A new UK fishing industry

Remembering past experiences of EU negotiations some fear another sell out of our fish. Unrelenting Remain supporters tell us as the fishing industry is so small, we should make concessions to secure other unspecified advantages in a general agreement. If the industry is as unimportant as they say it is to us, why would the EU be so keen to win concessions on it?

Isn’t the truth that it is small today for the UK only because most of our fish are taken by continental boats and often taken away for processing far from our shores?

Fish is one of many important wins from Brexit for the UK. It is also totemic, because most agree our membership of the EEC, now the EU, came with the sacrifice of our once large and healthy fishing industry. We have gone from good surplus and plenty of stock in our seas, to overfishing from abroad and an astonishing net deficit in fish.

The government needs to take action to make the most of this opportunity. They must of course hold firm in negotiations and refuse to make any sacrifice of our fish. A Free Trade Agreement makes sense for the EU, so there is no need to sweeten the deal with a gift of fish.

The government should also get on with the following policies

  1. Announce freeports, including our best fishing harbours, with favourable tax and regulatory conditions to found and grow a high quality food processing industry on the back of more landed fish.
  2. Offer a fund to finance or guarantee finance on the purchase of new vessels from a UK yard or second hand vessels from a non UK owner, to undertake a rapid expansion of the UK fishing fleet.
  3. Offer more training and training support packages to people wishing to undertake work in the industry.
  4. Add Enterprise Zones to our Freeports, encouraging food manufacturers to make up great fish recipes, provide frozen product and help identify new markets for our food at home and abroad.

I am sending this to the government for consideration.

492 Comments

  1. Javelin
    November 28, 2020

    Cheap fishing boats in Europe over the next year. They even drive on the right side of the sea. A great business opportunity.

    Reply. Yes, some are for sale already if you google second hand trawlers

    1. Stephen Priest
      November 28, 2020

      We must write to All our MP and tell them you damaging these lockdowns are to your life – you jobs – you businesses and health.

      Ask them why is is good for Amazon to thrive while local shops go bust.

      Ask them why is it good for Starbuck to thrive with takeaway while local pubs go bust.

    2. Ian Wragg
      November 28, 2020

      There’s plenty of dinghies near Dover for recreational fishing.
      I see Barnier offered us 15 to 18 % more of our fish.
      Have we claimed any vineyards from France.
      Yes you’re correct, fishing is totemic so don’t let princess nut job interfere.

    3. No Longer Anonymous
      November 28, 2020

      Reply to reply: Plenty of dinghies too.

    4. Peter
      November 28, 2020

      I watch and wonder how the whole Brexit thing will pan out.

      Both sides are seemingly entrenched but, worryingly, the UK seems reluctant to walk.

      So I think there will probably be a deal. Just how that deal will be sold to the public or how bad it will be I don’t know.

      1. fedupsoutherner
        November 28, 2020

        Dont worry, it will be bad. It always is just like when we joined and our fishing industries went down the pan and our orchards had to be grubbed up to satisfy the French. Actually had a real English apple the other day from my neighbours garden and it was delicious unlike French Delicious which aren’t. Don’t even do there regarding strawberries. Had some from the Netherlands the other day and they were enough to put you off eating them again.

        1. margaret howard
          November 28, 2020

          fedup

          What did you expect when buying strawberries in November?

          As for apples the following is an extract from the Independent newspaper in April 1995 regarding the grubbing up of English apple orchards:

          “The trade sees the grubbing-up grant, which is intended to apply throughout the EU, as a step in the right direction. “It’s an attempt by the EU to reduce the surplus of production over demand,” explains Malcom Scofield, managing director of the English Fruit Company, which sells 55 per cent of the apples in this country.

          The EC produces about 10 million apples, and demand is for seven to eight million. He argues that the net effect should be healthy. “By removing some of the older orchards, the quality of the remaining Cox orchards will be better. One of the problems has been poor product dragging down the good.”

          So nothing to do with the French.

          1. Fedupsoutherner
            November 28, 2020

            They are not as good as English strawberries any time of the year. The UK is producing fantastic food. Our cheeses are amazing. No need to buy from the continent. One day you will support your country but he’ll will probably freeze over first.

          2. Edward2
            November 28, 2020

            But in did not benefit the UK.

          3. Ala Hill
            December 1, 2020

            Bit like the Scrapping Grant for fishing vessels another toxic EU scam like the quota system.

        2. hefner
          November 28, 2020

          Strawberries in November? And you’re surprised they were tasteless, really?

          In Mapledurham near Reading, there have always been orchards growing a large variety of British apples (and pears). Only nincompoops would buy Golden Delicious, even French people do not buy them!

          1. Edward2
            November 28, 2020

            Strawberries can be imported.
            They taste lovely.

        3. Ed M
          November 29, 2020

          Personally, i think British strawberries best fruit in the world ..

      2. steve
        November 28, 2020

        Peter

        “worryingly, the UK seems reluctant to walk.”

        The liar said the UK would be walking on Oct 15th.

        The liar’s dilemma is that he knows any concession to the ungrateful EU / France will be the end of the conservative party. At the same time his globalist bosses demand he does cave in.

        Damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t……a predicament of lacking cojones and therefore dithering around like a fool wondering how he can sell treason to the British people.

      3. Wrinkle
        November 28, 2020

        Shouldn’t there be a referendum on whether we accept whatever deal is cooked up?

        If most don’t like it why should we be saddled with it? No doubt the accepted deal will be kept secret until it s signed – outrageous!

        1. glen cullen
          November 28, 2020

          +1

  2. Garland
    November 28, 2020

    Our fishing industry is mostly in foreign hands because successive Conservative governments, obsessed with the market instead of state control, , put licences up for sale. is there any chance of you accepting responsibility for your part in this?

    Reply No, it’s the quota grab by the EU that did the damage

    1. Lifelogic
      November 28, 2020

      To reply- indeed it is Ted Heath and the EU that is to blame. Alas it will soon probably be Boris to blame when he caves in on fishing rights, the ECJ and our ability to become competitive. This on top of his/Carrie’s deluded green loon agenda, the absurdly bloated state sector and Sunak’s idiotic attack on entrepreneurs by cutting this relief for £10 million to £1 million in almost his first act.

      1. ian@Barkham
        November 28, 2020

        +1

    2. Martin in Cardiff
      November 28, 2020

      There seems to be an obsession, a madness, about fishing amongst europhobics, all perhaps connected with nostalgic notions of Britannia ruling the waves or some such.

      A wise person once said that people seldom go mad alone, but in couples, or in families, or in villages, or even sometimes in whole countries.

      This is because they need reassurance from others that their delusions and fixations are somehow reasonable and normal.

      Goodness me, isn’t there a lot of that going on here?

      1. Mike Wilson
        November 28, 2020

        Indeed. You and Andy make a right pair reinforcing each other’s delusions.

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          November 28, 2020

          +1

      2. NickC
        November 28, 2020

        Always good for a laugh, Martin, aren’t you? Here’s your comment re-written (but only very slightly):

        There seems to be an obsession, a madness, about fishing amongst Remain traitors, all perhaps connected with nostalgic notions of the EU ruling the waves or some such.

        A wise person once said that people seldom go mad alone, but in couples, or in families, or in villages, or even sometimes in whole political movements such as Remain.

        This is because they need reassurance from others that their delusions and fixations are somehow reasonable and normal.

        Goodness me, isn’t there a lot of that going on in our Remain establishment?

        1. fedupsoutherner
          November 28, 2020

          Love it Nick.

        2. bill brown
          November 29, 2020

          NickC

          Let us look at the other camp Brexiteers.
          -80 million Turks will come to our shores.
          -We will make an easy trade deal with the US in no time
          -Brexit will lead to exponential growth in trade with the rest of the world
          -The Irish border is not a problem it will be dealt with electronically
          -The Brisith economy will outgrow Europe no problem.
          -EEC is to blame for the fall of the UK car and steel industry in the 70s.

          HOwever, I wil not use worde like traitors, empire and colony. As they are as inappropriate as most of your factual mistakes.

      3. Edward2
        November 28, 2020

        Heath gave away the fishing industry to achieve his ambition of membership of the EEC
        His decision wrecked tens of thousands of families lives and has never been forgotten nor forgiven.
        We are an island race.
        Rework your post Martin to Welsh coal mines and you would realise that you would not be popular in your area as memories run deep on this too.

      4. miami.mode
        November 28, 2020

        MiC, if you cannot understand the argument about fishing, then it simply proves that your mind is totally incapable of comprehending Brexit.

      5. Ed M
        November 29, 2020

        @Martin,

        Because fishing is symbolic.

        People need to love their country more – patriotism – whilst we make sure out exit from the EU is well planned (end doesn’t justify the means) plus have really strong relations with our neighbours outside the EU / Single Market – in Trade, Culture and Security.

        (I also don’t see why battalions of German army can’t train in France, and Spanish soldiers in the UK – to keep close military relations so that we would be able to cooperate well in event of a war against Europe – but not a united European army)

        And as people support British fishing, so we should be supporting more the making and exporting of more high quality physical brands: the equivalent of the Apple brand, the equivalent of the Audi brand, and High Tech / Software / Digital / Services related to these.

        1. Ed M
          November 29, 2020

          We need to be thinking more about Brand Britain – in an Economic sense, but also in the sense of Culture / Community / Patriotism.

      6. hefner
        November 29, 2020

        What about reading something different, a bit of history, pre-cod wars, pre-1973, pre-CFP, and also encompassing the present period, with various actors and how the distribution of fishing between small and big trawlers, independents and cooperatives, UK and non-UK fishermen evolved:

        unearthed.greenpeace.org ‘Privatising the seas: How the UK turned fishing rights into a commodity’, 07/03/2019. I guess not a regular source of reading for most of people here, but no-one wants to reject a good story, don’t you?

        Then think about who was in Government during the different phases of this rather sad saga. And try to figure out who the most hypocritical actors are.

    3. margaret howard
      November 28, 2020

      Reply to reply

      No, it is the quota sales by many of our greedy fishermen that did the damage.

      1. GeorgeP
        November 28, 2020

        I think you’ll find much like the dairy farmers, fishermen sold their quota because they were too small to make a living from, and bigger operators usually from the continent have snapped them up. I also suspect that continental operators have enjoyed a greater degree of government support than UK fishermen have ever had from the British government. Why is it that seemingly all the so called ‘super trawlers’ come from the continent? How can it be that it is viable to build and operate a huge fishing ship from Rotterdam (say) but not Peterhead?

      2. NickC
        November 28, 2020

        Reply to Margaret

        No, it was the quota sales by many of our desperate fishermen as a result of the damage done by the unviable quotas disdainfully handed out by your EU empire. After all, who in Brussels gives a stuff about a handful of eu-phobic British fishermen, eh, Margaret?

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          November 28, 2020

          …Or even about British people in general?

        2. Peter Parsons
          November 28, 2020

          The “unviable quotas” as you describe them were set a levels intended to allow fishing stocks to recover to a sustainable level after those stocks were diminished by decades of over-fishing in the 20th century, much of which occurred prior to the UK joining the common market in 1973.

          Without those quotas, there is a chance that some fish stocks would have been fished into extinction, and where would the fishing industry have been then (despite it being self-inflicted)?

          1. Edward2
            November 28, 2020

            Yet European nations had much higher quotas compared to the ones allocated to the UK.
            Odd that.

          2. Lynn Atkinson
            November 28, 2020

            They were set at levels intended to destroy British fishing, chipping away at Britain‘s food security.
            In places the dead fish lie 20 ft deep on our sea bed. Don’t dare talk of ‘sustainability’ and the CFP in the same breath.

      3. Edward2
        November 28, 2020

        Absolute nonsense Margaret.

        And you keep repeating this falsehood despite many posts explaining you are wrong.
        The quotas for most fishing businesses were so small that making a profit was difficult if not impossible.
        Selling up and getting out of the industry was the only choice.

        To call them greedy is an outrageous comment .
        Shame on you.

        1. Wrinkle
          November 28, 2020

          If those quotas were that small as to be worthless what did the govt. have to say and do about it? So it seems the UK govt is to blame for accepting that, not the EU.

          I’d like to see the history of all that – possible or is it hidden for 50/100 years?

          1. Edward2
            November 28, 2020

            I gree.
            I wasn’t blaming the EU.
            Just pointing out how wrong Margaret was.

          2. Lynn Atkinson
            November 28, 2020

            Surely the ‘transparent EU’ does not keep documents embargoed for 30 years?
            We did not have a government, we were undefended because although ‘our representatives won all the arguments in the EU’ (David Heathcote Amory) they lost all the votes.
            However the facts speak for themselves, our fishermen could not land enough fish to cover their costs, so they had to sell their businesses. It happened on a macro scale too which is why British people in Britain are the poorest of all British people across the globe.

          3. Wrinkle
            November 29, 2020

            Edward2 – I was just picking up on your point and commenting on that as what happened.

            . Now I read it I can see it could be read as I was meaning,’Oh you’re blaming the EU are you…’ but I didn’t think that.

        2. bill brown
          November 29, 2020

          Edward 2

          “the original quotas were so small, taht it ruined the fishing-Industry

          as usal no facts , source or proof , can we please have them.

          Shame on you too

          1. Edward2
            November 29, 2020

            Prove me wrong then billy.
            Go on the internet and look it up

        3. bill brown
          November 29, 2020

          Edward 2

          I am so tired of proving you wrong taht it becomes rather tiring, you were teh one who raised it so prove it on the quotas

          1. Edward2
            November 30, 2020

            You never post with your own argument Billy.
            You just repeat the same old demands.
            It’s just trolling.

      4. fedupsoutherner
        November 28, 2020

        Margaret You’ve had all this explained to you before. Are you incapable of understanding what really went on? Do you honestly think that families who had been fishing for generations were really happy to throw the towel in for a few thousand? Really you do come out with some rubbish at times and so anti UK its not true.

        1. margaret howard
          November 28, 2020

          fedup

          Brexit trade deal: Who really owns UK fishing quotas?
          By Oliver Barnes & Chris Morris
          BBC Reality Check

          Published 16 May

          “England and Wales, where a majority voted for Brexit, have both allowed foreign ownership of more than half their fishing quota.

          In Wales, which is allocated a tiny share of the UK quota, the figure is as high as 85% of the annual value – most of it held by one big industrial trawler.

          But in Scotland, which is responsible for about 60% of the UK quota, only 4% of the annual value in 2019 was in foreign hands. In Northern Ireland the figure was 2%.

          “The Scottish fishing industry is largely made up of family-owned businesses,” said Elspeth MacDonald, from the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation.

          These businesses have developed the industry during the good times and have had the desire and resolve to hold on through difficult times, when others have not.”

          But Dr Emma Cardwell, from the University of Glasgow, told the BBC that an enforced change in ownership would be “legally tricky” for the government.

          Many parts of the quota were sold by English fishermen in the 1990s when fishing rights were cut dramatically. Cod fishing, for instance, was almost entirely stopped for several years.

          Foreign companies then bought it up as a long-term investment, and experts say the quota market has been allowed to develop in an unregulated way ever since.

          “There’s a lack of clarity on the legal status of fishing rights,” Dr Cardwell said, “meaning the government is very vulnerable to litigation if it tries to reallocate quota.

          “Any foreign fishing companies that purchased UK quota in good faith would be very likely to sue if this was now taken away from them”

          I suppose you’ll now blame the usual BBC bias.

          1. Fedupsoutherner
            November 28, 2020

            Seems your opinion is in the minority as normal but what do you expect with info from the BBC.

          2. dixie
            November 28, 2020

            What’s you’re point MH?

            The article you quote states “Many parts of the quota were sold by English fishermen in the 1990s when fishing rights were cut dramatically” Something you continually deny. Or are you now agreeing that the fishermen weren’t actually greedy but had their quotas reduced.

          3. Edward2
            November 28, 2020

            It goes back to the original quotas imposed by the EEC.
            They were so unfair and biased against the UK that it ruined the UK fishing industry.

          4. Lynn Atkinson
            November 28, 2020

            Straight from the European Movement Margaret? Shame on you. Remember that Scottish everything is subsidised greatly by the English!

    4. a-tracy
      November 28, 2020

      How did this quota grab operate John and why didn’t successive UK governments do anything to stop it?

      1. glen cullen
        November 28, 2020

        Spot on

      2. John Hatfield
        November 28, 2020

        Perhaps because as EU members, we were signed up to the Common Fisheries Policy.

        1. a-tracy
          November 29, 2020

          margaret and martin tell us every day on every post that the UK had control all along, our fishermen had control, our government had control John. Margaret goes on every day that it was greedy British fishermen and boat owners that willingly sold their boats and livelihoods. I don’t know enough about British fishing.

          I do know that dairies were put out of business with milk quotas going to France and we started getting diluted, long lasting plastic-bottled milk instead of our recycled fresh bottled milk from the local dairy delivered to the doorstep. I don’t understand why 80% of Cheddar cheese isn’t procured from the Cheddar region but from Ireland! I’ve not bought Cheddar since I discovered this.

          We have allowed our governments to encourage super large supermarkets, selling everything from food, to taking out independent bakers, butchers and fishmongers and now we can only get what we’re given, pre-packaged tasteless dross for the masses and they control what we hear and see on the tv advertising and a few people at the top get to decide what is on the shelf.

    5. Fred H
      November 28, 2020

      and then owners sold boats as (e) uneconomic to continue.

      1. glen cullen
        November 28, 2020

        Very sad and both Labour and the Tories have dirty hands, they both allowed the demise of the industry over the fleets from Europe

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          November 28, 2020

          Forcing the demise of the industry….
          ‘First they came for the fishermen
          But I am not a fisherman
          …..

    6. Enrico
      November 28, 2020

      What did the Labour Party do when they where in power in the 70’s,90’s and 2000’s ?
      I’ll give you the answer,absolutely nothing.

      1. Lynn Atkinson
        November 28, 2020

        We have not had a Sovereignty since 1972. None could do anything. That’s the point.
        The tragedy is that now politicians like that situation and don’t want the responsibility of making laws. That’s why Boris is crawling on his belly begging for a deal.
        Pathetic!

      2. steve
        November 28, 2020

        Enrico

        Actually Labour did do some things:

        1) Bankrupted the country
        2) Legislated to bring binge drinking on the streets.
        3) Took the country to war on a lie.
        3) Unleashed Scottish Nationalist bigotry.
        4) Made English people second class in their own country.
        5) Helped make T. Blair very rich.
        6) Stole people’s house deeds.

        1. M Davis
          November 28, 2020

          +1

    7. Bardirect
      November 28, 2020

      foreign owned boats cannot gain or retain UK quota by UK port registration any more under the Fisheries Act. Those CFP quotas will no longer apply anyway and they were never “fishing rights” as they required licences.

  3. Mick
    November 28, 2020

    Both sides have been in deadlock for months over issues such as fishing rights, governance of the agreement, and the “level playing field” conditions which would prevent unfair competition by slashing standards or boosting state subsidies and the roll of the ECHR, it is plainly obvious to a blind man that we are not going to get a deal only crumbs from the Eu , they still want to dictate and control us ,well hopefully Boris men will dig in and not crumble at the last minute and get a deal at any price, us leaving as we already have with no ties to the Eu is what a free and democratic country like we had pre 1973 anything else would be a betrayal of the United Kingdom

    1. Mark B
      November 28, 2020

      There is no deadlock. They are running down the clock so as to leave no time for proper debate and scrutiny of this appalling ‘deal.’ Much like the WA.

      1. glen cullen
        November 28, 2020

        Someone is being hoodwinked
.and I believe it’s the british people

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          November 28, 2020

          But they are not hoodwinked, that’s the whole problem isn’t it?

          1. steve
            November 28, 2020

            Lynn

            Yep, Johnson’s dilema. People are not so daft as he assumed.

            Now he’s bricking it wondering how to sell treason to the British people who have him sussed.

            Should have ripped up that WA.

          2. Simeon
            November 28, 2020

            Erm, enough were sufficiently hoodwinked to vote Tory a year ago… .

            Maybe you didn’t, and I don’t think Steve did, but you are not representative of the general public.

          3. Lynn Atkinson
            November 29, 2020

            Simeon of course I voted Tory! It was the best option.

      2. Hope
        November 28, 2020

        Mark,
        Absolutely. Why enact your Fisheries Act before the deal has been agreed?

        Peter Lloyd in Con Woman a very good read of this disgusting govt. he says:
        There are brutal arrests for anti-lockdown protesters, social media bans for those with contrary views and we have the mainstream media deliberately not reporting huge anti-lockdown protests in cities such as Paris and Berlin. They no-platform serious and well qualified critics, except for the choreographed ritual haranguing and shaming of a few dissenters by BBC and Sky TV interviewers. Lloyd is spot on.

        The same will be true with Boris capitulating. He is leaving you no time to read, but will hurry you to vote for it as an imperative because the world will end if you do not.

        A bit like back stabbed Gove today in the papers giving apocalyptic warnings if you do not vote for his Stasi police controlled state. He forgets Johnson flew off to the Carribean last year while people were lying on the floors in hospitals, he did not give a fig. Nor did he care for all those who lost their homes through flooding when he came back. He was too busy with his misfit personal Life!

        Then he made the catastrophic decision to sign WA and NIP he said he would never do, Haiwei and HS2 all in a row!

        Hancock telling parliament in January Covid was nothing to worry about as he stupidly followed the corrupt WHO to allow China to spread the disease throughout the world! He never prepared before as required by law, when it started to spread or the nine months after!

      3. oldwulf
        November 28, 2020

        I suspect that both sides would prefer “no deal” after 31st December. Both sides then have time to see how it all works out and then, in a few years time, both sides might decide to retutn to the table.

        1. Fred H
          November 28, 2020

          not if the Government of the day want to be re-elected they won’t!

        2. glen cullen
          November 28, 2020

          sensible

        3. Martin in Cardiff
          November 28, 2020

          Equally, you could do exactly the same thing with any arrangement, say, a Norway type deal.

          So why all the teeth-grinding and pitchfork-waving?

          Is it because if anyone tried to unpick that piece-by-piece, and especially under focused scrutiny, then all the warnings of the Remain campaign would be proven to be absolutely correct?

          1. Edward2
            November 28, 2020

            The absolutely correct Remain campaign….
            What like calling people who said the EU wanted their own armed forces fantasists and liars.
            And denying the EU had plans for adding further members.
            And denying that the idea was for changing the name (again) to the United States of Europe?

          2. No Longer Anonymous
            November 29, 2020

            A week to the day and no knock on the door from the Thought Police, but I think it may come.

            Read this and weep. Read it and weep. This is our punishment for having voted the ‘wrong’ ways:

            https://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2020/11/theprisoner-eventually-learns-to-be-grateful-to-his-captors-for-almost-anything-once-he-has-accepted-his-position-as-powerle.html

    2. Andy
      November 28, 2020

      The ECHR – European Court of Human Rights – is nothing to do with the EU. We are not leaving it. The court we are leaving is the ECJ. European Court of Justice.

      The ECJ is, effectively, a trade court. None of you can name any rulings it has made which you object to. Only a small number of cases have ever gone against the U.K. – and many of those concern our failure to follow agreed rules on the treatment of waste water. Yes, literally, sewage.

      The ECHR – established by British lawyers after WW2, and based on the values of Churchill, is the court you think helps terrorists. It doesn’t but even if it did you aren’t leaving it anyway.

      Five years on, how do you not know this stuff?

      1. glen cullen
        November 28, 2020

        ECHR is worst than the UN
.they even let Russia back in as a full member

        Why is the taxpayer funding this corrupt institution

        
.and quoting Churchill as the architect to ECHR is weak – he had nothing to do with its current format

      2. Hope
        November 28, 2020

        Fake Tory govt was going to get rid of ECHR and have British rights. Still waiting ten years on!

        Johnson capitulating to the Irish last night I suspect.

        1. glen cullen
          November 28, 2020

          +1

      3. Martin in Cardiff
        November 28, 2020

        Pretending that you do not know things which are staring you in the face – or that you believed the preposterous claims of liars – are moral excuses for doing reprehensible things, for which you actually have your own, personal, ignoble reasons.

        That is why those who claim to believe them will not listen to reason. They never really did.

        So evidence-based reasoning with such types is a waste of time.

        1. Fred H
          November 28, 2020

          oh like China eradicated Covid – yet have said they need to test cities of 10m……no results provided. All test methods/systems produce false positives – so suggesting they find none is just hilarious.

      4. Edward2
        November 28, 2020

        No independent nation is overruled by the ECJ.

        1. bill brown
          November 29, 2020

          Edward 2
          “no independent nation is overruled by the ECJ.

          So all 27 are not independent what a a load of more nonsense from you

          1. Edward2
            November 30, 2020

            If your nation is overuled by the supremacy of the courts of the EU and if the EU is able to make new laws regulations directives which you are obliged to follow then by definition you are not a sovereign independent nation.

      5. Lynn Atkinson
        November 28, 2020

        We need to leave ECHR too. It has been ‘captured’. Everyone knows it but you and MiC.

        1. glen cullen
          November 28, 2020

          +1

          1. Lynn Atkinson
            November 28, 2020

            Even the Women’s Institute was captured, by Elspeth Howe, Geoffrey Howe’s wife.

    3. Mike Durrans
      November 28, 2020

      +1

    4. Lynn Atkinson
      November 28, 2020

      We are way past the last minute! This is extra time of the third half! Enough! Walk and don’t look back!

      1. glen cullen
        November 28, 2020

        The games over, the results are in – you just have to wait for the final score at 5pm to claim your pools win

      2. Hope
        November 28, 2020

        Lynne, you are correct. But he will capitulate that is why this charade continues to leVe no time for scrutiny before voting it through.

        MPs ought to refuse for not giving proper time to read. We are told 600 pages of legal texts have been written so far. There is not enough time for experts to read, let alone the half wit MPs!

        The EU sell out has finished its execution is about to come.

        1. glen cullen
          November 28, 2020

          Agree

        2. Lynn Atkinson
          November 28, 2020

          They voted on theMaastricht Treaty before it was translated into English, so blind. This is the old tricks and we know them all. But this time it’s different, we are Sovereign and we can tear up any agreement Boris access to if we want to. We will do if we are constrained.

          1. Lynn Atkinson
            November 28, 2020

            Sorry accedes not ‘access’.

          2. hefner
            November 28, 2020

            What is your reference for claiming that ‘they voted on the Maastricht Treaty before it was translated into English’?

          3. Lynn Atkinson
            November 29, 2020

            It’s a fact. Look it up. It was scandal at the time.

          4. hefner
            December 2, 2020

            If it had been such a scandal at the time, it would have been all over the place in most newspapers. 1992 is not so long ago and I could not find any reference of such a thing. Either you provide me with a reference or I conclude you are deluded.

      3. Martin in Cardiff
        November 28, 2020

        Will you please define your “clean” brexit?

        Just specify one thing, like for instance, on what terms UK trucks will be allowed on the roads of the European Union, and how the terms for that will be agreed?

        It sounds extremely messy to me, often involving issue-by-issue dealings with twenty-seven countries, over countless matters.

        1. Edward2
          November 28, 2020

          Are you really suggesting that European nations will block UK vehicles from driving on their roads?
          Ridiculous Project Fear 3.0

  4. Planet Reality
    November 28, 2020

    The vast majority of our catch is sold to the EU. That will never change. The EU market is much bigger than the UK market, so the EU will always be our main customer – and we can’t sell fresh fish to Australia, it’s too far away. So you can put up blockages on EU boats fishing in our waters if you want, and they will put blockages on our exports of fish. Lose lose. That’s Brexit for you – lose lose. Wouldn’t it be better if we all just trade without any blockages – which is the whole point of the EU?

    Reply We could sell processed fish all over the world and eat more fresh fish at home.

    1. Sea_Warrior
      November 28, 2020

      What do you mean ‘fresh fish’? The tastiest fish you will ever taste is that which gets frozen as soon as it is caught. That other fish, chilled by ice in the boxes, until port is made? Not as good.

    2. Mark B
      November 28, 2020

      We currently do not sell fish to Australia so I fail to see where we would lose. The loss of access to our waters would do far greater damage than to us. The hiatus would allow fish stocks to replenish and the UK to develop new markets. If the EU wish to blockade any imports, so be it. Currently Spanish trawlers operate in Falkland Island waters and catch squid for their own market. I see no problem selling licenses to them and allow them to continue both there and here.

      Win-win.

    3. Martyn G
      November 28, 2020

      The EU UK allocation of fish in our waters is just 25% and the EU nations take 75% of our fish. I suspect our sales to the EU are relatively insignificant, since they already take most of the various types, why would they want to buy more? What is not discussed, so far as I know, is will the UK fisheries still be able to fish in EU waters as at present – e.g. the scallopers? More questions than answers it would seem.

      1. Lynn Atkinson
        November 28, 2020

        EU waters are minuscule and fished out, that’s why the EU ‘bought’ the right to fish out African waters which they duly did. Destruction, destruction destruction ….

    4. Sir Joe Soap
      November 28, 2020

      Well we could always put blockages on their exports of wine unless they let us loose on their vineyards. I think some home truths have to be told.

      1. Fred H
        November 28, 2020

        don’t want it, don’t buy it. Aussie, NZ, Chile, S.African even Californian if you can afford it.
        Buy English – you’ll find it better than French anyday!

      2. IanT
        November 28, 2020

        No need – I already drink Australian and US wines – and very good they are too.

      3. Martin in Cardiff
        November 28, 2020

        How on Earth are you going to stop the countries of the European Union exporting their wine to every country other than this one?

        Have you any idea whatsoever, what relative market share means?

        1. Edward2
          November 28, 2020

          Did it not occur to you that Sir John Soap meant stopping EU wines being brought into the UK ?

        2. Fred H
          November 28, 2020

          ah. but I think the hooray henrys guzzle more ‘shampoo’ than any other country? Poor taste in drink if you ask me, and many other countries must agree – they don’t buy much.

    5. Lifelogic
      November 28, 2020

      If you think “trade without any blockages” is the whole point of the EU then you are rather deluded. It is about power grabs, money, control, corruption, regulation, destruction of any real democracy and many vested interests – “a common market” was just the ruse used to con some people.

    6. SM
      November 28, 2020

      Norway sells frozen fish and shellfish to S Africa, why couldn’t the UK?

    7. Wil Pretty
      November 28, 2020

      Why not a deal – they can have our fishing areas in exchange for the return of Normandy to us.

    8. BJC
      November 28, 2020

      The fish in our waters belong to the UK and there’s nothing unlawful about our UK government setting the parameters on the how, where, when, why and by whom, for the industry. You may wish to research what the EU’s SFPAs are doing around the coast of Africa and the devastation it’s causing their coastal communities before you judge the proposals of our government too harshly.

      Sadly, it doesn’t matter what anyone believes the purpose of the EU middleman should be, the reality is that they don’t add value to the lives of the peoples of Europe. Their only priority is in saving the EU political construct itself, while Europe, literally, burns around them as frustrations boil over. Heartbreaking.

      1. John Hatfield
        November 28, 2020

        ” EU middleman ” aka Brussels bureaucrat.

    9. Mike Durrans
      November 28, 2020

      These remoaners never give up! Our Fishing Industry is so small at the present we can sell all the product local. Then let it grow slow time as they markets recover. No rush, keep calm and carry on laughing at the slaves of the eu.
      The world still goes round!

    10. Lynn Atkinson
      November 28, 2020

      Where will the EU buy the fish it needs?

      1. glen cullen
        November 28, 2020

        I bet someone in the council of ministers has already been in talks with China – Well the EU can’t let the UK succeed after leaving

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          November 28, 2020

          I bet China will give them more than fish! WOOOOO😂😂

    11. Roy Grainger
      November 28, 2020

      How can they “put blockages on” our exports of fish ? You mean by breaking international law as embodied in WTO rules ?

      1. glen cullen
        November 28, 2020

        The new Fisheries Bill allows them – We allow them

        Thats the sell out

    12. ian@Barkham
      November 28, 2020

      So why are we forced to buy our cod from China?

  5. Len Peel
    November 28, 2020

    So your plan is to boot EU boats out of our waters but for the EU to say “hey fine, lets carry on trading just like we always did, you Brits hold all the cards”. I expect the government will leap on this genius plan

    Reply No, I want to change the way we trade with the EU by throwing off the single market shackles.

    1. Mark B
      November 28, 2020

      Reply to reply

      Agreed. It is about governance. I want my elected government to control what goes on, that’s all.

      1. glen cullen
        November 28, 2020

        +1

        However the new Fisheries Bill is at odds with our complete governance….more smoke and mirrors

    2. Sir Joe Soap
      November 28, 2020

      An odd point of view.
      You need to ask why foreign boats were ever here?
      Do you support also giving away our other natural resources?
      What would we have left to trade if we gave everything away free?

    3. Fred H
      November 28, 2020

      what is wrong with that? Our waters not theirs ……trading is a 2-way deal. We buy multiples of our export – if they dont want to sell, no problem.

    4. Martin in Cardiff
      November 28, 2020

      Change it you certainly will.

  6. Andy
    November 28, 2020

    It has long been a folly to argue that Brexit will help ‘the fish industry’. It may assist parts of it but other parts of the fishing industry will suffer greatly.

    In parts of Scotland swathes the fishing industry – particularly ‘inshore’ fishing – sell the vast majority of their catch to Europe. Tory Brexit makes it significantly harder for them to sell to their biggest customer. Many will go out of business as a result.

    Fish processing will also be hit – as exports will be slower, significantly more bureaucratic and consequently more expensive. That will hit their businesses.

    Fishing is basically an irrelevant industry. Brexit may help a part of this irrelevant industry but it will harm the rest. The focus on it demonstrates that the Brexiteers disaster capitalists have nothing else to talk about.

    Meanwhile the damage you are doing to manufacturing, agriculture and services is immense. I heard an industry discussion about the music industry the other day. This is several times larger than the fishing industry and employs tens of thousands more people. Tell us what your Brexit does to our music industry Mr Redwood? I am sick and tired of hearing the plight of fishermen. If they don’t like fishing get another job. I want to hear about the orchestra that used to make its money by touring Europe. Tell us how they do it from January Mr Redwood – specifically all the masses of extra paperwork they need? Pointless paperwork. Paperwork they did not used to need. Expensive paperwork. Paperwork leavers promised they would cut.

    So stop whining about fish and tell us about music. A proper industry. And when you are done with music tell us about film, insurance, sport, finance, motor manufacturing, aviation, law and the other industries you are throwing under a bus.

    reply We can build a good worldwide fish industry processing and selling our fish at home and outside the EU if we get back control of this important resource. EU citizens will continue to listen to our music.

    1. Richard1
      November 28, 2020

      Yes only in the EU can such industries exist. There is no film industry in the US, and no lawyers there either. No sports teams in New Zealand, Australia or South Africa which can ever tour the world. No orchestras or ballet companies in Russia. Aviation and motor manufacturing can only happen in the EU as we know. Did anyone ever hear of anything so absurd as a car made or an airline operating outside the EU?

    2. Iain gill
      November 28, 2020

      Look up what Roger daltrey thinks Brexit will do to the music business.

      As for manufacturing that has been killed over decades by state manipulation forcing expensive power, expensive anti pollution and safety kit, lack of intellectual property protection etc. We continue to export our polution to other countries pushing up net world pollution and killing manufacturing here.

    3. Shirley M
      November 28, 2020

      The EU will still have a choice. Buy some of our fish, or do without. I understand that EU quotas of EU waters have been slashed, due to overfishing and lower stocks. Where else will they get fish? Would the EU even be allowed to block our fish under WTO rules? If they raise tariffs on fish it would apply to all fish from countries that have no FTA with the EU. This would just make the costs higher for EU citizens, but the EU would benefit from more import tariffs. I understand that many countries are suffering from lower fish stocks, so it’s a good time to protect our own waters and sustainability of fish stocks.

      1. Know-Dice
        November 28, 2020

        Agreed, it’s up to the UK to decide who can fish UK waters and how much, its all about sovereignty over what the UK does and doesn’t do…

        Was interesting to hear an ex French minister last week saying that with regard to fishing “don’t change the CFP it’s not broken”… I guess that’s what the French would say wouldn’t they…

      2. Mike Durrans
        November 28, 2020

        Agreed! the remoaners forget the rule of WTO that tariffs apply to all trade, it cannot be directed at individual countries

    4. Sir Joe Soap
      November 28, 2020

      1 If so irrelevant why don’t the EU just agree to hand us back our waters?
      2 Elgar managed OK without us being in the EU

      1. margaret howard
        November 28, 2020

        Sir Joe

        I’ve just re-watched the excellent film of Elgar’s life by Ken Russell.

        Elgar was ignored in this country while having hugely successful performances of his work staged in Germany prior to WW1.

        It encouraged him to carry on composing. Europe was then and still is THE continent that understands and encourages classical music. Without it we shall be isolated and neglected.

        However, no doubt we shall shine in the world of American pop and reggae.

        1. SM
          November 28, 2020

          Elgar was not ignored in England, what rubbish.

          His works started to become popular when he was in his 40s, and he ended up being knighted, and given an OM and a GCVO – by the King of England!

        2. Edward2
          November 28, 2020

          More anti UK nonsense from you Margaret.

          Radio 3 and Classic FM are both popular here in the UK.
          We have some of the best orchestras in the world and many of world’s best singers and instrumentalists.
          Plus some of the best auditoriums which sell out for classical performances.

          1. bill brown
            November 29, 2020

            Edward 2
            “because tehre is none”

            You need to travel some more end experience the world.

          2. Edward2
            November 29, 2020

            What does this post mean billly?
            Please try again.

        3. Lynn Atkinson
          November 28, 2020

          My husband’s commissioned symphony ‘A British Symphony’ was first played in Worcester Cathedral. The debut was so special because Elgar conducted his own music there. He was revered as he is now. Maybe you don’t know that Margaret, else you are a liar.

          1. Edward2
            November 28, 2020

            She is just a person who hates her own country and its history.
            But will not leave for any other nation that is better.
            Because there is none.

    5. SM
      November 28, 2020

      Andy, it may come as a huge surprise to you to learn that musicians, singly or en masse, classical or rock, did actually manage to move around the whole of the free world before the construction of the Common Market.

    6. Lynn Atkinson
      November 28, 2020

      They will also continue to eat our fish.

    7. Mike Durrans
      November 28, 2020

      Take two paracetamol and pull the sheet over your head, it will get better soon Andy

      We had better be free of the octopus called the eu, with all tentacles chopped off. They have never been for the benefit of of Britain. They have raped all our industry so now it time to recover and rebuild.
      Hopefully watching the european galleon sink!

      1. Martin in Cardiff
        November 28, 2020

        Keep hoping eh?

        “The euro will be dead and buried by Christmas 2012” said Nigel Farage.

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          November 28, 2020

          Instead Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France are all but buried. Happy?

        2. Fred H
          November 28, 2020

          oh god – you still bringing that up – I thought you would have emptied the bile by now.
          How about wet lettuce again?

          1. hefner
            November 29, 2020

            And what about the contributors here who cannot accept any contradiction, even mild ones, and shout ‘Project.Fear’.3, .4 or .59!

            Obviously that’s for them the perfect way not to think too much, and certainly allowing them not to SIFT (as in ‘Stop, Investigate the source, Find other sources, Trace the originators’), you know, the basic stuff of any normal thinking human trying to check the news.

          2. Edward2
            November 29, 2020

            Yet when Martin says no vehicles will be allowed on European roads after December 31st you stay silent.
            That ridiculous statement is a good example of project fear.

          3. hefner
            December 1, 2020

            Why should I do that when Edward2 the White Knight will already have jumped onto any heretic much before any of my posts could appear on Sir John’s blog (average time between writing and appearance, 18 hours).
            The brave knight by the way is simply ri-di-cu-lous, not very funny and rather limited in his way of thinking, one can only be a remoaner, obviously an adherent to project fear, … absolutely unable to accept that some people might have a horizon slightly wider than his. Poor man.

      2. Lynn Atkinson
        November 28, 2020

        I disagree. Even a lobotomy might. It help poor Andy.

    8. Alan Jutson
      November 28, 2020

      Andy

      You are correct, go all over Europe and the rest of the World and its Music from the USA and the UK which is played more often than any other.

      We enter the Eurovision competition and we often as not come towards the bottom in the last couple of decades .

      Ever asked yourself why, simply political voting for or against a particular country, Its absolutely nothing to do with the music.

      Same tactics being tried in the negotiations.

      1. margaret howard
        November 28, 2020

        Alan Jutson

        “go all over Europe and the rest of the World and its Music from the USA and the UK which is played more often than any other”

        That’s not music – it’s kiddies pop.

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          November 29, 2020

          Yes, it’s ‘global’ music, playing to the lowest common denominator as is everything ‘global’. So you love kids pop Margaret?

    9. Roy Grainger
      November 28, 2020

      Why are you bothered about fish Andy, you were telling us just the other day they way to save the planet was for us all to be forced to be vegetarian ?

      By the way, let’s here no more whining from you Green fanatics about opposing genetically modified crops when you’re happy to accept a vaccine containing genetically modified human RNA.

    10. Alan Jutson
      November 28, 2020

      Andy

      You are correct, go all over Europe and the rest of the World and its Music from the USA and the UK which is played more often than any other.

      We enter the Eurovision competition and we often as not come towards the bottom in the last couple of decades .

      Ever asked yourself why, simply political voting for or against a particular country, Its absolutely nothing to do with the music.

      Same tactics being tried by the EU in the negotiations., stupidly Mrs May like many other Prime Ministers before her fell for it, so they think they can try the same tactics again.

      1. Fred H
        November 28, 2020

        and we pay the most for that anti, jealous nonsense full of amateurish rubbish songs performed by poor singers etc. Quit – its a farce.
        Nil point – for the ‘show’.

        1. Martin in Cardiff
          November 28, 2020

          Take note ordinary folk – Fred and Alan actually take the Eurovision Song Contest seriously.

          1. Lynn Atkinson
            November 28, 2020

            Yeh, silly to take anything with ‘Euro’ in it seriously!

          2. Edward2
            November 28, 2020

            As many millions of others do too.

          3. Fred H
            November 28, 2020

            sorry? – -Its years since I wasted my time on it — but my daughters love it.
            Prior to the ‘show’ they write down predicted national votes for neighbours – enemies, fear factor…etc AND UK position in the table – and how many marks.
            A bloody good laugh apparently – but I always think of better things to do – ironing, counting to half a million, finding Pi to as many places as possible etc…..

          4. Martin in Cardiff
            November 29, 2020

            Thanks, Fredward.

          5. Edward2
            November 29, 2020

            You don’t like the Eurovision Song Contest.
            You ought to being someone who loves all things EU.
            Millions do too.

      2. margaret howard
        November 28, 2020

        Alan Jutson

        “We enter the Eurovision competition and we often as not come towards the bottom in the last couple of decades ”

        While we send old age pensioner has beens like Engelbert Humperdinck to what is basically a celebration of youthful exuberance we will deservedly come bottom.

        Nothing to do with your ‘political voting’ claim or the usual jeremiads of brexiteers.

        1. Edward2
          November 28, 2020

          He only performed once in the last 30 years.
          And came a valiant second from bottom.

          Alan makes a valid point.

    11. Andy
      November 28, 2020

      But what about orchestras and bands? This is not about listening to our music. Many musicians make their money from touring and your Brexit makes touring significantly harder, significantly more expensive, significantly more bureaucratic and significantly less lucrative. And, sure, high profile bands will be fine. But what about jobbing musicians? Or sports people? Or lawyers? Or teachers? Or ski instructors? Or film makers? Indeed, an advert has just gone out for an actor to play Prince William in a coming series of The Crown. One of the requirements – an EU passport which allows free movement throughout Europe. Britons need not apply.

      The EU will chuck you some fish. This has always been inevitable. But I would wager that, in Wokingham, you probably represent close to zero fishermen. You represent many thousands of service professionals, manufacturers and farmers. All of whom lose from your Brexit. Why are you throwing them under a bus?

      1. Edward2
        November 28, 2020

        Complete nonsense.

      2. Lynn Atkinson
        November 28, 2020

        Why are you so worried about the musicians? They can tour the USA anytime without any ‘sacrifice of sovereignty’. Ask Tom Jones, Cleo Laine – there is a road in Vegas named after her! She’s from Wavenden, boring old Wavenden…

    12. Mike Wilson
      November 28, 2020

      Indeed. You are right on the money on this one. It is a fact that no American musicians have ever played in the EU. The permits needed made it impossible. Just as no British band has ever toured the USA since we joined the EU.

      1. Lynn Atkinson
        November 28, 2020

        You are joking right?

    13. ian@Barkham
      November 28, 2020

      “Fishing is basically an irrelevant industry.”

      The real point is who is in control, makes the rules and laws inside UK territory.

      The UK Government has not said the EU cant fish in the UK. The UK seems willing to award quotas based on stocks in the sense of cooperation. The EU’s one and only stance it is they that get to decide and they that get to rule – the People of the UK can have no say in what they want.

    14. Everhopeful
      November 28, 2020

      Orchestras are more likely to fall foul of the “green” lobby than of paperwork.
      Touring is considered “unsustainable”.
      I bet there will be no such things as live music with audiences in our uber bleak future.

      And as for fish..remember how essential it is for a healthy diet!

    15. Wrinkle
      November 28, 2020

      Andy – if the EU said to the music industry you can only produce 10% of what you produce now as per the new quota, and the musicians complained, what would you say to them, ‘don’t like the music industry? get another job.’ You can say that about any industry so saying it about the fishing industry is absurd.

    16. BJC
      November 28, 2020

      Andy, would you think it was acceptable to own your property, yet have your neighbours claiming the right to use your large, productive garden as their own, removing the produce from it at will and selling it for profit?

      Our seas are the UK’s equivalent of a garden, Andy; nurture them and they will reward us. It’s unfortunate that you can’t see it.

  7. Nigl
    November 28, 2020

    Indeed albeit academic if we get sold out. The fact that the ERG recently felt the need to stiffen Boris’s backbone worries me.

    There is a greater reason for Macron’s annoyance than losing the fish. A Time Out survey in a number of counties found that the French had lost their number one spot as the worlds sexiest accent.

    Who is now number one? The U.K. Ha. that will show him!

    1. Garland
      November 28, 2020

      I’m on edge too to see if Boris sells you out. Just a few weeks to find out. Imagine if he does a trade deal with our biggest export market instead of just putting his fingers in his ears and saying “I can’t hear EU” while whistling God Save the Queen, wouldn’t that be shocking

      1. Lynn Atkinson
        November 28, 2020

        Selling us out would be shocking, he does not need his fingers in his ears.

    2. Sharon
      November 28, 2020

      It’s not just the ERG who are concerned, brexit watch, Fact4Eu, Briefings for Britain et al, all are concerned by the signs – or lack thereof.

      1. glen cullen
        November 28, 2020

        +1

        I am also concerned

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          November 28, 2020

          20 million of us are sick with worry! We only tolerated the Blonde for Brexit. We have paid a price, we want the clean Brexit for which we voted.

          1. Simeon
            November 28, 2020

            Sorry, but when was a clean Brexit offered? Boris’s oven-ready deal? That very obviously entailed BRINO. The ERG understood at least this which is why they insisted on a sovereignty clause. But of course they were too foolish to realise that this clause and BRINO are not mutually exclusive. You might have thought you were voting for a clean Brexit, but you were hoodwinked by a lying Remainer. You actualky voted for Boris Johnson and the Tory party, and if you didn’t understand what that entailed, then, with all due respect, more fool you.

          2. Martin in Cardiff
            November 28, 2020

            You voted to have an imagined effect beyond these shores, of causing the European Union to disappear, and for things to return to how they were in the 1960s, I think.

            It can’t be done chuck.

          3. glen cullen
            November 28, 2020

            +1

    3. Ian Wragg
      November 28, 2020

      The French aren’t our friends and never have been. Macron is behaving like napoleon and Degaul.
      Jumped up no marks.

      1. Lynn Atkinson
        November 28, 2020

        At least de Gaul did not shoot Frenchmen on the streets!

    4. Sir Joe Soap
      November 28, 2020

      At least France generally sends us their workers and we send them our spenders. There are worse combinations available.

    5. No Longer Anonymous
      November 28, 2020

      I blame Del Boy Trotter for that.

      Mangetout, mangetout !

    6. Lynn Atkinson
      November 28, 2020

      Boris has no backbone.

      1. glen cullen
        November 28, 2020

        +1

  8. Sea_Warrior
    November 28, 2020

    ‘Offer a fund to …’ Fair enough – but the money for the fund can’t be more helicopter-money from Boris & Rishi. The money can be found by charging the EU for every tonne of fish they take from our waters. I am disappointed that you don’t seem ever to mention this point. Implicit in an expansion in the size of the British fleet – British-owned, British-skippered and British-flagged – is a year-on-year reduction in the size of the EU’s quota. a Figure of 3% would work well enough, for starters.

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      November 28, 2020

      I would buy into a British fishing fund. Let’s do it privately.

  9. Pat
    November 28, 2020

    Brexit is at last the opportunity needed to rebuild fish stocks in UK waters after so many years of habitat destruction under the EUs CFP and discard mismanagement.

    We should involve our scientists from the outset in conservation measures including no take zones, and particularly limit the devastation of bottom trawling and sand eel extraction. There must be no further involvement of foreign powers in managing our sovereign waters.

    This will be of immense benefit to the whole marine ecosystem and its wildlife.

    1. Martin in Cardiff
      November 28, 2020

      You don’t believe a word of that really do you?

      Have you seen how the private water and sewerage companies have been behaving re river water quality under Tory laissez-faire rule? That is, the cutting back of inspection and enforcement activity?

      A keen ecologist like yourself didn’t miss that, surely?

      1. Lynn Atkinson
        November 28, 2020

        Are they not French owned Companies? You know the Rhine enters the North Sea at a place called Flushing for obvious reasons?

        1. hefner
          November 28, 2020

          A cursory look at wikipedia ‘UK Water Companies ‘ shows JapaneseChinese, Australian, Morgan Stanley, … ownerships but no French owners. Did you not check before writing?

          Der Rhein becomes the Nederijn, then De Lek, becomes also Waal and none of its multiple final branches between Hook and Kamperland appears to ‘flush’ near Flushing.
          So are you inventing geography as you are inventing so many other ‘facts’?

      2. Edward2
        November 28, 2020

        In 2006 over 90% of rivers met good standards.
        Now it is 14%.
        Have the rivers got worse?
        No they haven’t.
        It is just that the EU has changed the way it measures such things.

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          November 28, 2020

          Our drinking water has got a LOT worse! Tap water is now EU standard (undrinkable)!

          1. hefner
            November 28, 2020

            What a lark. Taking Thames Water as an example (providing water for Sir John’s constituency) the owners are a Canadian pension scheme, the BT pension scheme, and companies from Abu Dhabi, China and Koweit. So obviously it is all the EU’s fault 😂😂😂😂

            Funnily enough tap water in my house in France (also following EU standard) is perfect, even without pastis.

            Admit it, you are ‘Comical Ali’ working for Tovaritch Vlad.

      3. Wrinkle
        November 28, 2020

        MiC -your comment to Pat doesn’t follow – Pat was about what should be done not what is being done now.

        1. Fred H
          November 28, 2020

          he always tries to divert the truth to lies- surprised he’s not on the opposite bench.

  10. DOM
    November 28, 2020

    The sacrifice of fishing rights to the EU is the least of our worries. Yes, it’s an important issue of territorial sovereignty and profitable access to this nation’s natural assets but most recognise that this issue isn’t an issue that exercises the minds of voters when compared to the deliberate destruction of our economy, our freedoms and exposure to Marxist racist ideology designed to demonise, neutralise and silence tens of millions of British citizens

    It is as simple as this Mr Redwood. You are an MP of a party that has in alliance with Labour and their oppressive client state exposed this nation to extremism, racial ideology and authoritarian laws designed to reconstruct our world and turn us into faceless, placeless automatons

    You have laid the foundations for a most terrifying future and both parties haven’t been condemned for it. The politicisation of racial identity always leads to division and that appears to be the fundamental aim, the playing one off against another for political considerations.

    Stop playing with human beings as though we are chess pieces. We are slowly becoming pissed off with it

    1. Everhopeful
      November 28, 2020

      +1

    2. steve
      November 28, 2020

      DOM

      +1

    3. Wrinkle
      November 28, 2020

      It seems JR agrees with this!

  11. Richard1
    November 28, 2020

    Well the rumours indicate that fishing is being traded for concessions on the much more obscure level playing field demands. That would be the wrong way round. There is no point leaving the EU, or at least leaving the single market, if we are to remain de facto members by virtue of some Trojan horse ‘level playing field’ commitment.

    1. Richard1
      November 28, 2020

      Mind you, should there ever be another Scottish referendum, it is important that we can say that one of the slogans of the separatists ought to be ‘hand back our fish!’, as the separatist prospectus will be to re-join the CFP. So from that point of view we shouldn’t cave on fish either.

  12. Mark B
    November 28, 2020

    Good morning.

    Leaving aside the comments made by Dom this week concerning the Fishing Bill going through Parliament, I would like to re-state that the situation regarding fishing can be easily resolved by offering licenses, as the Falklands do, to EU boats on favourable terms providing, that the EU is prepared to offer the same to our boats in their waters.

    What has always been important to me was confirmation of ownership can control. We decide who can and cannot fish in OUR waters, and we decide what, how much and when. That is why it to me has always been a litmus test as to whether or not the UK has truly left the EU and, as I suspect, just signed another vassalage agreement.

    I wish again to reiterate my belief that what is being negotiated is not a FTA but Association Membership. Much like the Heath government tried to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes by calling the EEC the Common Market and telling people that it was about trade and lying over its true purpose, so too does this government.

    When I and Mike Stallard were advocating the Norway Option, those here, including our kind host wanted nothing to do with it. Today we are no further down the line and will in all respects get an even worse arrangement than Norway. But unlike Remainers I accepted that I was in a minority. I knew that if you went against the Establishment and the Political Class, you know, the ones with all the power, you would lose.

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      November 28, 2020

      EU waters don’t equal ours. Would they agree to our taking half the produce of their vineyards for a reciprocal amount from ours?
      Norway and Richard North’s ‘Flexit’ were a disaster. ‘Flexit’ was Mays deal!

      1. Mark B
        November 29, 2020

        Lynn

        Rubbish. I know EU water are not ours, but I know that British Fisherman’s livelihoods depend on access to them. Hence why I advocate reciprocation.

        As for FLEXIT, you stated, ‘were’ a disaster. We never got to try, so how could it be a failure ??? And as for it being May’s deal, really ?!?!?!

        FLEXIT was the Norway Option with a clear path out of the EU completely.

    2. Bardirect
      November 28, 2020

      The Fisheries Act 2020 is now law. The parts relating to foreign vessels are not yet in force. They commence at the end of the transition/implementation period

  13. George Brooks.
    November 28, 2020

    You are absolutely right Sir John. Back in the 60s all our east coast ports were surrounded by thriving fish related industry. As we became shrouded by the EU mantle they all died away and thousands lost their lively hood.

    The quisling remainers have been reducing the estimated size of fishing almost on a daily basis. This morning on Sky it is now down to 0.1% of GDP. Bloody liars

    We must have full control of our waters like any other nation and the quicker the EU understand that the better

  14. Simeon
    November 28, 2020

    Off topjc, if Sir John will allow

    I was unable to reply to those responses to my comment yesterday, the general thrust of which was that Sir John and others in the Tory party are doing what they can, but are essentially powerless to effect sensible change. Though I have addressed this argument numerous times, I will reemphasise it once more…

    If Sir John and others are indeed powerless, then one what on earth is the point of them staying in the Tory party?! I agree there is nothing they can do, which is why I have repeatedly called for Sir John and others to leave the Tory party. But they have not, and, I suspect, will not, despite the Tory party being for big government and rigged economies, the green lunacy, and ongoing association and cooperation with the EU, otherwise known as BRINO, otherwise known as membership of the globalist agenda. It is obvious what the Tory party is, and despite being unable to change it, Sir John and others remain in it. Ask yourselves why. Whatever the reasons, they cannot be good ones, and the result is that the prospect of a worthwhile alternative to this failed politics is limited. So Sir John et al. are therefore perpetuating the Tory party’s agenda – as much as they might profess to disagree with it.

    There are contributors to this site that understand this. However, there are far too many that don’t. If people that take an interest in matters of state and otherwise exhibit a degree of intelligence cannot see that the Tory party and all those that support it are the single largest obstacle to the political change this country is crying out for, because the Tory party is squatting on the political territory that can bring about this change (small government, far freer markets, individual responsibility and liberty), then how can change come?

    The impending economic reckoning will undoubtedly drive change, but to assume this will result in a withering away of the state rather than a further, and significant, increase in state power is unwarranted. Alternatively, a popular revolution, given the state of society and culture in the west, can hardlybe expected to end well. If the government’s response has done anything positive, may it be to have woken people up to the possibility that a violent popular uprising and/or – more likely – authoritarian, and even totalitarian, states in the western world are not just a possibility but the destination given the direction of travel. So, I ask, somewhat tongue in cheek, but nevertheless with all seriousness, What is to be done? Please may it not be the reincarnation of Lenin…

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      November 28, 2020

      The point in them staying in the Tory Party is that we have the objective of building that group into the majority. What in earth is the point of working to select and return more members like JR if they all stand down as fast as we return them?
      What is the point of everyone who disagrees with the United government and opposition leaving parliament? There would be no dissension – it would be a Mugabe Government.
      Understand that even in a tiny minority, these Sovereignty MPs on all sides of the House beat the majority on the most important issue possibly ever to come before the House. No House in 800 years knowingly voted on whether to retain or destroy the U.K. in terms.

      1. Lynn Atkinson
        November 28, 2020

        I meant to say that no PREVIOUS House considered destroying the U.K. in terms and voted on it. We needed every last vote we had. Why work to destroy that think line of salvation?

        1. Simeon
          November 28, 2020

          Forgive me, but the salvation of the nation completely passed me by. When did this happen? And what went wrong? Did I blink and miss the moment of deliverance? If I did, it was evidently the briefest of respites, because the nation is surely not saved but utterly damned!

      2. Simeon
        November 28, 2020

        Who is “we”? How many are you? Evidently not enough to make the slightest difference when the vast majority of Conservative MPs are basic lobby fodder (unquestioning loyalty is the only important qualification for the job), and the policies of a Conservative government are what they are (and they weren’t much different pre-Covid either, with the emphasis on splurging taxpayer’s money and increasing the size of government).

        There would be no dissension if conservative people simply decided to sit at home behind a locked door. But if they worked with genuinely conservative people to try to elect MPs on a genuinely conservative platform, then those MPs would then be able to act in a genuinely conservative fashion. You still don’t seem to understand that there can be an alternative to the Tory party. Or perhaps you are just not willing to give up the Tory tradition. Is this Stockholm syndrome?

        Sir John and his colleagues have had no meaningful effect on the Tory party. I consider myself kind in denying our kind host any credit for the nature of the Tory party, which has rotted from the head (the Parliamentary party) down. But I do hold him to account for remaining in it, as I also hold all those to account that continue to vote for it. You, along with all Tories, are part of the problem. I’m sure you’re a very nice person. I know plenty of people that vote Tory, and many of these are also nice people. But they, and you, are deluded if you think you are acting in the interest of the people of Britain.

  15. Sharon
    November 28, 2020

    I agree with all this. Particularly the part about the size of our fishing industry. Any documentaries about our fishing industry shows how big and flourishing it once was. As June Mummery has said it’s not just the fisherman that is the industry. It’s the boat makers, the engine makers, the net makers etc that gives jobs. I remember a documentary about the boat people in the Thames, virtually all gone. That was also down to EU regs.

    Also, for an island I find it surprising how expensive fish is to buy.

    1. glen cullen
      November 28, 2020

      I remember in the 1970s going to Fleetwood and seeing hundreds upon hundreds of fishing boats of all sizes and eating freshly caught ‘fish n’ chips’ …..come the 1980s it had all gone

      1. Bardirect
        November 28, 2020

        when I was at Grammar school in the 70’s, the fishing industry in Fleetwood, the Wyre estuary, trawlers, otter boards, nets and fish species were all taught in Geography by a former/failed Manchester United player, supplemented by my father’s tales of being evacuated there in the war.

        1. glen cullen
          November 28, 2020

          I too was at school in the 1970s and remember fondly our 50 mile trips to see all the boats at Fleetwood and eat freshly caught fish…..I’d be lucky to even find a fishmonger on that entire route today

    2. agricola
      November 28, 2020

      It is expensive in part because within the UK it is a minor commercial activity. Worcester a town of around 100,000 does not have a dedicated fishmonger. In France , Spain, Portugal and Holland it is a major industry. I can readily buy more UK caught fish and shellfish here in Southern Spain than I can when I am in England. To the above continentals it is more important than Chicken Tikka Marsala is to the Brits. Based on the price of large imported South American langostinos here in Spain and the miserable minute prawn offerings in UK supermarkets you are being ripped off.

      1. Lynn Atkinson
        November 28, 2020

        We catch lobsters by the hundreds in the shallows off Newton-by-the-sea, bigger and very much better than langostine from the other side of the world. One actually gets sick of lobster by the end of the season. It rather reminds me of my childhood holidays in Lorenzo Marques where lobsters walked up the beach. The choice was lobster or chicken, you could hear them killing the chicken if you chose chicken, so it was always lobster for me.
        You are speaking of shrimps, not ‘small prawns’. Shrimps are sweet and beautiful, but the puffy, fluffy ‘prawns’ have been injected with water (like the bacon produced to EU standards). EU standards always ruin everything. (PS I know because I designed production and processing computer systems for food producers, including some that injected ‘prawns’).

        1. Martin in Cardiff
          November 29, 2020

          What baloney.

          1. Edward2
            November 29, 2020

            Take care Martin you will attract the troll brothers billy and hef demanding sources facts data and proof.

      2. Fred H
        November 28, 2020

        so they will really want to continue to buy fish from us, when we take the 12m limit fish away from you foreigners.

        1. steve
          November 29, 2020

          Fred H

          Who cares ?

          If there is no fishing at all by anyone in our waters, it can only be good for the marine ecology. Perhaps it’s about time nature was given a breathing space.

  16. M P B
    November 28, 2020

    If only the government would read your comments on our fishing rights as a sovereign nation. Regrettably the head boy, BB of 10 Downing Street, is in physical and mental isolation with advisors now pulling his well oiled strings.

    Covid19 has proved yet again no one can predict the future. Gordon Brown sold the nation’s gold on the basis of its marginal worth and replacement by fiat currencies.
    Financial arrogance of an extreme proportion.

    Surrender on fishing and we will never, never ever be free.
    Fishing Rights=British Rights
    No Surrender!

  17. Ben
    November 28, 2020

    Don’t know what to say when I read this nonsense – as if a Tory Govt was ever going to stick its neck out to back fishing- Time to get real

    1. agricola
      November 28, 2020

      In monetary terms the fishing industry is symbolic, but in political terms it is explosive. It is really about who controls our territorial waters and the acceptance of the UK as a sovereign state.. Once that is accepted we can be as mean or as generous as we wish when it comes to deciding who can share in the fish in them.

      1. Martin in Cardiff
        November 28, 2020

        It’s an attempt at an emotive distraction – from the fact that millions are going to be materially damaged and to have their futures blighted by Tory brexit.

        The tame media play along with it to fill up the discussion space just as John does here.

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          November 28, 2020

          Millions of Labour voters voted for Brexit. It’s theirs too.

        2. Edward2
          November 28, 2020

          To Barnier, Macron and the rest of the EU it seems fishing is a crucially important part of the current negotiations.

        3. Fred H
          November 28, 2020

          talking of being damaged…..

        4. agricola
          November 28, 2020

          Your pot is ever half empty. Try thinking of it as half full and then someone might generously top it up for you.

        5. Dennis
          November 28, 2020

          MiC – ‘t’s an attempt at an emotive distraction – from the fact that millions are going to be materially damaged and to have their futures blighted by Tory brexit.’

          Yes I could agree with that if applied to declaring war on Germany in 1939. We did so to ‘protect’ Poland from aggression but we didn’t declare war on Russia who did the same – why not, but good we didn’t.

          1. Lynn Atkinson
            November 28, 2020

            Russia was attacked by the Germans. She did not go to war voluntarily. Even the Yanks only joint battle once they had been attacked. Only the British and her fabulous Dominions drew the line and forced the eventual defeat of the Germans and their fascist allies like Croatia.
            That is our distinction. Unequalled on earth!

      2. glen cullen
        November 28, 2020

        Correct – its about who is sovereign

    2. steve
      November 28, 2020

      Ben

      Agree.

      Watch the space….Johnson will announce a deal i.e cave-in to french demands and be dressing it up as a major victory.

      The liar said Oct 15th was the deadline, yet Barnier is in the UK right now – WHY ! ?

      ……capitulation imminent.

  18. Sakara Gold
    November 28, 2020

    Macron is holding up the fishing agreement due to threats of bolshevism from his north coast fishermen. They have been landing Dover sole, turbot, pilchards, sardines etc – taken from our waters – for many years.

    Fishing boats from Brittany, Normandy and the Calais area catch more than half of their fish in British waters. The French, Dutch and Danish fishing industries would be all but wiped out if they were excluded or forced to drastically reduce their hauls. Too bad.

    With just a year and a half to go before national elections, being seen as the defender of France’s northern coastal communities will prove a valuable campaign asset for Macron. He was also responsible for refusing to allow our continuing in the EU Galileo GPS system, in spite of huge technology transfer from us – and over a billion pounds.

    Despite being subjected to repeated provocations from Russian squadrons, the Royal Navy has only recently had sufficient warships to effectively challenge Russian naval activity in the N Sea and the Channel (“La Manche”). Macron has repeatedly refused to provide naval support to the RN as it defends the northern French coast from this Russian threat, any more than Merkel has in the N Sea.

    For once I am in agreement with your arguments. We should be landing – and exporting – our own fish. We should now regard the French as obstructive to our interests and act accordingly. Pull our Chinooks out of their Islamist war in Mali and let them get on with it.

    1. steve
      November 28, 2020

      Sakara Gold

      Very well put.

      So many cards Johnson has to play, but he doesn’t, and why ?

      …..because he’s another gutless quisling just like his predecessor.

      Johnson will make sure we defend france and allow french access to our waters.

      Sell out imminent.

      1. Wrinkle
        November 28, 2020

        steve – JR has not gainsaid your post so he must agree with it but can do nothing about it – what a position to be in.

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          November 28, 2020

          None of us know what a Johnson will do. Those of us who have known him decades know that it could be anything – even delivering clean Brexit.

          1. steve
            November 29, 2020

            Lynn Atkinson

            Which is why Johnson must go, especially now….he’s a loose cannon could fire in any direction. Too dangerous to be in charge. OH wait a minute, he isn’t in charge is he.

  19. Iain gill
    November 28, 2020

    Teeside and wearside could easily go back to being significant fishing ports, they have the space for processing facilities, they have large underutilised workforces, they have the harbours. All it needs is the politicians to reverse the social manipulation which they used to kill this business originally.

    1. glen cullen
      November 28, 2020

      +1

    2. Lynn Atkinson
      November 28, 2020

      And North Shields.

  20. RichardM
    November 28, 2020

    The 0.1% industry employing 24000 that seems to be your only concern is dwarfed by other industries and people’s lives that will be ruined by your Brexit. The numbers of UK people employed in just the leisure industry on the continent will likely be replaced by EU people. That’s over 25000.
    Your arguments are beneath pitiful.

    1. Martin in Cardiff
      November 28, 2020

      The Tory media are doing John etc. the enormous service of filling their pages and airtime with this smokescreen, blown-up matter though, so you can see why he does it.

      Reply It’s the EU that are making a big thing of fish and that is why the media are following their agenda yet again

    2. Lynn Atkinson
      November 28, 2020

      As U.K. tourists are not travelling to the EU, their tourist industry will be shrivelling by about 50%. So those jobs are gone. Your argument to disembowel the UK is pathetic and vicious. Unforgivable in fact.

  21. agricola
    November 28, 2020

    You have it well covered this morning. I would only add that as we now have an FTA with Japan we should encourage the expansion of a quality fishing trade with them. though by and large the Brits don’t eat shellfish the Japanese do. They would appreciate the quality of the Scallops and what we call Langoustines ( Scampi, Dublin Bay Prawns, Cigalas ) that come from the west coast of Scotland. A very good business could be built using refrigerated airfreight. Government have done their bit with the FTA. I would encourage those who already export these delights to Paris and Madrid to check out the potential in Japan. I also know that once the Japanese agree something, that’s it, end of story. No blocked ports or lorries on fire. I would also guess that the added value would be better.

    1. Polly Smith
      November 28, 2020

      We had an FTA with Japan for a long time, while we were members of the EU. Now we’ve got a replacement, only not quite so good. Please, Mr Agricola, do not be taken in by Ms Liz Truss and her “here’s a new trade deal” pitch. They are old and slightly shoddy trade deals

      1. Mike Durrans
        November 28, 2020

        Did you dream that after your heavy lunch, there is no evidence to support your silly statement

      2. Bardirect
        November 28, 2020

        is that the EU Japan deal which France Italy Germany Ireland Belgium and several others have not ratified?

  22. Bob Dixon
    November 28, 2020

    The Foreign Office now expect 200,000 British Passport holders in Hong Kong will be moving to the U.K.
    Which parts of the U.K. will benefit from this influx?

    1. agricola
      November 28, 2020

      They are intelligent ,industrious, and obviously believe in democracy. It rather depends on their skills as to where they end up. The last such influx of the enterprising gave us the first Home Secretary who seems in tune with what needs to be done.

      1. Mike Durrans
        November 28, 2020

        +1. totally agree

      2. Lynn Atkinson
        November 28, 2020

        We are intelligent and industrious and obviously believe in democracy, but we can’t operate in this fascist state. Why do you think the Chinese will do better than us?

    2. glen cullen
      November 28, 2020

      That will keep the printers happy in France

      1. glen cullen
        November 28, 2020

        Slight correction…

        The UK will roll out new “iconic” blue passports for a post-Brexit Britain — but they will be produced in Poland by a French-Dutch company called Gemalto

    3. Bob Dixon
      November 28, 2020

      It’s now 800,000 not 200,000.

    4. SM
      November 28, 2020

      BD: given that the Hong Kong Chinese have a reputation for hard work and initiative, I’d say wherever they settle in the UK will probably benefit.

      1. Sea_Warrior
        November 28, 2020

        Every society has its bad ‘uns. Will we getting the best – or the worst?

      2. Martin in Cardiff
        November 28, 2020

        So do the Polish, so what ever is your point?

        1. Fred H
          November 28, 2020

          it reads to me to mean they will be welcome – and the Poles are!

      3. Lynn Atkinson
        November 28, 2020

        Why not allow our own native British trapped in Africa without passports to return home as a priority?

    5. Bardirect
      November 28, 2020

      Isle of Sheppey. They can also build an offshore airport.

  23. oldtimer
    November 28, 2020

    I am old enough to remember the time when fresh fish was a regular item of the family diet and fishmongers existed where you could buy fresh fish. IIRC it was not rationed during WW2, unlike meat and eggs. I would welcome a return of fish to the national diet. If no agreement can be reached with the EU then the industry will need to find new markets. Such is the global demand for fish that should not be beyond its wit and imagination. If the EU decides in its wisdom actually to boycott or prevent sale of UK fish in the EU then I think it should be possible to reciprocate by finding suitable non-EU sourced substitute food and drink from other countries eager to sell to the UK. The EU has been slow to come to terms with the implications, for the EU, of Brexit. No deal looks more likely by the day.

  24. Leslie Singleton
    November 28, 2020

    Dear Sir John–Now that we are out (Deo Gratia) I can never understand the talk of Fishing “Rights” because I see not the slightest question of the EU having “Rights” of any kind over our fishing. I am a bit dim on this but do our EU good friends partners and all the rest propose to buy the fish they wish to conitue plundering or to rent the use of the sea? I don’t see much parallel with our desired involvement in EU trade at market prices. It all continues unbelievable.

  25. Christine
    November 28, 2020

    The EU is the largest single fisheries market in the world and a net importer of fish and fish products. This is before they lose access to our waters. Most fish imports have zero tariffs because there is already a shortage. I can go to my local supermarket and buy prawns from Thailand or Pollock from Alaska and neither country is in the EU. The customer is king and maybe prices will increase for the EU countries but try and stop Europeans buying their favourite fish and there will be riots.

    1. Fred H
      November 28, 2020

      The dear old EU allowed the Med to be emptied – its fish stocks dead. If we carry on with current rules the UK will be surrounded by empty sea too!
      As a child and indeed a teenager we had 2 cinemas a mile walk from home. Regularly we’d walk past chippies on the way home. It never occured to us that we couldn’t afford fish & chips, white paper and outside wrapped with clean newspaper.
      Not an unaffordable treat as it is for so many families now. Get rid of the EU trawling killing the stocks and resurrect the habit of improving diet with fish.

    2. Bardirect
      November 28, 2020

      The EU tariff on prawns is 12% rising to 26% for preserved or processed products. Hardly zero tariffs

  26. Christine
    November 28, 2020

    I’ve asked the question before. Why are we importing workers from Africa and the Philippines to work on our trawlers? Is it that they work for less or that British workers don’t want to do the job? We need to understand this before we take back control of our fishing grounds and try and grow the industry.

    1. Sea_Warrior
      November 28, 2020

      The last time I patrolled our fishing grounds, the money from the sale of the catch was divvied up between the boat (owner), skipper and crew, by fixed proportions. If we need to import fishermen, Africa shouldn’t be sourcing them.

      1. Christine
        November 28, 2020

        Well, they are. Just watch Fish Town on TV. The boat owners and skippers are British but the majority of the crew are African and Philipino. You are right Shared Fishermen used to be the norm, I don’t know if this is still the case.

        We still need to understand why British workers don’t fill these vacancies.

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          November 28, 2020

          Are you sure these are not ‘the new British’.

          1. Christine
            November 28, 2020

            Yes, I’m sure.

  27. RichardM
    November 28, 2020

    The level of gaslighting by you and other brexiters is actually now quite sickening.
    We did not vote to leave the single market in 2016. The campaign to leave actually said ‘Brexit does not mean the UK will leave the single market’.

    Reply Reply Both Leave and Remain said we would be leaving the single market. I always said that in debates.

    1. Garland
      November 28, 2020

      The Leave campaign said over and over again that Brexit would lead to no change at all in trade with the EU, it would remain frictionless. That happens only in the EU single market – as people like Dan Hannan, Owen Paterson, Michael Gove, David Davis and Nigel Farage said repeatedly. I can’t understand why John Redwood tries to deny facts that are one click away on google

      Reply The government’s own pamphlet to every house said we would be leaving the single market and customs union. I always said that.

      1. Garland
        November 28, 2020

        The government supported remain so whatever the government said was rejected by the British people. It follows that since the government said we’d be leaving the single market and customs union, the British people voted for us to stay in them. Please do not disobey the will of the people, Mr Redwood

        Reply The government said if we voted to leave we would be leaving the single market!

        1. Len Smith
          November 28, 2020

          But the government LOST the referendum. Don’t you understand that, Mr Redwood?

          1. Edward2
            November 28, 2020

            Fortunately the people won.

          2. Martin in Cardiff
            November 28, 2020

            Yes John, it’s ironic looking back, to recall that those words were a *warning* as to just how crazy voting Leave would be, the assumption being that no one would be so mad as to want to do that.

            That position was reiterated by Daniel “no one is considering leaving the Single Market” Hannan – and others – too.

            But as ever, you don’t give context where that omission helps to contrive some kind of a case.

          3. Edward2
            November 28, 2020

            Wrong
            Hannan spoke about access to the Single Market.

        2. Lynn Atkinson
          November 28, 2020

          Garland you are really confused. The government, supporting Remain used leaving the single market and customs Union as a threat hoping to turn voters. We did not turn, we embraced leaving the Customs Union and the single market, and the EU, to their horror!

          1. Edward2
            November 28, 2020

            Well said Lynn.

          2. Wrinkle
            November 28, 2020

            Lynn – you are correct.

          3. Martin in Cardiff
            November 29, 2020

            She said the same as me, Ed, but you contradicted that.

            You’re all over the place, aren’t you?

          4. Edward2
            November 29, 2020

            No I stay in one place due to the pandemic.

    2. John Hatfield
      November 28, 2020

      “Both Leave and Remain said we would be leaving the single market.”
      As did the then Prime Minister.

      1. glen cullen
        November 28, 2020

        and no mention of a deal

  28. graham1946
    November 28, 2020

    Exactly. We must watch for flags of convenience, i.e. EU owned vessels registering in the UK to get fish. They can buy licences if they want but it must be strictly enforced or the EU will cheat like they always do. Perhaps it should all be landed in the UK.

    Perhaps with more of our own fish in the shops prices will be more reasonable and demand will increase. which would be good for the health of the nation. The Remoaners say it is an irrelevant industry. It was made so by the EU grab of our fishing grounds, so there is every chance it will expand. If not, the fish can stay there and not bee hoovered up or electric shocked to extinction. The seabeds will recover and we must also do something about the sand eels being taken to excess for fish meal processing. We got absolutely nothing out of EU fishing except to buy our own fish back again, so whatever happens we will be no worse off.

    Re Freeports, I understand our largest port, Felixstowe has already applied.

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      November 28, 2020

      Chepstow was the worlds first Freeport, created by king Henry VIII to relieve pressure on Bristol docks. It has the wall still and the gate, inside the wall was 54 pubs at its peak.

      1. Martin in Cardiff
        November 28, 2020

        *were fifty-four pubs.

        I know how you appreciate good English Lynn.

        1. Fred H
          November 28, 2020

          Lynn appreciates good English people, maybe not pedants!

  29. Bryan Harris
    November 28, 2020

    OK – nothing to disagree with there….

    I would only add that yes, many are expecting some kind of Brexit fudge — after Boris’s disastrous approach to CV-19 and his abject surrender to the green lobby, a failure to deliver Brexit will be his third strike.

    1. Lester Cynic Beedell
      November 28, 2020

      Surely we should have a vote on the government’s pursuit of green policies, they don’t have a mandate to proceed with this and it will result in a return to the Stone Age?

      1. Bryan Harris
        November 28, 2020

        A referendum should be the automatic response when the country and the evidence is split… and a government want a drastic change

        1. Martin in Cardiff
          November 28, 2020

          The offer of a referendum implicitly flatters the voters that they are thought qualified to make the choice – and most of us are suckers for flattery, which is however, but one more form of lying.

          Germany’s constitution very sensibly bans them, and has a PR-based form of representation instead.

          And which is the most successful country in Europe?

          1. Bryan Harris
            November 28, 2020

            Successful as the most oppressive and dictatorial

            Clearly the old parliamentary style is outmoded – Parliament can no longer be trusted, that’s why people should take back more control of affairs

          2. Lynn Atkinson
            November 28, 2020

            Do you speak German Martin?

          3. Edward2
            November 28, 2020

            Of course we are qualified.
            Trust the people.
            It is our decision.

          4. margaret howard
            November 29, 2020

            Lynn Atkinson

            “Do you speak German Martin?”

            I do – fluently!

            And I did French and Latin at school. With a good knowledge of 3 European languages I am quite capable of reading much of modern Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Danish and much else. My son speaks 8 languages fluently incl Russian.

            Do YOU speak another language Lynn? Or are you proud to be a monoglot?

  30. Iain Moore
    November 28, 2020

    Not so long ago we were being told that we needed to eat other fish rather than Cod due to the shortage, they didn’t tell us that France had been given 84% of the Cod quotas in the English waters in English channel, ourselves 9% .

    It would be an error to place any trust in the British establishment fighting our corner.

  31. ukretired123
    November 28, 2020

    You may or not like Margaret Thatcher but she had an unshakeable belief in standing up for Britain and getting value for money. So it is a watershed moment that the EU is caving in (symbolically represented by Frenchman Monsieur Barnier) but french President Monsieur Macron uses the death of Maradonna to declare ‘Hand of God’ goal in 1986 Argentina v England was a “Victory against Margaret Thatcher’s Britain”. Desperation indeed to stoop so low to save his own skin.

    MT is Britain’s Ace Card as she is well known by the french MSM as ” Mrs I want my money back Thatcher” usually followed by laughs all round in the TV studios – their little joke. Bu now they are just beginning to realise now what it means.

    It shows how the EU at the top really think of Britain – and that is our Ace card now- lack of their goodwill and entente cordial – deliberately misspell.

  32. None of the above
    November 28, 2020

    An excellent post and your first two paragraphs sum up the main issue nicely. I have often heard the claim that we no longer have a large enough fleet to take advantage of all those waters. That may be the case for a year or so but benefits will begin to show themselves immediately. Investment in the industry infrastructure will begin almost immediately, boat building and processing facillities for example. More importantly, fish stocks will recover with the temporary reduction in pressure that would come during 2021.
    I have heard the threats to disrupt our exports of fish but Europe is not the only market available to us, particularly for shellfish. In any event, EU customers do not buy from us for charitable reasons and I suspect that their respective governments would find it hard to justify breaking International Law.
    I was heartened by what Lord Frost was reported to have said yesterday about the negotiations. His assertions about Sovereignty (they were a fact and not a negotiating tactic) were loud and clear earlier this year but it is no surprise to me that te EU chose to ignore them. So be it.
    It is time to repudiate the Withdrawal Agreement, repeal the 2020 withdrawal agreement Act and look for other markets. That is the beauty of Sovereignty, if an International Law doesn’t suit the Country, you just repeal the Domestic Law that enacts it!

    1. Len Peel
      November 28, 2020

      So you wont mind when China absorbs Hong Kong then

      1. Edward2
        November 28, 2020

        It already has.

      2. IanT
        November 28, 2020

        It was always going to happen eventually Len.

        The PLA could have marched over the border anytime they wanted to – but they didn’t. HK and Macau were important sources of foreign currency for the Chinese at one time – but once that need diminished, so did the logic of maintaining HK’s imaginary independence.

        The wealthy HK Chinese have been moving their money out for many decades. They make it there but it doesn’t stay there… Go look at the North Shore in Vancouver if you need any proof… 🙂

        1. Longinus
          November 28, 2020

          On the day that China took over HK from us, the PLA marched across the territory in a show of force, to the Stanley Fort where they have been garrisoned ever since.

      3. Timaction
        November 28, 2020

        They already have, hence the passport holders flocking here.

      4. Lynn Atkinson
        November 28, 2020

        Hong Kong was always a Chinese city.

    2. Bardirect
      November 28, 2020

      existing boats and crews could easily catch 100% more. Just stop tying them up in port. We don’t really need 200 new boats tied up 75% of the time. Other capital investment will likely yield a better return

  33. No Longer Anonymous
    November 28, 2020

    Yup. We need a new industry. Every new industry we can get, in fact.

    Does Boris not realise that his blunderbuss approach to lockdown is going to create SO much unemployment, especially among the young and among women ?

    Britain could well become the world’s new Red Light district.

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      November 28, 2020

      You mean we are going to start charging?

  34. Roy Grainger
    November 28, 2020

    Barnier, who the Remoaners assure us is a magnificent negotiator, indeed the only adult in the room, seems to have as two high priority goals getting access to UK fish and controlling UK state aid. At this point with only a few weeks to go he faces utterly failing to achieve either of these with the EU totally locked out of UK waters and no state aid restrictions at all. Tell me again what a good negotiator he is ?

    I think we should unilaterally start inviting French and other fishermen currently active in British waters to apply for short-term 2-3 year fishing licenses and quotas for next year to ensure their businesses can continue and they can plan for future quota decreases. This would seem a fair way to proceed. It would also remove fishing as an issue for the FTA talks which will no doubt start again in the next 2-3 years.

    1. ian@Barkham
      November 28, 2020

      Barnier, is playing the remoaners game. Trying to slip in EU control over the peoples of the UK, then salami slice away until we are brought to heel and accept our superior masters.

    2. steve
      November 28, 2020

      Roy

      “I think we should unilaterally start inviting French and other fishermen currently active in British waters to apply for short-term 2-3 year fishing licenses and quotas for next year to ensure their businesses can continue ……”

      =========

      Why give the french fishermen anything? They’ve been attacking British boats and crews. They should be kicked out.

    3. glen cullen
      November 28, 2020

      They’ve had 4.5 years transition to get ready

  35. JimS
    November 28, 2020

    The so-called ‘sticking points’, fish, ‘level playing field’ etc. wouldn’t even be on the table if the EU was ‘negotiating’ with any other country.

    We should have told them that on ‘Day One’ and refused any talks until that pre-condition was accepted.

    As it is we keep being told that these issues still need to be ‘resolved’ which implies that the UK will make some concession. It reminds me of the way some people wanted to ‘negotiate’ over the Falkland Islands – either the UK holds them or Argentina does, there is no ‘middle way’.

    1. glen cullen
      November 28, 2020

      Rememer this ‘deal’ is a party decision, the referendum said nothing about a deal – it said leave

      The past 4 years have, front and centre, been a Tory mess of their own making

    2. None of the Above
      November 28, 2020

      Hi JimS,
      I whole-heartedly agree with your last paragraph.
      As I said in my earlier post, David Frost made our red lines very clear. He told everyone that these red lines were not a negotiating tactic. Indeed I remember him saying that reclaiming our Sovereignty was the very object of leaving the EU.

      It is the EU that keep saying that issues need to be resolved or that the UK needs to compromise perhaps in hope that we will cave (no doubt encouraged by certain Scottish politicians siren songs). As you point out, how can any independent and sovereign state tolerate such bad faith demands.

      1. glen cullen
        November 28, 2020

        Yeah but David Frost also agreed that the deadline was 15th October

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          November 28, 2020

          David Frost not in charge. The Blonde is in the driving seat.

          1. glen cullen
            November 28, 2020

            I didn’t say he set the deadline date I said he agreed with it

          2. Fred H
            November 28, 2020

            His blonde moment has lasted over a year.

          3. Wonky Moral Compass
            November 29, 2020

            It’s clown car time with either the blonde or the blond in the Downing Street driving seat.

    3. ian@Barkham
      November 28, 2020

      +1

  36. forthurst
    November 28, 2020

    Before the EU stole our fish, it was a staple in our daily diet. It was not expensive compared to meat. The landed fish were mature and sold fresh not frozen. I look forward to eating fresh fish caught by our fishermen in our waters. When the fishing industry returns to what it was before Edward Heath gave it away as a dowry to the French for allowing them to decimate our farming industry, fresh caught fish will become a staple again for many British households and the size of the industry will grow dramatically.

    The duty of government is its own people first. That applies in negotiating trade as well as determining who if anyone at all should be be allowed to immigrate or otherwise arrive on our overcrowded little island. People motivated by sentimentality have no business in government because they can cause immense damage to those they are paid to serve.

    1. Know-Dice
      November 28, 2020

      Agreed, we will eat more fresh fish if it’s available.

      Should suit the Greens too as they want us to eat less cows, sheep etc…

    2. None of the Above
      November 28, 2020

      Well Said.

    3. Lynn Atkinson
      November 28, 2020

      Yes we used to eat fish at least every Friday and Turkey at Christmas. We are reaching the stage where we eat fowl every week and have fish for Christmas.

      1. Fred H
        November 28, 2020

        the voters were taken hook, line and sinker!

  37. Andrew
    November 28, 2020

    Excellent, John. I do hope you have a direct link with David Frost and Michael Gove. You seem to speak with clarity and sense.

    Always look forward to reading your comments on these matters.

  38. glen cullen
    November 28, 2020

    Sorry for the pun but the boat has already left the port

    The deals been done

    Boris will this weekend accept anything to secure a WA deal

    1. steve
      November 28, 2020

      Glen Cullen

      “Boris will this weekend accept anything to secure a WA deal”

      ============

      Indeed he will. It shows you what the guy is like. He denounced May’s treason document as being akin to polishing a turd, all this time later has he ripped it up?…no he hasn’t.

      Cast your mind back to when covid broke – that famous press conference when a journalist asked about brexit, Johnson’s response: “nah we don’t want to talk about that”……. No, Johnson I bet you don’t !

      He’s been playing covid as a smokescreen to hide a big fat smelly betrayal. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if his aides correctly advised him that any betrayal no matter how small could never be sold to the people.

      1. glen cullen
        November 28, 2020

        +1

      2. Everhopeful
        November 28, 2020

        +1

  39. Newmania
    November 28, 2020

    No wrong as usual Remain support ( the majority) never wanted anyone to jeopardise the rest of the economy in the first place .This includes ,as it happens much of the fishing industry which processes EU caught fish and will now be unsustainable ( this is why we have to have Free Ports – not bounty just a miserable work-around yet more damage ).

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      November 28, 2020

      Remain – the majority! Hell you sound like a US Democrat but without their counting machines! 😂😂😂nuts in May!

  40. Alan Paul Joyce
    November 28, 2020

    Dear Mr. Redwood,

    I agree wholeheartedly with the contents of your today’s post. However, the fact that the government has not embarked already upon your policies 1,2 and 3, suggests that it does not know what to do with the return of UK fishing grounds. It does not have a plan, just one month before the possible return of one of the richest fishing grounds in the world, except to be able to say it has taken back control of our waters. It will then allow EU vessels to continue fishing there with some minor reductions in their catch spread over many years. In the event of a No-Deal, does anyone think this government would have the balls to ban EU trawlers and more importantly enforce the ban?

    Indeed, the lack of planning is probably not confined to fisheries. Who expects this government to have the requisite borders and customs practices fully in operation come January 1st?

    With a couple of notable exceptions; Priti Patel being one, Ministers give the impression they would like nothing better than a return to the good old days when decisions were made for them in Brussels.

    There is nothing that would please me more than to see a successful Brexit Britain but the government’s heart is not in it.

    1. Alan Paul Joyce
      November 28, 2020

      Dear Mr. Redwood,

      Sorry! Policies 1,2,3 AND 4

  41. Autolycus
    November 28, 2020

    What of the new Fisheries Act? I read foreign boats can still fish in British waters as long as the catch is landed here. They are then free to immediately export them to the Continent. Sounds like plus ca change. With our own fleet diminished, why and how would British fishers compete in an area where those dominant in the industry from abroad can continue to harvest our seas. Yet another piece of governmental sleight of hand if this is true.

    1. None of the Above
      November 28, 2020

      I think that you will find that foreign boats will require our Governments permission to fish our waters.

      I do wish people who refer to regulations actually acquire an adequate level of knowledge of them before commenting.

  42. Peter from Leeds
    November 28, 2020

    “Fishing is one of the world’s most dangerous occupations” – from Lloyds Register Foundation. One thing this pandemic has shown us is that life will always trump the economy.

    I always thought it strange in the 1980s that coal miners always said they wanted to keep the mines open so their sons would have jobs. Ironically those same sons are actually now small traders (the self same “white van man” that Labour turn their nose up at) and “red wall” Tory voters.

    The fundamental problem with the EU is, and has always been, the balance of trade.

    1. steve
      November 28, 2020

      Peter

      “The fundamental problem with the EU is, and has always been, the balance of trade.”

      =======

      And also the fact that the french are in it. Take France out of the EU and it’d probably work fine.

      1. Lynn Atkinson
        November 28, 2020

        No it wouldn’t.

  43. GeorgeP
    November 28, 2020

    I like your 4 point plan Sir John, but if the British government were serious about regenerating the UK fishing industry they would have announced specific incentives months if not years ago. It would have been a statement of intent, but the deafening silence speaks volumes….

  44. ian
    November 28, 2020

    Great idea.

  45. ian@Barkham
    November 28, 2020

    The first thing is for the EU to understand is that what ever fishing takes place in UK coastal waters or in fact the UK’s EEZ is at the discretion of the UK Government. The EU quota system past or present has nothing to do with it.

    The Common Fisheries Policy is the part that has destroyed fishing for all. It has destroyed the fishing in EU coastal waters, hence the desperate play to get control of UK coastal resources,

    If EU boats are permitted to fish in UK waters it should be assessed on stocks and stocks along, not other trading criteria, and by the UK authorities and no one else, other wise ‘all’ fishermen everywhere will loose.

    The UK already limits the size of boat our fishermen can use in our coastal waters, that same limit should apply to all. Fish not landed in UK ports should always be part of any foreign quota.

    Above all is the UK a Sovereign Independent country with laws and rules in its own territory decided, changed and dropped by the people of the UK. Or is it a defeated colony of some foreign power?

    1. Tabulazero
      November 28, 2020

      The CFP saved fish stocks and allowed them to be rebuilt.

      1. Edward2
        November 28, 2020

        The CFP has allowed the hoovering of the seabed daround the UK by huge factory trawlers.
        Devastating the eco systems and destroying fish stocks.
        Only long afterwards did the EU get going on rebuilding stocks.

      2. ian@Barkham
        November 28, 2020

        @Tabulazero

        And that is why their are no fish stocks in EU coastal waters. The CFP permits fishing in the UK EEZ during the breading season so depleting fish at an even more rapid rate.

        The CFP only constrains UK fishing boats while rewarding those of the EU.

      3. Stred
        November 28, 2020

        Deluded fool.

    2. Stred
      November 28, 2020

      Just right.

  46. Everhopeful
    November 28, 2020

    If a new fishing industry could be made to happen it would be a marvellous thing for really depressed coastal regions.
    Fishing used to be a significant industry which was sacrificed by Heath because he was sooo desperate to join the EEC. A scam pulled at the eleventh hour …just wait for the next one!!
    The terrible damage the EU has done to this country!!!
    Our waters are NOT EU property!

  47. ian@Barkham
    November 28, 2020

    The only deal that works for every sector of the UK is what was voted for a ‘Clean-Break’ .

    Everything else is smoke and mirrors played into by a Parliament that prefers to do as they are told by foreign mandarins than take control and start working for the People that put them there and pay their wages.

  48. Iain Gill
    November 28, 2020

    I see the government has banned the playing of monopoly on Christmas day.

    Send the police around now for me, as I will be playing it.

    Never in human history has a government looked so silly.

    1. Everhopeful
      November 28, 2020

      From….The World Turn’d Upside Down 1647

      Listen to me and you shall hear, news hath not been this thousand year.
      Since Herod, Caesar and many more, you never heard the like before.
      Holy-dates are despis’d, new fashions are devis’d.
      Old Christmas is kickt out of Town,
      Yet let’s be content, and the times lament, you
      See the world turn’d upside down.

      Yes…Cromwell, Herod, Caesar and so on through history…and there were worse tyrants to come.

    2. glen cullen
      November 28, 2020

      Like the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP saying you have to leave the restaurant as soon as you’ve finishing licking your plate – without an after dinner drink

      We’re just naughty children to them

      1. Lynn Atkinson
        November 28, 2020

        Here today gone tomorrow Gove….

        1. Fred H
          November 28, 2020

          backstabber or blonde bullshitter ? – and I thought Rory Stewart was a weak candidate – but possibly the only honest genuine one after all!

    3. glen cullen
      November 28, 2020

      Like the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP saying you have to vote the way we want otherwise the lights will go out and the black death plague will return and the NHS will lock its doors

      We’re just naughty MPs to them

    4. Lynn Atkinson
      November 28, 2020

      It does not simply ‘look’ silly.

  49. Tabulazero
    November 28, 2020

    For fish, 75% of the British catch by value gets exported to the EU with its main entry point being in Boulogne-sur-Mer which over the years has become Europe’s logistic platform for seafood.

    For shellfish, 85% of the British catch is also exported to the EU and, being shellfish, is not subject to the CFP.

    Good luck to all British fishermen when they will find their main market closed to them comes 2021.

    The EU is not there to play nice. It’s there to defend the interests of its member-states and their fishing communities and will use all means at its disposal to do so.

    I am afraid that in 2021, the British population regardless of what it voted in the referendum will discover some self-evident truths.

    The Brexiters such as John Reddwood and the majority of the people commenting on this blog will discover that the EU is not puny.

    The remainers such as the minority of the people commenting here will discover that the EU first and foremost defend itself and is not always nice.

    1. glen cullen
      November 28, 2020

      ‘’’I am afraid that in 2021, the British population regardless of what it voted in the referendum will discover some self-evident truths.’’’
      _________________________________________

      Like we are free and sovereign

      1. Tabulazero
        November 28, 2020

        Free ? You were always free.

        Sovereign? It’s the currency you will trade for your future trade deal with the US. The fact that the cabinet has refused to commit itself to maintaining existing food standards in their entirety is telling. You would do that only if you intend to sell out a significant portion of your farmers who all of a sudden will find themselves competing against cheap imports.

        1. Edward2
          November 28, 2020

          If the ECJ is our supreme court then we are not independent.
          If we have to obey laws made by a outside body then we are not free.
          PS
          USA food is amongst the best quality and most legally controlled in the world.

          1. Tabulazero
            November 29, 2020

            You will obey to Japanese law and continue to obey to the rulings of the ECHR

          2. Edward2
            November 29, 2020

            How bizarre.
            Why would I obey Japanese law?

            I agree with you on the ECHR.
            We should pull out of it and allow our courts to return to being supreme and rule on human rights.

        2. glen cullen
          November 28, 2020

          So the referendum was a waste of time and I should swear allegiance to the council of ministers

          1. Tabulazero
            November 29, 2020

            The referendum was a massive act of self-harm

          2. Fred H
            November 29, 2020

            Tab ‘The referendum was a massive act of self-harm’.

            Yes it was . Poor Dave threw a tantrum – quit everything and went to live in a gypsy caravan in his garden. Trouble was he eventually re-emerged.

    2. Fred H
      November 28, 2020

      the main market for fish is going to be – – THE BRITISH.

      1. Tabulazero
        November 28, 2020

        Most of the fish you will find at your local Tesco is actually imported because they are not endemic to British waters.

        People are going to have to change their taste,

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          November 28, 2020

          Oh cod, haddock, skate, salmon, Dover sole, herring (ever heard of kippers?) – shrimps, prawns, mussels, cockles, – all ‘foreign to British waters’? 😂😂
          You are certainly foreign to British waters!

          1. Tabulazero
            November 29, 2020

            Where is tuna in your list ?

        2. Edward2
          November 28, 2020

          Why?
          Will world producers refuse to sell to us?

        3. Stred
          November 28, 2020

          It would be wonderful if the British realised that lobster, mussels and prawns were more tasty than cod, kept the cod too and left the Spanish to the west African octopus and chips. Can’t wait.

    3. Jiminyjim
      November 28, 2020

      I don’t think you’ll find that any of us have said that the EU is puny. What we’ve said is that the EU is a bully and that we English have never been prepared to be bullied.
      Be careful, Sir John, your party is on the brink of annihilation, not through Covid, but through a collapse over Brexit at the eleventh hour.

      1. Tabulazero
        November 28, 2020

        Brexit will be like the Iraq war: give it a few years and no one will admit having voted for it.

      2. Stred
        November 28, 2020

        I used to go to Boulogne quite often before the unions stopped the fast ferry and to only thing they seemed to make was stinky soup. Centre of Europe’s fishing market. More like centre of European dole.

  50. Christine
    November 28, 2020

    I live close to a fishing port. It’s seen no investment for decades. It is one of the few towns in the country where the population has gone down. If this Government had any intention of growing the industry they would have been investing in new trawlers and training people. Where are the plans for the future of UK fishing?

    We need a new minister with a portfolio for improving the UK post-EU membership. Sir John would be the ideal candidate. Boris is a fool leaving such talent on the backbenches.

  51. ChrisS
    November 28, 2020

    I have been making the case for government action to start to rebuild our fishing fleet on this blog for the last four years. It was obvious that we need an entirely new fleet of different boats so that we can catch the fish that we actually eat here.

    Unfortunately, it has fallen on deaf ears and we are faced with needing a long transition period just to get into a position where we can make best use of our own waters.

    Why, when this was absolutely obvious to everyone, has the civil service and government done nothing to put us in a better position ?

    It demonstrates a complete failure of policy by successive Conservative governments, where a common thread has been Mr Gove, a man in highly influential positions throughout, and who was brought up in a family heavily involved in the industry.

    There are no excuses for this failure.

  52. The Prangwizard
    November 28, 2020

    When I was a boy in the 1950’s there seemed to be plenty of fish. ‘Tunnyfish’ were caught off Whitby and Scarborough in competitions. Tunny = tuna. And further up the coast while I was waiting for the school bus home men would beach their cobles full with mackeral. They would give us all we could carry.

    Maybe one day they will come back if we get the EU out of our country’s water and we get total sovereignty back. There must be absolutely no surrender, no concessions on EU fishermen’s ‘rights’, they must not be granted any – none. If they are granted short-term licences they must sell their catches at our ports first. If we don’t buy they can take them away. If our boats are in harbour at the same time they must take second place. Who has the guts to insist on this.

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      November 28, 2020

      Hardy’s of Alnwick, the greatest of all fishing tackle manufacturers, made special tunny reels and rods.

    2. Stred
      November 28, 2020

      I remember a fishing boat landing at Shaldon on the Teign in Devon and the nets opening with sprats or sardines or pilchards piled up on the beach. The EU has ruined the Mediterranean and now is on the way to ruining the UK fisheries. We should issue licences to traditional French fishermen and tell the industrial boats that they will be sunk.

    3. Martin in Cardiff
      November 29, 2020

      You really are obsessed, aren’t you?

      1. Edward2
        November 29, 2020

        It seems your pals Macron and Barnier are obsessed on fish too.

  53. Norman
    November 28, 2020

    Thank you for pursuing your instincts on this important issue, Sir John, Its not just about fish: historically, the sovereignty of an island nation is bound up with its territorial waters – it’s an important part of the soul of the nation. The bent of your detractors, and even the apathy of others who should be on-side with you, is enough to confirm that you are on the right course. What a shame we so lost our way in the past. I wish you well with your message to Government.

  54. ian@Barkham
    November 28, 2020

    Like all things the EU rulers just ‘don’t get it’.

    Trade deal sticking point ‘Governance’, in that they are not referring to the actual trade between the UK and the EU. They are talking about how the EU gets to carry on Governing how the UK works internally. There is nothing about a level playing field in any of the discussions, it is about how the EU will carry on implementing their laws and rules internally in the UK. The added insult the UK has no say in the making of these rules or laws and the UK has no say in how the EU is governed internally. Its a simple continuance on what the EU negotiator stated at the end of the WA talks – the UK is now our colony.

    There has bee nothing from the EU side that suggests otherwise. They do not respect the UK position of self governance, they do not respect position of running its own territory and the certainly don’t respect the idea that the UK is Sovereign.

    All EU so-called redlines and sticking points relate to how they and only they get to control the UK. UK democracy, the wants and needs of the UK people are not considered.

  55. John McDonald
    November 28, 2020

    Thank you Sir John for support of the Fishing Industry and the proposals you intend to put to Government.
    Some people who have contributed to your column need to watch a few TV programmes on the Fishing Industry to make sensible comments. People are risking their lives to provide our Fish and Chips. Our ships are inspected by the Fish Police to check quotas. Did not see them boarding foreign factory size ships in our waters.
    As you have point out the Fishing industry is not just going out in ships to catch fish.
    Boat building and repair just one spin off

  56. formula57
    November 28, 2020

    These words of yours – “I am sending this to the government for consideration” – were the final straw and so, monarch-like, I have made a rare, direct intervention that I hope may be decisive.

    I have written a polite but sharp-enough letter to the people’s Blue Boris himself pointing out that he now knows it is no fun running a Government that has lost its way, telling him that I know what the Government should be thinking and doing because I read this diary every day, and asking him to start reading it too, before it no longer matters.

    I mention all this as Blue Boris may be prompted to realize he can have your advice constantly, without awaiting diary updates, so you might standby to be contacted please.

    1. Fred H
      November 28, 2020

      better to send it to every Tory MP with the comment ‘we have been warned, my loyal constituents and other blog readers at about 95% insist they will never vote for us again ‘. Prepare for your MP redundancy and small pension – 200 of you will lose your seat.

  57. Tony Sharp
    November 28, 2020

    Sir John,
    Even if the UK accepted this ‘offer’ is only the tenth part of it – along with this will be the whole paraphernalia of the CFP, the Single Market regulations attached to it, the so called ‘Social Directives’ on covering UK fleets, non-compete clauses for a ‘slanted playing field’ in EU’s direction, and CU rules on any competitive fish and ‘fish related’ ie aero engine parts, products, and VAT slice and – special parts and labour (ooops – getting confused with my back street M oT mechanic ..))then by extension to … well the car industry, because you have to have lorries in fish ports, ohh yes, all disputes settled by the ECJ and while at it join the EUro Zone. These things NEVER stand alone with the EU; everything is about creeping control and they will demand an international treaty to confirm it all monitored by .. the ECJ.
    The EU w does not offer an FTA because that is something reciprocal on tariffs, to ask for anything else is against the WTO Rules.
    It is notable that Barnier told the Council that the problems with the UK were confined to an argument within the Conservative Party – this is of course the Commission myth as for why there was a referendum and one which favoured Brexit, because the entire UK political establishment were pro-EU and the peoples vote was of no consequence and can be ‘fixed’ by Cameron-May-Johnson.

    1. Bardirect
      November 28, 2020

      the offer has been misconstrued, it was not to “return” any part of the quota but to KEEP it but pay for 18% so on their calculation ÂŁ117million for ÂŁ800million quayside value fish. On that basis 0% more for UK boats who instead need to be tied up, as now, to facilitate the EU getting their “share” = they previously offered ÂŁ90 million.

  58. Iain Gill
    November 28, 2020

    massive protests against the lockdown in London and Paris and what is Boris tweeting about? Colombia and their carbon emissions.

    absolutely staggering

    1. Mike Wilson
      November 29, 2020

      Colombia does its best to grow crops – coca – to act as a carbon sink and supply the constant, global demand for cocaine. Fair play to them.

  59. anon
    November 28, 2020

    WTO default trading please.

    Once out after a suitable delay, as many years as it takes. We can talk about “Trade only” nothing else.

    Zero rate fish and chips takeaway.
    Encourage fish consumption in UK, reducing food imports and miles.
    Allow fish stocks to recover.
    Any vessels caught illegally fishing to be seized and sold at auction, proceeds re-invested in maritime coastguarding activities.
    Encourage Non-EU trade for the export of frozen processed fish.

    Increase our independent UK controlled Air & Port capacity to enable direct import export without using continental facilities which are subject to EU law/ ECJ.

    Increase our facilities to ensure that any undesirable behaviour by the EU is simply neutered. In other words maintain independent capacity.

    Purge the House of Frauds, Civil service etc of any who first loyalty is to a foreign power.

    1. glen cullen
      November 28, 2020

      +1

    2. steve
      November 28, 2020

      anon

      “Purge the House of Frauds, Civil service etc of any who first loyalty is to a foreign power.”

      =========

      But first reinstate the treason laws, preferably to those which existed say; 300 years ago.

      Then round up anyone who has acted at detriment to British sovereign interests over the last 50 years and take them to some symbolic place and put them on public trial by the English people.

      1. Tabulazero
        November 28, 2020

        Would reducing British influence to nothing on the continent count as a treason ?

        1. Edward2
          November 28, 2020

          Why will the UK become unimportant?

          One of world’s biggest economies

          1. bill brown
            November 29, 2020

            Edward 2

            Bcause a market of 500 million is much more important and therefore of less signficance if it is only 65 million

          2. Edward2
            November 29, 2020

            We will still trade with Europe or are you trying to claim all trade will cease?

            Tab was being silly and claiming after Dec 31st we will have no influence.

      2. Martin in Cardiff
        November 29, 2020

        Retrospective law is the hallmark of brutal, murderous tyrannies, and so that is clearly what you want, along with thug rule by the mob.

        It’s a moral pity that you can’t be made to live under a real one, and where your kind are the unfavoured, really.

        1. Edward2
          November 29, 2020

          Tell that to your pal Andy who wants show trials and prison for anyone who led the campaign or even those who voted leave

        2. Fred H
          November 29, 2020

          oh I get it like the Chinese in Hong Kong.? -err …perhaps not!

  60. anon
    November 28, 2020

    Ban the export of fish landed in the UK which are not processed and sold for local consumption in the UK. Let the fish stocks recover whilst our capacity is rebuilt.

    1. glen cullen
      November 29, 2020

      Nice idea and one I would support however the new fisheries bill will not allow it

      Like a farmer rotates the crop, so we should manage our waters

  61. ferdi
    November 28, 2020

    Fishing in the 12 mile limit is ours. Just take back control and don’t argue the point.

    1. glen cullen
      November 29, 2020

      The new fisheries bill allows foreign fishing boats to have a licence to fish a quota within our 12 miles

  62. steve
    November 28, 2020

    Sir Redwood

    The time has come when I have to give you and your like minded colleagues a stark choice:

    Get Johnson out of office now, before he signs anything, or your party is done for and will have to disband altogether.

    Johnson gives in to foreign demands, and we’re after blood. (Electorally speaking of course)

    Same goes for the electric car scam and all the other green shyte he’s been paddling without a mandate.

    It’s Johnson or all of your jobs.

    It is as simple as that.

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      November 28, 2020

      Absolutely true. Starmer would not be worse and if we are to have Socialism I prefer it to be delivered by declared Socialists so they take the blame.

    2. Fred H
      November 28, 2020

      there is no choice – the Party and Johnson are done for, it is just a question of the cowards standing by and watching the wholesale destruction going on.

      1. Tabulazero
        November 28, 2020

        But you knew what kind of man Boris Johnson is yet you were happy to see him become PM. Why are you surprised?

        1. Fred H
          November 28, 2020

          the Party, the manifesto and Johnson said what they would do – -all lies.

          1. glen cullen
            November 29, 2020

            Agree

          2. Martin in Cardiff
            November 29, 2020

            But Johnson has reportedly been a famously proven liar for years.

            Where have you been?

          3. Tabulazero
            November 30, 2020

            True but why are you surprised ?

          4. Fred H
            November 30, 2020

            dont blame me I didnt vote for HIM, I voted for our host to keep Wokingham sane, sensible and democratic. I cant speak for the people of Cardiff who must vote like you!

    3. Simeon
      November 28, 2020

      You are angry, and I understand and sympathise. But, sadly, you are in a small minority. The great majority don’t understand and/or don’t care. Evidence: all those people that voted Tory a year ago. Sir John’s job is likely safe, as are most of his colleagues. Yes, the marginals will go the other way at the next election, but that won’t trouble the Tory establishment. They’ll have done their job and will happily step aside to let the other lot carry on. It has been like this since 1945, Thatcher’s time excepted. But of course that is an experiment the establishment are not keen to repeat. So, again sadly, your threat carries no real weight. Welcome to democracy in an infantilised society.

      1. DOM
        November 28, 2020

        Simeon –

        Spot on.

        Both parties have one aim, to protect the two party Marxist state and they’ll destroy anyone who dares to confront it

  63. Ian
    November 28, 2020

    Well said Ian Barkham
    It is what has been going on for decades
    May in trousers.
    The Remainers, those in Westminster in both Houses simply should be thrown in jail for a very long time, lucky to keep there heads because there is no capital punishment.
    I think it might have been done by Blair, they are all above the law, they all feel that they are Sovereign, they are wrong,it is the voters that are Sovereign thanks to Cromwell

  64. Mike Durrans
    November 28, 2020

    First WE must scrap VAT as its an eu tax, we could again call it Purchase tax but just let us scrap all reference to eu rule.

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      November 28, 2020

      Scrap the whole thing. Scrap the tax!

    2. glen cullen
      November 28, 2020

      +1

  65. Bardirect
    November 28, 2020

    To date UK boats are frequently tied up in port as their days at sea have been limited to facilitate access of EU boats. Even at sea they commonly witness EU boats hauling in fish they are forbidden to catch.

    There don’t need to be any more UK vessels. Existing UK boats and crews could DOUBLE their catches, simply by being free to set sail

    I worry that all the talk of a notional lack of capacity is a ruse to condone a long transition for reducing EU quotas. It will be a travesty if they continue to be tied up to allow that and all the reforms of the Fisheries Act are somehow disapplied to their activities.

    1. Tabulazero
      November 28, 2020

      Why would British fishermen set sail in 2021 whilst their main market (the EU) is closed to them ?

      Fish you cannot sell quickly is not very valuable.

      1. Edward2
        November 28, 2020

        Instead of importing fish the UK industry will sell into its home market and more widely to the rest of the world.

        1. Tabulazero
          November 29, 2020

          Two things:
          1) fish loose value the longer it travel and the more time it take to get to the customer plate.

          2) the fish the British people are used to are not endemic to British waters. They are either imported or fished elsewhere including in EU waters.

          1. Edward2
            November 29, 2020

            1 Fish can be frozen and that works well for nations who sell their fish all over the world.

            2 You are wrong there is plenty of haddock cod plaice in the seas around the UK or if the prices rise for the popular fish people will move to other types eg pollack salmon snapper sea bass etc

      2. Bardirect
        November 29, 2020

        fish EU will not buy is fish EU will not eat

      3. a-tracy
        November 29, 2020

        We’re all going pescatarian hadn’t you heard?

  66. Dave Andrews
    November 28, 2020

    I like your suggestion about training, but could we find recruits? Deep sea fishing is not for the faint-hearted – will snowflake generation take it on?
    If my business was half as dangerous, the HSE would shut us down.

  67. ukretired123
    November 28, 2020

    I know Sir John knows what Sovereignty and integrity means to Britain as we had it 50 years ago. Boris needs to understand we are in competition with EU not anything else dressed up as a Christmas present for Brussels.

  68. Bitterend
    November 28, 2020

    Street protests- It’s as I thought the whole thing is going into meltdown- too many lies have been told including that the lockdown is about Covid when it’s really an exercise to defuse and contain popular expectations in advance of the Brexit deal- Govt is trying to keep people in their homes and so contain opposition and protest. Responsibility for all brexit lies with Boris, Gove, IDS, DD and all of the other ERG types who made such foolish deluded promises, including our host here- it’s the time of reckoning. Now what’s that about fishing?

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      November 28, 2020

      You want to see what happens without Brexit? Try us!
      BTW, we don’t take peoples word for anything. We know what being sovereign is, we were Sovereign for 800 years.

      1. bill brown
        November 29, 2020

        Lynn Atkinson

        A sovereign nation is a historical feature taht does not exist anymore in an interepdencent world.

        1. Edward2
          November 29, 2020

          You completely fail to realise the difference between independent nations who enter into mutually beneficial arrangements for things like border rules and trading rules, and having a supranational body like the EU having supremacy over you.
          Canada will not allow America to make its laws and New Zealand will not allow Australia to make its laws.
          All are what is known as independent nations.
          They may co operate with each other but no further.

          1. bill brown
            November 30, 2020

            Edward 2

            Wrong again I was not talking about independent nations I was talking sovereignty.

            Just get it right next time please

          2. Edward2
            November 30, 2020

            Pedantic nonsense.
            Independence and sovereignty are two sides of the same coin.

          3. hefner
            December 3, 2020

            A rather curious comment, Edward2: The two concepts are related but not the same. I bet that in your day-to-day life you might be independent but very unlikely to be sovereign.

            But I see from the above comment you are unable to see the difference.

            But you like playing with words don’t you? Does that not make you another pedant (and an inconsistent one at that), like a person who overemphasizes unimportant details at times and mixes up everything at others.

  69. glen cullen
    November 28, 2020

    It seems today that if you peacefully protest against the lockdown the police will use the truncheon but if you’re on a BLM protest they go down on the knee

    1. Everhopeful
      November 28, 2020

      Well, they must be acting on orders?
      Or have they become so pc and common purpose that they act unilaterally? Out of any government control?
      I somehow doubt that.
      The establishment loves BLM because it is supposed to illustrate how Covid has exacerbated feelings of “rightful” injustice.
      ie..we must do something about it!!

  70. Sam
    November 28, 2020

    Approx contribution from fishing to UK GDP= ÂŁ780m

    Approx contribution from financial services ÂŁ132,000m.

    😂

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      November 28, 2020

      Wow you are rich to sneeze at £780 million! Frankly I want it! It’s OURS! Moreover tens of thousands of British families will be able to stand on their own 2 feet and be proud of themselves and the great job they do. That’s worth much more than £132,000m. If fishing showed a loss, it’s what I would still want!

      1. Tabulazero
        November 29, 2020

        Since tens of thousands British families won’t be able to sell their fish and shellfish to their main customer in Europe, they will rather sit in front of the TV

        1. Edward2
          November 29, 2020

          Who is going to stop these customers from doing what they want to do?
          Are the politicians in your beloved EU going to try to apply a blockade?

          1. Tabulazero
            November 30, 2020

            If the Dutch and the French do not get what they want, they will pretty much do that by implenting sanitary checks in the most drastic manner.

            You really think Macron is going to send the French riot police against the French fishermen in an election year ?

          2. Edward2
            November 30, 2020

            Then the UK will take reciprocal action and play up like you predict the Dutch and French will.
            We just copy their drastic action as you call it and block their imports into the UK until sense returns.

    2. Stred
      November 28, 2020

      Financial services is a parasite on the backside of the nation. Fish is good food. Go away.

  71. ChrisS
    November 28, 2020

    Any boat caught fishing illegally in UK waters after 31st December should be confiscated without compensation and, if it is seaworthy, it should be sold to UK fishermen.
    If it is found not to be seaworthy, is should be scrapped and the owner sent the bill for disposal.

    1. Tabulazero
      November 28, 2020

      Most of the super-trawlers currently decimating British fish stocks are owned by Dutch companies but are already registered in Scotland. That won’t change.

      1. Edward2
        November 28, 2020

        But their companies are not UK registered.

        1. Tabulazero
          November 29, 2020

          The ultimate holder is not but the intermediary holding company and the boat are.

          Good luck expropriating Ă  British company.

          1. Edward2
            November 29, 2020

            Wrong.
            If the company is registered in Europe then there is a problem for them on January 1st

        2. hefner
          November 29, 2020

          And?
          I think you need be a bit more explicit about what that entails. It can only be good to have a specialist telling us of the exact consequences of what they have just pointed out. Don’t you think?

          1. Edward2
            November 29, 2020

            If you say so Hef.
            I was replying to correct Tab but join in if you want.

      2. glen cullen
        November 29, 2020

        It might charge – they have to apply for a licence which maybe refused

    2. glen cullen
      November 28, 2020

      Can’t happen under the new Fisheries Bill, the only penalty is fine up to ÂŁ50k or value of catch

      And there’s the problem – ÂŁ50k is about one days fishing for a super trawler

  72. No Longer Anonymous
    November 28, 2020

    Why won’t the Government tell us the truth about this ‘pandemic’.

    They have picked up The Pandemic Guide for Dummies and are going by the Spanish Flu which lasted two years having ‘let rip’.

    Boris knew a long while ago that we were going to be in lockdown until Spring. In fact, even if we start vaccinating tomorrow, he well knows this crisis is going to go on until Spring 2022. 70 million to vaccinate at least twice.

    They have decided on a zero infection policy, that’s why it is going to take until 2022.

    A little bit different from the ‘flatten the curve in two weeks’ lockdown we were first promised.

    Our family are giving up on Christmas this year. We are going to combine it with Easter and crucify the Baby Jesus instead – in the same way that this Government has crucified the country.

    Let the unemployment and the tax bills be realised and show us the ugly truth. Then and only THEN a General Election please.

    1. steve
      November 28, 2020

      NLA

      “Why won’t the Government tell us the truth about this ‘pandemic’.”

      ========

      Because it isn’t a pandemic, it’s a syndemic……they’ve been peddling this shit about it being pandemic so they can betray brexit in the hope we wont notice.

      1. DavidJ
        November 28, 2020

        I prefer the term “Scamdemic”; all designed to exert control over us and what a success it has been!

  73. Fred H
    November 28, 2020

    off topic.
    BBC WEBSITE.
    The number of officers patrolling French beaches will double from next week to help stop migrants crossing the Channel, the UK’s home secretary has announced. It is part of further measures Priti Patel agreed in a meeting with her French counterpart on Saturday.
    Officers will be aided by “enhanced” surveillance, such as drones and radar, to find smugglers and migrants. Thousands of migrants have reached the UK in small boats this year. The Home Office said 59 people on four boats crossed the Channel on Friday.
    Ms Patel said that due to increased French patrols and intelligence sharing “we are already seeing fewer migrants leaving French beaches”.
    “The action we have agreed jointly today goes further, doubling the number of police officers on the ground in France, increasing surveillance and introducing new cutting edge technology, representing a further step forward in our shared mission to make Channel crossings completely unviable,” she said.
    Cost? another ÂŁ28m … we are made fools of.

    1. steve
      November 28, 2020

      Fred H

      I had earlier recommended Boris Johnson be removed before he could sign anything…….alas too late.

      Now as you point out he’s agreed to the British tax payer funding the french to stop illegal immigrants crossing the channel.

      The migrants are france’s problem not ours. They’ve been dumping them over here for decades. Shared mission my arse.

      Conservative party is now finished, unelectable.

      Now just wait and see…in return for this generous french undertaking, which is their problem that we are paying for, Johnson will give way to Macron’s demands, heralding it as a major breakthrough.

      1. Fred H
        November 28, 2020

        we paid ÂŁ180m already !!

    2. Stred
      November 28, 2020

      It would be much cheaper to offer French hunters 500E a time to blow holes in the inflatables before they set off. Has Priti ever done a deal in her life?

  74. Lindsay McDougall
    November 28, 2020

    The British fishing fleet must be registered and berthed in British ports. Only that way are we fully in charge. Continental quotas should be limited and on the basis of licences granted to individual boats. We’ll need to patrol our seas actively to enforce the restrictions. It will be better to deal directly with individual Member States – Netherlands, France, Spain – than the European Commission.

  75. Countrywatch
    November 28, 2020

    Yes, Sir John, your ideas are commendable. However, the rest of us are on planet Hancock/Johnson facing the most appalling deprivation of our rights and freedoms effected by globalist puppets, with an alarming future ahead of us. The title of this article in D Tel sums it up:

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/11/28/no-one-has-curtailed-liberties-like-lunatic-enforcers-tory-government/
    No one has curtailed our liberties like the lunatic enforcers of this ‘Tory’ Government
    The people hardest-hit by the Orwellian strictures of the three tier nightmare are Tory voters – including those in Matt Hancock’s back yard…”

    I feel that when we are so threatened, we are entitled to expect the few worthy Tory MPs that are left to recognise this madness that is occurring and put a stop to it immediately. Talking about fish is all very commendable, but this should have been stated and pushed for some years ago, instead of permitting May to draw up her “complete capitulation” Withdrawal Agreement, in which the hopes of the fishing industry were dealt a fatal blow. Rather late to be talking about the fish now (much as I fervently support the need for a completely revitalised fishing industry, with us taking back our waters).

    The gravest threat that faces us now is the takeover of our country by the globalists intent on imposing UN Agenda 2030 (Johnson has just reaffirmed his commitment to this) which is a recipe for global communism, nothing less. This is what you should be fighting against, Sir John. However, fish are easier to write about.

  76. ian@Barkham
    November 28, 2020

    From the Telegraph –
    The European Union is behaving “like the bully who steals your lunch every day and expects the UK to be grateful for a few crumbs he hands back” over the Brexit talks, the leader of Scotland’s fishermen has said.

    Elsewhere in the MsM – EU’s mask slips as leaked documents expose bloc’s attempt to control UK’s tax policies
    THE EUROPEAN UNION drew up plans to control Britain’s tax policies after Brexit, leaked documents have revealed.

    These talks are not about Trade from the EU’s side they never were – its all about who gets to rule the UK,

    1. DavidJ
      November 28, 2020

      Indeed Ian.

    2. Martin in Cardiff
      November 29, 2020

      More victimhood-obsessed whimpering, about non-existent grievances, yet again.

      1. mancunius
        November 30, 2020

        The detailed memo was written by the European Parliament’s TAX3 secretariat following a meeting with the EU negotiating team led by Michel Barnier, on 11 October 2018.
        “The mandate for the negotiating team is to define and create a level playing field, taking into consideration four main areas, of which one is taxation.
        “The objective is that the UK will abide by the tools adopted at EU level to fight tax evasion/avoidance, namely Code of Conduct on Business Taxation, Exchange of Information Directives (DAC) including Country by Country Reporting between tax authorities, Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive (ATAD).”

        The EU objective of shackling UK taxation laws is perfectly obvious. The EU then concealed it in the PD by not revealing what they actually meant by a ‘level playing field’ – they meant ‘annexation’.

        I expect in the University of Mumbles you haven’t heard of it yet, as it was only reported two years ago.

        Unteachable academics, eh…

  77. glen cullen
    November 28, 2020

    The Fisheries Bill does state that foreign fishing boats maybe fined up to ÂŁ50k or the value of catch if in breach of issued licence

    Doesn’t state anywhere that we may confiscate, impound or sell captured fishing boat in breach of or without licence

    Doesn’t impose any incremental increase in fines or penalties for repeated breaches of licence conditions

    1. Fred H
      November 28, 2020

      you have to catch them! They get away with infringements off Cornwall.

  78. steve
    November 28, 2020

    Why oh why oh why for God’s sakes can’t we have a government that just does as it’s bloody told… by us !

    I’m gonna vote for Starmer, just to annihilate the conservatives. The country might be destroyed but at least I’ll have the pleasure of telling the tories – We warned you, and we damn well meant it !

    1. glen cullen
      November 28, 2020

      +1

    2. No Longer Anonymous
      November 28, 2020

      +1

      Next week please.

      This government hasn’t a year in it.

    3. Fred H
      November 29, 2020

      or even the Greens – at least you know they’ll go for half-arsed policies that can be put back. This Tory Government is condemning us to hell for decades.

  79. glen cullen
    November 28, 2020

    Fishing quota (either UK or Foreign) should not be sold but returned to issuer at market value of balance of remaining un-used quota

    I believe the Fisheries Bill compounds the old issues by continuing the practise of allowing licensees to sell their quota – it also allows foreign fishing boats a back door to our waters

  80. XY
    November 28, 2020

    They also need to ensure that fish caught in UK waters are landed AND PROCESSED in the UK.

    At the moment some “British” companies are EU companies registered in the UK. They land fish in the UK straight onto trucks and take them to the EU for processing and sale. The fishing industry is a lot more than just catching the fish,

    Also, we must ensure that fishing is not a piece of cunning misdirection. Any so-called level playing field agreement would be far more important and disastrous for the UK. While everyone is focused on fishing I have to wonder what is happening on the most important issue of LPF. The noises so far suggest we are holding out, but it’s the final deal that matters and any last-minute tit-for-tat is the concern- the government must not give one inch on this issue.

  81. glen cullen
    November 28, 2020

    Don’t forget english plaice

  82. K Jig
    November 29, 2020

    Sir John,

    I must say I do not trust. Why the Tories think negotiating is giving stuff away is a mystery.

    Both sides will want to trade and that is simply it!

    Will Boris have the nerve to walk away?

  83. Bryan Harris
    November 29, 2020

    Please approve the above – your readers should be aware of things like this

  84. Helen Smith
    November 29, 2020

    Thank you

  85. Jon Breene
    November 30, 2020

    What do you think Free-Trade Tories do with a commodity- They sell it on the Free Market.

    That’s why the mega trawler Afrika fishes off the south Coast. A few people have possession of the majority of the quota and the owners of foreign trawlers just register their boats here and rent the quota.

    So when the UK has the whole quota it will just be sold on the free-market to the highest bidder. The highest bidders are companies that already have trawlers & crew

    My water supply is owner by a US hedge fund . If free-trade Tories will sell water to the highest bidder whether UK or foreign they’ll sell fish

    1. Edward2
      December 1, 2020

      There are stock exchanges around the globe and you or I can buy shares or own outright companies from all over the world.
      The UK owns billions in overseas assets and overseas companies.

      Why quotas in the first place?

  86. David Speed
    December 2, 2020

    https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1367395/Brexit-news-Boris-Johnson-UK-fishing-quotas-Michel-Barnier-EU-talks-latest

    If true, goodbye Tories!!!!

    We will forgive the mess the PM has made over COVID, but not if Brexit becomes Brino.

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