019 let us never see hear or speak of the rotten Mayhab ever again bless she is to be investigated for her dishonest Kitkat policy to hide costs and ties to EU.
June 29, 2019
Mike Stallard, You are exactly right that the Prime Minister must become the chairman of the board, and not continue to have a mini government in Downing St. A PM must be forced to rely on his (her) own Ministers and Ministries by reducing the Downing St entourage to just one or two secretaries.
June 29, 2019
Peter Wood
Oh that’s easy……she’s French ! Check out the family name.
June 29, 2019
Strictly speaking Brazier is not French, brasier is.
June 29, 2019
Whereas the UK needs Russian gas to keep the lights on and 70% of its housing warm. The UK now only produces 44% of its own natural gas, the rest is imported, mostly from Russia and Norway through EU territory. About 9% comes in ships as LNG, which by the way, a Trump FTA will insist on doubling with US LNG.
UK gas storage capacity is being mothballed nobody can make money out of it because of the way the privatised grid operator works the end of day line packing.
Did you know that during the “beast from the east” weather episode, the UK was importing gas from German storage and it wasn’t cheap. Remember the UK is at the end of all the European gas pipes. (German gas storage capacity is seventeen times larger than the UK.)
June 29, 2019
BTW. Have you seen that Crimea’s economy has expanded considerably since the Russians took it over. Consider similarly; Belarus and Ukraine are culturally part of the Russian Federation. Both need a large dose of Putinism to flush out their bandit politicians and turbocharge there economies into the 21st Century. The EU and Trump’s Nato should stay out of it.
June 29, 2019
Geopolitics-if you are not part of the Eurasian consolidation process that is well underway you are going to be left out in the cold.The Russia-China relationship is a game changer of immense proportions.
June 29, 2019
What Germany wants, Germany gets, even if it is damaging to the rest of the EU countries.
It became crystal clear when Merkel UNILATERALLY, and without discussion with anyone, invited millions of migrants and then demanded other countries to take the influx.
June 29, 2019
Only the ones that are unemployable.
Anyone who benefits Germany is feted. Doctors, engineers etc.
May is a disgrace, she shouldn’t be representing Britain at all.
June 29, 2019
Ian, Calling her a disgrace . . . . is still praising her.
June 29, 2019
If the EU blink when offered our WTO,FTA, Art 24 of GATT deal or dismiss it with Barnier’s gallic sneer, then lets hope that this awakens some pragmatism among German industrialists. They have much to lose at a time when their economy is already under pressure. Maybe the EU will see sense,but when their punishment philosophy is challenged with common sense I am not holding my breath.
June 29, 2019
The practicality of obtaining cheap energy comes before any moral considerations. In international politics morality invariably takes second place to financial considerations. Russia needs the money, Germany needs the gas. If the price is accepting the Crimea situation, let the dust of history blow over it.
June 29, 2019
Syria. Gas. Dependency. Russia. Obama. Merkel. Blood. Terror. Who cares?
And Trump is the evil one, apparently. I don’t think so
The media is controlled and they control the narrative truth if not the actual truth
June 29, 2019
Yes. We really are seeing Orwells ‘Ministry of truth’ emerging.
June 30, 2019
Quite right, Dominic. The media has been the propaganda arm of the deep state. They are about to get their come uppance in the USA and be exposed for what they are. President Trump is in control, and the deep state are in retreat, but their lashing out continues to be vicious, like a wounded animal cornered.
June 29, 2019
With a thick layer of hypocrisy over the “climate change” to top off this particularly nasty little cake!
June 29, 2019
True Julie. There is climate and quite separately the environment. The latter is down to man who to date has done little. When man does there are very real benefits. Climate is 99.9% down to the Sun. Man must learn to live with it and where possible mitigate it’s effect. Sea walls are politically dull alongside HS2 so do not expect the grandstanders in Parliament to start mixing cement.
June 29, 2019
The whole recent Russiaphobia cu-de-sac seems to have be contrived by the war mongering Hillary’s backers wing of White House , not Mr Trump .
As usual , the authoritarian May was only happy too eager to use it as an opportunity to escalate censorship of the media (particularly alternative media) to wartime levels .
This is worrying when regimes in characterised by an executive which has demanded the official version of the narrative be unchallenged in peace time include old the Soviet Union , Nazi Germany and current North Korea .
All a bit hypocritical when the West is happy to back the atrocious Saudi regime and those funding the civil war in Yemen .
The U.S. needs to import 8 million barrels per DAY of heavy low API gravity oil to blend with it’s light-tight “shale oil” to arrive at the 32.5 API degree demanded by refineries .
Most of the light-tight “shale oil” liquid is outside the API definition of oil and is actually condensate . It lacks sufficient long chain hydrocarbons to produce decent gasoline or any diesel .
June 29, 2019
The Power of Siberia pipeline will be complete by December sending vast quantities of Russian gas to China(and I believe the Chinese are negotiating for even more);the transit contract with Ukraine ends this December;no serious negotiations have taken place about what happens then(Ukraine has said it has no plan B)-Ukraine will lose not only transit fees the equivalent of several points of GDP but it will have no gas for winter.Nordstream II has to be complete by then-only Denmark,probably,under US pressure,has been holding out(the pip runs under waters they have jurisdiction over)-or Europe will have a problem this winter.
June 29, 2019
And then there’s the Turkstream pipeline,also due for completion around the end of this year,taking (more)Russian gas to Turkey(already one of it’s biggest customers)and making Turkey a regional hub for onward distribution into Southern Europe and the Balkans.
June 29, 2019
Good morning.
Not so much in step, more to the tune – Ueber alles !
The Germans and the French have people like Mrs.May MP and most of our government, and Civil Service over a barrel. Little do these gradious pygmies realise that foreign policy is an EU Competence. ie Power. All Germany and France have to do is twist the arm of the EU, which they both easily can, and the UK has to fall in line.
I wonder how much Russian Gas, Germany and all the others will consume ? Just think of all that CO2 they will be producing as their industries turn out manufactured goods to sell, whilst our miserable lot, without so much as a whimper, force us back to the Dark Ages, literally ! Makes you wonder really ?
Oh for a politician with some sanity. Sighs
June 29, 2019
We all know, to our cost, that Mrs May speaks with forked tongue about more than Russia. If her successor follows her example he and the party they seek to lead will soon be inglorious history, just like May.
June 29, 2019
It is odd that there are so many EU and UK politicians who are adamant in their opposition to exploiting shale gas yet quite happy to import gas from Russia. Why also are the green blob and all those people who think we will be extinct in 11 years due to CO2 not protesting about this policy?
June 29, 2019
Richard1, In 2009 Prince Charles warned that we had less than 100 months to save the world from “irretrievable climate and ecosystem collapse, and all that goes with it”. Yet here we are 120 months later and the world has not collapsed irretrievably into eco catastrophe. If we had, maybe Theresa May would not have earmarked ÂŁ1trn to “save” the planet, because it would be too late.
June 29, 2019
Indeed. It seems HRH was poorly advised.
June 29, 2019
Partly about price which is more important than politics.
Partly about zero carbon which they claim natural gas is …or nearly is.
Remember when they spun that one about wood burning stoves? The CO2 is already in the plants so burning = neutral carbon…or some such utter rot
( If the powers tb care about emissions let them shut every airport tomorrow, take every car off the road too. Let them give all the aeroplanes to the homeless to live in and also ban all fuel. At least we will all die of famine and cold feeling virtuous).
June 29, 2019
Southampton were contemplating a plan to place an environmental tax on diesels in the city.
If they want to cut pollution, they would be far better off levying a charge on the polluting ships that come into port. One of those can belch out more pollutants than all the cars in the south of England.
June 29, 2019
Money talks.
June 29, 2019
If money talks in this case it may also have a say in getting a good trade deal after Brexit!
June 29, 2019
Paying for trade = bribery?
June 29, 2019
Hardly bribery, if the E U/Germany want our trade because it benefits their economy. Perhaps you are thinking of the 39Billion. I was referring to the Gas deal.
June 29, 2019
I may be missing something here, so apologise in advance. Provided May doesn’t ‘do a Merkel’ and retract her resignation, what relevance does she have, as she will be gone in less than a months time?
Or is she perhaps setting out the path for her preferred replacement, who has more or less stated he will follow where she left off? And God help us, if Hunt is elected.
In stark contrast, Putin has shown himself to be unashamedly patriotic. He stands firm, despite all the criticism, and protects his country from the destructive globalist fantasies. Which is more than can be said of our last 4 PM’s. especially May. I think, on balance, under our current circumstances I would prefer someone like him in charge of our country, than either of the options on offer at present.
June 29, 2019
Constitutionally, Mrs May must continue until HM is satisfied someone else can command a majority in the Commons.
Labour promise to call a VONC on the new Tory leader immediately, and diehard Tory Remainers are threatening to support it. If it passes Mrs May will quite properly remain acting PM until the democratic process has confirmed her successor.
That may take several months.
June 30, 2019
Agree, J Bush.
June 29, 2019
Have I remembered this wrong or was the very idea of an EU foreign policy and an EU High Representative simply rejected before Lisbon?
Now it is taken for granted that the EU has a foreign policy and a foreign Minister, Signora Mogherini.
June 29, 2019
Mike Stallard, That is the EU technique. Where the EU is stymied from accreting power over one policy, it diverts to another. You turn your back and get on with your life, then when you take another look the EU has acquired dozens of new competences, often in areas you didn’t expect.
It never stops. That’s why being in the EU, or even only part of it such as the EU’s single market or the EU army, is too dangerous to risk.
June 30, 2019
Well said, NickC. Sums them up.
June 29, 2019
Is fracking really any worse ?
June 29, 2019
No, but just like Brexit it has to battle ignorance. Ignorance supported by a largely ignorant Parliament. I dispair for the quality of leadership that our slant on democracy produces. Fracked gas and oil should by now be major players in the Uk economy but we are still figuratively navel gazing.
June 29, 2019
Not worse at all if done properly. But the green loons and experts like “Greta Thunberg” and people like Oxford English Graduate Gove seem to be in charge rather than bight Engineers and Scientists.
June 29, 2019
Germany needs more gas because they have increased CO2 emissions by building up coal instead of nuclear and overdoing the windmills. They have committed to burning less coal and will burn more gas. Meanwhile, May /civil service follow directives from the UN and signs the zero carbon act amendment through and the UN Migration Assistance Pact too. The Russians laugh at her mad policies.
June 29, 2019
Of course Germany wishes to improve relations with Russia. It runs hand in glove with the EU plans for the future, ie future Bloc expansion into the Far Eastern countries including Russia- Ukraine will fall into line when the time comes.
Yesterday the EU signed a comprehensive draft treaty with MERCOSUR the South American group of countries after twenty years negotiation, and when this is ratified will give a total EU MERCOSUR consumer market of 800 million people- things are moving fast.
Could be another reason for dealing with Russia up close comes from the old adage- about keeping your friends close etc ..the EU is looking for a time- post Putin
June 29, 2019
Doesn’t it seem endlessly strange that the Remainers just haven’t twigged even yet that it wasn’t a ‘status quo’ they voted for in 2016? It’s almost as if they still think the EU is a stable, benevolent ”community”, altruistic and philanthropic. As if it ever has been that!
It’s always been a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
June 29, 2019
Putin has been in power for two decades; do you imagine that he has been advancing the political careers of liberal Russian-hating globalist trash? Sickly leaders like May and Merkel are only capable of destroying their own countries with their vile virtue signalling liberal policies than taking over a virile self-confident country like Russia.
I doubt that liberalism is obsolete but it is certainly toxic and will certainly destroy the West if the liberal liblabcons cannot be replaced by nationalists in short order.
June 29, 2019
I disagree ;the EU is a crumbling idea,it’s members are much more likely to be absorbed into the more loosely organised Sino-Russian led Shanghai Co-operation Organization longer term.If you think Russia under a future leader is going to take orders from Europe -or anywhere else-you don’t understand 1000 years of Russian history!
France being the most unambiguously European country(Germany less so,it’s eastern states have always being interwined with the further east)has always been horrified by the prospect of an asianised Russia-it would substantially diminish the whole idea of Europe.From a recent interview M Macron gave to Swiss TV channel TVS:
“Europe must engage in dialogue with Russia and cannot passively observe Russia’s turn to China…This would in fact signal a rapid decline in Europe’s influence as a global centre of gravity and a civilisation in it’s own right.”
M Macron’s faltering New European Renaissance faces Xi and Putin’s new Mongol Empire!
June 30, 2019
Yes it’s called the New World Order, Russia,China,the EU, Mercosur, Japan Mexico and Canada,consumer population more than 1000 million
June 29, 2019
Most of us have always believed that this government was setting up Russia with misinformation, and outright lies.
Interestingly you note JR that May is jumping to Merkel’s tune – It strikes me that the Handshake with Putin was not for the benefit of the UK..
How is it that Germany has been able to take over the lead and dominant role within the EU? Isn’t the EU supposed to be comprised of states that are equal? I guess that’s another thing the EU lies about.
June 29, 2019
Germany is reportedly the biggest nett financial contributor to the EU. Piper – Tune.
June 29, 2019
That’s only correct for the headline numbers. If you take into account the massive financial benefit that Germany gets from having an artificially low currency through the Euro, Germany is also the largest recipient.
Most economists think that if the DM had to be recreated, it would be worth between 2.5 and 3 Euros. I’ve never heard this mentioned by the BBC.
June 29, 2019
and gets the most rewards back, certainly in terms of industrial opportunities, it being the factory of the EU – But that isn’t the point…. The EU is supposed to be all about equality and fairness.
That Germany has taken up most of the key positions within the EU hierarchy says it all.
The EU was built around the French system, but with Germany in mind, giving the original partners an unfair advantage.
Equality and democracy are just words to be entered in the PR reports about the EU, but don’t exist as such within the EU.
June 29, 2019
All countries, or members as they call themselves, in the EU are equal. But some countries are more equal than others.
đ
June 29, 2019
Sir John got the name of the article wrong; it should be, “Mrs May and the EU speak with forked tongue”. There you correct under all possible circumstances.
June 29, 2019
Isnât it a little hypocritical to complain about Mrs May not standing up to Russia while praising Trump who treats him like his best friend. So much of this diary is about find out what EU are doing and complain about it. Where is praise for the EU / Mercosur trade deal?
June 30, 2019
What do you expect? Sir John gives the topics of the day including his own bias. And then the sheep, even those who would look a bit more intelligent, follow the slow and the herd. Sir John the smooth-talking populist for the over 50.
June 29, 2019
I can see no good reason for the UK to have a hostile relationship with Russia. The UK also buys gas, and having a choice of suppliers is surely beneficial. We should be seeking to normalise relations with Russia, and sell into that market rather than leaving it for Germany.
The Skripal matter is, of course, a difficulty but is far from clear cut with various aspects shrouded in mystery. The UK government has certainly put lots of spin on it, and also issued a D Notice in respect of certain lines of inquiry. All rather suspicious.
The Ukraine chaos is the result of a US coup which has not worked very well. The US sought to detach Ukraine from its friendly relations with Russia, thereby weakening Russia by depriving it of its Crimean naval base. The coup entailed the overthrow of a democratically elected President and his replacement by a US puppet. The result has been the strengthening of Russia’s position in the Black Sea, and the impoverishment of the Ukraine. Benefit to the UK….none.
With regard to Syria, the Assad government is the legitimate government of Syria and sought Russian help against the US sponsored IS terrorist group. It is perfectly entitled to do so, and was wise to do so. Assad was feted by the West until he refused to allow a pipeline across Syria to supply gas from US client states to Europe. Thereafter he was lambasted as a murderous dictator…unlike the Saudi rulers presumably. The attempt to unseat Assad was another US stratagem which has misfired.
Iran is the next US project. The UK should stay well clear.
June 29, 2019
Diplomacy is the art of making something distasteful look respectable.
When the EU made enthusiastic overtures to Ukraine, the Russian Bull saw a red rag.
If one is not ready and prepared for the Bull to charge, then one shouldnât provoke it.
June 29, 2019
I think it was Churchill who said diplomacy is the art of telling someone to go to hell and have them asking for directions how to get there. Seems our diplomats are poor at the former and experts in the latter, especially where the sacred EU is concerned. How did we become so cowed and afraid that we can’t live without foreigners we saved and conquered telling us what to do?
June 29, 2019
Yestreday May and the EU announced that the special trade channel, Instex, that will allow European firms to avoid SWIFT and bypass American sanctions on Iran, is now operational.
June 29, 2019
What did Putin actually say?
The reporting appears to be rather garbled.
Anyway he caused a rush in defence of liberalism and multiculturalism against nationalism and populism.
June 29, 2019
Read the full interview in the FT.It was recorded and might also be available from their website.
June 29, 2019
Sir JR,
You are wrong again.
The Danes have actually tried to stop and are still stopping the building of the Nord Stream in Danish waters off Bornholm and so are the Poles.
So, when you raise these facts get them right or leave it
Reply So are you saying the Germans will give in and cancel. I see no sign of that.
June 29, 2019
Hand Christian Ivers,
I think the New Europe (may 24th) article that focuses on utilization rather than construction might be closer to the truth. The US might put sanctions on companies using the gas, some EU countries could use competition rules.
June 29, 2019
Here is link
https://www.neweurope.eu/article/us-sanctions-may-be-too-late-to-stop-nord-stream-2-construction/
June 29, 2019
Hans
Time to retire old boy. Your research skills are poor and youre always behind the curve
Nord Stream 2 takes alternative route
The pipeline that would double the flow of natural gas from Russia to Germany will bypass Danish territory after authorities in Copenhagen dithered for 2 years without responding to permit request, the building consortium said.
June 29, 2019
Kees,
There is no clear Eu policy on Russia except existing sanction which seem to be working and because of the Danes NOrth Stream is now delayed again
June 29, 2019
Libertarian,
You once gain show you have no understanding of European politics, the Danes did it on purpose, there was no dithering and there is no alternative unless the agree with the Poles. You really have no clue you should retire
June 30, 2019
hans
Oh I understand WHY they did it. The point you once again miss in your dotage is that your original rude , arrogant post to JR was WRONG. The point is they BYPASSED Denmark to build the pipeline
Do at least try to make an effort to keep up
June 29, 2019
Danes and Poles bullying and stopping Germany? Yeah right. Cloud cuckoo land again Hans.
June 29, 2019
Graham 1946
Please kindly read up on what is actually happening, then we can have a talk, it has already been postponed by more than a year
June 30, 2019
hans
Please read up on the links provided to the facts. Denmark having held up the pipeline for two years has now caused them to divert via another route . The pipeline will be build because Germany needs it, no matter what the Danes want
ps No need for the pomposity in your posts, especially as you are often out of touch with whats actually happening now
June 30, 2019
Libertarian
You still do not get it about the Danes
June 29, 2019
Don’t worry, Mr Ivers. You don’t have to keep defending your EU. No-one’s going to throw you out of the UK.
June 30, 2019
l Jones
Nor you as both of us are British citizens
June 29, 2019
Sir JR,
Let us wait and see what happens
June 29, 2019
It will be interesting to see whoâs right on this. I assume JR is correct that Germany calls the shots. If Hans Christian is correct and Denmark and Poland do manage to block this absurd pipeline, then we should acknowledge rational decision making in the EU and it coming to the right conclusion. If that happens it will be an argument for Remain in our next referendum.
June 29, 2019
I think your analysis is exactly right on this issue.
Good to see that Boris intents to cut the hugely damaging stamp duty turnover taxes of up to 15% on property (largely a tax on London & mobility. But this government, since the dire Osborne onwards has been in the business of destroying the private letting industry and pushing up rents still further for tenants.
They tax profits that are not even being made (on interest non deductions – taxes about 100% often in effect and on turnover) they have also put the extra 3% tax on purchases for letting/second home, they now ban agents charging tenants perfectly reasonable fees, some areas have expensive LEA landlord licence requirements too with expensive admin & other requirements too (usually used as another cash cow by LEAs). Then they undercut private landlords with unfair competition from state housing and social housing. Now they even want to effectively rob landlords of the assets they have carefully built up.
Doubtless we will end up with another dire state monopoly in this area and yet more taxation to fund it killing jobs, growth, freedom, choice and job mobility. And this under a “Conservative” government. Boris will hopefully change direction by 180 degrees. Plus due to the gross incompetence of Cameron/May/Osborne and Hammond we have the prospect of Corbyn/McDonnall/SNP.
The power to tax is the power to destroy as John Marshall (Former Chief Justice of the United States put it).
Let us hope Boris can turn this damaging lunacy round. James Brokenshire nor Greg Clark should certainly not be in the new government.
June 29, 2019
Plus an insane 28% CGT on non real capital gains.
June 29, 2019
Why countries continue to show friendship and beneficial trade to those others who constantly work against them is beyond me. How do you hope to change their ways when you essentially asisst them?
June 29, 2019
I saw on the box the other night we only have 8 days of gas storage and most of our gas comes here in ships. Trouble in the Persian Gulf could see those of us relying on gas central heating to freeze this winter. Government is SO incompetent!
June 29, 2019
Indeed and lots of gas needed as back up for those hugely intermittent ‘renewables’.
A good letter in the Spectator this exposes the endless lies that wind no longer needs subsidy. Offshore wind especially still requires huge subsidies and makes very little sense.
Another excellent article on the many unqualified doctors working as doctors/consultants for many years in the NHS & not properly checked out by the GMC.
“We protect patients by ensuring all doctors are registered with a licence to practise before they work in the UK.” they say – it seems not and neither does the NHS it seems.
June 29, 2019
Is there any end to gross negligence and total indifference to patient care within the dire NHS state monopoly?
Take it is leave it mate we have you money already!
June 29, 2019
That’s been the case for donkeys years. They were supposed to build more storage years ago, but of course it costs money so hasn’t been done. Similar to Blair and successors failing to build any new power stations, though they knew in 1997 we were closing the old nuclear ones and coal was going. Same thing, don’t invest if it doesn’t bring immediate returns or votes. They know the price of everything and the value of nothing. Politicians are short termists who specialise in can kicking and leaving hard choices to their successors to make in an emergency and of course costing far more than proper planning.
June 29, 2019
My attention was drawn to an extremely inaccurate report on UK gas supply on the BBC website. You can get the real data here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/gas-section-4-energy-trends
Still about half our supply is UK production, mainly from the North Sea. LNG imports were under 10% of the total in 2018 (and only a small fraction of our LNG import capacity), while Norwegian pipeline imports were over 40% of the supply. Relatively small volumes flowed on the interconnector pipelines to Belgium and the Netherlands, with exports in the summer and imports in the winter. These pipelines are no longer being used to capacity, because LNG ships can simply switch to whichever port needs supply.
It is true that the UK nowadays has limited storage since the facility at Rough was closed. However, having learned the lesson for the Beast from the East, National Grid have kept the cavern storage and LNG tanks full during the winter and into spring, and ensured that they did not get caught out again (and there was no precious attitude about accepting LNG cargoes from Russia either).
The gas shortages that are appearing are on the Continent, particularly as the Netherlands winds down production from its giant Groningen gas field to reduce the threat of seismic tremors. It is quite notable that the UK has been steadily exporting gas to Zeebrugge since the spring. In effect, the Continent uses the UK as an extra offshore LNG terminal.
June 29, 2019
On her political tombstone.
T May 2017 -2020
She spoke with a forked tongue
June 29, 2019
Please add:
She spoke with a forked tongue – ‘Whenever she opened her mouth!’
June 29, 2019
“Corbyn too frail to be PM fears civil service” say the Times headline today. Given what economically damaging and mad proposals he and Mc Donnall are proposing then I would have though any frailty he (and indeed Mc Donnall) may have is a huge positive – not at all a negative.
Too misguided to be PM certainly.
But then so were the socialists, pro EU, climate alarmist pushing, tax to death, warmonger dopes Major, Blair, Brown, Cameron and perhaps worse of all Theresa May.
June 29, 2019
Very little on the front page of the Times is true. Do you remember when they told us what the Queen told the PM at their private meeting?
This Times story looks like a Hunt puff: don’t vote for Boris and WTO exit because the threat of Corbyn used to whip MPs won’t be a threat.
June 29, 2019
Yet another Any Questions (Jonathan Dimbleby’s last one it seems) that was stuffed with lefty, wet remoaners like Lord Patton. Patton seems to think that “Wets” is a terms for people who believe in sensible government! What a misguided fool he is. A BBC favourite needless to say. He was even idiotically appointed as Chair of Trustees by the appalling David Cameron.
Alas he was not asked about China, Hong Kong and the appalling attempted abuse of the treaty by China. He seem to have learned nothing about economics from the huge success of Honk Kong over the past few decades.
June 29, 2019
One questioner on Any Question wanted VAT of school fees so they “pay their own way”. They pay three times once once for other people’s children in taxes, then the extra tax and NI on the extra money they have earn in order to pay the school fees then the fees themselves. How can people be so daft? It would be four times over with VAT on the fees. Give everyone a voucher they can top up and make nearly all schools private Boris. Give people freedom and choice.
The A grade dope David Blunckett said he once suggested this to Gordon Brown and got shot down by him. So Gordon Brown did get one thing right then! Brown is seems was not quite as daft & left wing as Gove it seems.
June 29, 2019
Lifelogic
You don’t mean Lord Patton who was Governor of Hong Kong for 5 years?
So what position did you hold to justify your claim that you know more than he does?
June 29, 2019
Well I read Maths and later Physics and Engineering (rather than Oxford PPE) and then worked with my private businesses for 40 years – all of which certainly helps. I was investing my own money rather than wasting other people’s.
He was indeed Governor of Hong Kong for 5 year and European Commissioner: from 1999â2004 and chair of the BBC trustees and is now Chancellor of the University of Oxford. One might have though Hong Kong would have taught him something, but alas not it seems.
How depressing that such a wet, lefty, green crap pushing, pro EU, anti-democratic misguided dope with little understanding of science or economics is appointed to all these posts!
But then that is probably why he was.
June 30, 2019
MH
Probably the same justification you have for posting about business, trade, and exporting when you’ve have zero experience of any of them.
June 30, 2019
Libertarian
The expert with no re-collection of his past lost predictions
June 29, 2019
It was an extraordinary programme. 3 speakers for leave, 2 leftists and lord patten who had nothing positive to say on the Conservative side. the nominal Brexit supporter was Amanda platell who, as so often happens on these programmes, spent her moments trying to suck up to the leftist audience and the left-remain dominated panel and chair. All were agreed, and spent 1/2 the programme saying so, that Boris Johnson is terrible and shouldnât be PM. Trump was likened absurdly to Putin, though Trump is the elected leader of a free democratic country, does not eg lock up of kill opponents, and gave the UK by far the strongest support from amongst supposed allies over the Salisbury murders. There was no discussion of the opportunities of Brexit. No opposition to Toynbees ludicrous nonsense about âausterityâ and inequality (btw she is wrong in what she said about inequality and social mobility in Scandinavia. Wealth inequality is higher than in the UK and social mobility lower).
A pity jonathan dimblebyâs last programme was so unbalanced and uninteresting – because there was no proper debate. But I suppose it was representative. Another argument for moving the license fee to a subscription model.
June 30, 2019
Richard 1
I would recommend you look at the statistics about Scandinavia again, to confirm you are wrong.
June 29, 2019
The funniest thing was hearing La Toynbee and co praising Ken Clarke as their true representative, calling him “wet”! Now Patten was possibly one of the wets, though I don’t think it really came out till the Major years, but in the eighties Clarke was the number one hate figure for people like Polly, above Tebbit even. He was most definitely not regarded as wet at Health and Education. Heseltine was also a great hate figure.
June 29, 2019
I always thought Clarke was wet and indeed absurdly pro EU. Has he not been pro-EU he would have won the leadership I suspect.
June 29, 2019
The damage that this woman has done to our country is truly shocking. I hope that it is never forgotten. Nor her ‘cross’ face that displays the maturity of a sulky petulant child – the kind that pulls legs off insects. With a Stalinist vision of Europe – of a boot stamping on a human face forever – she must be consigned to the dustbin of history, and urgently. How the Tory Party has allowed her to stay in office so long is beyond me – but perhaps something to do with her many quisling collaborators who, fast now, are sliding back beneath their stones, skulking, waiting.
It is time to clear the swamp.
June 29, 2019
“The damage that this woman has done to our country is truly shocking. I hope that it is never forgotten.”
Oh so true, BUT, in time the mutual backscratchers will shower her with accolades and a place for life in the Palatial Retirement Home! – Any bets?
June 29, 2019
Even in Parl, there is a reluctance to put the ‘knife’ in to her. Her actions against the UK, have been so treacherous, she should have no respite. Let her be an example to others of what happens if you betray the UK.
June 29, 2019
She has been given all this time because the people in the 22 who wanted to stand themselves and then didn’t, hoped “Brexit” would be pushed through so they wouldn’t have to bother with it.
June 29, 2019
It is not her who has done the damage.
It is Brexit.
Promise people golden unicorns, do not be surprised when they get angry that they canât have them.
Your Brexit has made us weak. And this is as good as it will now ever get.
Well done for voting for international irrelevance.
June 30, 2019
Andy, Your Remain would see this nation disappear, swallowed up into the EU empire as just a few offshore provinces. That really is irrelevance.
June 29, 2019
Indeed, but it is not just the dire T May. It is about half the Conservative party, 80% of the Lords, most of the senior civil service, most of academia, 95% of the BBC coverage with their coverage of “F*** Boris” live today.
They all want to become undemocratic regions of the anti-democratic EUSSR. Listen to Lord Blunkett, Lord Patten, Amanda Platell, Polly Toynbee on Any Questions today. As usual 4 to 1 remain (when including the chair). An occasion valid comment from Platell but not much sense even from her.
June 29, 2019
JB_The country has no need for this woman so why is May attending the G20? To create MORE damage to our country in her underhand way? I despised PM Campbell and his lap dog Blair but this woman is pure evil. Putin and Trump love their countries and will do all to protect their interests. They are laughing their socks off regarding the idiocy of the UK.
I really hope “Boris” becomes PM and gets us out of the EU with no strings attached. after that I care not about the the conservative in name only party. By the way, the MSM have still not informed the population of the REAL reason May resigned? There again look who owns and controls the MSM.
June 29, 2019
Obama and Merkel failed to prise Putin out of Syria and this pathetic rapprochement call it capitulation is a reflection of Merkel’s weakness and ignorance
Putin made Obama look like an amateur which he was.
Putin made Merkel look like an amateur which she is
And now she goes crawling to Moscow as we all knew she eventually would in a desperate ploy to secure more gas for a desperate German economy. If Germany productivity falters the entire EU edifice comes crashing down
And apparently Trump’s now POTUS thanks to Putin. Well, that makes zero sense to me. Putin’s got nothing to gain from Trump being POTUS
Where’s Obama? He now spends his time trying to undermine US democracy by demonising Trump.
June 30, 2019
I have been saying this for a long time. All eyes on Germany ! And it is good to see more and more people waking up to this. If Germany falters, let alone fall, then the EU is toast.
June 29, 2019
:-)”Mrs May appears to be marching in step with Germany.” Hopefully, she has put some spit and polish on her boots just in case there’s an inspection of the ranks
June 29, 2019
The fact is Appeasa May, Dominique Grieve, Anna Soubry, Oliver Letwin, Ken Clark, George Brown, Blair, Mandelson, Yvette Cooper, and many more have been got at by the eu commission. Time in its wisdom will prove me right as it did with Edward Heath, George Brown and others.
Why else would they put down their own Country? Why else would they destroy their own party? Why else would they go against their Mandate and Manifesto? They can see the Country is doing far better than eu Countries. Germany, the powerhouse of the eu is on its knees as is most of the rest of Europe. Money can buy anybody who has no principals.
We should also repay Varadkar and Coveney By blocking their exports to us aand making them export to the eu via the 200 mile sea border and stop them using us as a shortcut. Treat them like for like. 4.6million R o I people are holding 65Million UK people to ransom over a border that has nothing to do with the Peace Aggreement.
June 29, 2019
JR
The reason maybe that Germany, like I most of my acquaintances here, do NOT believe the Skirpal story or Putin’s involvement in it.
It is not Russia, but America that has ringed the globe with military bases. It is your beloved US with its illegal wars, aided by us after the House of Commons so treacherously voted for our involvement, starting with Iraq that has set the Middle East on fire and started the biggest refugee crisis since WW2 and then cowardly left Europe to deal with the consequences.
We have become America’s poodles and hopefully Europe, especially the EU countries, carry on with their friendly relations with Russia. After all America is the only country in history that has obliterated 2 large cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, with her evil atomic weapons, not Russia.
June 29, 2019
MH, I hope those who died fighting for your freedom in ww2 forgive you for this disgraceful comment. I’ve challenged you before – WHY do you hate the country you live in so much? Come on, MH, tell us!
June 29, 2019
Gosh what blind hatred of America and her allies you display Margaret.
And a love of Russia too.
Strange combination.
June 30, 2019
margaret howard: “The reason maybe that Germany, like I most of my acquaintances here, do NOT believe the Skirpal story or Putinâs involvement in it.”
Well, look at that! margaret howard and APL agree on one thing.
But the other interesting thing, when ‘margaret howard’ agitates for the UK to stay in the EU, it because she’s living in Germany and puts her administrative convenience* above the national interest of the UK.
*So much trouble to buy fx or produce a passport when travelling.
Good to know.
June 30, 2019
margaret ….oh dear you display such a tangental, ignorant lack of knowledge yet again. Prior to the atomic bombs being used, and the warnings given, a calculation was being made as to the likely death and injury figues if Japan did not surrender. It was thought the numbers would be far in excess of the awful result of the bomb being used. Again it took 2 before they were able to accept they must stop their war.
June 30, 2019
Margaret Howard, Your hatred of the USA is blinding you to the facts. Many European countries joined with the USA to fight in Iraq. Both French and Spanish troops are still in Iraq right now.
You are the one who hates UK independence, not me. But if you get your way and we cannot be independent, we would be far better off as a state of the USA than a satrapy of the EU empire.
June 29, 2019
When you see the Women’s England football team working their socks off playing in Europe for their country it would be very hypocritical for Theresa May to welcome them as heroes should they progress further in the World Cup.
They and the country deserve better loyalty than Theresa May has shown.
June 29, 2019
Just one more reason why Mrs May was never fit to be OUR Prime Minister. I hope the next one proves to be a class act.
June 29, 2019
Sir JR,
North Stream 2
The group behind North Stream 2 have just withdrawn their application for drawing a gas line in Danish territorial waters due to the Danes taking too long about the process, so yes it is working
June 29, 2019
Hans, re-read our host’s post. He doesn’t even mention Denmark! Your comments are silly.
June 30, 2019
Jiniyjim
Thay are actually not silly as JR was talking about the Eu supporting North Stream which a significant amount of EU counties are not, so I di not get it wrong
June 30, 2019
Hans, answer this – presumably you have bought property here? Why is it that I’m not allowed to buy property in Denmark? Hardly free movement of capital, one of the so-called inviolable freedoms, is it, Hans?
And as for North Stream 2, are you actually suggesting that Denmark’s objection is going to stop the project? I’m sure your good friends the Germans will agree to that! I gather it’s already agreed to plough on, with some very minor re-routing.
June 29, 2019
That photo gave me the impression that Putin was feeling May’s pulse, slightly irritated that it was still showing signs of life, despite her evident slide into a coma.
I assumed May’s distraught expression was due to the sins of her past life all suddenly flashing through her remaining consciousness.
June 30, 2019
I suspect it was the fact that President Putin is still in place and, she will soon, not be ?
Must have been galling for her ?
Remember the ONLY time she threw a hissy fit with the EU was when President Juncker described her as: “Nebulous.”
June 30, 2019
mark……I hope she has read and knows what hundreds of thousands have been calling her. Nebulous is almost praise in comparison.
June 29, 2019
JR
You don’t need to delete posts that contain the truth about disgusting behaviour by the French towards the UK, there is far more loathing of the ungrateful French than you realise.
I am not surprised that you delete posts which give factual information, after all some of us know the real purpose of your forum – and it isn’t anything to do with being concerned about how we feel, is it.
Should you wish to be seen as someone who does not allow the truth to be said about how the French have over the years often attacked British fishing vessels, attacked British pensioners at Calais, set fire to live British sheep, etc…. then your claim to be a supporter of brexit and one of us is negated.
I don’t care if you delete this one, you will have read it, and l therefore know that you have been sussed.
June 30, 2019
Steve
Well said mate, I for one fully support you. Especially about our oldest foes.
June 29, 2019
Do you think Russia cares what the UK thinks? It certainly cares what the EU thinks.
June 30, 2019
As the UK is still part of the EU, I think Russia cares 1/28th what the UK thinks along with the other rEU27. But when the UK is out of the EU and, as a permanent UN Security Council member and much else, I think Russia will care a whole lot more about what we think, say and do. As will everyone else, including the EU.
June 30, 2019
Reading a book on the Great Game last year I was amused by a quote from our Ambassador to the Romanov Court in the 1880s-the peak of our power and prestige-complaining that Imperial Russia treated Britain as if it was the Khanate of Khokand(a central Asian Khanate annexed by Russia around that time; it’s Khan kept in place as a puppet ruler).Plus ca change!
(Karl Marx tells us that Tsar Nicholas I considered Napoleon III a “mere parvenu khan”;so it wasn’t purely a British thing!
June 29, 2019
Germany is spot on, Russia has the gas and an abundance of other raw materials. The potential for Germany and the EU in exporting consumer goods into Russia is enormous.
June 29, 2019
What is this forked tongue you speak of – is it a bit like perfidious albion, a phrase I have heard before- if so then I completely understand
June 30, 2019
Harka:”What is this forked tongue you speak of ..”
John Redwood just said Theresa May is a liar. I agree with him.
June 29, 2019
I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. Theresa May has lost the plot. She is in dire need of a psychiatrist.
June 30, 2019
She was TOLD to go and see President Putin and shake his hand. She had no choice but to and it was done as a final piece of humiliation for her. Well that is what I think anyway and, looking back, there is history.
June 29, 2019
Dear Sir John – I cannot imagine what else the PM should have done. In shaking Putin’s hand, she would have had to be been mindful that each of them were representing their respective peoples, who are not actually at war. By my reckoning, I think she got it about right. Relations with potentially hostile powers need to accord respect to the other party, in a fair and even-handed manner. As Trump has shown, this does not have to mean appeasement. Boris did not impress at the initial stages of the Skripal incident, nor did Williamson. Statesmanship of the old school, when at its best, was cool, dignified and firm, and treated a rogue like a gentleman, even when defensive actions became inevitable. ‘How are the mighty fallen!’
June 30, 2019
If this new gas pipeline enabled Germany and Poland to stop burning filthy brown lignite coal, it would be well worth while. Currently, 40% of German energy production and 80% of Poland’s is produced using this process.
When Mrs Merkel took office, she said that she intended to look after German interests. I think that she has been successful in this.
One of the things that an independent UK could do is to propose a change in WTO rules. Increased tariffs could be charged on the exports of dirty economies. That would be better than the current climate change treaty, which allows countries to do what they like, subject to carbon trading that appears not to be enforced.
June 30, 2019
slightly off topic – but May’s replacement is sort of important.
Hunt admits he would back a no-deal Brexit with a “heavy heart” but would, unlike Tory rival Boris Johnson, not commit to a deadline for leaving.
In other words just like her, he pretends to support leaving but would be happier if it doesn’t happen. How can the country, and more importantly, the Cons membership, vote for him? I think we are being warned that PM Hunt will NOT deliver Brexit, and will cause Brexit party to stand a fair chance of having a majority in the maybe GE this year.
If I had a vote it would have to be for Johnson, merely because he ‘sounds’ like we will get Leaving, unlike Hunt who sounds like we will not.
June 30, 2019
Well..well!!..well!!..exactly as expected based on Bible prophecy for the last so many years of my life that I can’t remember…so we were nutty when there was the Iron Curtain to think Russia would unite with Europe?! When they do it’s just before the end: Armageddon. The key word you used is German seeking ‘dependence’ due to its need for Gas- because of ‘global warming’ (or is that global cooling?). Weak EU & strong Russia. This EU is after 30 years shaping up be the weakest ever. Russia now is stronger than the USSR was, and as I understand it more flexible with more small conventional arms.