Using our new freedoms

The government should now turn its attention to the many opportunities our departure from the bureaucratic and restrictive single market and customs union will bring.

Today I invite you to send in your ideas of laws and rules which could be improved, amended or repealed as we take back control.

Let me begin with a few ideas for a better maritime strategy. The U.K. is a global trading nation with a proud history of maritime success. The EU Ports Regulations have cramped the expansion of our harbours and docks. The Common Fishing Policy led to a big decline in our fishing fleet and fish processing. A combination of EU and U.K. rules led to a big decline in international marine owners using our flag for their merchant ships. During the EEC/EU years we witnessed a major decline in shipbuilding.

We could now set about rebuilding:

1 Repeal Ports Directive. Offer planning permissions and other support for dock and harbour expansion.

2 Offer Freeport status to many coastal towns, with simplified planning and tax breaks for new investment in those areas. Allow non payment of VAT on items for re export.

3. Add an Enterprise Zone to such ports, with additional tax breaks from Business rates and from Corporation Tax on investment

4. Government to offer grants and cheap loans to U.K. citizens and businesses wishing to buy a new trawler made in a U.K. yard, to expand fishing capacity.

5. U.K. to order all public sector vessels from U.K. yards assuming there were at least 2 compliant U.K. tenders for the work. UK to strengthen Customs and naval fleets of coastal patrol vessels.

6. U.K. to review rules over sailing under our flag, to encourage more to use our flag and related marine service, without lax employee standards. We should also look at requiring ships trading in our waters to comply with high standards for employees and safety.

7. Government to assist coastal towns and cities wanting growth to attract more fish processing,meal preparation and frozen and chilled foods business. Good quality new housing investment to go alongside new industrial and marine activities.

8 Private sector will bring ship repair, chandlery and support services as these policies are implemented.



468 Comments

  1. David Peddy
    December 26, 2020

    I agree with these .
    I definitely think that our Civil Servants need a very clear instruction to use British manufacturers where ever possible.The scandal of awarding steel making and passport printing abroad leaves a nasty taste

    1. JoolsB
      December 26, 2020

      Totally agree. The elation and pride I felt in receiving my new BRITISH passport has somewhat been tarnished by the fact it was produced in Poland by a French-Dutch company. This is what happens when we have a bunch of Euro loving pen pushers making the decisions. Unfortunately for us the Government and Civil Service are full of them.

      1. Hope
        December 26, 2020

        JR, suggest you read Facts4EU you will get a flavour of the Johnson capitulation and sell out.

        UK is not taking back control of territorial waters any time soon i.e. Ever. Norway has.

        ECHR will apply, all EU climate change rot will apply, etc etc. if not all or part of the treaty can be suspended. WA applies after 01/01/2021, N.Ireland is subject to EU acquisi.e. Laws refs directives, customs union etc. it has been partitioned from our country! As for non tariff claim by Johnson, experts already commenting this is not true, it will cost businesses and ultimately the consumer.

        In short Johnson’s opening statement completely untrue unless he did not understand what he capitulated on, in which case total incompetence.

        Your only choice is to vote it down. Labour will vote for it without reading it! Presumably taking the knee! MPs highest earners in the country voting for something they have not read!

        Therefore Johnson needs to understand if it passes he is gone. WTO and repudiate the WA and NiP was and is the only course to take back control of money, borders and laws. As an aside Johnson mentioned the point based immigration system, it is worse than May’s,no limits, lower salary more studentsetc, again, he knows his claim to be specious rot.

        Another Fake Tory Sell out.

        1. Peter
          December 26, 2020

          I can’t even find out how many pages there are in the Brexit new agreement. In one article in the Daily Fail mentions a figure of 1255 pages. That is down considerably on the 2000 pages previously proclaimed across the media. Further down in the same article they state :-
          ‘500 pages long
 the historic dossier that’s set Britain free from the EU: We’ve digested it, so you don’t have to!’

          If The Fail cannot even get the number of pages correct what hope have we of trusting their report on its contents?

          I don’t think Sir John Redwood wants to burst the upbeat Christmas bubble of euphoria around this agreement.

          I am therefore surprised your post escaped moderation.

          reply Do not lie about me. I have allowed both sides to post. I will give my view after reading anD hearing the ERG lawyer view. I have not prejudged it.

        2. hefner
          December 26, 2020

          MPs highest earners in the country??? If they don’t have a couple of jobs in addition to their MP’s job, very far from it.

          1. Hope
            December 27, 2020

            Gef, They are in the top 3%.

        3. ian@Barkham
          December 26, 2020

          +1

        4. Hope
          December 26, 2020

          Using, implies the country has gained something. Yet in contrast you remark the opposite.

          JR, please clarify:

          UK is a fishing colony of the EU, it will be forced to comply with ECHR, climate change, environment, Labour laws etc and a host of level playing field rules.

          N.Ireland is annexed/partitioned from the country. EU will have a base and access to U.K. Computers to examine compliance, EU acquis does apply!

          Non tariff claims already dismantled by experts.

          No discussion, let alone deal on services!

          How is this better than WTO?

          What part is a good Deal? We were promised a free trade deal not a partnership straight jacket treaty where we will do as we are told or be punished!

      2. Martin in Cardiff
        December 26, 2020

        The whole country’s full of them, Jools, the sixteen million Remain voters plus nearly all of the young at the very least.

        1. Edward2
          December 26, 2020

          Yet they lost the referendum vote and the last election.
          Full of them….yeah right.

    2. Sir Joe Soap
      December 26, 2020

      I just can’t see the rush to approve this document. After 4.5 years, I’d allow at least a month to scrutinise and debate. It might be worse than no deal under the magnifying glass.

      1. Christine
        December 27, 2020

        I agree. It is totally unfair to expect MPs to read and digest this huge document in 4 days. It’s a repeat of the way TMs withdrawal agreement was rushed through. This treaty will have long and lasting effects on our country for generations and needs to be scrutinised properly. I don’t trust the EU or Boris.

    3. Mike Durrans
      December 26, 2020

      +1

    4. Bryan Harris
      December 26, 2020

      Yes -in fact we should go further — we should stop importing expensive items if there is a UK supplier – that should apply across all sectors

      1. Martin in Cardiff
        December 26, 2020

        Yes, others have had that idea too.

        It was one of the functions of the Iron Curtain.

        1. NickC
          December 26, 2020

          It’s what the EU does too, Martin. It’s called “Fortress Europe”.

          1. Julian Flood
            December 26, 2020

            Together with the ban on live animal export, I’d like to see non-stun slaughter outlawed.

            Not only good in itself, this would play well with many who are not your usual supporters

            JF

        2. Lynn Atkinson
          December 26, 2020

          And the EU.

        3. Edward2
          December 26, 2020

          Ridiculous response.
          You equate the idea of stopping importing expensive items if there is a UK supplier with the evil USSR regime which killed millions if it’s own people.

        4. Fred H
          December 26, 2020

          but they could only produce crap – – remember the rights to the Fiat 124 bought to make the even worse LADA.

        5. Northern Monkey
          December 26, 2020

          What nonsense…

          A more accurate example would have been the EU’s Common External Tariff (CET) and the many barriers to trade that it erects – chlorine washed chicken or growth hormones in US beef would be two obvious examples.

          The Iron Curtain was never intended as a barrier to trade – its purpose was simply to stop Soviet-occupied eastern Europe from being depopulated as its peoples fled to the west.

          Any claimed trade protection was a smoke screen to reflect from its intended purpose – much like the EU’s CET.

        6. dixie
          December 26, 2020

          I had no idea France and Germany were behind the Iron Curtain, in my business experience they employ extensive buy-local attitudes and practices.

          1. Narrow Shoulders
            December 26, 2020

            Which to be fair drive great local produce.

            We have some great local produce too

      2. Robert Mcdonald
        December 26, 2020

        Agreed, the French and Germans already do that.

    5. Peter
      December 26, 2020

      I think we may be getting ahead of ourselves.

      There is huge spin about what a great deal we have. Mr. Johnson has urged MPs to accept it with little time to examine the detail. He says “I know the devil is in the detail but I am sure this can survive the most ruthless and Talmudic scrutiny from the star chamber legal eagles.”

      I don’t know much about the Talmud. However, I am waiting for a Brexiteer equivalent of ‘Nihil Obstat’. The two thousand pages need to be released now. MPs and the public need time to examine them.

      Andrew Bridgen suggests that sufficient time is made available:-

      “People need to remember that a long-term treaty like this isn’t just for Christmas and, if you legislate in haste, you’ll always regret it,” he warned.

      “We must have the proper scrutiny.”

      The Tory backbencher called for a four-week period to analyse the deal, asserting: “It is that important [we get] the time we need to genuinely analyse a 2,000 page treaty we’ve never seen before.”

      This make sense to me.

      1. Peter
        December 26, 2020

        Sir Iain Duncan Smith, former Conservative party leader, said: “Beneath the spin, bits and pieces of important detail are starting to emerge that raise questions. That’s why the govt should now release the full text.”

        Daily Express

      2. Otto
        December 27, 2020

        Whatever the number of pages it was not written in a day or two. Every section completed should have been made public as it went along otherwise it was just an exercise in keeping the public in ignorance to hide their mistakes and no doubt their incompetency as well as not giving what the referendum called for.

    6. Andy
      December 26, 2020

      Is it not the duty of government to spend taxpayers money in the best possible way?

      And if a passport can be manufacturers to the same or a higher standard elsewhere for a lower price than it came be made in the U.K., should the government not take that option?

      It was actually Mrs Thatcher with her single market who saw the huge advantages of a much wider programme for procurement.

      Why should my taxes be wasted propping up inefficient British companies?

      Incidentally, EU law has many exemptions for the EU wide procurement policy. Particularly concerning national security. So Spain builds its own warships, France produces its own passports. The UK Conservatives made price their main criteria not national security.

      1. Martin in Cardiff
        December 27, 2020

        The UK has no constitution stating any “duties” whatsoever for government.

        It can do whatever Parliament may allow, pretty well literally.

    7. DavidJ
      December 26, 2020

      Agreed.

    8. Paul Cuthbertson
      December 26, 2020

      Sack ALL the Europhile civil servants NOW. It will be cheaper and more beneficial to us in the long term. Still far too many Europhiles within government trying to undermine the will of the people.

    9. jon livesey
      December 26, 2020

      No, absolutely not. We just signed a free trade agreement. It would b very bad if our first step was to subvert it with non-tariff barriers, especially with something so iconic as passports.

      Instead of being annoyed by your Passport, think of it as a good example of the way free trade is suppose to work.

      And if that does not help, come up with some way of making Passport printing in the UK cheaper and more efficient than in the EU. That’s the honest way to do things.

  2. Mark B
    December 26, 2020

    Good morning.

    Well someone seems to have had too much of the Christmas Spirit.

    As I said before. I’ll wait until 1st January 2021 to see if we have really left the EU or, as I suspect, just signed an Association Agreement which, will keep us closely aligned to it – Which is not Leaving !

    Let us ban pulse fishing and drag nets ? If the UK Government can do that, I might just be convinced. Can a Private Members Bill be raised to do such ?? 😉

    1. steve
      December 26, 2020

      Mark B

      It’s a choreographed BRINO, everyone knows it.

      ….let them think they have their sovereignty.

      1. Richard1
        December 26, 2020

        How can you or anyone else possibly know this before you have read the agreement, which hasn’t yet been published?

      2. None of the Above
        December 26, 2020

        Desperate stuff Steve.

        1. glen cullen
          December 26, 2020

          Lets see if we can change our tax/vat laws or ever alter h&s regulations without asking the EU first – its all about a level playing field

        2. steve
          December 26, 2020

          Desparate ?

          No. Just absolutely furious to the nth degree. As are 17.4M leave voters. And as the conservatives will find out at the next election, where we’ll be toasting them good & proper.

          1. hefner
            December 26, 2020

            My dear steve, contrary to what you appear to believe, you’re not the centre of the world, you are only one among the 17.4M leave voters, and you have no proof whatsoever that all the others are furious. A few of them on this blog might be, that would make what, say, a couple of hundreds. What is it you are suffering from?’ ‘folie des grandeurs’ (and before the usual one here intervenes, I might suffer a bout of it too).

          2. Edward2
            December 26, 2020

            Glad you are self evaluating now hef.

          3. hefner
            December 27, 2020

            Edward2, I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist… how sad.

          4. Edward2
            December 27, 2020

            No I’m thrilled to help you on your journey hef.

      3. Simeon
        December 26, 2020

        Mark B knows it’s BRINO (Not BINO!). He’s just lining up all his chickens.

        Steve, what are we going to do about this? The entirety of the MSM, including those that pay lip service to a proper Brexit, are lining up behind Blowers. Farage is apparently desperate for a peerage, knighthood, or MBE. Heck, he’d probably settle for a Blue Peter badge at this stage. The Conservative Party will remain intact. Who is going to take a lead on this?

        Could it be that the Covid conspiracy needs to be faced down first, after which British independence can be won? It seems to me that it will be this issue which has a chance of gaining the necessary traction with the people.

    2. oldtimer
      December 26, 2020

      I note that, apart from the fact that we are all now described as “data subjects” (not persons or citizens) under this agreement, much will depend on the operation and powers of the Partnership Council, and its numerous committees and working groups. On the face of it it looks as though these could be used to bypass parliamentary scrutiny in the way it was avoided while the UK was a member of the EU. No doubt our host will be examining this aspect very closely indeed.

      I also note that plenty of scope is provided for NGOs to continue their lobbying through mechanisms provided under the Partnership Council provisions. MPs beware!

    3. NickC
      December 26, 2020

      MarkB, I agree entirely. Boris’s deal is BINO (Simeon’s plea notwithstanding). And let us ban pulse fishing and dragnets. We will then see if we have left or not.

      1. Simeon
        December 26, 2020

        I’m disappointed, but nevertheless confident that BRINO shall prevail in the coming culture war!

      2. Mark B
        December 26, 2020

        Thanks

        But Ian Wragg (further down) has an even better list.

  3. Peter Wood
    December 26, 2020

    Good morning,

    Surely the CAP regulations need to be thoroughly overhauled ASAP. We have seen how a stroppy EU member can strangle our fresh food imports; we really need to offer sensible and balanced inducements for our farmers, small and large, to produce more for the supermarket.

    How is fisheries to be managed. Surely one way would be to limit the size of vessel allowed in our waters. If the total allowable catch has sneekily been increased, then the foreign vessels will take more tonnage, even though the percentages change.

    1. Peter Wood
      December 26, 2020

      PS, according to the Mailonline, Bild editor Alexander Von Schoenburg reports that Mrs. Merkel was the force behind the EU’s acceptance of the deal – WHAT A SURPRISE! The EU is the puppet authority for Berlin to rule Europe.
      The Deal will only be ratified by the EU Parliament, they cannot amend it, AFTER the 1st January. What a total waste of money and space is the EU Parliament, a puppet legislature for a puppet bureaucracy.

      1. Andy
        December 26, 2020

        The UK Parliament can’t amend it either. The deal is longer than The Lord of the Rings – and will affect our country for decades. It is the most important thing which any sitting MP will ever vote on. They have best to no time to read it, the prime minister has already lied about it, there is next to no time to scrutinise it.

        What a total waste of space and money the UK Parliament is. A puppet legislature for an incompetent government which the vast majority of us did not vote for.

      2. Narrow Shoulders
        December 26, 2020

        Might that be German sabre rattling?

      3. Martin in Cardiff
        December 26, 2020

        So as the Leavers claimed that it would, Germany did come to the UK’s rescue after all then?

        Make up your minds do, eh?

        How did the European Union’s Parliament table over a hundred amendments to TTIP, then, causing the US to give up?

        They could amend this deal, but that would invalidate it as it is an international treaty, like the WA.

        1. NickC
          December 26, 2020

          Martin, This agreement is not an international treaty until properly ratified by both parties. TTIP was never agreed and certainly never ratified. The EU’s toy parliament can only make suggestions – it has no power. No wonder you voted Remain with your lack of understanding of how the EU works.

          1. Lynn Atkinson
            December 26, 2020

            It’s NOT a treaty! We know what problems Treaties cause, this is a trade deal that can be trashed is we don’t like it in future.

          2. Edward2
            December 26, 2020

            Martin only likes the EU because he thinks it will bring him the extreme socialist world he desires.

        2. Edward2
          December 26, 2020

          So the UK Parliament could amend the Withdrawal Agreement and that would also invalidate it.
          Make your mind up do eh?

          1. Martin in Cardiff
            December 26, 2020

            Absolutely.

          2. Edward2
            December 26, 2020

            You said that would be illegal and against international law.
            Make your mind up do eh again.

      4. Fred H
        December 26, 2020

        I think the German car Industry was getting apoplectic as the days were running out. Bet they were screaming in her ear.

    2. Lifelogic
      December 26, 2020

      A lot of damage is done be home grown laws. The appalling and endless attacks and additional red tape and often licensing forced onto landlords now taxed on profits they have not even made. Then they have unfair competition from social houses too.

      The main problem the UK has is far too many state sector worker on good pay and large pensions producing very little of value and often doing positive harm. Then we have over taxation, over complex taxation, damaging red tape everywhere and the mad expensive energy lunacy. We have seen how appalling the dire state monopoly NHS is can we have real freedom and choice here and in education.

      The government plan for farms seems to be to pay them to be curators – so where exactly is all the money going to coming from? Every time you tax and spend you destroy more jobs in the “taxing” than are ever created in the spending. Perhaps two or thee times as many rather like the green lunacy. I see Sunak plans to kill off VAT free shopping for tourist this is one example of his job destroying stupidity. He also destroyed incentives to set up a business by reducing entrepreneurs CGT relieve by 9/10th. So now you might pay up to 28% CGT on sale and then 40% more in IHT when you die – so why bother many will say.

      1. DavidJ
        December 26, 2020

        +1

    3. steve
      December 26, 2020

      Peter Wood

      “We have seen how a stroppy EU member can strangle our fresh food imports; we really need to offer sensible and balanced inducements for our farmers, small and large, to produce more for the supermarket.”

      ===========

      An interesting comment that caught my eye, +1.

      I would go further to suggest best way to eliminate food imports from Europe is for people to boycott them altogether and grown their own, and buy only British produce.

      I do exactly that. I don’t buy EU or RoI produce and I grow my own spuds, lettuce, toms and so on. It works well and is not complicated.

      I also make much use of a slow cooker – fantastic invention in my opinion.

      While I believe what Johnson has just done amounts to a choreographed BRINO, I do think the country needs to take the strategically important opportunity work towards non dependency by feeding herself. It can be done.

      If we were not dependent on food imports via france, macron would have had no lever against us. But then I’m of the view that we’ve been played by Johnson and the EU alike.

      As an aside, but you might find amusing – our local supermarket was offering very attractive reductions on full cheese rounds. The British brands were selling fast but none of the Brie sold….in fact some were chucked on the floor and just left there.

      Perhaps some reflection on the fact that my location is a former fishing port that was savaged to death by the EU and the UK governments that betrayed it.

      We won’t be lending our votes again – take note Mr Redwood.

      1. Otto
        December 27, 2020

        Using a slow cooker does not work for me. Setting it up in the morning I found that by the evening, altho the food was well cooked and would be delicious, I didn’t feel like that recipe in the evening and wanted something else which could happen too often. Also I checked the electricity consumption – it was more than the same recipe cooked in a saucepan on the hob for 20/25 minutes.

  4. steve
    December 26, 2020

    Redwood

    “Today I invite you to send in your ideas of laws and rules which could be improved, amended or repealed as we take back control.”

    =======

    1) Last time I accepted one of your invitations you felt that the truth hurt too much and wouldn’t let it clear moderation. But anglophobia and hatred of pensioners is allowed.

    2) I don’t trust you. You’re an anglophobe wearing a union jack.

    So thanks, but no thanks.

    1. SM
      December 26, 2020

      You obviously have no idea just how aggressive and downright rude your comments frequently are, Steve – perhaps Sir John thinks there is a limit to just how many unpleasant and obsessed posts should appear following a particular piece by him?

      1. Richard1
        December 26, 2020

        +1

      2. Mark B
        December 26, 2020

        He makes a fair point.

        Although I do not read, muchless reply to the trolls, I know others do and are offended by their words. Words that run contrary to the rules and spirit of this site. So if you make an honest post that gets ether moderated or deleted just because it is too close to the truth, one is entitled to complain.

      3. steve
        December 26, 2020

        So you obviously agree with aggressive and rude comments toward pensioners being allowed, yes ?

        And you think nobody should be allowed to tell it like it is and stand up for this country.

        Or maybe you don’t understand what an invitation to respond with opinion actually is, or perhaps you, like Sir Redwood think that opinions have to fit with yours or be branded extremist.

        I ‘could’ be rude, but you wouldn’t get to read it.

        Suffice to say; that to me, your opinion is cake-ism.

        1. Fedupsoutherner
          December 27, 2020

          +1

      4. John Hatfield
        December 26, 2020

        +1

    2. Tad Stone
      December 26, 2020

      On the contrary, JR is not an anglophobe (do you mean anglophone?) but a thoughtful and shrewd observer.

    3. Nig l
      December 26, 2020

      Indeed thanks but no thanks to the rest of your immoderate rudeness.

      1. Lynn Atkinson
        December 27, 2020

        And ditto to you.

  5. Peslier
    December 26, 2020

    We are a services based economy, and our biggest market by far is the EU. Yet your government has just done a deal with the EU which covers goods (their strength) and ignores services (ours). Compared to that , your list is just rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic

    1. Sea_Warrior
      December 26, 2020

      Fair point. Though few of our ‘services’ are exported the one-sided nature of our ‘deal’ with the EU should cause economists to look anew at the benefits of ‘free trade’. Personally, I would have left on WTO terms and then waited for the EU to start talking about an FTA, which we could have insisted covered both ‘services’ and ‘financial services’. Government still has a lot to learn about negotiating. And on that point, I would rather Lord Frost would stay in that role rather than moving to National Security.

      1. Mark B
        December 26, 2020

        I agree.

        It was always going to be a lose-lose situation because the EU is a more a political project than an economic one. ie The EU were happy to let the EU27 plus the UK suffer if it meant the Project was saved. It being saved by discouraging others to Leave.

        1. Martin in Cardiff
          December 26, 2020

          It’s primarily neither.

          It is a moral project.

          1. Hope
            December 26, 2020

            No, I think you mean morbid. Look what it did to Greece and it was a member not at war with it!

          2. Jacqueline Heath
            December 26, 2020

            Being part of an institution that does not have full democracy in either its parliament or its other institutions cannot be said to be a moral project in any positive sense. Perhaps your statement includes negative morality in the same way that ‘behave’ can be said to apply to either good or bad behaviour? I also note that you are now applying moral principles to something that was first envisaged as a trading community. By what authority are the EU ‘moral’ on behalf of their citizens?

          3. Lynn Atkinson
            December 26, 2020

            Immoral.

          4. Edward2
            December 26, 2020

            Well they can get on with it now Martin.
            Whilst the UK carries on improving the wealth of its population.
            I see today Britain is up to fifth in the world’s biggest economies.
            You listening Margaret.
            France now seventh.

      2. Peter Wood
        December 26, 2020

        I see this deal as step on the way; the 4 year review concept included bears greater investigation as that will allow an economic evaluation in, hopefully, less stressed times.
        Let’s be happy we’re out, mostly. (A bit like planet Earth, ‘mostly harmless’, courtesy Hitchhiker’s Guide)

      3. acorn
        December 26, 2020

        “Though few of our ‘services’ are exported.” The UK services exports are worth ÂŁ318 billion a year.

        WTO terms are still active, not all trade will actually qualify through this agreement, some will fall back to MFN terms.

        Of Canada’s CETA deal with exports to the EU worth €32 billion, only €5 billion currently gets preference rates via CETA and MFN.

    2. Simeon
      December 26, 2020

      Quite right. And of course, this government sees little need to rearrange any of the chairs anyway.

      1. Mark B
        December 26, 2020

        They kicked the can down the road far enough so that enough people would lose interest and just want a ‘deal’, any ‘deal’ done so as to get on with their lives. CV19 has been a useful if somewhat unexpected bonus / distraction.

        Time will tell if this ‘deal’ is in anyway in our interests or that it just serves to please the Establishment and keeps the Tory Party together and electable.

        1. steve
          December 26, 2020

          Mark B

          Yep, Bang on !

          …except – leave voters already know it’s a fudge and a capitulation to macron, so the tories are not electable as they might arrogantly think, and we’ll be having ’em out.

          In all their shenanigans to pander to big business and french and irish interests, they’ve made a serious error of judgement in thinking people could be hoodwinked by their smoke, mirrors and secret choreography in Dublin and Brussels.

          There’s a bad moon on the rise for the conservatives. Just makes you wonder if they’ll actually realise it before, or at, the next election.

          Was a conservative voter all my life until Oct 16th, Now I think I’ll vote Labour…..just out of spite.

          1. hefner
            December 26, 2020

            Bla bla bla bla, without a change in the electoral system you will still be here pouring your bile in five years’ time.

          2. Jacqueline Heath
            December 26, 2020

            There has to be an alternative to Labour, surely? Why vote for a party that would do its utmost to undo any progress we have made. I might not be happy with the deal, I don’t know yet, I haven’t seen the analysis, but even if we only get half a loaf it’s got to be better than labour’s ‘no bread’. The next step for me would be to see what the problems are with the deal, if any, and then decide what best to do to right those wrongs.

      2. steve
        December 26, 2020

        Simeon

        I suggest the chairs are replaced with ejector seats, remotely controlled by the British people. Parachutes optional extra, since most politicians quite probably do think they can actually fly.

        1. Simeon
          December 26, 2020

          In these dark times, any form of entertainment is to be welcomed!

    3. Dave Andrews
      December 26, 2020

      I wouldn’t worry about services. Global criminals will carry on choosing “turn a blind eye” London to launder their money over European banks that might be subject to EU scrutiny.
      Very lucrative, so the UK government won’t act.

      1. Lynn Atkinson
        December 26, 2020

        Russian Oligarchs etc? Yes.

    4. Mike Wilson
      December 26, 2020

      Where do you get the idea that we are a services based economy and that our biggest market is the EU? What services do the EU buy from us?

      1. hefner
        December 26, 2020

        https://blogs.lse.ac.uk ‘Long read: Can the UK capitalise on its service-based economy for trade diversification post-Brexit’ (2018, written at the time of CETA negotiations).

    5. Fred H
      December 26, 2020

      that service based needs to change smartish for ‘grow and make your own’.

  6. Tabulazero
    December 26, 2020

    How many of your points 1-8 do you think the EU will allow the UK to pursue under the treaty Boris brought back from Brussels?

    1. steve
      December 26, 2020

      Tabulazero

      None, and he knows it.

      1. None of the Above
        December 26, 2020

        Have you read the agreement? Already?

        What part of ‘the ECJ has no jurisdiction in the UK’ do you not understand. Do you realise that the agreement has been made under International Law and not EU Law?

        1. Hope
          December 26, 2020

          NotA,
          ECJ does apply! All EU citizens have resort to ECJ, name a country where immigrants have resort to the law of their country of origin? All payments from U.K. To EU will,be arbitrated by ECJ. N.Ireland is part of our country and ECJ will apply to a host of areas and to UK companies who trade there!

          Suggest you start reading and listening. Gove made this clear in parliament on 17/12/2020! EU acquis also applies!

          1. Tabulazero
            December 26, 2020

            And you trust Michael Gove, right.

            The ECJ will be involved in the Withdrawal Agreement and as such will continue to oversee this part of the UK

      2. Tabulazero
        December 26, 2020

        Correct. The level playing field provisions would kick-in.

        Frankly, if he is honest with himself, he should vote against this deal because it will prevent the UK from fully deregulating as he wishes.

        1. NickC
          December 26, 2020

          Tabulazero, It has never been about de-regulating, but about re-regulating – having better, simpler, more efficient regulations to suit the conditions and requirements of our own country not a hotch-potch of 28.

    2. Mary M.
      December 26, 2020

      The Prime Minister has said, ‘The Devil is in the detail’. Thank goodness for the members of the ERG, and for its Star Chamber of lawyers,who will be scrutinising the 1,246-page document before it is due to be debated and voted on in Parliament in four days’ time.

      True, the country is punch-drunk from Covid-19, from the Government’s scatter-gun approach to dealing with Covid-19, and the media’s constant selective reporting on the virus, but that’s no reason to accept the Brexit Trade Deal without going through it first with a fine tooth comb.

      It feels like the Chequers Plan of July 2018 all over again when Theresa May gave her Cabinet very little time to examine her proposals. Boris Johnson, then Foreign Secretary, resigned from the Cabinet over this.

      1. Simeon
        December 26, 2020

        But Blowers hasn’t said there’s any devil in this deal. Has he? That would be ludicrous even by his standards. As for the ERG, they have already failed. Ratification of the deal is a formality. Labour will vote for it, and those that don’t will abstain. The battle in Parliament is over. It is now time to mobilise outside of Parliament, and outside of the Conservative Party.

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          December 26, 2020

          You are running ahead of yourself. If it needs to the House might well have a majority to reject this deal.

          1. Tabulazero
            December 26, 2020

            With Labour voting for it, I don’t think so

      2. steve
        December 26, 2020

        Mary M

        “Boris Johnson, then Foreign Secretary, resigned from the Cabinet over this. [ WA] ”

        ……but then refused to rip it up when he got to be PM.

        Funny how he previously described it as a turd for the polish.

        Just another reason why nobody trusts him and why anyone with an ounce of patriotism will make sure his party loses the next election.

      3. Len Peel
        December 26, 2020

        You should recall how you all cheered Boris’s oven ready deal this time last year. Until you found out, too late, how it put a border in the Irish sea between GB and NI

        1. NickC
          December 26, 2020

          Len, I certainly did not cheer Boris’s WA. Moreover I recall most on here being highly sceptical of it.

        2. steve
          December 26, 2020

          Len

          “You should recall how you all cheered Boris’s oven ready deal this time last year.”

          ……well, Len, I didn’t, and I’m not acquainted with anyone who did.

          1. Lynn
            December 27, 2020

            +1

      4. Tabulazero
        December 26, 2020

        You will notice that the EU Parliament will at least have a full month to review the deal compared to only a mere 5 days for the British Parliament.

        It is ironic to see that Brexit which was meant to revivify British Parliamentary democracy will end up with the UK’s executive showing the same callous disregard for Parliament as the EU Commission & Council routinely display toward the EU Parliament.

        1. NickC
          December 26, 2020

          The EU’s toy parliament is a waste of space in terms of governance – it adds nothing, being just a fig-leaf.

          1. Martin in Cardiff
            December 26, 2020

            It scuppered TTIP, didn’t it?

          2. Tabulazero
            December 26, 2020

            It gets at least a bit more respect than what Boris Johnson is showing toward Parliament.

            5 days to review and one day to vote on the treaty that sets the future relationship with the EU. You cannot be serious, especially after the debacle of the WA later found out to be not fit for purpose… unless your plan was to avoid people looking too much at the small prints.

    3. Lynn Atkinson
      December 26, 2020

      It’s not a treaty.

      1. steve
        December 26, 2020

        Oh no, according to remainers it’s an internationally binding treaty !

        It is a treaty, then it isn’t.

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          December 26, 2020

          Only If you are in thrall to our enemies. It’s. A deal not a treaty. Why are you joining with them to destroy the U.K.?

      2. Tabulazero
        December 26, 2020

        a Free Trade Agreement is a form of International treaty.

      3. DaveK
        December 26, 2020

        Then why is everyone including the PM calling it a treaty rather than an FTA?

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          December 26, 2020

          Maybe because they are Remainers and want the U.K. to believe it is bound by another ‘treaty’? Do you think all the trade deals Liz Truss has concluded binds us in perpetuity to all those countries as a treaty has done with the EU for 50 years? Why do you make Remain arguments?

          1. Tabulazero
            December 26, 2020

            They do and the Japan FTA comes with stricter provision against state aid than what is in the aeU deal.

  7. Ian Wragg
    December 26, 2020

    Start Importing coffee and other finished products from developing countries tariff free instead of German processed coffee.
    Remove tariffs from sugar cane.
    Remove tariffs from citrus fruit and juices.
    In fact remove tariffs on all food products we don’t produce.
    Reduce VAT by the amount we give Brussels.
    Do things which demonstrate the positive attributes of leaving.

    1. steve
      December 26, 2020

      Ian Wragg

      Nice idea, but that would mean businessmen – who control the conservative party, would have to get off their backsides and do some work. So it won’t happen.

      Same reason we have just been flobbed off with BRINO.

      1. Ian Wragg
        December 26, 2020

        I don’t believe that.
        Any business man worth his salt will look for competitive advantage. Importers are always on the lookout for cheaper suppliers.
        I don’t think it’s BRINO to until lawyers for Britain say it is.
        We are free and need to make a go of it. I’m a vocal leaver but eternally thankfull we got rid of May.

      2. None of the Above
        December 26, 2020

        You haven’t read it yet, have you Steve?

        1. steve
          December 26, 2020

          None of above

          We doubt need to read it, and won’t get to until it’s too late.

          But the evidence so far suggests a BRINO fudge.

          If it walks like duck, etc.

        2. NickC
          December 26, 2020

          No, we haven’t. But we have been told (some of) what’s in it, by Boris himself.

      3. Lynn Atkinson
        December 26, 2020

        Sadly businessmen do not control the Tory Party. I suggest we read the document before making judgements about it, only bigots do that.

        1. steve
          December 26, 2020

          Sadly businessmen do not control the Tory Party.

          ……erm..right, ok. You’ll be telling us next the Labour party is not financed by the unions. Bizarre.

          “I suggest we read the document before making judgements about it, only bigots do that.”

          EU still fishing in our waters, NI annexed, border down the Irish Sea. What more do you want ?

          PS we vote to leave the EU and it’s institutions, Govt talks to EU without mandate, says no deal better than a bad deal, dishonours every single deadline, says WTO preferable….then comes up with this so-called deal which nobody gets to see until Westminster has signed it.

          I’d be interested to know what is your definition of bigotry.

        2. John Hatfield
          December 26, 2020

          Lynn, if businessmen did not control the Tory Party there would not have the compulsion to get a ‘deal’ when trading under WTO terms would have suited the rest of the country very well.
          In my opinion, from what I have seen of it in the media, this new treaty gives away too much.

          1. Lynn Atkinson
            December 26, 2020

            Those are employees of corporations. Functionaries. Businessmen (people who own businesses) wanted WTO.

    2. Mark B
      December 26, 2020

      Ian

      I like it 😉

      Bet we won’t / can’t 😉

      1. Ian Wragg
        December 26, 2020

        Of course we can.

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          December 26, 2020

          +1

    3. Mike Durrans
      December 26, 2020

      +1

    4. Sir Joe Soap
      December 26, 2020

      Something about freezing or drying things no qualifying as processing – see Article ORIG 7 (a) – Insufficient production.
      Also peeling or stoning of fruits, nuts or vegetables doesn’t qualify.

    5. Timaction
      December 26, 2020

      There should be a review of all products foods and services we import duty free from the EU. Then look to see what tariffs are charged by the EU on those when imported from elsewhere in the world. Then the Government should compare those goods, foods and services to see if they are produced here and incentivise those through tax breaks , grant’s and loans. In the mean time drop those tariffs from elsewhere in the world so we import them cheaper than the EU. A win for us and a loss to our EU FRIENDS!!
      In the mean time encourage the public to buy British/ home produced products and stop buying EU things, especially German and French!

  8. Sea_Warrior
    December 26, 2020

    I would have hoped that Shapps has already talked to the marine industry about the unpopular Ports Directive. Presumably we can expect to see action within weeks. Can’t we?

  9. P Moore
    December 26, 2020

    Fishery Protection Vessels should be fit for the job. Remembering the Cod Wars of the 70s & the problem frigates with their tinfoil scantlings had against robustly built Icelandic trawlers I suggest specs for FPVs should be drawn up by trawler builders teamed with RN Officers & POs at the level that would sail in them. MoD should be excluded from the design & build. One inch scantlings minimum, enough speed to catch/identify a trawler, enough gear/crew to do the job, little obvious, fixed armament.

    1. steve
      December 26, 2020

      P Moore

      We don’t need FPV’s.

      EU vessels are allowed to stay in our waters for three years, and after that our mealy mouthed politicians will weasel them another three years, and so on until the EU has done to our seas what it did to the Med.

    2. Sea_Warrior
      December 26, 2020

      The Island, Castle and River classes were very much ‘fit for purpose’. (I commanded one.) The latest Rivers, however, were ordered at huge expense to give work to BAE Systems. They are too big, and over-speced for use as efficient OPVs and yet under-armed/equipped for service anywhere else. We do not need more OPVs; the Royal Navy could, however, make use of well-armed corvettes to augment the frigate and destroyer force in places like the Gulf. Appledore has recent experience in building such ships and would, I’m sure, appreciate an order.

      1. glen cullen
        December 26, 2020

        Agree – we should make use of smaller shipbuilders like Appledore and less Capita which I understand have the new contract to train our Royal Navy and Marine recruits 
.this government is pathetic

  10. Fedupsoutherner
    December 26, 2020

    Are we actually going to be allowed to do all these things? After all, our Lord and master the EU wants a level playing ground. They don’t want comperiod.

    1. Fedupsoutherner
      December 26, 2020

      Sorry, that should read competition.

      1. Andy
        December 26, 2020

        They don’t want unfair competition. They are not bothered much by Little England if you play fair, they just know you are looking currently led by cheats.

        1. Fedupsoutherner
          December 26, 2020

          God, are we going to have to put up with your so called humour in the new year? Looking currently led by cheats? What does that mean? You sound like you are getting old before your time.

          1. DaveK
            December 26, 2020

            A Europhile Troll isn’t just for Christmas…..

        2. Edward2
          December 26, 2020

          It is competition the EU doesn’t want.
          To them all competition is unfair.

        3. margaret howard
          December 26, 2020

          Andy

          ” They are not bothered much by Little England if you play fair..”

          Especially not after both Scotland and NIreland leave the union and join the EU as independent members.

          Not just Little England but rump England left with about as much influence on world affairs as Liechtenstein.

          1. Edward2
            December 26, 2020

            Hilariously you still try the “rump England” nonsense Margaret.
            You say it so often I reckon you now believe your own nonsense.
            England has 85% of the population and tax revenues and GDP.
            Some rump.

            On its own without paying billions to the other parts of the UK England would be one of the wealthiest and biggest world economies.

            Careful what you wish for.

          2. Fedupsoutherner
            December 27, 2020

            What’s it like always being negative and against your own country Margaret? What do you hate and despise about the English so much?

        4. Ian Wragg
          December 26, 2020

          We can buy products tariff free from anywhere in the world and no longer have to apply the EU, s common external tariff.
          It is now possible to purchase value added products from developing countries, coffee being a good example.

        5. NickC
          December 26, 2020

          Andy, But the EU getting to decide for us what is fair or unfair literally shows we have not left.

        6. dixie
          December 26, 2020

          Projecting again ..

          Wasn’t Dieselgate a big enough clue for you? It is the euro businesses that cheat and their political nail lickers that run interference for them.

          1. Lynn
            December 27, 2020

            Too bloody true, Siemens fined billions! E U constantly in violation of WTO law.

      2. Peter Parsons
        December 26, 2020

        You can’t have a game of football where one side is playing by the agreed rules and the other decides it wants to field 15 players including 2 goalkeepers. A level playing field is all about fair competition.

        Any FTA which offers preferential market access also comes with obligations. You have to give something to get something. It’s how negotiations work.

        1. Edward2
          December 26, 2020

          Yes you can it’s called competition.
          Your metaphor is ridiculous.
          China America and South Korea do not abide by these rules you speak of.
          Presumably the EU in its protectionist tower wants the people in Europe to be refused access to cheaper imported products.
          Look how well that went for East Germany.

        2. Lynn
          December 27, 2020

          We don’t want to play the game.

  11. P Moore
    December 26, 2020

    Much of the old Board of Trade & GPO (telecoms) regulation was quite sensible but a careful rethink is needed now for modern practice. Two thoughts:
    It should not be necessary to require a second hand purchase, say Norwegian, in good condition, to change her lifeboats & davits to fit our (good), rather than Norwegian (good) regulations for same. Wrecks the purchase. Just one example.
    This is a good industry for wide employment, including poor school attainers. More care needs be taken to ensure jobs for persons who will learn their trade, better STEM skills & strong self-discipline – good for the ship, good for the persons*.

    *’persons’ – quick edit for PC.

  12. Fedupsoutherner
    December 26, 2020

    Littlejohn has some great comments about Farage in the Mail today. He gives the man credit for making Brexit happen. Good for him.

    1. Martin in Cardiff
      December 26, 2020

      His own paper had far, far more to do with it – but that would look like crowing, I suppose.

      1. Fedupsoutherner
        December 26, 2020

        Well with the ignorant bias of our MSM it’s hardly suprising the Mail had something to do with it but then not everyone reads the Mail. Indeed there were many good records of Farage’s speeches on You Tube. Not many people tell it as it really is.

        1. Lynn
          December 27, 2020

          Watch the speeches of Powell, Shore, Barbara Castle, Tony Benn. Farage just learned one set of words, it’s given him his life’s income. He can’t deviate.

      2. Mike Wilson
        December 27, 2020

        Yes. Because SOOOOOO many people read it.

  13. peteS
    December 26, 2020

    Repeal the ECHR and immigration courts.

    1. Andy
      December 26, 2020

      Alas. In the summary of Johnson deal – listed as a ‘U.K. win’ is the ability to terminate the agreement if one side leaves the ECHR. We await full details – clearly we don’t yet need to read a weighty document which will have a major impact on our lives when it is not due to come into force in 5 days. Actually, I lie. It is a totally contemptuous way to treat the British people.

      1. Pete S
        December 26, 2020

        That does not mean we cannot rewrite our ECHR laws.

      2. glen cullen
        December 26, 2020

        Correct- We’re members of the ECHR for life

        1. Lynn
          December 27, 2020

          Of course we can withdraw! Might be an easy way out of this agreement if we don’t like it. 2 birds with one stone.

      3. Martin in Cardiff
        December 26, 2020

        Looks like the ex-BNP etc. who have been pulling the Tory strings now for some time won’t ever get their thuggish mob rule then?

        1. DaveK
          December 26, 2020

          This one however has caught rabies so sadly……

        2. Edward2
          December 26, 2020

          Who are all these ex BNP who are a power and have a thuggish mob ready to rule.as you claim.
          Name them Martin.
          Or is it more baseless smear from you?

          1. Edward2
            December 27, 2020

            Complete silence when challenged.
            Shows how ridiculous Martin’s claims are.

      4. steve
        December 26, 2020

        Andy

        hear hear…well said.

      5. PeteS
        December 26, 2020

        There is no mention of ECHR in the agreement. Unless you find what I have been unable to find.

        1. glen cullen
          December 26, 2020

          p283

          Article LAW.GEN.3: Protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms

      6. Lynn Atkinson
        December 26, 2020

        Easy way to terminate the deal then, if we want to get rid of both. A future PM might want to.

        1. Martin in Cardiff
          December 27, 2020

          Yes, or to join the CU and SM and reinstate FM.

    2. Mike Durrans
      December 26, 2020

      +100%

  14. P Moore
    December 26, 2020

    Build Fishery Protection Vessels that are up to the job. Remember the troubles of thin skinned frigates vs thick skinned trawlers in The Cod Wars.

    1. steve
      December 26, 2020

      P Moore

      The prime purpose of a warship is to get her weapons off.

      Otherwise we might as well build ramming ships instead.

      Personally I think weapon use should be ordered the instance any British fishing boat is attacked. If the french navy have a problem with this, we’ll take them on too and humiliate them as we always have done.

      Oh dear, I appear to have stood up for British sovereignty. How ‘extremist’ of me.

      1. dixie
        December 26, 2020

        The problem with escalation is that there is no simple way back.

        Now, if there was a non destructive way to disable a vessel…

        1. anon
          December 27, 2020

          EMP pulse.

  15. Nig l
    December 26, 2020

    Yes. Move quickly not the least because we need to kickstart the economy and prove we can genuinely diverge.

    Well done Boris. Proves the comments from the Lynn Atkinsons of this world to be no more than some sort of negative personal vendetta finally putting UKIP out if it’s misery.

    How is the British Declaration of Independence going. In the bin as well? No wonder the animus towards Boris.

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      December 26, 2020

      If you want MPs who uphold the U.K. Constitution, you need them to swear an Oath to their constituents who can sack them. Moreover it strengthens the MPs against the Party machines, because if the vote to overturn the Constitution, they automatically take the Chiltern Hundreds which means a by-election. The reason for it being obvious and the decision then is with the electorate who may well punish the Party machine.
      I’m fascinated that you congratulate Boris before reading the agreement. Another bigoted fanatic.

      1. Lynn Atkinson
        December 26, 2020

        This is what the BDI achieves, obviously, taking an oath to HM (who can’t sack ‘em) confuses both the MP and their electorate who think they are powerless. You should read it. British Declaration of Independence. Look at our patrons.
        The BDI was also the only strategy that would have extracted the U.K. from the EU completely (WTO), overnight and painlessly. It did not even mention the EU. Subtle.
        Too subtle for you who preferred the Farage way, a 15 year delay while he drew £250k pa for a few cheeky speeches in an alien ‘Parliament’ to which no decent Briton would have gone because we don’t recognize it.

      2. Nig l
        December 26, 2020

        When reasoning fails resort to rudeness. The mark of an embittered loser. The British independence declaration is so obvious it got zero traction. Time to move on.

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          December 26, 2020

          But we did not lose – we have brexit. You are the embittered loser.

      3. steve
        December 26, 2020

        Lynn Atkinson

        I think it might be good thing to refrain from the use of the word; bigot.

        People might simply be exercising their right to defend what they believe in, which is not bigotry.

        Not many people on here use the word, as it is considered to be rude and unnecessarily aggressive.

        1. Lynn
          December 27, 2020

          Steve we need to assess the proposition and formulate detailed arguments against it detailing why it is not acceptable if it is unacceptable.
          JR is setting out the things he would want us to be free to do and inviting us to contribute to that list. Then we can see if the ‘agreement’ constrains us. If it does, we know what to do.
          I have tried to read the agreement, but it’s a job for Martin Howe and I know he and the other fabulous lawyers working pro Bono for us, are at it hammer and tongs.
          If you simply say, before the assessment, that you don’t want it you have opened yourself up to justifiable attack from our enemies. Why? We may well have detailed arguments they can’t refute?
          Of course we have other problems but we will have the power to deal with them. For 50 years, we have been trussed like a chicken. Now we are FREE to fight!

    2. steve
      December 26, 2020

      Nig 1

      I wouldn’t hold my breath re Boris.

      The evidence so far indicates a BRINO sell out.

      Agree wholeheartedly with your first sentence, but the business lobby having had an easy number with the EU will drag it’s feet and throw as many spanners as possible. They will have to be dragged kicking and screaming into the divergence of a brave new world.

  16. Nig l
    December 26, 2020

    Charles Moore sums it up. Boris’s enemies too angry to perceive his skills. Even more so I guess because he got us out when they all,said it couldn’t be done.

    Let us hope there isn’t devil in the detail.

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      December 26, 2020

      But you have pronounced without reading the thing. We are dealing, as was asserted in CW ‘with a combination of the Mafia and the Stasi’ in the EU. Obviously the detail will be pure gold.

      1. Nig l
        December 26, 2020

        Stasi? What a silly word bereft of any justification whatsover.

        1. steve
          December 26, 2020

          Nig 1

          Actually Nig the EU does have officials who were Stasi.

          Use of the word is not as silly as you might think.

          …..just saying.

      2. Tabulazero
        December 26, 2020

        Correct. I will enjoy seeing the leading lights of Brexit defend the indefensible.

    2. Peter
      December 26, 2020

      According to the Brexit Facts 4EU website, the BBC already have copies of the full agreement – but not MPs or the general public!

      MPs will have a few days to examine/agree it. The EU parliament will have a couple of months to ratify it!

      1. steve
        December 26, 2020

        Peter

        Yes that’s true…..in fact ITV etc also have advanced copies.

        MP’s and the people don’t.

        Now watch this con man in No 10 will go on the telly talking about democracy.

      2. hefner
        December 26, 2020

        The text was made available this morning for anybody interested at 10:06am on the ec.europa.eu website.

    3. steve
      December 26, 2020

      Let us hope there isn’t devil in the detail.

      ……potentially there could be 2,000 of them.

      1. Fred H
        December 26, 2020

        and the devil was carefully thought out and quietly included months ago, or held ‘placeholder ‘ for when it could be popped in at the last hours.

  17. Nig l
    December 26, 2020

    And in the spirit of Christmas let’s not forget Nigel ‘Farage without whom none of this would have been possible putting the wind up Cameron and winning all those MEP seats hastening the end of Theresa May.

    1. Fedupsoutherner
      December 26, 2020

      +1

    2. Lynn Atkinson
      December 26, 2020

      Oh yes, the British people had nothing to do with that of course.

      1. Nig l
        December 26, 2020

        So what?

      2. Robert Mcdonald
        December 26, 2020

        If it hadn’t been for Farage the British people would not have had a say.

      3. Fedupsoutherner
        December 26, 2020

        Alot needed the faults of the EU pointed out to them and Farage did a great job of that.

        1. Timaction
          December 26, 2020

          Indeed he did. The duopoly had hidden most things from the public for decades. Lied and deceived their true intentions.

          1. Fedupsoutherner
            December 26, 2020

            +1

    3. Martin in Cardiff
      December 26, 2020

      Let’s not forget the UK media you mean, without which Nigel Farage would not have been possible.

      For goodness’ sake.

      1. Ian Wragg
        December 26, 2020

        Sad, bitter person Martin. Don’t forget your message.

      2. Edward2
        December 26, 2020

        Yeah the Independent Guardian Mirror Observer Times FT etc really loved him.

  18. Lifelogic
    December 26, 2020

    I heard Julia Baroness Brown of Cambridge on the radio. A crossbench member of the House of Lords and present Chair of the Carbon Trust the other day. She really does seem to think that the best was to stop forest fires in say Australia is to cut CO2 emissions in the UK! She has sensible degrees too so no excuse for her gullible lunacy other than age perhaps. Does she really believe this lunacy? Even if it did work (and it clearly would not) then it might take 100 years to have any effect and would need world cooperation. Better forest management is what is needed.

    She also says – “Electric or hydrogen-powered vehicles have the potential to make near complete decarbonisation of road transport a realistic long-term objective”. Well perhaps “potential” we just need a miracle in battery technology and one in nuclear fusion. When and if we get these then perhaps. Not that CO2 is really a serious problem in reality anyway in fact it is a net positive on balance.

    So how does this work then Baroness? It takes rather more fossil fuels to build the electric vehicles and mine/manufacture the (short lived, expensive, slow charging and heavy) batteries than any CO2 likely to be saved. Plus you still have to generate that electricity and offshore wind farms also need lots of fossil fuel and concrete to build and maintain them. Plus they need spinning fossil fuel back up anyway.

    I note they do not use electric boats to do all this installation and maintenance as it would be far too expensive and impractical.

    Get real woman, you must know better, unless age is making you go totally mad? Get Lord Lilley or Vicount Ridley to explain reality to you.

  19. Lynn Atkinson
    December 26, 2020

    But where is the text of the Agreement? Surely they are not going to ‘pull a Maastricht’ and ask Parliament to approve it blind? If so it MUST be rejected! I still don’t know whether the outrageous proposals for NI are in this deal or in a separate agreement. I am very unhappy with the trashing of the Good Friday Agreement and with the capitulation on our territorial waters.
    Regardless of whether the deal is acceptable or not I want to see the back of Boris and his lunatic medical ‘advisors’ ASAP. If we are unable to run a business the tax rates are irrelevant.

    1. Simeon
      December 26, 2020

      I think it is obvious that Sir John has absolutely no interest in your concerns. Time for a new champion. I think we are both pleased that it isn’t Nigel Farage.

      1. Hope
        December 26, 2020

        Lynne,
        the WA and NIP applies. The outrageous terms are there including EU personnel stationed on our soil and allowed to access data bases fixed or remote! EU acquis also applies as does ECJ!

    2. Sakara Gold
      December 26, 2020

      Priti Patel and her spooks have decided that, like accurate data on the number of Chinese plague virus fatalities, the final text shall remain a state secret.

      Apparently, the last agreement caused so much trouble it paralysed parliament for months, had to be voted on three times and caused numerous resignations.

    3. Mark B
      December 26, 2020

      Lynn

      That was the plan all along. Run the clock down to leave no time for scrutiny and forcing us to accept their Association Agreement in all but name.

      1. Lynn Atkinson
        December 26, 2020

        Then as I say it must be voted down, nobody sentient signs a blank piece of paper.

        1. Tabulazero
          December 26, 2020

          Want to take a bet on Sir John ?

          Will he be courageous or sensible ?

          1. Lynn Atkinson
            December 26, 2020

            He refused to sign any document in Welsh – because he could not read it.
            They did vote for the Maastricht Treaty without reading it (it had not been translated into English) on the say so of a Conservative PM. That did not end well.

        2. Mark B
          December 26, 2020

          Correct – Nobody sentient and our voting fodder MP’.

    4. Tabulazero
      December 26, 2020

      Hi Lynn.

      Northern Ireland is covered in the withdrawal agreement. The EU saw to that. The FTA is a different agreement which does not supersede the WA.

    5. steve
      December 26, 2020

      Lynn Atkinson

      “I am very unhappy with the trashing of the Good Friday Agreement and with the capitulation on our territorial waters.”

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

      Which is contradictory to your evident approval of Boris’ deal, which you have expressed a number to times.

      1. Lynn
        December 27, 2020

        Steve I have NEVER expressed approval for A single thing Boris has ever done! EVER!
        I just want to have the ammunition to sink the bloody thing if it needs sinking rather than rushing in and being beaten, you win by presenting the arguments.

  20. matthu
    December 26, 2020

    Our freedoms are worth nothing unless we have freedom of speech, freedom to dissent from government, freedom to gather, more balance in the mainstream media and new laws to prevent censorship of thought and ideas by the tech giants.

    1. Mark B
      December 26, 2020

      Hear, hear.

    2. Narrow Shoulders
      December 26, 2020

      An important point worth repeating regularly.

    3. steve
      December 26, 2020

      Agree, but it would get you labelled as an extremist and a phobe.

      If you want to keep your enshrined rights to free speech, freedom to disagree, freedom to think what you like, you’ll have to fight for them.

  21. DOM
    December 26, 2020

    If there’s a deal it can’t be Brexit. On that basis alone the UK is still tied in some way to the EU. Compromise on both sides in effect means the UK’s desire for sovereignty and independence must have been sacrificed to please the EU

    I do feel John is being either a tad premature or deliberately spinning the idea that we have regained full sovereign rights when we haven’t

    Yes, some want it done and dusted but then if what we are being presented it with isn’t independence then we may have as well not have had the referendum in the first place

    I don’t trust any politician, not even our esteemed host, to tell it as it is. All are woke, compliant, party animals so say what needs to be said for either party reasons or an easy life.

    Reply I have not yet given a view on the deal As I have not yet got a full text to read and also wish to hear the ERG view.

    1. Simeon
      December 26, 2020

      Reply to reply

      Then why on earth are you suggesting policies, the viability of which you cannot vouch for? Why on earth are you talking about ‘new freedoms’? You are working under the assumption that the deal will be approved – regardless of your personal view, which is now, in Parliamentary terms, an irrelevance. The truth is almost out, so why not get ahead of it? Confirm that you will be remaining in the Conservative Party because the Conservative Party has achieved what it set out to.

      1. Lynn Atkinson
        December 26, 2020

        To measure the agreement against I still our wishes. If it fails, well …

    2. Simeon
      December 26, 2020

      By the way DOM, your post is unimprovable.

    3. Mark B
      December 26, 2020

      Reply to reply.

      And we await similar from other sources / minds. But I still think it is an EEA agreement as a true FTA would take far longer to ratify.

    4. Mike Stallard
      December 26, 2020

      It is on Guido Fawkes. Pete has something to say on Turbulent Times. The Daily Mail has a slick summary.

      1. Nig l
        December 26, 2020

        Indeed plenty of info out there and from across the political spectrum. Regrettably too many or our correspondents will be ‘dancing on the head of a pin’ rather than seeing the bigger picture and opportunity.

        To me just saving umpteen billion with ratchet has to be a good start.

    5. Jon
      December 26, 2020

      Reply to reply – have the ERG seen the full text yet ?

    6. Polly
      December 26, 2020

      It was amusing how all the “Telegraph” journos immediately stated that Mr Johnson’s deal was great and the UK got far more than the EU.

      How did they know? Because that’s what Mr Johnson told them!

      Further proof that most of the UK’s journalists are tame and never ask the right questions!

      Polly

      1. Tabulazero
        December 26, 2020

        mmm… that all the 27 EU Ambassadors immediately approved it without raising any objection should tell you something.

        Even the french fishermen like it.

        1. glen cullen
          December 26, 2020

          The French fishermen like it because there isn’t any change for 5.5 years and after that we’ll probably give them another 5 years – they’re laughing at us

        2. Edward2
          December 26, 2020

          If both sides like it then it sounds like a good deal.

      2. Lynn Atkinson
        December 26, 2020

        +1.

    7. Lynn Atkinson
      December 26, 2020

      Response to reply. Quite so! Just asserting what we would wish to implement and then we can measure the deal against our wishes – when we know what the deal is.

      1. steve
        December 26, 2020

        “…we can measure the deal against our wishes – when we know what the deal is.”

        ========

        When of course it’s too late. Which is exactly how Johnson is playing you.

        1. Lyn
          December 27, 2020

          Steve this will be done in the next few days. You will see the Star Chamber assessment well before the vote. The Remainer PMs always do this, every single time, and of course Boris has always been a Remainer. We know what to expect and how to deal with it.

    8. graham1946
      December 26, 2020

      Reply to reply

      How come the ERG can see the document, but you as as senior Conservative MP cannot? Is it being held back from members so they can’t question it? Where is it?

    9. steve
      December 26, 2020

      JR

      “Reply I have not yet given a view on the deal”

      You’re missing the point, Sir Redwood. It isn’t just about the ‘deal’.

      It’s about the exponential loss of trust in politicians, Johnson, and the conservatives – all of whom have played us for fools and, from the evidence so far, delivered BRINO.

      It’s about those of us with a sense of patriotism having our voices silenced.

      It’s about politicians denying us our right to retaliate, including yourself, Sir. I hope you do not realise you are doing it, but I am beginning to think you’re not on our side despite pretending to be. – A sentiment that can be applied to the whole conservative party, as they will come to realise when the next election results are declared.

      Man doeth not live by bread alone Sir Redwood, and it is NOT all about the economy or big business. It’s about who we are, our history, and what we stand for.

      Reply I never said it is all about the economy. It’s about freedom and our national identity

  22. Lifelogic
    December 26, 2020

    Today I invite you to send in your ideas of laws and rules which could be improved, amended or repealed as we take back control.

    At least 95% could be usefully repealed. Doing so would release thousands of people to do productive jobs rather than essentially parasitic ones. These people are both in the state sector and in compliance or litigation in the private sector.

    1. Martin in Cardiff
      December 26, 2020

      What is the Standard Legislative Unit in which you measure these “percentages” of Law?

      How many SLUs does “Murder Is A Crime” occupy, as compared with, say, “The Maximum Level Of E Coli In Bathing Water Shall Not Exceed 100 Per Litre”?

      Do you never stop to think how silly you appear?

      1. Lifelogic
        December 26, 2020

        Pages or words. The same is probably true of the UK’s moronic tax code.

      2. Lynn Atkinson
        December 26, 2020

        Martin you take the biscuit. You are foolish beyond belief, proved by accusing LL of ‘looking silly’!

    2. graham1946
      December 26, 2020

      Is there a more parasitic job than Landlord? Sucking lifeblood from people who cannot afford to buy by increasing prices and making sure rents so high no-one renting can save?

      1. Lifelogic
        December 26, 2020

        So what is needed is more supply and choice not less.!

        Nothing parasitic at all about renting out houses at all. Not everyone wants to (or is ready to buy). People need a ready supply of different properties to rent for job mobility reasons. Do you think renting out hotel rooms, cars, trucks, aircraft, plant, machinery, factories or anything else is parasitic? You either rent the gear or you rent the money to buy the gear unless you have the cash. Your choice.

        1. graham1946
          December 27, 2020

          Renting things to help prosperity is not parasitic. Many tenants are long term and this is the aim for most landlords. With landlords buying up cheap properties to rent out there is less choice. The private sector will never produce enough houses to go round, nor at a reasonable price because shortages keep prices up. How can a major builder offer it’s CEO 70 million bonus for one year? – by ripping off the customers. Renting out houses without spending money on them in upkeep, endlessly raising prices every year when no expenditure has been made is very parasitic. Maybe you are a model landlord, most, I suggest are not. Even the big corporate landlords are bad, I know from personal and family experience.

      2. Lynn
        December 27, 2020

        Graham what is parasitic is the State taking 50% of all income from commercial premises (at least) in business rates, and taking up to 15% of the sale of every house. You sell the house but the state retains it’s 15% in perpetuity in spite of being paid out.

  23. Richard1
    December 26, 2020

    1. All of the above, especially freeports. except maybe 5. Govt to order ships from UK yards if they are competitive – need value for money
    2. A bold and radical budget in March to inventivise investment innovation and entrepreneurship in the UK. Inspiration to be taken from Nigel Lawson’s budgets in the 80s
    3. Reform the planning system
    4. Start to make the case for GM crops and foods. The nonsense propaganda against this from the EU – and from the likes of the Daily Mail – must be countered. Huge opportunities exist for countering global poverty and eliminating hunger with this
    5. Press on with independent trade deals. Liz Truss has done a great job and completely confounded criticism that such deals would be impossible as an independent country. CANZUK and India should be priorities
    6. Get going with the idea of launching D10 at the G7 conference
    7. Ignore all these left-wing calls for wealth taxes etc. They come from the same kind of people who gave us all the nonsense forecasts of economic collapse due to brexit
    8. Start working on bold and radical financial regulatory reform. A major potential freedom could be to get out of the EU’s MIFID2 which makes access to capital harder. The City needs to evolve again and become a global centre for providing capital for growth businesses
    9. Establish a govt task force whose job it is to look round the world and see good policy ideas which might boost investment, entrepreneurship and innovation if adopted in the UK, wherever they come from. To comprise independent economists and business people and be supported by civil servants – not the other way round. To report quarterly. A minister to say whether or not it’s recommendations will be adopted and why / why not.

    jan1 is day 1. jan2 is day 2 etc. The monkey is on the back of the Conservative govt to deliver success with brexit. No time to waste.

    1. Mary M.
      December 26, 2020

      4.
      Richard1, I don’t want to start a discussion on GM products here, but it’s important to be very cautious about the idea of ‘countering global poverty’ with GM crops until we know much more.

      We need to be absolutely sure that if poor farmers in, say, sub-Saharan Africa use GM seed produced by a big agritech company they are not then committed to buying costly new GM seed every year thereafter. Farmers may discover that they cannot successfully use the grain harvested from their GM crop to grow the following year’s produce.

      1. graham1946
        December 26, 2020

        That of course is the whole aim. Farmers will not be able to multiply seeds as they are programmed not to come true. Similar with insecticides and fertilizers which only the GM companies will supply.

      2. Lynn Atkinson
        December 26, 2020

        Mary I posted similar but caught in mod. I agree.

    2. Narrow Shoulders
      December 26, 2020

      Only the 1 4 and 5 above are made possibly by leaving the EU. The others were already within our reach Richard

      1. Richard1
        December 26, 2020

        True but the necessity for them has been brought into focus by brexit. It could be one of its advantages.

    3. glen cullen
      December 26, 2020

      Ref your point 2 – and as suggested by Nigel Lawson some time ago, reform corporation tax and don’t tax profit, but rather tax a percentage of turnover

      1. Lynn
        December 27, 2020

        It a no brainier isn’t it?

  24. Lifelogic
    December 26, 2020

    Cut all the soft loans for worthless (or almost worthless degrees). Circa 75% of them surely are. Let people learn on the job with day release or night school. People should pay for their own hobbies and not expect other taxpayers to do so. This clearly destroy jobs and renders the UK far less competitive. Perhaps offer ÂŁ50k of soft loans (for suitably skilled and motivated people) stating new businesses instead of going to University.

    Assuming they will actually be allowed out soon!

    1. Nig l
      December 26, 2020

      Why don’t you suggest something achievable, not the least politically, save these just being continual wish lists.

    2. Sir Joe Soap
      December 26, 2020

      Offer soft loans against the collateral of building tooling and machines. Get the technical colleges and Universities involved in helping build world beating machines for commercial use alongside their R and D.

      1. Lifelogic
        December 26, 2020

        English Literature, Modern Languages, History, and Philosophy, Theology, Anthropology, Law, Geography, Political Science, and Sociology, Classics, Fine Art, Theatre, Speech, PPE, Media Studies and Creative Writing.

        People should largely pay for their own hobbies or do them on line while working and earning.

        1. Lifelogic
          December 26, 2020

          Sorry my first lines disappeared.

          Most lecturers would not be much use. Listen to Carney’s BBC lectures the other day. He has loads of degrees like PPE but clearly understands almost nothing and is hugely tedious with it. Most people at universities alas study things like:- see as above.

          1. Sir Joe Soap
            December 26, 2020

            Erm, look at Cranfield, Brunel, Aston, Cambridge, Oxford (STEM side).
            UK kids getting to US Universities on merit might help too, instead of the Erasmus business. Give NI kids the opportunity to go for this instead of the EU scheme for starters, and get Hong Kongers to NI too.

            There are good things happening but some bright kids have fallen for the easy and useless subjects ahead of them. Frankly Carney seems more like a journalist than an analyst.

          2. Lynn Atkinson
            December 26, 2020

            +1

        2. Lifelogic
          December 26, 2020

          Even in professional subjects like Law we train four times the number needed, in Forensic Science and similar 100 times more than the jobs available. Plus we have loads of people being indoctrinated with lefty woke drivel or bogus climate alarmist propaganda at places like UEA – Why?

          With a sensible legal system we could manage with about 1/4 of the lawyers we current have anyway. Many other countries do this perfectly well. We should avoid the US litigation lunacy like the plague.

    3. Andy
      December 26, 2020

      People do pay for their own studies. Your generation got free higher education in the same way you have always had free or subsidised everything. But students have paid their own way for many years now. Unlike pensioners who still live on handouts.

      1. Roy Grainger
        December 26, 2020

        It wasn’t free. I paid for it in higher taxes over my lifetime. Just like the NHS isn’t free. Higher education has a cost – the people who access it will pay for it one way or another.

      2. Lifelogic
        December 26, 2020

        Not so. Only about half the student debt is ever repaid. So half is grant and half is soft loans on average. It will be even worse now after the absurd over reaction and lock down to this virus. For women is is even less than half that is repaid as many more take breaks, work part time or stop working completely.

      3. Sir Joe Soap
        December 26, 2020

        Only kids of quite poor parents received the full grant – probably the equivalent of about ÂŁ25k total household income today. I have probably repaid that grant back around 1000 fold, so it was a pretty good investment by the state. Can you say the same about loans today? Frankly I wouldn t take one – I’d rather work a few years or go live in Scotland a while and not have the debt.

        1. Lifelogic
          December 26, 2020

          I must have been poor then as I did get a full grant (with three siblings who also got full grants) plus employer sponsorship and summer employment. But then in my day only circa 6% went to university so it was affordable.

      4. rose
        December 26, 2020

        “Your generation got free higher education”

        4% got it. The rest went to work and paid tax.

        1. Jacqueline Heath
          December 26, 2020

          Your statistic has just proved how much more worth a degree had from pre-loan days to post-loan days. When the aim is to enable 50% of young people to go to University (Blair) then compromises have to be made. Those compromises were in the intrinsic worth of degrees, the kind of courses on offer and the reduction of emphasis and investment made in apprenticeships and vocational training. No wonder the UK is a service based economy, we have had no choice.

          1. Lifelogic
            December 26, 2020

            Indeed.

      5. Fred H
        December 26, 2020

        Andy you know nothing. I paid almost 60 years ago for taking night school classes due to the fact my parents were unable to finance me applying for ‘uni’ and needing accomodation and living costs.
        Even my unique grammar school uniform, several sports outfits, equipment etc all had to be paid for. Secondary school clothing these days is all generic ( sow on badges is worst case).

      6. Fedupsoutherner
        December 26, 2020

        You don’t think pensioners pay tax? Andy you really need to get out more. If you work then you are paying NI so how will you feel if when you reach pensionable age they refuse to give it to you? Can you make your new years resolution to promise not to be so stupid please?

        1. Lifelogic
          December 26, 2020

          +1. Pensioners pay income tax, tv tax, vat, car tax, alcohol duty, fuel tax, insurance tax, cgt, dividend tax …… and then 40% of assets on death too!

    4. Mike Stallard
      December 26, 2020

      I agree with this – my grandchildren are already leaving “Uni” and going on the rock’n’roll.

  25. Freeborn John
    December 26, 2020

    The mess that is GDPR should be repealed. As a minimum the “U.K. GDPR” should be amended to prevent the personal data of UK citizens being transfered to EU countries where no doubt it is currently accessed by EU spooks. This has to stop with a legal right that data of British citizens is held within U.K. data centres.

    1. The PrangWizard
      December 26, 2020

      Seconded.

      And, for those afflicted by the failing, let’s not be naĂŻve. I have no doubt that the UK will be faced with increased efforts by the EU, particularly France to undermine our state, sovereignty and economy, so we will need more people and to strong measures counter it.

    2. Mike Durrans
      December 26, 2020

      +101 freeborn John
      We must REALLY put an end to Worthless degrees like media studies and the arts, they are just hobby courses

    3. Lifelogic
      December 26, 2020

      +1

    4. ian@Barkham
      December 26, 2020

      @The mess that is GDPR – exactly

      Written backwards so no one gets to see the it legitimises the data and the secrets being stolen and sold daily to foreign powers.

    5. Phillip T
      December 29, 2020

      +1

      UK citizens along with EU citizens are still geo blocked from viewing some US web sites, like the New York Daily News, as they continue to avoid the cost of understanding and implementing the red tape by blanket blocking EU IP addresses.

      Repealing GDPR would remove this significant regulatory burden from new small businesses in the UK, particularly local businesses that only serve customers within the UK, but it may also help SMEs who are focused on export to the USA or Asia.

      Further the GDPR Cookie policy is laughable and has simply added a burdensome “Accept our Cookies” pop up to every web site, that 99.9% simply accept.

      The UK could later provide pragmatic guidelines to follow that protect individuals while not over burdening business with unnecessary regulation.

  26. The Prangwizard
    December 26, 2020

    If I were to have a new product designed exclusively for the US consumer market, meeting US standards, which is not suitable for any other can I make it here without it needing EU approval or to meet EU ‘standards’? The product is more efficient than existing types currently made here.

    If I do need their approval why would I stay here? I would take my process there.

    Sir John, will you vote for the deal if our design and manufacture are controlled by the EU like this?

    Where is our freedom?

    1. IanT
      December 26, 2020

      Sorry Prang – but we’ve always been able to make things to US standards if they were exclusively for the US marketplace , even when still within the EU.

      Nothing has changed in that respect – the problem remains the small detail of finding something that US customers want to buy in sufficient quantity to make it worthwhile.

      The good news is that the US has always been a great customer for UK goods (with a positive trade balance) and in fact we sell more to the US than we do to Germany
      (with whom we have a negative trade balance).

      We should now be free to improve our dealings with the US – agreeing a deal that suits the UKs needs and doesn’t have to accommodate 27 other countries demands as well. The EU can see this threat – which is why they’ve spent 4.5 years trying to nail us down.

      The Devil is in the detail but from what I can see, by and large – Boris and Lord Frost have done a very good job ( it already seems decades since I despaired at the useless May and loathed the pompous Bercow ). Let’s not forget just how far we have come.

    2. Robert McDonald
      December 26, 2020

      Please, lets stay in the real world here. The eu can insist on goods meeting their “standards” for goods being sold to their market. The USA will want standards meeting theirs when sold in their market, Australia, Canada, South Africa, Mongolia, all the same. Its called world trade.

  27. Nig l
    December 26, 2020

    Ps. A quote from the Editor at large of Bild. ‘What Boris has achieved is nothing short of sensational’

    1. Richard1
      December 26, 2020

      I think that is becoming clear as the details and the sequence of discussions are revealed.

    2. Andy
      December 26, 2020

      Indeed it is.

      Tariff and quota free access to the UK market for EU goods – like car parts.

      No provisions of note for UK services in accessing the EU market.

      There was me thinking Frost and Johnson were supposed to be negotiating for us.

      Turns out they were doing a great deal for the EU instead.

      1. Edward2
        December 26, 2020

        What’s wrong with free trade access for automotive parts?
        Cheap parts make UK cars more competitively priced.

        There was no agreements on services in the single market.
        So little has changed.

    3. Mark B
      December 26, 2020

      Bild = German and pro-EU. Therefore not trusted.

      1. Nig l
        December 26, 2020

        Do you have any idea what you are talking about? The Bild is a tabloid right wing newspaper akin to the Sun.

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          December 26, 2020

          Is it German?

    4. IanT
      December 26, 2020

      I think he’s right – and if Boris can get vaccines right, all else will be forgiven.

      1. Lynn Atkinson
        December 26, 2020

        No it will NOT!

        1. IanT
          December 27, 2020

          We will see 🙂

    5. Lynn Atkinson
      December 26, 2020

      You know we are still laughing at Hurd who demanded Parliament swallow the Maastricht pill, a when they did he said ‘well I suppose we had better go and read it now.’
      You have repeated the same idiocy. I’m not saying that Boris did not ‘achieve a sensation’ but I don’t know until I have read it. I’m hoping MPs are yet to decide whether to vote it down or support it, in the light of recent bad documents approved on the promise that they will be improved later, I’m hoping all MPs will demand that this agreement is acceptable at worst, in every respect.

  28. Paul Marron
    December 26, 2020

    Scrap IR35.

  29. None of the Above
    December 26, 2020

    Use the next budget to introduce the following:-

    1. Replace VAT with a Purchase Tax applied only to non essential goods and services.
    2. Introduce a bill, appropriate to our current requirements, to cover the matters in the Merchant Navy Act (including the requirement that all fish caught in our waters are landed in the a UK Port) that the ECJ forced Mrs Thatcher to repeal.
    3. Introduce a charge for non UK registered LGVs using our roads to cover environmental costs. (fuel duty is an unreliable source of revenue as LGV drivers usually fuel up in the EU before crossing the English Channel or Irish Sea).
    4. Equalise the Barnet Formula across the UK and permit devolved legislators and local authorities to raise more tax locally to compensate, making them more accountable to their electorate.
    5. Introduce a simple Bill of Rights and repeal the Human Rights Act.

  30. Andy
    December 26, 2020

    9. Discount tampons. Double discounts for old men.

    1. No Longer Anonymous
      December 26, 2020

      They are good for igniting bonfires with.

    2. ukretired123
      December 26, 2020

      Pathetic.

    3. Fred H
      December 26, 2020

      Some discharge from the mouth could do with a larger type of tampon.

    4. IanT
      December 27, 2020

      What are you going to do when you get old Andy?

      Old age sneaks up on you (if you are lucky) and comes with all sorts of unwanted ‘delights’ and then (to complete your happiness) you find young folk, who don’t seem to know too much about life, giving you a hard time.

      The Chinese used to say “May you live in interesting times” (but it wasn’t a blessing) – so maybe I’ll just say to you

      ” May you live to a very old age” (which may not be a blessing for you either)

  31. George A.
    December 26, 2020

    What freedom is that Mr Redwood? The freedom to wear a face muzzle just to buy food? The freedom to be locked in our houses in case we catch a mild case of the flu? The freedom to catch a real disease from the untested vaccinations that the government plans to force on us? The freedom to have to carry a covid passport to enter a pub or ride on a bus? That is assuming there are any pubs and we have enough money to do either with the greatest depression of all time galloping towards us. I aoppreciate the alleged Brexit is a good distraction from the appalling carnage your government has wrought but it won’t last long. At some point the happy, happy BS and the money pump will fail and people who have lost everything will want answers and the political class has only got lies.

    1. Simeon
      December 27, 2020

      Superb post.

  32. BJC
    December 26, 2020

    It might be an idea to first establish the destination for this post-Brexit journey! Then there’s a pressing need to sort out the fundamentals of governance that will support the journey. The bloated and unelected HOL and Civil Service will be only to willing to work strategically to provide the proverbial spanner in the works at every turn, Ă  la the IMB.

    I’d repeal the HRA, which annoints criminals and their amoral lawyers with more rights than the law-abiding, although I’ve no idea how Mr Johnson’s one-sided commitment to the ECHR would affect this. I’d also look at serious amendments to an Act that elevates the status of sections of society simply because they meet certain criteria (Equalities) and H&S legislation used to such great effect to empower the unions and stymie progress. Try getting these past an unreformed HOL and CS!

  33. David_Kent
    December 26, 2020

    While I support all your proposals, the biggest part of our economy remains Services. In particular the EU has long wanted to get its hands on the business of the City. One of our key tasks post Brexit will be to ‘persuade’ them that the City is here to stay, they can’t have it and indeed its continuing success is vital to them. Forceful discriminatory measures might be needed initially to demonstrate this.

    1. Robert Mcdonald
      December 26, 2020

      Just make it even more attractive to remain based in the UK.

  34. middle ground
    December 26, 2020

    Extraordinary post- none of what you suggest was prevented by our being in the E U and now some of these suggestions may be vetoed by the EU if they don’t like them on ‘level playing field’ terms. We leave the EU just as it starts to recognise the issues it must reform: CAP, CFP, competitiveness, etc. The overriding reason Leave won was the migration issue which has resolved itself through Covid and now leaves us short of care and agricultural workers.

  35. ferdi
    December 26, 2020

    Your suggestions regarding ports and their facilities is exactly what is required. One overriding need is to reduce energy costs both for industry and the public. The building of new clean burn coal fired power stations would help to produce an immediate and substantial reduction in these costs.

  36. Stred
    December 26, 2020

    If the document ties the UK into implementing EU regulations and directives for products used domestically, under the level playing field, then this is not Brexit but Brino. For example, energy policy. The EU is implementing a further reduction in emissions and additional ethanol will soon be added to petrol. We know by testing cars using E10 petrol that the fuel consumption increases by 10% and therefore drivers have to buy 10% more fuel and pay 10% more tax. Taking the energy needed to grow the corn and produce ethanol from it, the total amout of CO2 increases and the policy is pointless. This move to produce more energy using renewables puts our costs up, while the Germans, Poles, Dutch and others tilt the playing field by burning more cheap coal. Boris, under direction of the Green Bright Blue Cinos is proposing to make the UK even more uncompetitive by building windmills all over UK waters. If we are signing up to this and Parliament approves it, there will be trouble to come.

  37. Bryan Harris
    December 26, 2020

    It’s a great idea to review EU regulations – but let’s expand that search to all the legislation passed in the UK that the EU obliged us to have – then let’s take a thorough look at the EU rules that were gold plated.

    As well as financially crippling EU rules, there has been socially crippling rules that dragged us down the pc path — We need to consider if we want to allow socialism, with all of its byproducts, to continue to drag us down as a nation, or if we truly want to be free as a nation.

  38. Fedupsoutherner
    December 26, 2020

    So Ian Blackford SNP thinks it’s a bad deal for Scotland and the SNP will not vote for it. If the ERG agree with him and other MP’S don’t like it then we could be facing no deal anyway. Blackford thinks Scottish fishermen have been treated badly. He cannot explain what would happen though if Scotland rejoined the EU in the event of independence.

  39. Lifelogic
    December 26, 2020

    If it is good as you suggest to have areas allocated as “Freeports” and “Enterprise Zones” it is surely far better to make the whole of the UK a low tax and pro enterprise zone.

    Rather than just limited areas with special rules (that force businesses and workers to relocate and move jobs for one area to another) where people can escape suffocating taxes and regulations in the rest of the UK. It is also totally unfair competition for one area over the other areas.

    Also sort out the appalling over regulated banking system we have. Deposits getting 0.2% and rip off personal overdrafts often at at 40% or so. 200 times more than they pay for deposits. Where are the FCA and the competition authorities? Interestingly these same banks outside of the UK charge much lower OD rates. Saving their rip off rates just for the UK customers whose taxes bailed them out.

  40. DominicJ
    December 26, 2020

    According to the EUs press releases, the UK is still bound by EU environmental law,
    Any major land use changes for ports would contravene EU law

    1. Tammy
      December 26, 2020

      Of course. The UK gets tariff free trade into the biggest and best free trade zone on the planet, so you have to stick with EU rules. Boris has faced up to reality, well done him. It would be better to be in the EU so we apply the rules and have a say in their making, but applying the rules when the EU tells us to is next best. Well done Boris for facing down the no dealers

    2. Robert Mcdonald
      December 26, 2020

      UK environment law is more robust than eu law.

    3. Bryan Harris
      December 26, 2020

      That is just the sort of irrational connection we do not need!

    4. Roy Grainger
      December 26, 2020

      You are falling into the old Remainer trap of believing everything the EU says and disbelieving everything the UK says. Why ? Where is the text of the agreement is your point covered ?

      1. DominicJ
        December 26, 2020

        The EU has a history of being truthful, the UK not
        Remember a year ago, when Boris signed a treaty that gave the EU the power to cut Northern Ireland off from the rest of the UK?

        I have no reason not to trust the EU when they say the treaty gives them vast swathes of authority over the UK, why would they lie?
        They aren’t signing the treaty on Wednesday, that’s just us.

    5. glen cullen
      December 26, 2020

      Yeah – because all the new unemployed this year and those SMEs that are about to close are continuously talking about the environment and the associated laws

  41. Dave Andrews
    December 26, 2020

    Seeing as we don’t manufacture PV solar panels in this country, remove the high tariff barriers for this product, designed to protect European manufacturers from Chinese competition. We should be making green products more accessible.
    The major improvements all concern things we could do whether or not in the EU, just for their own reasons government has decided not to.

  42. Freeborn John
    December 26, 2020

    We need a clear sight of the future. Chinese GDP is estimated to overtake US in 2028 and the EU is a strategic adversary that does not hesitate to inflict damage on the U.K. or Switzerland to advance its narrow interests. The US must be persuaded that the 5 main English-speaking form a single economy and customs union while avoiding the self/aggrandising harmonisation agenda of the EU. We need a common market for the 5 English speaking countries that includes goods, food and services combined with an exclusive defence pact to replace NATO.

    This has to be achieved at pace so the new agenda must go far beyond repealing bits of EU legislation and trying to maintain free trade with hostile mercantilist neighbours. Anything less than this will just see the EU progressively re-expanding its control over the U.K. piecemeal in future negotiations with Labour administrations signing the U.K. back up to EU measures starting at the 4-year review of the currently proposed UK-EU “partnership”.

  43. Walt
    December 26, 2020

    Get rid of legislation and regulations that impede people doing business. Example, most of the Anti-Money Laundering regulations. I have a current account with a UK bank which has verified my identity. That should be enough in law for me to transact with any other UK party without having to verify my identity to that party, if I am paying them or receiving payment from them by cheque or by electronic transfer from a UK bank account.

    1. Narrow Shoulders
      December 26, 2020

      I would suggest that the banks had more to do with this than the EU. The EU was a good smokescreen but would not have come up with this by itself.

    2. boffin
      December 26, 2020

      Yes indeed!

      The current money laudering legislation has grown like cancer – you have chosen a prime example of what goes wrong when apparatchiks get free rein.

      1. James1
        December 26, 2020

        The anti money-laundering regulations are ridiculously onerous and complicated, and the cost of “supervision” which is imposed upon businesses has inevitably increased substantially in recent years to currently approaching prohibitive levels. They are a great disservice and needless imposition upon companies, many of which are fighting to survive.

  44. Lifelogic
    December 26, 2020

    On WSJ.com
    How to End Lockdowns Next Month
    Target vaccines to the most vulnerable, and don’t give them to people who have already been infected.
    By Jay Bhattacharya and Sunetra Gupta
    Dec. 17, 2020 1:36 pm ET

    My position almost exactly – so long as the vaccine is sufficiently safe that is.

    Give it to the vulnerable (men are more so than woman as are blood group A and possibly some Bame and Bald people. Do not waste vaccine on people who have had the virus either. The UK vaccination priority list is seriously wrong so why is this Mr Vaccine Tzar? Consider a one dose first policy until sufficient supply too.

  45. Nivek
    December 26, 2020

    “Today I invite you to send in your ideas of laws and rules which could be improved, amended or repealed”

    * Fixed penalty notices
    * Unlimited fines
    * Restrictions on liberty that are beyond the powers (ultra vires) described in the Public Health (Control of Disease Act) 1984

    We voted in 2016 to remove a superfluous layer of government. We have ended up with a whole lot more government than I could have expected this side of a fascist takeover.

  46. A.Sedgwick
    December 26, 2020

    Defeat grabbed from the jaws of victory.

    1. Lifelogic
      December 26, 2020

      I have not read it yet have you. Farage seems reasonable happy. Anyway it is clearly going to be voted through given Labour’s support.

      1. Lifelogic
        December 26, 2020

        Tice happy too it seems.

      2. Lynn Atkinson
        December 26, 2020

        Are you sure Labour will support? I think if they don’t want it the House will be able to ditch it.

        1. Simeon
          December 26, 2020

          I think that the correct strategy for Labour is to abstain. It’s far from ideal, but given the usual path for the opposition is all but precluded given that the people made clear they wanted resolution, it’s the least worst option. Voting for it would see them held almost as responsible for the mess to come, which is why it is surprising that Starmer is so keen to vote for it. But that’s the state of play, and it is almost inconceivable that Starmer would U-turn on this. He’s not Blowers after all. So regardless of what Sir John or the ERG think or do, this deal will be rubber stamped – seemingly before the new year.

        2. Lifelogic
          December 26, 2020

          Well Starmer says they will.

          1. Lynn
            December 28, 2020

            Can he control his vote?

  47. Iain gill
    December 26, 2020

    Withdrawal from EU/other nation trade deals also offers lots of opportunities. No need to offer unlimited work visas here in return for dubious supposed access to their markets. No need to offer to tax their work visa holders less than locals.

  48. Narrow Shoulders
    December 26, 2020

    I would like to see government procurement revamped with the aim of all taxpayer funded purchases made from UK based and owned suppliers. If we need privately funded start ups to do this there is money to be made for entrepreneurs with guaranteed contracts.

    I want to see tariffs protecting produce that we can grow here and lead to an increase in our manufacturing base but through automation rather than cheap manual labour.

    This will inevitably lead to higher prices in the short term but we purchase so much tat and unnecessary muck that overall our costs of living could be the same with a bit of prudence.

    Cheaper energy should arise from our freedom from the EU and HS2 really could go.

    The new freedom should lead to self sufficiency.

  49. ChrisS
    December 26, 2020

    All of your suggestions are ones I would support. Whether the “Level Playing Field” clauses in the agreement will permit most of them, we will have to examine. If the government goes ahead with all of them aggressively, as I would hope, they will be an interesting test case.

    The opinions of three Brexiteers I am anxiously awaiting are those of our host, Bill Cash and Bernard Jenkins. If these three are supportive, I will rest easier. Nigel Farage, our most vocal advocate of No Deal, was surprisingly positive about it, not what I had expected at all.

    We now need to deliver and that means hitting the ground running : I want to see the government lay out a path toward creating a truly global outlooking, light touch economy that will leave the EU floundering in its wake. That will be what will see huge flows of inward investment coming into Britain and sets us on a course for growth.

    If Boris gets it right, I expect to see Macron calling on Brussels to try and apply the brakes on us by introducing tariffs against us. That will be a humiliating admission of failure and defeat. I can’t see the new leader in Germany, whoever he turns out to be, agreeing to that because it will hit his industry most.

  50. Mike Durrans
    December 26, 2020

    Revive the “Buy British” ethos, encourage people not to buy from the eu but from our colonial Friends as the eu is our enemies out to destroy us

  51. Monza 71
    December 26, 2020

    Could we not add a large expansion of port facilities to your list, Sir John ?

    We are already seeing bottlenecks at Dover and Felixstowe so we could make it much easier for goods to be delivered and collected from the UK direct, rather than through Rotterdam. A new port exclusively designed to provide the fastest turnaround of ships anywhere in the World would be a good start.

    Like several sectors of business have found, a lead could be obtained from the kind of organisation and methodology provided by Formula one where the fastest six teams are now able to change four wheels and tyres regularly in well under 2.5 seconds. Such is the standard being achieved that all of the ten teams regularly manage the job in less than 3 seconds.

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      December 26, 2020

      Port of Tyne!

  52. Tad Stone
    December 26, 2020

    Currently all contracts over a certain amount in local government must be tendered throughout the EU. In future make sure that contracts are awarded to UK companies.

    I am by nature a very positive person. I want to see restrictive laws and legislation repealed. In the past the UK has enacted EU legislation to the letter while EU countries have ignored it. So remove red tape.

    Freeports are a great idea.

    Lets put the EU in the shade with our open and positive initiatives.

    1. glen cullen
      December 26, 2020

      You do understand that that goes against the EU policy of ”level playing field”

      1. ChrisS
        December 27, 2020

        All we have to demonstrate is that one of the 27 is ignoring a regulation and we can cite that as a reason for not following it ourselves.
        That should not be difficult !
        At the end of the day, any retaliatory tariffs Brussels wants to impose have to be both proportionate and limited to the sector affected. That will be more likely to be seen as an admission of failure on their part for not being agile enough in trade matters.

  53. Mike Wilson
    December 26, 2020

    It is, in some ways, amusing to read this article and the comments below it. It is interesting to observe that no matter how many times one observes that governments do as little as possible, still people think a new brave world of enterprise, initiative and efficiency is about to be launched. We have been set free! Apparently. Yet how easy it is to predict that in a year’s time, nothing will have changed. We won’t be building more ships, or landing more fish. We won’t have Freeport’s (whatever they are). We will have no sense that the reduced payments to the EU make any difference to our lives.

    One thing I would like to know is: Bow much are we paying the EU in 2021? And subsequent years.

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      December 26, 2020

      Every U.K. Persian rug trader runs a ‘bonded warehouse’. A Freeport is the same thing but not restricted to Persian rugs. Why can’t we have them? We have had them since Henry VIII created the first Freeport – Chepstow.

      1. Mike Wilson
        December 27, 2020

        My wife used to work in freight forwarding at Heathrow. Her firm had a bonded warehouse. Goods that were being trans-shipped were placed in the bonded warehouse. The forwarder paid a bond to the Customs authorities. Trans-shipped means passing through this country. What use would a load of new bonded warehouses be?

        1. Lynn
          December 28, 2020

          Well that’s what a Freeport is. If you manufacture within a Freeport you pay no taxes. When you ‘export’ either into t domestic or a foreign economy, the taxes become payable.

  54. Peter Martin
    December 26, 2020

    Can we at least wait until everyone has had a chance to read the full text before denouncing the agreement as BRINO?

    From what I’ve read so far, it looks to be a lot better than I expected just a few weeks ago. It’s not perfect but neither is it a sell-out.

    1. Simeon
      December 26, 2020

      Thank you for your support in the BRINI/BINO war.

      By the way, this deal is definitely BRINO.

  55. Andrew S
    December 26, 2020

    Further encourage expertise in 5G technology in both college/university education, and in business/enterprise entrepreneurship. 5G brings a huge range of skill sets and product innovation, with a truly enormous global demand potential.
    Perhaps we can ditch wokeness in schooling, lose the bbc licence fee and massively reduce it in scope.
    Ethics and integrity, responsibility, money systems, valuable topics for young minds to at least stimulate thought. Could parenting skills ever be included at least in overview? I.E. what it means to be a parent, why reasoning and teaching by example is better, giving time and attention and providing good mental stimulation especially at an early age.
    We should teach our country’s history without guilt or shame. Yes many behaviours in the past are judged wrong in the modern age. That was how it was back then, peoples fought, nation states developed, competed, exploited. Ruling elites were as intent in accumulating and retaining wealth and power as they are today. Now, at least in democratic systems, at least for the moment, the people can curtail elites grip enough to win freedom and the ability to choose how they shall be governed. So we should maintain our vigilance against those who seek to shut down our freedoms and act where necessary to defeat them.

  56. Tad Stone
    December 26, 2020

    I am happy with the agreement. As someone who worked on contracts with the Russians in communist days (1980) I believe that Frosty has done very well. It is a starting point, and obviously there will be further negotiations in the years to come. But we have to start somewhere. Some posters here seem intent to look ate the past. That is gone and we can only look forward. I sincerely hope that Remoaners and fault finders will put as much effort into making what we have work as they do in moaning. I FOR ONE AM VERY POSITIVE FOR THE FUTURE OF UK plc.

  57. BCL
    December 26, 2020

    I think we should make every effort to get CANZUK up and running. There’s a natural affinity and sense of family with those countries and we could be very good for one another, economically and socially.

  58. Javelin
    December 26, 2020

    Stop large corporations lobbying in private to ministers.

    The minutes of all meetings and contacts with corporate lobbyists that are not classified as secret should be made public.

    Specifically things like meetings with outsourcing companies to outsource jobs abroad or bring cheap labour in from abroad need to me made public so any corruption can be seen.

    In particular I see cash for favours being done. Where large corporations lobby for cheap foreign labour then the same companies make political donations, pay for speeches, pay family for consulting or contracts.

    What I see is ministers making decisions that benefit vary narrow corporate interests that are not in the interests of their voters.

    1. Simeon
      December 27, 2020

      A nice idea, but unenforceable. The solution is to strip the state of these powers, thus denying politicians the opportunity to profit from corporations, and corporations the opportunity to shape policy.

      1. Laura
        December 28, 2020

        That is the solution.

  59. Mark Thomas
    December 26, 2020

    Sir John,

    I would hope that we will no longer be subject to the European Arrest Warrant (EAW), and the less well known but equally pernicious European Investigation Order (EIO).

    1. glen cullen
      December 26, 2020

      see page 312 of 1246 trade agreement – yes we have to 100% comply

      1. Mark Thomas
        December 27, 2020

        pages 319-336 ominously titled SURRENDER

    2. Malcolm White
      December 27, 2020

      I agree. I haven’t seen the above quoted page, but that doesn’t change my opinion. We should pull out of the EAW, as it doesn’t recognise the difference in rights assumed under the UK’s habeas corpus and EU’s jurisprudence legal systems.

  60. Dave Ward
    December 26, 2020

    “Using our new freedoms”

    Having just been bumped up to Tier 4 (from 2), the post title is more than a little ironic…

  61. glen cullen
    December 26, 2020

    Repeal VAT for a single sales tax

    Repeal business rates completely

    In fact make a hugh list and go back to the people in a general election with your new plans

    or

    Do nothing for the next 4 years apart from introducing Green policies via the back door

  62. Paul rice
    December 26, 2020

    Yes let’s grasp the opportunities that now begin to present themselves now we are moving back to being a truly independent, sovereign nation again. Let’s leverage our strengths on a sector by sector basis, re-igniting the talents of our nation rather than continually putting ourselves down as a nation. Let’s build a knowledge based economy, based on our competencies such as our maritime capabilities and strategic advantages as you suggest.

  63. John Hatfield
    December 26, 2020

    “4. Government to offer grants and cheap loans to U.K. citizens and businesses wishing to buy a new trawler made in a U.K. yard, to expand fishing capacity.”
    Would this not be contrary to the requirements of the “level playing field” now renamed the “rebalancing mechanism”?

    1. Sir Joe Soap
      December 26, 2020

      Look up “Enterprise Ireland” and “SBCI loans”
      It’s levelling up, more like.

  64. Richard1
    December 26, 2020

    I’m encouraged by the fury of some of that small minority of unreconciled continuity remain types – we see some examples here. They are getting a strong feeling, before they have seen the deal, as am I, that Boris has played a blinder. And that most of the Country will think this is a very workable compromise which allows the UK to take advantage of many of the potential savings and advantages of Brexit.

    I look forward to seeing it and to some good analysis, not least from our host.

  65. SecretPeople
    December 26, 2020

    This from The Times:

    The new treaty will create a binding enforcement and arbitration mechanism to enforce fair competition rules on subsidy control, social and environmental standards called the “level playing field”.

    The EU emphasises that sanctions and tariffs will be introduced if the UK embraces the “Singapore-on-Thames model” of high subsidies

    It will be interesting to see how much of what you propose will be possible without punishment; for example: “Government to assist..” “Government to offer cheap grants and loans..”.

    1. Mark B
      December 26, 2020

      Yet the EU will be able to do what it wants without sanction. Hardly a free sovereign country then, are we ?

    2. PeteS
      December 26, 2020

      Interesting if these councils/committee’s expose the EU fiddle subsides.

    3. ian@Barkham
      December 26, 2020

      Exactly, the EU will be able to punish the UK if anyone within UK territory even those with no inclination to have dealings with the EU at any level is deemed to not obey their laws and rules.

      A free sovereign independent democratic nation as long as you obey our laws and rules. Step outside of your colonial masters doctrines, wishes and the whole nation will be punished.

  66. RichardP
    December 26, 2020

    The most important issue for our freedom is the Emergency Coronavirus Act which should be repealed immediately. All other aspects of our Brexit freedoms cannot be considered until our basic civil rights are restored.

    Covid19 has been a notifiable disease since 5th March 2020 and yet browsing the weekly Notifiable Disease Reports on the following Government website it hardly registers.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/notifiable-diseases-weekly-reports-for-2020

    The covid19 case figures are on page 14, and for week ending 20/12/2020 there were 50! Checking earlier reports it’s a similar story. If the situation is so serious that our Christmas had to be cancelled why isn’t it reflected in these reports?

  67. James1
    December 26, 2020

    Your 8 are enough to be getting on with immediately. But let’s add lots more, which would largely need to include hugely downsizing all aspects of the public sector which has become our master and not our servant. Let’s also have the House of Commons sitting round the clock to pass any necessary legislation, the way that was arranged for the MP’s in question to vote on the new agreement.

  68. Anthony
    December 26, 2020

    Let’s create an insurance “Freeport”, creating light touch regulations for businesses to run captive insurers as they do in guernsey, Bermuda etc. These islands make a lot of money this way but there’s nothing to stop a larger island (plus province) from doing it.

    We could operate these regs across the whole UK. However, operating the regs in a specific part of the UK would concentrate the benefits and add to levelling up. Leeds would be an interesting spot for this as it has a large financial sector already.

    However the unionist case would be bolstered by putting it in Northern Ireland. We could operate a much more streamlined captive regulatory system than the republic thereby demonstrating in a pointed way the benefits of UK regulation relative to EU regs in Ireland and to EU goods regs in the EU.

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      December 26, 2020

      Brilliant idea. And bind NI to us!

  69. Neil Bonner
    December 26, 2020

    Outstanding ideas John and many more in the comments section. Now we need to get to work. The redevelopment of our ports would be a major boost to our economy and infrastructure as well as neutering the hovering axe that is the Port of Calais.

    1. Jim Whitehouse
      December 26, 2020

      Yes, I was wondering what steps (tax breaks etc) could be taken to increase the percentage of traffic to other ports such as Ostend. Then, should the French attempt to blockade Calais (again), the immediate effect would be reduced, and the alternatives could ramp up more easily.

      1. anon
        December 27, 2020

        Compliant WTO Tariffs would achieve that with the net surplus being directed to increase domestic production against EU subsidized industries.

    2. Martin in Cardiff
      December 26, 2020

      Yes, and if everyone worked substantially harder, but for only the same rewards, then who knows?

      After some years the country might even get back to a similar level of prosperity that it enjoyed as a European Union member, though with far fewer rights, freedoms and benefits for its people.

      Sheer genius.

      1. Edward2
        December 26, 2020

        Total nonsense.
        It is about working better, more efficiently, more effectively.
        Using head not hands.
        Using machinery not shovels.

  70. mancunius
    December 26, 2020

    I completely agree with all JR’s creative suggestions for UK maritime recovery. And I would urge him to remind the PM that he should be begging his parliamentary colleagues for the most forensic analysis they can give the text of the proposed EU agreement – not trying to bludgeon you into accepting the document on trust.
    I hope all MPs and as many legal counsel as possible will be using a magnifying glass to search through every jot and tittle of the text for the elephant traps the PM is too pleased-as-punch to have spotted.

    1. Multi-ID
      December 26, 2020

      mancunius- what the hell is this? am sure you could have written in one sentence what you mean to say- whatever it is?

      There is no UK maritime recovery forthcoming never will be- the world has moved on

  71. Neil Bonner
    December 26, 2020

    All of these should be developed: https://uk-ports.org/uk-ports-a-to-z-listing/ with a dozen of them being turned into mega-ports and tax-free enterprise zones.

  72. Graham Wheatley
    December 26, 2020

    Sir John,

    We could do worse than repeal all of the legislation brought-in since the Bliar Government came to power, and reintroduce only that which is absolutely necessary, as and when (and if) it is required.

  73. Graham Wheatley
    December 26, 2020

    We also need to kick-start British industry and particularly manufacturing industry, with less of a reliance on ‘services’.

    Putting more money into people’s pockets (rather than exclusively that of big businesses that escape UK tax) would help to do that. People are struggling to survive in these (unnecessarily) mad times. A boost to inco€mes would help people to buy-British, until we are able to take full advantage of being free of the €USSR’s shackles.

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      December 26, 2020

      And every business needs customers with money in their pockets.

  74. M E Baylis
    December 26, 2020

    Look at ways to encourage more horticultural production at home. Many infections have been introduced via The Netherlands in the quantities of plants/shrubs/trees we have imported, inadvertently. I think it would be a support to concerned farmers who might fear what is coming for them in due course and reduce the pathogens coming in from elsewhere.

    IF the Netherlands can grow tomatoes and other salad crops in possibly even colder conditions than we endure, surely we can up our own production? Where are our entrepreneurs and what can we do to encourage them out of the woodwork?

    1. Graham Wheatley
      December 27, 2020

      Any further info (from anybody) available on the mysterious, unsolicited, randomly mailed packets of seeds which were sent from China?

      I would presume (if there were any sense prevailing) that the boys & girls at Porton Down will have analysed a goodly number of those to make sure that they were not genetically modified to replace domestic varities (of whatever they were) and then fail.

      Plant pathogens randomly mailed, would result in some idiots planting them to see what they got!

  75. BW
    December 26, 2020

    Repeal the Human Rights Act. Replace it with a UK bill of rights which is linked to responsibility

    1. Martin in Cardiff
      December 26, 2020

      Which of your fourteen rights are you willing to lose?

      Can you even list them?

      1. Edward2
        December 26, 2020

        It is a question about independence.
        Our courts and our Parliament elected by us should decide.

    2. glen cullen
      December 26, 2020

      Can’t under new agreement

  76. Newmania
    December 26, 2020

    The UK is already allowed to have Free Ports, and had some up to 2012 .Describing this as a ‘new Freedom’ is a creative take on the facts. Free-ports only withered on the vine ,because as members of the EU they served no purpose .
    Establishing Free ports has long been the Brexidiot solution to the awkward fact they were actually destroying much of the UK`s ( European) fish processing industry. I doubt the UK will be uniquely able to attract European business with State bungs.
    PS Enjoyed the aprĂšs deal “Prayer of St Francis” guff . Its a bit like suggesting the US cultural divide divide would be healed by being stuck with Trump forever . I think not

  77. Dorothy Johnston
    December 26, 2020

    First, I think we need assurence that “Build Back Better” doesn’t include “The Great Reset” and “The Forth Industrial Revelution” or all of this is just talk. I feel bouyed up with the ideas put foward and what is possible as an independent country but at the back of my mind is a question mark.

  78. Gordon Merrett
    December 26, 2020

    A suggestion which is probably not understood by 90% of readers of this excellent site. The old method of sale and distribution of fresh milk involved the Milk Marketing Board Buying all milk production at an annually price agreed between the farmers and the Milk Processing Industry. The market can afford to pay different prices to pay for different end products ie. Butter needs a lower cost than the fresh milk market. Therefore the farmers got a standard “Pool” price whereas the industry paid the MMB varying prices according to the end product. (Are you still with me?)

    The second benefit was that the MMB controlled the distribution of farm production so that Collections were done in an efficient way by area thus cutting mileage.

    This resulted in a fair price to the farmer and to the consumer. The EU Stopped this as it deemed it a monopoly. Perhaps it was but it was a beneficial one for everyone. It leaves the Farmers at the mercy of the processing industry and increases costs all the way down the line

  79. margaret howard
    December 26, 2020

    JR

    “8 Private sector will bring ship repair, chandlery and support services as these policies are implemented.”

    Chandlery? The numbers of employees are so few they don’t even make your own governments labour market statistics.

    And no doubt food and drink supplies will be found to be cheaper to buy at Lidl’s than any independent chandlery.

    1. Edward2
      December 26, 2020

      Well it will be small as the CFP of the EU and other EU regs ruined our fishing industry.
      It will grow now we are free and so will chandlery.
      Why are you so negative all the time.

      1. Fedupsoutherner
        December 27, 2020

        One can’t help thinking she hates the UK. I’ve never seen a single comment to make me think otherwise. We all go on about various policies etc that we are unhappy about but underneath this we all all proud Britains with a thirst for a better future. Margaret is totally negative. She cannot see the good in the past or the future. We would go nowhere fast with the likes of her at the helm.

      2. margaret howard
        December 27, 2020

        Edward

        The fishing industry was ‘ruined’ by out fishermen selling their fishing quotas to the highest bidder for a quick profit.

        Why do you have to blame others for our self inflicted woes all the time?

        1. Edward2
          December 27, 2020

          Oh don’t resurrect that completely ridiculous nonsense yet again Margaret.
          The quotas given to the UK industry meant that many could only see a bleak future of struggling against better quotas given to Europeans and inevitably slowly going bankrupt.
          Faced with that position, selling up and getting out was the only decision available to them.

          I would ask you to consider a hypothetical question.
          You own a trawler that costs 10x a month to run but you are only allowed by law to land 7x worth of fish per month.
          What would you have done?

  80. DavidJ
    December 26, 2020

    Before all those suggestions we need proper scrutiny and vote on Boris’ sell-out to the EU.

    Of course we have yet to understand the fine print but the giving up of our fish to the EU is not a good start.

  81. Polly
    December 26, 2020

    Anyway, I get the distinct impression that Boris Johnson has all the hallmarks of becoming a truly great British prime minister, perhaps even emulating the achievements of Tony Blair…. or John Major, or Theresa May.

    On which basis, I suggest ”the deal” is only fit for the trash can.

    After all, written into ”the deal”, apparently, is the requirement to match EU environmental standards, and that means ”Net Zero”, ”Build Back Better” and, in consequent obvious effect, ”Great Reset”.

    Therefore, if the foregoing is true as I believe it is, this is not a deal which gives the UK independence, but subjugation.

    Polly

    1. Mike Durrans
      December 26, 2020

      +1

    2. Lifelogic
      December 27, 2020

      We certainly need to abandon the May/Boris net zero tree & plant food lunacy. If this deal would really prevent us having a sensible energy policy (and with serious enforcement) then this alone is more that sufficient reason to reject it. Net zero is not even realistically possible and would be hugely damaging to living standards, jobs and the economy.

      It would export nearly all CO2 producing industries and would not even save CO2 in world terms.

  82. anon
    December 26, 2020

    So the end of the “phoney transition”. We now have the begining of our proper transition and or exit.

    I can see no advantage in this new “Agreement”, that would be better than WTO.

    a) Fishing is disavantageous compared with WTO.
    b) Trading on Zero tariffs is a dIsadvantageous compared to WTO.
    c) being bound to non-symetrical level playing field rules is disadvantageous compared to WTO.
    d) Being bound by ECHR rulings is infringment of sovereignty.
    e) Having a non WTO dispute mechanism will likely be disadvantageous to the UK.
    f) The only reason for the agreement is to prevent the EU capsize. Perhaps friends are weighing in, if some like the EU so much they should join it as a country or individual.

    I do not trust the pro EU/UK anti-democratic establishment. 4.5 years and still be subject to EU rules. Level playing field etc. Are we able to challenge CAP or existing EU subsidies to national champions in Cars,Trains,Electricity etc.

    This can only be seen as a temporary non-binding agreement to cover the appalling political failure of the EU & UK for not ensuring a proper transition to WTO, which should have started 4.5 years ago.

    WTO please.

    1. Lifelogic
      December 27, 2020

      I tent to agree, based on what I have seen so far. It seems to be a BorisBrino to me. But it clearly will be rammed through Parliament in just a day anyway.

  83. DennisA
    December 26, 2020

    Before we start on the EU laws, we should first repeal the albatross around the neck of the UK, the Climate Change Act, entirely of our own making. Only then can we make the most of whatever hand we have now been dealt with this Trade Agreement. I suspect however, that we will still have to stay true to the EU green vision, to which we have applied the customary gold plating.

    1. glen cullen
      December 26, 2020

      Please repeal the climate change act first than disband the committee

    2. Lifelogic
      December 27, 2020

      +1 it is insane and all but a tiny handful of virtue signalling MPs voted for this insanity. It is far worse than Heath fishing betrayal.

      Almost no MPs have any grasp of physics, entropy, energy, engineering, energy economics, logic, maths, climate, chaotic systems or reason.

  84. ukretired123
    December 26, 2020

    My wife bought some excellent Kent English “Brut Classic Curvee” for Christmas luncheon which gave a nod to our beleaguered Fishing Industry in its description on the label:

    “Ideal aperitif and a great partner to seafood . …………… avec ………. Fish and Chips!”

    Which may explain why EU Brussels know about our secret treat.

  85. forthurst
    December 26, 2020

    JR would like us to recapture our glory days of being a great maritime nation, but even if the agreement that the government is putting before parliament would allow us the freedom to achieve this in theory, what of the practical difficulties?

    Whilst in the EU we were subject to the extremely damaging concept that a monopoly only existed if it existed on an EU-wide, not a national basis, and because of the four freedoms, EU capital has flowed into the UK and walked off with most of our smaller boat yards whilst successive governments have been encouraged by our no-nothing Arts graduate Civil Servants to simply their jobs for them by creating a near one-stop-shop for military marine and aeronautical procurement. The first step is to redefine a monopoly as that which exists in the UK alone and the next step is to order the revealed monopolists to de-conglomerate.

    The government needs to order complete military systems not bits as they do now whilst part of EU-wide procurement; this will be expensive but should come out of their very large budget for funding the importation and lifestyles of unassimilable aliens who weaken our nation as opposed military procurement which strengthens it.

  86. NickC
    December 26, 2020

    No, we haven’t. But we have been told (some of) what’s in it, by Boris himself.

    1. Andy
      December 26, 2020

      But you can’t believe what he told you. Because he told you there would be no Jon-tariff barriers to trade. And he lied. He also lied about businesses in Northern Ireland not needing paperwork. Almost as though he hasn’t understood what he has signed.

  87. Polly
    December 26, 2020

    The great thing about the Boris Johnson oven ready Christmas Turkey Deal is that it bakes in Net Zero and Build Back Better, and consequently Great Reset, because the UK is prohibited from diverging from EU environmental rules.

    So, far from becoming an ”independent coastal state” with loadsa fish as Chief Turkey Johnson originally claimed, the UK is about to sign up to the biggest subjugation ever with no possibility of escape, with sky high energy costs… and not much more fish, if any at all after the French and Spanish have had their way over the next five years… and scooped the lot!

    Polly

  88. Paul Cuthbertson
    December 26, 2020

    Something in the small print of this so called deal is going to screw us in the future. GUARANTEED.The Globalists still rule.

  89. ian@Barkham
    December 26, 2020

    Sovereignty and control of UK territorial waters? There is a contradiction in that notion. The wording appears to be that the EU will permit the UK to have 25% of the quota in UK waters after 5.5 years. So whose waters?

    Then after 5.5 years if the UK does anything to reduce the EU’s quota the EU retains the right to punish the UK. So whose territorial waters are they.

    The EU has in this respect torn up International Law, the same international law the UK must obey!

  90. ian@Barkham
    December 26, 2020

    In EU speak and deed the UK has in fact as there negotiators stated at the time of the WA become a EU colony.

    The UK has to obey EU laws and rules or receive punishment – no if’s of buts just how it is written into the agreements. It is the whole of the UK that has to obey, not just those that deal with the EU.

    We will be given a token 25% of the fish in our inshore waters the rest has to go to the EU or the UK gets punished.

    No other nation in the World signs up for punitive punishment for it whole nation as a way achieving a notional trading agreement.

    The UK will have no say in the Laws and Rules that must apply to the whole country. Therefore by definition it is a colony, not a free sovereign nation.

    1. jon livesey
      December 27, 2020

      A lot of misinformation there.

  91. james
    December 26, 2020

    What new freedoms still talking shite.. i ‘ll tell you about freedom and how it is won when your father had to leave college one hundred years ago to go back and mind the farm ’cause his own father aged 65 and uncles had taken to the mountains in a fight to the end to get the English out.. such a thing is about freedom.. gobshites

    1. jon livesey
      December 27, 2020

      When you speak someone else’s language, read their newspapers, watch their TV, use their embassies, have no border with them, vote in their elections and have them vote in yours, have them bail out your banking system, send your officers to be trained by them, and depend on them to build your patrol vessels and on their Air Force to patrol your skies, you may not be *exactly* the person to be talking big about freedom.

    2. steve
      December 27, 2020

      Truly bizarre, that as an Irishman you should talk about ‘shites’ while going by the name of James.

      Please note that in the example you give, the responsibility would be with those who had abandoned their kids by taking to the hills.

      Also such responsibility is not ours for one good reason: none of us were there, as it was 100 years ago.

      Some of us who invaded the Normandy beaches are fully aware of the price of freedom, a price we or our families paid on your behalf to give you the freedom to accuse us of talking shite.

      You might also consider that many Irish merchantmen paid the supreme sacrifice doing their part to save our country from starvation during her darkest hour, for which we are eternally grateful and will never forget.

      I respectfully suggest you sober your thoughts prior to lecture.

    3. Mark B
      December 27, 2020

      You sound bitter.

  92. glen cullen
    December 26, 2020

    I’ve just browsed though the 1246 pages of the Trade & Cooperation agreement and I must say it reads more like an EU Joining document rather than an FTA

    There’s no way this agreement can be scrutinised before the 31st December – Its a sad day for democracy if MPs push this through on the nod

    1. steve
      December 27, 2020

      Glen

      “There’s no way this agreement can be scrutinised before the 31st December – Its a sad day for democracy if MPs push this through on the nod”

      ==========

      That’s how Johnson operates – kick the can and leave no time for scrutiny as that expose what a turd of a mess he makes of everything.

      He should have walked, when we said, and when he said he would.
      The party should have removed him when we were raising the alarm.

      This is BRINO, no doubt about it.

      There can also be no doubt the conservatives will definitely have killed themselves off if they let this through.

      Their only slim chance of survival is to stand firm, reject it, then get Johnson out of office and replace him with say; JRM, Bill Cash, or IDS.

      But to be honest I really don’t see them surviving this. Not once people wake up to Johnson’s deceit and the prospect of finding themselves stuck in the middle of nowhere cos the battery’s flat, and having to shell out ÂŁ10k + for a heat pump cos Johnson’s turned the gas off – and they’re STILL paying into EU coffers and being laughed at for being part of probably the most stupid country on the planet.

      1. steve
        December 27, 2020

        Glen

        Just to add; the way I read the EU’s website on this it looks like they expect to run well into January as they suggest they will endorce / reject AFTER the UK.

        Dec 31st might be out of the window – so Johnson could be deliberately pressuring the UK parliament to get it through. I hope MP’s reject it.

  93. Mike Durrans
    December 26, 2020

    Sir John, this “deal” must be thrown out as its full on eu autocracy . WTO is the only option now.
    Boris has been led up the garden path, He has lost the plot since his spell in hospital— too much oxygen perhaps?

    1. steve
      December 27, 2020

      Mike Durrans

      “Boris has been led up the garden path”

      A good reason why he should be removed. And remember this guy has the keys to the nation’s nuclear arsenal, and we all know what he thinks of getting permission for anything. Might seem far fetched – but look at Blair’s record.

      “…this “deal” must be thrown out as its full on eu autocracy . WTO is the only option now.”

      It won’t be thrown out. You might get a few pathetic muffled moans about the timing, but they’ll rubber stamp it, then the country will have truly gone to the dogs.

  94. hefner
    December 26, 2020

    The 1256 pages are available on ec.europa.eu , accessible from ‘full text’ in the article ‘Commission publishes full text of UK-EU trade agreement’ , 26/12/2020 10:09

    1. steve
      December 27, 2020

      hefner

      ‘Commission publishes full text of UK-EU trade agreement’ ‘full text’

      ……..no such precise title or link on the website.

      Maybe it’s been ‘geo-blocked’ by Johnson who will think it’s not good for us to know what he’s done. I wouldn’t be at all surprised.

      1. steve
        December 27, 2020
  95. jon livesey
    December 26, 2020

    I have a suggestion about what *not* to do. Do not try to rebuild the UK’s fishing fleet overnight. If we try to do that, we will simply slam the existing building yards in the UK with far too many orders for fishing vessels, and if we persist, we will then end up importing new vessels that could be built in the UK over a longer time-frame. So the effort will end up benefiting yards in Europe rather than the UK. It will be far more sustainable if we take a more measured approach to rebuilding the fishing fleet, with moderate annual building over the whole five year transition period.

    Secondly, don’t be in too much of a hurry to reclaim the fishing grounds. We have established the principle of UK control, so we can afford to be fairly generous in allowing the EU fleet to continue to fish through the transition period. If we cut off the EU fleet too quickly, we will disrupt the distribution of fish in the EU, and they will have to turn to someone to make up the deficit, and that won’t be us, since we currently can’t meet the demand.

    Given that thee is going to be a transition period, let’s use it to manage a gradual change so that UK vessels replace EU vessels in UK waters slowly enough that the distribution industry can manage the changeover *within* the UK-EU and without establishing too many new supply relationships that risk excluding us from the EU market. Let’s make haste slowly.

  96. Jacqueline Heath
    December 26, 2020

    I would like to see the UK’s tax system move more towards taxing assets and more away from taxing earnings. Earnings are literally money paid for time spent and, as everyone has limited time, such a method of taxation (carefully calculated by those in control) inevitably makes a society where ordinary people are kept in relative poverty. If earnings were taxed less then ordinary working people would have more incentive to work, more rewards for working and therefore more income to put into assets. As long as assets were taxed (carefully calculated by those in control) in such a way as to produce the relatively low returns that earnings currently give then they would still be invested in and done so in larger amounts by people who had more disposable income and more incentive to work to increase that income. I think the country would boom under such a regime. I’m sorry that I can’t be as specific on individual laws as you were in your post because I think it is very important to be able to point the way forward but I am not a tax specialist and as such only get to see the big picture, not the fine detail.

    1. Frances Truscott
      December 27, 2020

      You mean tax the housing the elderly scrimped and saved for and hope to hand on to children ,or do you mean the savings people plan to use for care or to remain independent.?
      What we actually need is a smaller State and lower taxes. Let people keep more of their own money to grow the economy.

    2. Mike Wilson
      December 27, 2020

      If I save some money – it becomes an asset. You want me to be taxed on it!!!! You can do one, as they say.

  97. Lifelogic
    December 26, 2020

    Well Starmer says they will.

  98. hefner
    December 26, 2020

    Very mixed news, indeed: from 01/01/2021 the UK leaves most of the EU Space Programme, leaving Galileo, the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service, the EU Space Surveillance and Tracking, and the new Governmental Satellite Communications programme. It keeps participating in the Copernicus programme but all its EU-related activities will start to move to Bonn, Germany from Reading, UK where they had been running since 2005. Not a happy day.

    1. glen cullen
      December 26, 2020

      Not one of those programmes have helped an unemployed 18 year old person from Newcastle

      1. Fred H
        December 27, 2020

        Nor a person who cannot live on State pension and wants to work other than for a supermarket.
        Nor a 50 year-old now unemployed with no prospect of his/her former job ever returning.
        Nor a high percentage of recent degree holders finding a job in the next year.
        Nor anybody relying on employee taxation being reduced, council taxes being reduced, cost of food and clothing being reduced.

        1. glen cullen
          December 27, 2020

          well said

    2. jon livesey
      December 27, 2020

      You expected us to leave the EU and have EU programs continue to domicile in the UK? Can you explain the thinking behind this expectation?

      1. Frances Truscott
        December 27, 2020

        We have the expertise the programs need?

      2. hefner
        December 27, 2020

        Jon, No, unfortunately I was not expecting such things. I posted this comment just to show that the present agreement is having an impact pretty close to Sir John’s constituency. But the fishies were obviously more important to him.

        Glen, unfortunately again, the unemployed 18-year old in Newcastle would have had very little chance to integrate any of the companies linked to these various EU programs except maybe as a cleaner in a ‘service’ company. But the disappearance of these EU-linked companies is unlikely to boost the overall level of employment whether in Newcastle or elsewhere in the UK.

    3. ChrisS
      December 27, 2020

      We cannot expect to retain organisations in the UK of which we are no longer members, that’s a given. It might well be against the best interests of all parties, including the EU, but they are determined to take over everything that has those hated gold stars over the door.

  99. jon livesey
    December 26, 2020

    I have not read many of the headbanger and trolling comments – they boast of not reading the summary text, which has been available for days, so I don’t read their comments, fair’s fair.

    My only criticism of JR’s suggestions is that they are too specific. We did not leave the EU just to revive shipbuilding and fisheries, and reviving them won’t work in the long run unless we get a grip on efficiency and costs.

    We didn’t lose our ship-building industry just because of EU membership – although that obviously did not help – but because countries like South Korea found efficient ways to build ships that for one reason or another, British yards did not emulate.

    JR’s suggestions suffer from the defect that they assume there is a “we” who can turn some magic switch post-Brexit. In fact, Brexit is going to enable growth, by reducing regulation within the UK – I mean Brexit in general, not just the FTA – but it’s not going to drive growth. There is no magic switch.

    To drive growth, we are going to have to bounce UK companies out of the comfortable habit of importing rather than manufacturing, and importing from the EU rather than from the World. Our trade with the rest of the World is already growing multiples faster than our stagnating trade with the EU, so that is where to look for growth. By trading, not by nagging and telling. Don’t see Brexit as an excuse to go back to the bad old days of the Government “guiding” the economy.

    We should really see Brexit as abandoning the protection of being behind EU tariff walls – protection always harms competitiveness – and an opportunity to expose UK businesses to the full force of World competition. After that, we can expect free trade and the usual forces of economics to do the job.

    If, in ten years, the UK is still messing around “encouraging” folk to build this vessel in this yard and that vessel in another, we will have wasted Brexit. In fact, we will be back in the Seventies.

  100. glen cullen
    December 26, 2020

    Now I understand why Boris has gone GREEN – to comply with page 397 Article COMPROV.5: Fight against climate change

    Its all starting to make sense

    1. Lifelogic
      December 27, 2020

      Job destroying and job exporting insanity it will not even save CO2 emissions just export them and wreck the economy possible even increase them. I suspect that Boris (though not Carrie) knows this too.

      Not that CO2 tree and plant food is really a serious problem anyway.

  101. John Partington
    December 26, 2020

    I hope the ERG will vote against this so called FTA. More red tape and not taking back control. Initial euphoria will evaporate when all of this text has been scrutinized. No wonder VDL and Europe are happy and in particular,Macron has had a huge win for his fishermen.
    Our fishermen were sacrificed.

  102. glen cullen
    December 26, 2020

    Its not a free trade agreement if we’re paying for it

    p1050

    The Commission shall issue, at the latest on 16 April and on 16 July of each financial year, a call for funds to the United Kingdom that corresponds to the contribution of the United Kingdom under this Agreement for each of the programmes, activities, or parts thereof, in which the United Kingdom participates.

    1. jon livesey
      December 27, 2020

      That is a foolish comment. We are paying our share of programs we choose to belong to. There is a list of programs we chose to remain in, and a list of programs we decided to leave.

      This is no different to paying our share of NATO, or CERN, or the WHO or the UN. It is not the same as “paying” fro the FTA.

      I am seriously getting a bit concerned about the state of education, logical thinking and awareness in the UK. Can it really be the case that so many people in the UK literally cannot tell the difference between paying for a program that you voluntarily join as a non-EU member, and paying for programs you are obliged to join as an EU member?

      Is that very obvious distinction too much to handle?

      1. hefner
        December 27, 2020

        +1

      2. glen cullen
        December 27, 2020

        We just can’t understand why those programmes are part of an FTA – they have absolutely nothing to do with TRADE

        Those programmes aren’t in the Japanses, Korean or Canada FTAs

        I fear that some people can’t see the bigger picture

    2. Mark B
      December 27, 2020

      As I kept on saying, it’s an Association Agreement not a FTA.

      We’ve been conned.

  103. cornishstu
    December 26, 2020

    I would like to see a repeal of the climate change act, along with all the green subsidies, until that happens I do not see things for the majority improving.

    1. glen cullen
      December 27, 2020

      Agree

  104. steve
    December 27, 2020

    Glen Cullen

    Yep, just like I suspected – total BRINO fudge.

    Caved in to macron.
    Handed over NI to the brave republic.

    And making sure we all have our cars taken off us at the request of the EU.

    All because he wouldn’t do as he’s bloody told and has no backbone. No wonder he plays games with the timing of things – he doesn’t want anyone to see what he’s done !

  105. Frances Truscott
    December 27, 2020

    I thought we were banned from creating Freeport’s because that wouldn’t be level playing field.

  106. John Eric Hoare
    December 27, 2020

    I have subscribed to your diary John Redwood because I think you have always been for Britain. I fully agree with your latest about Free ports and have our own Merchant Navy, where we could start with the smaller container ships like Everards. We had a n=vibrant Coastal service and a deep-sea variant where I was a deep-seaman with the New Zealand shipping Company sailing our of the Pool in London in the 19 fifties and Sixties. Then in the Norwegian Merchant Navy for a year, and the Australian Merchant Navy after that. Our Unified Britain has always been a sea-going Nation and should be again. With all the industries we had then. Steel, feeder railways, and container ships. All without militant Unions. At eighty-two, I hope to see the start before I die. Good lunch and a brilliant future to you, Bill Cash, Elizabeth The present Secretary of the treasury, and all those in Parliament who voted for our British Union’s Bright future. I wish you luck, John.

  107. John Eric Hoare
    December 27, 2020

    I have subscribed to your diary John Redwood because I think you have always been for Britain. I fully agree with your latest about Free ports and have our own Merchant Navy, where we could start with the smaller container coastal ships like Everards had. We had a vibrant Coastal service and a deep-sea variant where I was a deep-seaman with the New Zealand shipping Company sailing out of the Pool in London in the nineteen Fifties and Sixties. Then in the Norwegian Merchant Navy for a year, and finally the Australian Merchant Navy after that. finishing as a Survey Cox’n for the Dover Harbour Board. Our Unified Britain has always been a sea-going Nation and should be again. With all the industries we had then. Steel, feeder railways, and modern container ships. All without militant Unions. At eighty-two, I hope to see the start of British Free Ports before I die. Good luck and a brilliant future to you, Bill Cash, ElizabethTruss, all MPs. The latter the present Secretary of the treasury with a bright future, and all those in Parliament who voted for our British Union’s Bright future, who think as you do. I wish you luck in your future, John.

  108. David Webb
    December 27, 2020

    Sir John,
    I know you are a free marketeer, but Singapore manages to guide its industrial development. They have committees on the “future economy”, and are encouraging artificial intelligence, big data, robot technology, biotechnology/genetic engineering, fintech. They have policies in place to encourage technology start-ups and to offer loan guarantees to them, enabling those that have market capitalisations of over US$1bn (“unicorns”) to gain access to finance and commercialise their research. Compare the UK where on the AIM market, investors in start-ups are regularly wiped out as start-ups have no access to finance, and where they gain finance, the dilution and warrants and all sorts involved usually mean 99% loss of investment for the original investors. In the UK, there could hitherto have been no Microsofts or Googles. State aid should not fund failing companies, but should assist start-ups and the new technology sector. Loan guarantees don’t involve a penny upfront, although they do put the state on the hook in the worst case. We need to make sure the big tech, AI, fintech, biotech, robot technology centre of Europe is the UK. This is the real prize. Whether the civil service would drag its feet and prevent realisation of this vision is another matter entirely…

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