The problems with the single market

There are still those who regret our absence from the EU single market, and who wrongly confuse it with free trade.  The EU single market was instead a catch of regulations and controls which proved to be very damaging to large swathes of UK industry and business. Its Common Fishing Policy denuded our seas of fish and drove us from self sufficiency with good exports  into import dependence. The common energy policy was driving us into import dependence on interconnectors  for gas and electricity when as an independent country we could easily be self sufficient. In our first decade in the common market our car industry halved under the weight of tariff free competition from the continent, and our large nationalised steel industry with five huge integrated plants lost market share and came under pressure to start a big closure programme. Meanwhile the business services area where we were strong was not opened up to benefit us in return.

There are also those who seem to think our exit from the EU was mainly  to secure free trade deals with other countries, and who  now complain that there is no immediate prospect of an individually tailored US/UK Free Trade Agreement.  The EU never had one yet our trade with the US is strong, growing and in surplus . This shows that whilst Free Trade Agreements are  nice to have and can add something, the core of trade occurs under WTO rules anyway. We trade with the USA and with the EU as most favoured nations under WTO rules. It is more likely the UK will be an early joiner of the TPP, to be followed by US membership, thereby adding a freer trade proposal to our bilateral trade with America.

The main aim of leaving the EU was to restore our right to self government. I always stated that the gains would depend on how we use the freedoms, and never suggested the main point was to extend the range of free trade agreements, nice though that might be and likely though it was. The government has done a good job in negotiating trade deals so far, to the point where Mr Macron is incandescent with rage about our latest Australian agreement. The EU has got to learn now we are independent they cannot control us or reverse decisions we make with others that they do not like.

271 Comments

  1. Mick
    September 24, 2021

    Getting out of the EU was also to take control of our Borders, that’s a joke with the thousands that have invaded our shores so far this year even Hitler didn’t manage that, if the government don’t get a grip on the invading illegals then I’m afraid you might see people taking control themselves

    1. Mikey
      September 24, 2021

      +1

    2. Gary Megson
      September 24, 2021

      Simply untrue. The Uk has to deal with a tiny number of asylum seekers compared to France, Germany, Greece, etc. True, when we were in the EU we had procedures to send them back to the first country they arrived in, but we can’t do that any more. You can thank Brexit for that newly gained powerlessness

      1. mancunius
        September 24, 2021

        It was the EU that tore up the Dublin Agreement, and that was well before the 2016 referendum. But never let the truth get in the way of pique.

        1. Peter Parsons
          September 24, 2021

          If that was the case, how come, for example, the UK government website has guidance which applied up until the 31st December 2020 relating to Dublin III?

          I think you’ll find that Dublin III is still active.

        2. MiC
          September 25, 2021

          The Dublin agreement was not “torn up”, but because it placed the entire burden on Italy and Greece – even though the refugees did not even want to stay in those countries – Germany, Sweden stepped up to help them in the spirit of solidarity, and magnificently so.

          Since the problem was created in the first place by the US and the UK, their comments have been very restrained, I think.

      2. Micky Taking
        September 24, 2021

        and how many did the EU ever ‘send back?’ It was mainly Merkel who threw the doors open, even though various EU countries were annoyed at the invitations. She alone caused the mass opportunity for illegal entry of millions all over the continent.

        1. MiC
          September 25, 2021

          Absolute tripe – Mrs. Merkel was foremost in trying to improve external border security and in seeking arrangements with Turkey to stem the tide.

          Quite rightly the countries in the front line asked for help from other members, and it came.

      3. X-Tory
        September 24, 2021

        Comparing us with France and Germany (or any other country, for that matter) is idiotic. What’s the relevance? They are both larger countries than us, with much lower population densities. Our problem is extremely severe, and we are being swamped to an extent that is out of control and intolerable. Whether someone else’s pain is greater or lesser than mine is irrelevant to my degree of suffering. Your comments about Brexit are also completely wrong, but no surprise there, eh?

    3. Peter
      September 24, 2021

      ‘The main aim of leaving the EU was to restore our right to self government.’ That was the reason Boris Johnson was elected.

      Unfortunately he soon rushed through a very similar deal to May’s and we still don’t have self government.

      So the Spartans can have a belated celebratory dinner but the job is not yet finished. To make matters worse, Johnson has gone off at a tangent and introduced all sorts of measures that voters didn’t want or expect.

      1. DavidJ
        September 24, 2021

        +1

    4. Pauline Baxter
      September 24, 2021

      Agreed Mick.

    5. MiC
      September 24, 2021

      It seems to be that no two of you can agree for five minutes just what it was about, really.

      And the UK, like all the other members, had complete right to self-government. It’s just that in limited, strictly treaty-defined, and uncontroversial areas, that self was the larger one, including all the members. Even there, the UK had enormous influence with the second most MEPs and the maximum votes in the Council.

      Whatever, as we see all around us, leaving has resulted in an awful, ever-worsening mess.

      1. Peter2
        September 24, 2021

        As young andy keeps saying….we’ve left, get over it.

  2. Lifelogic
    September 24, 2021

    Exactly.

    As you say “I always stated that the gains would depend on how we use the freedoms” alas they are not being used very well at all. Boris has become a deluded, net zero CO2, tax increasing, high energy costs, borrow ÂŁbillions and piss down the drain, every larger government and a regulate to death socialist. These policies combined with high energy prices will give us higher inflation, higher interest rates and will strangle the recovery.

    1. Lifelogic
      September 24, 2021

      It will also hugely deter investment in businesses, jobs and such things as “natural gas storage” as you discussed yesterday. Why invest in storage of gas if the idiotic government has a misguided net zero agenda? Better to farm the insane wind farm subsidies off the tax payer!

    2. Oldtimer
      September 24, 2021

      Agreed. Johnson is a squander bug (to borrow a word from the past) and he squanders other people’s (our) money. The country cannot afford such a PM.

      1. Lifelogic
        September 24, 2021

        Indeed and the over complex and misguided tax rules, employment laws, planning rules, building regulations, health and safely rules and endless other largely pointless regulations squander much of our time too.

      2. MFD
        September 24, 2021

        Well said Oldtimer, I believe Boris has cut his own career short as even the silly who are stuck in cities with no option to escape will surely drop the green con now they can clearly see Boris’ direction of destruction.

    3. Nig l
      September 24, 2021

      You are deluded on Net Zero like a dinosaur and looked what happened to them. World politics even including the latest comments from the Chinese show how out of touch you are.

      Time to change the broken record.

      1. Lifelogic
        September 24, 2021

        The dinosaurs died out due to an asteroid impact and the impact winter that followed it is believed. So have the climate soothsayers got all these impacts and volcanic activities in their computer climate models?

  3. turboterrier
    September 24, 2021

    The biggest problem for many was that the people who inflicted the biggest controls over our country were in positions that we could not remove them from, by the democratic process.
    What is happening now in this country will in the fullness of time at the next General election dispell that what we have been subjected to we are totally supportive of. Unless our leader starts putting this country first, second and third and stop alÄș this trying to change the world with all its faults then he and the party he supposedly leads are going to reaÄșly suffer I fear. So the answer to today’s post is as it has always ever been, the Prime Minister and his cabinet hold all the cards to ensure success of any change process. The only problem they are not playing the game as voted for and expected by the electorate.. Change real change has got to happen pretty damned fast to get the country back in the right direction.

    1. alan jutson
      September 24, 2021

      turboterrior

      We also need the Clowns in opposition to change tack as well, in order to give the people an alternative to vote for.
      At the moment virtually the whole of Parliament appears to be wedded to this climate change charge to rapid self harm and penury for many.

      1. DavidJ
        September 24, 2021

        Indeed.

      2. JoolsB
        September 24, 2021

        We need a third party to emerge that are different to the two Socialist parties currently on offer – Labour and the fake Conservatives.

      3. turboterrier
        September 24, 2021

        Alan Jutson
        Thank you Alan fair play I didn’t quite get across the whole of parliament has to be/get involved but it will be the people themselves that have the last call.

  4. Newmania
    September 24, 2021

    The UK insurance market was the largest in Europe and the loss of access to Europe has been a disaster. Premium emanating from the EEA written into Lloyds ( about £4/5 bn) has to be Insured by a new entity “Lloyd’s Brussels “ ( and automatically Reinsured into London) .It is subject to Belgian licencing who took the view it was engaging in unauthorised insurance distribution back in April . Predictably the cost is extraordinary.
    The UK is excluded from the EEA passporting scheme .Our own regularity bodies allowed an extension for inward Insurance under it .UK insurers ,are as we have seen excluded from Europe.
    Again the costs are prohibitive in both directions.
    London Insurance has many sectors but in terms of Europe which was fast growing area the UK is now the worst placed in Europe to locate any new venture.
    Talk to anyone about what they actually know about and they will tell you the same story. Cost , lost opportunity ,and exclusion. I wonder if Sir John has the slightest idea what I am talking about ?

    1. Nig l
      September 24, 2021

      A disaster? The usual emotive subjective, you weren’t anti Brexit were you, and Europe’s loss more than ours. I see no sign of mass unemployment in our financial services sector nor significant shrinking.

      And how strange not mention wider post pandemic growth where we seem to be doing quite well.

      A condescending question to Sir JR who didn’t give it the time of day by answering it. I am confident he will be fully briefed. Indeed as ever you have ignored the big picture cherry picking to support your view.

      What I am certain of is that the Government is not giving the appearance of working hard to protect the City and we need all the pronouncements on digital currency, de regs etc to actually

      Lose a bit on the City gain a lot on submarines.

    2. Nig l
      September 24, 2021

      And we read today that the City has retained its European crown, indeed exports increased during the past three months and only second to New York in the global financial centres index.

      Talk to anyone who knows about these things. Obviously not you.

    3. DavidJ
      September 24, 2021

      All worth nothing compared to our loss of independence.

  5. GilesB
    September 24, 2021

    The biggest problem with the single market is that it is based on the Napoleonic concept that ‘Nothing is allowed unless it is explicitly approved’.

    This inevitably means:
    – an enormous volume and complexity of regulations covering every detail of commercial activity which is very expensive to maintain, to implement and to enforce
    – regulations cannot keep up with changes in demography, or technology, or external economics, such as the price of gas
    – innovation is almost impossible as the regulators will not allow new products and processes until there is demonstrated demand and proven products
    – special interest groups successfully lobby for loopholes and subsidies which become permanently embedded in obscure regulations

    The common law principle that ‘Everything is allowed unless it is expressly prohibited’ doesn’t lead to anything like the same scale of problems. Yes the regulators are always playing catch-up behind the innovators, but that is as it should be. And special interest groups do lobby successfully, but with much simpler regulations it is harder to conceal vote-buying and corruption.

    The sooner we replace EU regulations the better. But not with U.K. variations of the same regulations saying what is allowed. Just simple regulation saying what is prohibited

    1. Lifelogic
      September 24, 2021

      Indeed – can I legally buy a pound of delicious English cob nuts, plums, pears and apples yet at the market?

      1. Peter Parsons
        September 24, 2021

        You’ve always been legally allowed to do this.

      2. Andy
        September 24, 2021

        You always could. The Weights & Measures Act – English law – never stopped anyone from buying or selling in pounds & ounces, providing the seller also displayed in metric too.

        Seeing that we haven’t taught imperial measurements in schools since the 1970’s you’d be a particularly dim retailer to sell using measurements that the vast majority of under 60s never even learned.

      3. rose
        September 24, 2021

        I have been buying in pounds and ounces for decades. Just ask for a pound of this or four ounces of that. The shopkeepers never argue. Why would they? The customer is always right.

        1. MiC
          September 24, 2021

          There has never been any law whatsoever against you doing that, Rose.

          1. Micky Taking
            September 24, 2021

            If you read it Rose never suggested a law against, merely that sensible shopkeepers would meet her request, or lose the business. You know just like the EU (not) who would choose to lose the business.

          2. MiC
            September 24, 2021

            Nonsense – I’ve been offered meat in “le livre” in France.

          3. Peter2
            September 24, 2021

            Well as long as you displayed the EU requirements first.

        2. Ian Wragg
          September 24, 2021

          But they mainly give you 250 or 500 grammes.
          I had to complain to the manager at ASDA who was advertising fruit by the pound when their scales only read grammes and kilograms.
          It made people think they were getting more for their money when the advertised punnets were only 200gramme. He didn’t even know there was 454 grammes to a pound.

          1. Micky Taking
            September 24, 2021

            my guess is the manager was a mere kid?

    2. Pauline Baxter
      September 24, 2021

      GilesB has a very good point there about the Napoleonic Code versus our own common law.
      It certainly has undermined our economic health for far too long as well as our personal liberties.

      1. MiC
        September 24, 2021

        Common law is only part of English jurisprudence. There are Statute and Equity too, and both of them trump it.

  6. Lifelogic
    September 24, 2021

    The government’s idiotic ten point green crap plan debunked.

    1. advancing offshore wind – worldwide under 2% of world human energy comes from wind and solar – so it is all rather irrelevant, being intermittent it needs fossil fuel back up (of very expensive storage) and large tax payer subsidies. Plus it needs much fossil fuel to build, install and maintain too.

    2. driving the growth of low carbon hydrogen – hydrogen in a very expensive and inefficient way of storing energy not a source of energy. We have no hydrogen mines so get real. To make it you need near zero carbon electricity and we have none of that either. Huge amounts of energy are waste using electricity to make hydrogen and then to compress. store and use it.

    3. delivering new and advanced nuclear power – well yes this would be good but Hinkley C was an appalling choice.

    4. accelerating the shift to zero emission vehicles – well as there is no such thing as a zero emission vehicle (they are emissions elsewhere vehicles & often great emissions) this will be hard. Keeping your old ICE car actually saves far more CO2 than causing a new EV and Battery to be mined and manufactured in general.

    5. green public transport, cycling and walking – human food is not a CO2 efficient fuel if it were we might usefully design cars to run of steak, chips and peas. We do not as it is a very CO2 and energy inefficient fuel to grow, package, butcher, freeze, transport & cook.

    6 ‘jet zero’ and green ships – dream on mate range anxiety is far worse on planes than cars. Plus batteries are very heavy (so more energy needed to take off), do not hold much energy, depreciate rapidly and often burst into flames. As for green ships are we to return to sailing or are we to have nuclear ones?

    7. greener buildings – insulation can sometime be worthwhile but often not cost effective and occasionally a disaster as with Grenville Tower and all the clad buildings hugely devalued.

    8. investing in carbon capture, usage and storage – well this wastes load of the energy generated to capture and store the C02. Circa doubles the price of the electricity and pointless as C02 is net beneficial anyway.

    9. protecting our natural environment – well OK you can have that one but more atmospheric CO2 plant, crop and tree food will green it nicely.

    10. green finance and innovation – I assume this means higher taxes and money to be pissed down the drain on daft “green” projects like the moronic HS2.

    Does anyone competent work for Boris or in his energy department or all they all daft PPE, Classics and History graduates?

    1. Lifelogic
      September 24, 2021

      I should have added public transport is generally not very low CO2 producing either. Once you consider track, stations, staffing, low general occupancy (outside rush hours), the longer indirect routes taken, the endless stopping and starting for buses, the end connections needed for trains …

      1. Everhopeful
        September 24, 2021

        +1
        Great analysis but honestly I have come to the conclusion that it is all a sham.
        It is like pretending one can live off grid and survive on permaculture ( to get the grants).
        What did govt. care about our well-being when they imprisoned us?
        We have been SHUT OUT of our paid for “healthcare” for all this time.
        They will happily see us with no form of heating, no transport and no food.
        Remember the things Mao did?

        1. Lifelogic
          September 24, 2021

          +1. Deaths caused by Mao estimated at 40 to 80 million victims through starvation, persecution, prison labour, and mass executions. This is where socialist policies lead and we now only have socialist parties in parliament.

          At least we have the problems energy problems caused by the idiotic T May capping energy prices, wage controls and her (and Boris’s) moronic net zero agenda. Rather like the even dafter John Major thinking that he could control exchange rates with the ERM (to join the EURO) and the massive disaster that he caused.

          Not thank goodness Mao’s evil land and other “reforms” – but this might well come soon Ed Miliband was all for asset thefts off land owners on his tomb stone and Starmer seems to want it too to fund the communist NHS.

    2. a-tracy
      September 24, 2021

      4. you may be able to keep your old ICE car for a while but when forecourts become to expensive to refuel and the quantities of fuel become uneconomic the price will rise and become too expensive. I worry about the people who can’t afford battery replacements on second-hand electric cars and their freedom curtails. You’ll be able to afford to switch when the time comes, they’ll be left on the bus.

      1. Everhopeful
        September 24, 2021

        +1
        And today this whole town is clogged with desperate queues for petrol.
        Soon it will be shivering crowds lining up for meat!

        1. MiC
          September 27, 2021

          You voted for it – stop whingeing.

      2. Lifelogic
        September 24, 2021

        The main reason fuel is expensive on the forecourts is government taxes at 80% or so of sales price and daft rules enforcing enriched ethanol on people.

        1. glen cullen
          September 24, 2021

          Just a little bit more legislation and social engineering

        2. Micky Taking
          September 24, 2021

          well the E10 – 10% geddit, is no more expensive than the E5 currently next to it at the pump.
          Whats all the fuss about?

          1. Lifelogic
            September 25, 2021

            Fewer miles per gallon (in effect a back door tax increase as you need to buy more petrol and thus pay more tax) and damages some older cars too.

      3. glen cullen
        September 24, 2021

        I bet someone in government is already planning for ‘special’ VIP & MPs only forecourts

        1. Lifelogic
          September 24, 2021

          +1

      4. Original Richard
        September 24, 2021

        a-tracy :

        “I worry about the people who can’t afford battery replacements on second-hand electric cars and their freedom curtails.”

        I’ve even read that battery replacement won’t be possible because the battery will be the subframe of the EV and a whole car replacement will be needed.

        I hope the Government legislates to make sure that batteries on all EVs can be replaced/upgraded when new battery technology comes along.

        1. glen cullen
          September 24, 2021

          With regard to EVs I hope that government stops any future planned legislation and repeal current legislation – I’m fed up with this marxist approach of making new laws for everything, back off let the people decide what they like and don’t like
.remember the old adage ‘buyer beware’

  7. Ian Wragg
    September 24, 2021

    The first problem is convincing the uncivil Serpents that we are out of the single market.
    It’s time we ditched the Northern Ireland protocol and started policing our fishing grounds.
    We could also pay fishermen to return the Channel invaders.
    We should also embark on a policy for the public sector to buy British.
    We’ve a long way to go.
    4 out of 10 so far John.

    1. Lifelogic
      September 24, 2021

      +1 (but the fishermen & channel invaders not such a good plan). These people will stop getting into boats if and when it is made clear that they will never be allowed to stay. Just as people blocking motorways and roads will stop doing so if suitable criminal deterrents are used.

      Alas no political will exists for this and the courts too often seem to be on the side of the criminals too.

      1. Everhopeful
        September 24, 2021

        +1
        Softly, softly for XR until they get massive support to stop ALL protests.
        They want to lock us in and silence us.

      2. Lifelogic
        September 24, 2021

        So now the insulation nutters are blocking the port at Dover (and we already have a shortage of truck drivers). Well done Grant Shapps, Priti Patel and our virtually useless senior police officers. So why Grant was the injunction not against blocking any road & not just the M25? Why are the police doing almost nothing – they have plenty for laws they can use but choose not to? It this on instructions from Boris/Carrie?

        1. Micky Taking
          September 24, 2021

          The next trick will be to organise their cars to ‘break down’ slowly alongside one another on the M25….just like a Police rolling road block – but all braking to a halt. They get out lift the bonnet keys in pocket whilst grinning.
          You heard it here first.

          1. a-tracy
            September 25, 2021

            The police and vehicle rescue services should get get on with removing them quickly, don’t give them the oxygen of publicity, prosecute them and charge them for the losses of the people they delay.

      3. Hope
        September 24, 2021

        LL,

        Buying Energy from France is linked to fishing UK waters. Do you really think there will be any change? Theoretical at best. Johnson sold out on fisheries be in no doubt. Another mess by this govt.

        UK stupidly agreed level playing field in key areas which tie and restrict a free trading UK. I cannot see this in JR’s blog.

        ECHR explicit in the sell out, despite three Fake Tory PMs telling us the UK would leave it! ECJ also applies. N.Ireland protocol is going no where- we were told that by govt ministers! Independence from EU my foot. All dangers of this sell out were highlighted in advance in publications and debate forums. The spin, lies and propaganda continues to deflect reality.

        1. MiC
          September 24, 2021

          ECHR.
          Is.
          Not.
          A.
          European Union.
          Institution.
          Churchill.
          Was.
          Instrumental.
          In
          Setting.
          It.
          Up.

          1. Peter2
            September 24, 2021

            However MiC
            It has been hijacked and taken over by the EU lefty elite.

          2. Micky Taking
            September 24, 2021

            you never did a get new keyb, did you?

          3. MiC
            September 24, 2021

            So, which of its judges are part of this “lefty elite” then, Pete?

            Come on, name a couple, eh?

          4. Lifelogic
            September 25, 2021

            Exactly Peter2

        2. glen cullen
          September 24, 2021

          Hope – Spot on… every single word

      4. Lifelogic
        September 24, 2021

        Sorry do we have to say “fishers” now like “batters”!

        1. Micky Taking
          September 24, 2021

          how about ‘wood carriers’?

  8. turboterrier
    September 24, 2021

    Like with the French diesel submarine deal with Australia, a lot of the so called projects we have entered into are decades out of date. Being solo or tied to the EU would not have made a gnats difference to the decisions that have been taken. The answers are all in the hands of the government, deal with all the waste and when you think you have done enough, look again and again. It’s a never ending process. When companies got all their internal markets working and pulling together, the external customers receive customer service excellence and everybody prospers.
    Which begs the question. “Why are RFAs for our navy built abroad” How was that be allowed to happen?

    1. SM
      September 24, 2021

      +1

  9. Mark B
    September 24, 2021

    Good morning.

    For me, the whole point of LEAVING the EU was that we would, once again, be able to do things that suit us, both internally and externally. We would also remove the excuse Ministers always used that, due to our membership of the ‘Stupid Club’ we could not do the things we wanted. That lame excuse has been removed and now they stand and fall on their own. It is called, ‘taking responsibility’.

    One other such benefit of not being in the EU is, that whilst it was a bigger block of nations it was a block that basically split into two halves. The ‘givers’, and the ‘takers’. The ‘givers’ were always outnumbered by the takers and that the UK was always sidelined due to the Franco-German relationship / block vote that always saw us get a bad deal out of everything. Hence no Single Market on Services. The UK was, as was not always appreciated, just 1/28th of just one say. That is, at the WTO, it would be the EU Commission that would represent UK interests and not the UK itself. That has now changed. To me this and other matters are the first steps to becoming a more global player able to act for and on its own behalf. Pity we see so few in Westminster and Whitehall still wedded to the little EU, failing, or refusing to see, a bigger, better world is out their.

    1. Lifelogic
      September 24, 2021

      +1

    2. Everhopeful
      September 24, 2021

      +1

    3. alan jutson
      September 24, 2021

      +1

    4. agricola
      September 24, 2021

      +++, but is a gone green conservative government equiped and manned to do it, for a waiting real conservative electorate. It went green with no mandate. As such you are in a mess in 2024.

    5. Nota#
      September 24, 2021

      @Mark B, + 1 Remember Barnier, (paraphrase)“no deal is done until all deals are done”

      Has a full comprehensive deal been done with the EU? So lets have the straightforward WTO arrangement promised and be treated on the same terms as everyone else. The US without a trading agreement with the EU gets in comparison to the UK preferential treatment of Services and Banking

    6. Newmania
      September 24, 2021

      Hence no Single Market on Services.

      Except that you are 100% wrong. I have discussed some aspects of the single market in Services above but UK Services were huge beneficiaries of the single market. Settling for No Deal Brexit on Services ( which we export on a vast scale ) whilst allowing Germany to export its cars and so on , tariff free to the UK was the worst deal we could have done .
      It was politically expedient for the Conservative Party which has calculated it can risk South East and London Service jobs because the constituencies are either safe or out of reach .
      This is also why we are are being taxed to subsidise Northern investment . If the South East does not register protest at the next election we will be bled to death by another 5 years of this Government – I am highly hopeful my own Seat will go yellow

      1. MiC
        September 24, 2021

        The subsidy simply to Yorkshire each year is greater than our European Union contributions were.

        1. Peter2
          September 24, 2021

          But that is an internal democratic decision MiC
          Contained within our own border.

          1. MiC
            September 24, 2021

            And?

        2. a-tracy
          September 25, 2021

          Martin, says who? I thought the highest subsidy was paid out in London, when you talk about subsidy what are you talking about exactly.

      2. X-Tory
        September 24, 2021

        ” Settling for No Deal Brexit on Services ( which we export on a vast scale ) whilst allowing Germany to export its cars and so on , tariff free to the UK was the worst deal we could have done .” As it happens, I agree with you – but the blame lies 100% with the Remainer traitors in parliament who prevented us from leaving without a deal on goods, and the EU, knowing that, were able to refuse us one on services (while getting what they wanted on goods). The EU’s Remainer quislings served them well. They are the ones to blame. They are the enemies of Britain and the British people.

        1. MiC
          September 24, 2021

          Why do you hate your country’s Constitution?

          1. a-tracy
            September 25, 2021

            MiC why do you hate your Country? If it is your Country, the more I read that you write the more I doubt it.

    7. jerry
      September 24, 2021

      @Mark B; “For me, the whole point of LEAVING the EU was that we would, once again, be able to do things that suit us, both internally and externally.”

      Stop the world, we want to get off!
      How do you propose for the UK do what we like, how we like, without also leaving both the UN and WTO?

      One of the first things the Johnson govt had to do, upon taking over from May, having gained both EU and UK parliamentary approvals for the WA was to make and publish a list of applicable world customs tariffs. The UK now has to trade as the WTO (or WA) permits, in the absence of individual FTAs -the latter, at times, seem anything but “the simplest trade deals in history” to negotiate, even with some of our otherwise closes diplomatic friends…

      “The UK [as a member of the EU] was, as was not always appreciated, just 1/28th of just one say.”

      True but now, as is not always appreciated by some Brexiteers, we are something like 1/150th, and still with only just one say at the WTO, but then so are China, the USA … and the EU. What is more the UK still needs to make our case, fight our corner, which is easier, negotiating majority support, or at least compromise, from 28 or from 150?

      Mark (and Mr Lifelogic), Brexit rhetoric is cheap but a totally worthless currency outside UK political borders, some people need to wake up to the new realities.

      Reply At WTO we choose our own tariff regime instead of having the wrong one forced on us by EU

      1. Mark B
        September 25, 2021

        There is a difference between doing something that suits us and doing what we want. We are still bound by international agreements and law. I thought to most people that was self evident, but sadly, in your case, I was wrong.

        1. jerry
          September 25, 2021

          @Mark B; “There is a difference between doing something that suits us and doing what we want.”

          There is no difference, we can not do what “suits us” when what suits us is against international law or treaty, I thought to most people that would be self evident, but sadly, in your case, I was wrong… 😛

          I would dearly love the UK to be able to export/import, tariff free, certain products to & from the USA, but then also impose penalising tariffs on other countries products (and I’m sure I’m not a lone voice when I suggest that), I believe it would ‘suit‘ both the UK and USA nicely to do so without the need for a full-fat FTA, but we can’t do so without breaking international law/treaties that both the USA and UK [1] have each signed up to.

          [1] often back in the days of GATT, pre WTO and EU

    8. MiC
      September 24, 2021

      Simply being part of any association of civilised nations would appear to stop you from doing “what you want to do”.

      1. Micky Taking
        September 24, 2021

        Civilised like Malta, France etc mass shooting migrating birds for fun? Spain sticking spikes in bulls to torment them before thrusting a sword in the skull? France for enjoying frogs having legs sliced off for a meal? Italians forcing milk down throats to make veal available?
        What do you enjoy doing in Wales?

        1. glen cullen
          September 24, 2021

          Remember 1990s TV show ‘Eurotrash’
.the show was bang on, they were all a little bit weird

        2. Fedupsoutherner
          September 24, 2021

          Micky. Don’t forget throwing dogs out of cars and throwing donkeys off cliffs.

        3. MiC
          September 25, 2021

          Well, this country could always not have opted out of the European Union-wide ban on non-stun slaughter, couldn’t it?

          But it didn’t.

        4. jerry
          September 25, 2021

          @Micky Taking; “Civilised like Malta, France etc mass shooting migrating birds for fun? Spain sticking spikes in bulls to torment them before thrusting a sword in the skull?”

          You need to take a closer look at the UK’s own various Country and Blood sports….

      2. Peter2
        September 24, 2021

        It depends who makes the original decisions MiC.
        Would Canada or Mexico allow America to force them to do things?

  10. Rhoddas
    September 24, 2021

    Dear Sir John,
    Thank you and to the Brexit Spartan MPs who resisted Mrs May’s deal. We are deeply grateful for your steadfast actions and determination. God bless you all 🙏.

    1. Lifelogic
      September 24, 2021

      +1

    2. Shirley M
      September 24, 2021

      +1 We were so close to losing Brexit.

      1. Everhopeful
        September 24, 2021

        +1
        I know what you mean and I was delighted.
        But I think we have been Johnson-led into something much worse.
        Or maybe the EU was merely a stepping stone on the way to globalism?
        Always the aim?

      2. Nig l
        September 24, 2021

        Yes Mrs May ‘lied’ regularly including on the Andrew Marr show. My MP Leo Docherty voted for her deal and then for a completely different one.

        Like so many MPs more interested in self promotion than what his electorate voted for,

        1. Lifelogic
          September 24, 2021

          Indeed we voted for no NI, income tax or VAT increases and the triple lock. Yet they have already ratted on these. But only a handful of honourable Tory MPs (including our host) voted correctly on this issue. It will not raise more tax anyway quite the reverse!

          1. a-tracy
            September 25, 2021

            It will raise more immediate tax though Lifelogic this year.

      3. Mike Wilson
        September 24, 2021

        It doesn’t feel like winning.

      4. jerry
        September 24, 2021

        @Shirley M; We were are so close to losing Brexit.

        I’ve corrected that for you… Boris and the govt has 12 to 18 months to make Brexit work, otherwise all bets are off.

      5. Lifelogic
        September 24, 2021

        Not “losing” but close to having it stolen from the voters by appalling Theresa May, Bercow, Hammond, all the Benn Act Traitors, the Libdims, greens, SNP, most of the Labour Party and the rest of the dire remoaners.

        Many alas now back in Parliament and the Tory Party. It seems Northern Ireland have alas had it stolen from them.

        1. MiC
          September 24, 2021

          Had what “stolen” from them?

          They voted handsomely not to leave the European Union at all.

          1. Peter2
            September 24, 2021

            Defying the popular vote.

            “This your decision we will implement what you decide”

            A UK Prime Minister promised that.

          2. MiC
            September 24, 2021

            Aye, so much for “localism” eh?

        2. jerry
          September 24, 2021

          @LL; “close to having it stolen from the voters by appalling [../personal abuse etc/..]”

          Yours is silly, simplistic, emotive, undemocratic nonsense…

          No one outside of parliament has ever voted on HOW the UK should have left the EU, not even during the General Election of 2019. Prior to 31st Oct 2019, if the then democratically elected parliament were trying to steal-away the democratic wishes of the electorate then so too were those who wanted another form of Brexit, as there was no consensus on the matter because the electorate had never been asked to give one.

          People are very quick to call the GE of 2019 “The Brexit Election” but if that was the case, because a full Conservative manifesto was published [1], just as in any other GE, then so to was the GE of 2017, the difference being by Dec. 2019 a majority of much the same electorate simply wanted Brexit done, by any deal possible, unlike in 2017.

          [1] and whilst the manifesto was insistent on “getting Brexit done” there was little detail given

        3. Shirley M
          September 24, 2021

          +1 Well said LL.

      6. Andy
        September 24, 2021

        Imagine if you’d have lost Brexit?

        You might still be able to buy stuff.

        1. Peter2
          September 24, 2021

          Try Waitroses or Lidl
          I went to both today.
          Loads on shelves andy.

          1. jerry
            September 24, 2021

            @Peter2; Shortages seem to be regional and differ by location. Plenty of fresh veg and fruit in my local supermarkets, but then this area is one of the major suppliers of such produce, on the other hand some tinned and frozen goods haven’t been available for weeks.

        2. Micky Taking
          September 24, 2021

          John Lennon never visualised us being free!

          1. MiC
            September 24, 2021

            Tom Paine was right.

            “The English are an extraordinary race. They are willing to fight to the death for the right to have no rights”. ( I paraphrase perhaps)

            Little has changed.

          2. Peter2
            September 25, 2021

            Ridiculous statement MiC
            We have fought over centuries to remain free.

          3. MiC
            September 25, 2021

            In particular, by fighting the French, to avoid the benefits of its revolution being conferred upon the people of these islands.

            As I say, Tome Paine was spot-on.

            He’d recognise the forelock-tugging Leave voters any day, still fighting the Napoleonic Wars for their still-feudal masters.

          4. Peter2
            September 25, 2021

            Complete Historical nonsense MiC

        3. a-tracy
          September 25, 2021

          Andy what stuff can’t you buy right now, in which location and which shops?

  11. Sakara Gold
    September 24, 2021

    The energy crisis seems to have a life of its own. In an unfortunate choice of words Kwarteng has “categorically” ruled out subsidising the big six to take on the millions of customers of the smaller energy suppliers who did not hedge their gas purchases on the open market. Their response will be to refuse to take them, forcing Kwarteng to set up a special administrator using 2011 legislation and – to Labour’s delight – continue the re-privatisation of the energy industry that begain when May imposed price caps.

    Now we have the spectacle of queues of motorists blocking roads near garages in response to petrol shortages. Once again the extremely dodgy SoS Transport Grant Shwraps has failed to anticipate a crisis despite being warned about it last year.

    The pensioners are organising to protest the scrapping of the triple lock. The single mothers will not be far behind as they are forced to live off food banks again. The government has gratuitously offended SME’s, – who are the backbone of the economy – with tax rises, the nurses, the police and now millions of voters who followed government advice and switched energy suppliers.

    We had better start preparations for a Conservative winter of discontent and a Labour government after the next GE.

    1. a-tracy
      September 25, 2021

      Sakara Gold – we never detail just how much Single Mother’s get gross; all benefits including housing benefit, council tax, we never ask them how many hours they are working? We never ask what contributions the father of the child/children makes. I read yesterday 20% of children are on free school meals which we were told by Polly Toynbee was given for every family earning less than ÂŁ7500 per year, thats 15 hours per week on minimum wage. Are we are talking about ÂŁ7500 being net after full housing benefits. GB News come on give us the facts a single mother with two children working 16 hours per week what are all the allowances, how come I’m told ‘they’re better off getting rid of the Dad and living alone with the State as Dad’. Increased training allowances for Mum, increased child care allowances for Mum, housing costs covered for Mum.

  12. Micky Taking
    September 24, 2021

    OFF TOPIC.
    It could take more than a decade to clear the cancer-treatment backlog in England, a report suggests.
    Research by the Institute for Public Policy Research estimated 19,500 people who should have been diagnosed had not been, because of missed referrals. If hospitals could achieve a 5% increase in the number of treatments over pre-pandemic levels, it would take until 2033 to clear the backlog.
    But if 15% more could be completed, backlogs could be cleared by next year.
    Increasing activity levels would require more cash for new equipment and more staff, however.
    And all this is dependent on those who have not come forward for checks seeking help.
    Between March 2020 and February 2021, the number of referrals to see a specialist dropped by nearly 370,000 on the year before, a fall of 15%.
    Behind these figures are thousands of people for whom it will now be too late to cure their cancer, the report, with the CF health consultancy, warns.
    Why might it take more than a decade to clear? Thousands of these cases will result in their early, possibly avoidable death.

    1. Micky Taking
      September 24, 2021

      from the BBC News website – main page.

  13. Everhopeful
    September 24, 2021

    Can this gas and driver/petrol shortage really be an accident?
    After how various globalists have been banging on about the coming climate emergencies? ( just like this one!!).
    Just like they banged on for years about the coming “pandemic”.

    I mean
come on
the two things they want to ban
gas and petrol and all the many peripherals like meat.

    1. Nota#
      September 24, 2021

      @Everhopeful – while it does appear to be orchestrated Worldwide. This Government is in the position to lift the UK out of it fairly quickly. We have the knowhow, the people and the resources. What we don’t have is a Government that will do the job we have paid them for, use the authority we have lent them and keep the people safe and secure. Pratting around on the World Stage for something that you have no control over is better than doing your job.

      You could even suggest the PM has gone on furlough, so he is not around while the Country folds.

    2. Margaret Brandreth-
      September 24, 2021

      who got paid for the delays ?

  14. Richard1
    September 24, 2021

    Certainly Liz Truss’s successes have been excellent and completely de-bunked one of the main planks of project fear. The govt can hardly be blamed for the strong protectionist tradition on both sides of US politics. Biden is much more focused on taxes, spending, wokery etc than on free trade, so it would be a waste of time pursuing a US trade deal at the moment. Better to do it incrementally and join CPTPP, perhaps with the US in future.

    But apart from the trade deals what else has happened since Brexit which couldn’t have been done in the EEA or even the EU? We seem to have a programme of higher taxes, money chucked at anything and everything as a solution, more regulation and green crap etc. If this is the Brexit programme we may as well not have bothered with Brexit or at least just gone for the Norway option, unsatisfactory as it may be, and avoided the undoubted frictions and hassle of the model we have.

    If clean Brexit is to be a success the govt cannot have as its focus to spend time and money chasing opinion polls with leftist posturing.

    1. Richard1
      September 24, 2021

      Actually let’s chalk up the Aukus deal to Brexit also – along with the independent vaccine policy its fair to say they wouldn’t happened without Brexit.

      A German adviser to merkel thinks Aukus is an ‘insult’ to an ally. How would this person characterise the behaviour of Macron over his dealings with the UK over the last few years? It seems the EU can dole it out but they can’t take it.

  15. Will in Hampshire
    September 24, 2021

    I’m afraid that our host has been rather selective in preparing today’s post. There’s no mention of that fact that companies in the financial services industry that based themselves in the UK were able to do business across the single market with the benefit of regulatory “passports”. This was an important part of the appeal of London to the American firms that chose the city as their base from which to do business across the continent. The same effect was observed among the insurers. I know that most Leavers have a pathalogical hatred of these industries but that shouldn’t obscure the facts that a) the single market enabled London to become the continent’s central hub in these industries, and b) the government benefitted hugely as a result from the taxes paid over the years of our membership.

    1. Peter2
      September 24, 2021

      Will
      What is your proof that “most leavers have a pathological hatred of these industries” ?

  16. Roy Grainger
    September 24, 2021

    We were offered a fast-track USA trade deal in 2017 by Trump. May turned it down, I assume because she wanted to stay in the EU Customs Union. All the people moaning now that Boris hasn’t secured a USA trade deal are the same “chlorinated chicken” crew who would campaign against such a deal most strongly. It is all just political – some people will just oppose everything he does irrespective, even to the extent of supporting the absurd Macron (“AZ vaccine quasi-ineffective in over-65s”) in the current dispute between France and USA/UK/Australia.

  17. Gary Megson
    September 24, 2021

    In reality States make free trade agreements precisely because WTO rules are so weak. The biggest and best free trade agreement in the world is the EU – no tariffs! no non tariff barriers! no border controls! We have left that. The EU has a lot of free trade agreements with the rest of the world which we used to enjoy – now we have lost all of them, replacing a few with copy and paste replicas which are no better than what we had in the EU, but losing a lot of others completely. And contrary to Leave’s claims we are not getting a deal with the US any time soon. Face it, Brexit means the biggest loss of free trade in human history. What a shambles.

    1. Peter2
      September 24, 2021

      I will guess you haven’t been involved in international trade Gary.
      WTO rules govern nearly all international trade and whist deals can be good, the UK trades successfully with nations it has no trade deals with.
      In terms of complexity I found over decades that trading with nations outside the EU was easier than trading with the EU.
      Three of the biggest importers into the EU are China USA India and they have no formal trade deal with the EU.
      The EU charged us ÂŁ12 billion a year to trade with it, for what you call free trade and we got a ÂŁ90 billion deficit as a result.

  18. Len Peel
    September 24, 2021

    You used to claim the EU’s trade deals would “novate” to the UK. Are you ever going to apologise for that false claim?

    1. Peter2
      September 24, 2021

      Many deals have neen done since we left Len
      Are there any countries we are unable to trade with now?
      Perhaps you could give us a list.

    2. Sea_Warrior
      September 24, 2021

      If ‘novate’ means the same as ‘roll-over’ I think that most of them have.

  19. ChrisS
    September 24, 2021

    There are signs that Brussels and at least some of the leaders of EU countries are starting to understand that we are again an independent country. They have been mere bystanders when we have had some noticeable recent successes on the world stage.

    However, I am sure that a major part of the problem that is delaying progress in lots of areas is the Remainer civil service. It is always difficult for ministers to get new policies accepted by the Mandarins who are past masters at misleading and frustrating politicians wishing to change direction. We saw this when Cameron came into Downing Street. There was very little change of direction, it was largely business as usual in Whitehall.

    I suspect that our current PM has not been as forthright as he could have been in setting a reform agenda, especially while Covid, and now the pointless COP26 have become such major distractions.

    In the New Year it would be good to see the Chancellor embark on a complete re-write of the entire tax regime. A good target would be too simplify the whole system by reducing the number of pages by two thirds.

  20. Nig l
    September 24, 2021

    And in other news it is reported that the Government has no idea how effectively 285 billion allocated to Quangos is being spent.

    The bonfire of said Quangos ten years ago was as ever, buzz words over action and a promise five years ago to review them has hardly started.

    In the meantime we are being charged to stop CO2 and for billionaires to produce it not forgetting the broken promises of triple lock and N.I tax.

    It is obvious our politicians prefer to tax us rather than run the country efficiently.

  21. Dave Andrews
    September 24, 2021

    Well, being out of the EU ought to be an opportunity, if only the government would exploit it. To be competitive in the world, the UK needs to be a low tax, low regulation free economy. Instead we have tax hikes from a government that has lost control of spending on a socialist agenda.
    The main advantage from EU membership as I see it is Brussels control affords people some protection from the idiocy of the government they elect. Curiously, the Remain campaign never raised this compelling reason, which I would have found far more persuasive than Project Fear.

  22. Bryan Harris
    September 24, 2021

    The main aim of leaving the EU was to restore our right to self government.

    Correct – there were a host of reasons people had for leaving the EU, but they are all covered as above, in being able to determine our own path.

    With that freedom almost achieved, and the potential increase in our prosperity and quality of life, you have to wonder why we are being taken down a meandering path that that will eventually destroy everything we value.
    Net-Zero and the pandemic handling are but two measures that work against the freedom of being out of the EU. Why did we work so hard for this when we are literally being taken back to the dark ages, and worse, one step at a time?

    1. Nota#
      September 24, 2021

      @Bryan Harris – ‘almost achieved’ maybe stretching it. In reality there is just in or out, we are still on the threshold and have a Government that is freighted to step over. The dark ages are this Governments preference, they then get to blame others for their neglect of the UK Economy

  23. ChrisS
    September 24, 2021

    We clearly have a gap in our power delivery chain as nuclear stations are going to be closed down over the next twenty years and we need more nuclear in the mix to ensure continuity of supply when the wind and sun are not cooperating. The major new nuclear stations the government is considering will not be operating for decades.

    We have discussed Rolls Royce’s proposal for Small Modular Reactors here before. This entirely new British proposal could see small stations built and in operation within five years of approval. They require a tenth of the space of current plants and several could be built within the footprint of those plants that are scheduled for closure. Local people are used to the technology and value the skilled jobs it creates so there should not be major planning delays in gaining approval.

    This is the kind of project our host and other like-minded MPs should be championing. Is there a group established for this purpose ? If not, one should be started.

  24. glen cullen
    September 24, 2021

    ”I always stated that the gains would depend on how we use the freedoms”
    Totally agree with your comments SirJ however I have yet to see any changes since leaving the EU
    We still follow the EU instructions ref NIP, Fishing and VAT etc etc etc

  25. rose
    September 24, 2021

    This needs to be explained more widely. The counter arguments are insidiously ubiquitous. I look forward to your next appearance on GB News doing just that.

    1. rose
      September 24, 2021

      The most insidious argument of all is the false assertion that the SM is Mrs T’s Single Market. Perhaps you might explain the history of all that, including of your part in it.

  26. John Miller
    September 24, 2021

    I’m always amazed at the number of people who moan about Boris but regret that we left the EU. At least we can get rid of Boris (if only Starmer and Davey weren’t so useless), but Ursula (the failed German defence secretary) will go on until the other bureaucrats tire of her and replace her with another puppet of their own choosing.

  27. Christopher
    September 24, 2021

    they need to let in lorry drivers immediately

    1. glen cullen
      September 24, 2021

      3,000+ drivers awaiting DVLA annual heath check approvals
      25,000+ new driver applications and tests at DVLA awaiting action
      The current storage of HGV drivers is due to DVLA staff being on strike

      1. a-tracy
        September 25, 2021

        Glen, we only have half a million registered UK hgv vans. Are we talking about foreign transport companies wanting free passes to roam all over the UK not paying the UK registered hauliers taxes? What is stopping them doing just that anyway? Just who are these 100,000 drivers short lets ask the RHA – are they employees of UK based companies? Did they used to live in the UK and rent homes and pay council tax and all other local taxes? Are they EU owner drivers if so where are their vehicles registered, what UK taxes are they paying? Something stinks.

        1. glen cullen
          September 25, 2021

          All good questions – but we’ll never get the answers

  28. Nota#
    September 24, 2021

    Sir John
    “The main aim of leaving the EU was to restore our right to self government”

    100% agreed – But first we have to leave. The EU Commission is dancing around every little caveat to ensure they remain our masters.

  29. Wokinghamite
    September 24, 2021

    Sir John comments: “The main aim of leaving the EU was to restore our right to self government.” But was that most people’s aim? I voted Leave mainly because I felt our contributions to the EU were too high.

    1. Sea_Warrior
      September 24, 2021

      BBC R4 did a survey and found that constitutional arrangements were the main driver behind ‘Leave’ voting, with immigration second.

  30. Nota#
    September 24, 2021

    The type of ‘free trade’ some got used to under the EU Commission wasn’t free trade at all but very restrictive trade, very costly trade that is first and foremost was another way to exclude. As punitive tariffs in the world of the WTO are not supposed to be permitted the EU Commission devised new sets of restrictive criteria so as not to have the World compete in their so-called home market. The EU Commission has at its core protection, a raft restrictive practices under the guise of standards. They are their own standards not World recognised ones.

    Bizarrely when the UK got mixed up with that crowd it had to lower its standards because some states couldn’t raise their standards.

  31. agricola
    September 24, 2021

    “Could be more independant” is the key, but little sign of your green party government applying that key. There is at least one vast untapped oil/gas field west of Shetland, plus of course the vast nimby blocked fields of gas in Northern England.

    Suggesting a physical move of DVLA to a less union controlled part of England could act as catalyst in the process of creating more HGV drivers. The possi bility of earning ÂŁ50,000 a year driving a truck is an incentive already in place.

    The timidity with which we have approached the EU since Brexit equates with appeasing bullies. End it now, get tough on fishing rights to UK waters. Even if UK fishermen are not equiped to fish our waters, it would mean fish stocks could recover from EU overfishing.

    The greatest apleasment is of course the NI Protocol. Is it a fear of Biden, a president who has failed to get off the ground, an impediment to the interests of the USA as well as the UK. Ignore his geriatric wittering about the GFA, of which he understands little, and apply Article 16 to the problem. It will only extend Macron’s pram screaming. He can only act in further self harm to himself and France. Leave him for the French to deal with.

    One seriously positive thing we could do is bring together the none government powers in the financial world of New York and London to work out how both can work work much more effectively in World finance. Those powers can then tell their respective governments what to change to make it effective. Appart from the direct benefit, nothing could be more possitive a message to the EU.

  32. Micky Taking
    September 24, 2021

    the Sun HEADLINE today ‘We’re running on empty’.
    Don’t these morons realise THEY create the panic buying?

    1. MiC
      September 24, 2021

      When are Leave voters ever going to admit what THEY alone have created.

      1. Micky Taking
        September 24, 2021

        It doesn’t bother me – it was always going to be a rough ride – knowing how the Commission became so spiteful…we will survive as the song goes.
        You can enjoy the small media made difficulties, the Remoaners are all so small minded bitchers.

        1. MiC
          September 24, 2021

          Of course it doesn’t. I didn’t think for one moment that it would!

          😂

    2. Nota#
      September 24, 2021

      @Micky Taking – ‘No headline’ no matter how bizarre equals a fall in readership therefore a fall in advertising revenue. Its not about the story, the truth or informing news it is about readership to stroke the advertisers.

      Media is a hardnosed business, they are no longer the informer, there is no longer a spirited investigative side – just readership, readership. So absolutely anything goes.

      1. Micky Taking
        September 24, 2021

        why not reintroduce Page 3, but be grown up and print news instead of generating ‘strife’ as that party once said.

  33. Nota#
    September 24, 2021

    ‘Free Trade’ always sounds warm and cuddly. But most organisations interpret that to be a means of tax avoidance between markets.

    If an Organisation can avoid tax they will, that’s good business sense at work. The downside is that when they rely on the wealth created in a society for profit without ever contributing to it, they are either stealing the wealth or killing the market place. No one gains, every one looses

    Countries everywhere rely on tax to provide the income for infrastructure, education, along with general safety and security. If an entity profits from but never contributes to it they are the sponges seeking to sucking it dry – you could reason that is the modern form of ‘warfare’.

    It is the reason why some parts of the World also ban goods produced in ‘Free Ports’ – escaping tax, is not contributing, therefore is attacking.

    They main problem and particularly here in the UK, tax is not equitable, proportional, fair or rational.

    Sir John,
    This takes us back to your earlier post “well intentioned intervention often leads to another” The Government is the builder of inequality, it is Government that has created the unlevel playing field for all. Constant tinkering, manipulation, distortion all comes from Government wanting to constantly to appear on message, create a virtue signal and grand-stand.

    The Government has become the enemy of the People, it just won’t treat everyone, every entity as equals. It is not about the handout, it is about opportunity. This Government more than ever stifles opportunity, it wont release the people from the yoke of State control.

  34. Bitterend
    September 24, 2021

    All would be OK going according to WTO Rules if we could only revert back to the way we were in 1950’s 1960’s with merchant shipping galore and the vast array of overseas agencies structures we had in place then. If we could only revive the home ports we allowed to shutdown and have since turned into marinas for pleasure boats. Also according with WTO we see that nasty word ‘rules’ appearing again – and that’s not going to suit a lot of people either.

  35. Nota#
    September 24, 2021

    Sir John

    Thank you, and three cheers for the Spartans.

    I hope you guys keep up the fight its not finished yet. We need a UK Government that is for the UK and preferably ‘Conservative’

  36. formula57
    September 24, 2021

    Although “… whilst Free Trade Agreements are nice to have and can add something..” that is of course not always so, as illustrated by the US-Australia deal (ample google links explaining).

    Much more important is that we have things to sell that foreigners want to buy. When the BEIS has finished panicking about its neglect of energy security, perhaps it might think on that. Perhaps!

  37. glen cullen
    September 24, 2021

    People in Peru aren’t interest in the ‘EU single market’ as it doesn’t effect them as a sovereign country not in their union nor signatories to the Lisbon treaty
    People in Pembroke are just bemused by the concept and continued involvement of the EU following our brexit…they’re not sure if we’re still in or out of the EU

    1. Nota#
      September 24, 2021

      @glen Cullen – Unfortunately until we get a Government that respects the Referendum we remain under EU Control. Our ‘remain’ parliament is just looking for the right terminology to slide us fully back in. Politicians are picking up the reputation of the ‘estate agents’ of old.

  38. Nota#
    September 24, 2021

    OT – From the MsM, Nuclear power is needed in Wales, according to The Times the government is now in discussions with US manufacturer Westinghouse. Previous owner of Westinghouse, oh yes, – The UK Government through British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL). Sold by Gordon brown because the UK would never need Nuclear Power, and he needed the money to blow on his ego.

    So yet again the UK Government punishes the taxpayer, having to pay twice over for the same!
    In any sane Country you couldn’t make it up

  39. a-tracy
    September 24, 2021

    Fuel tanker drivers are specialists often ex-military, they earn well above the immigration salary thresholds, Hoyer the company that is short pays between ÂŁ46,000 and ÂŁ56,000 pa + pension.

    1. MiC
      September 24, 2021

      Are you suggesting that they hire immigrants, Tracy?

      I thought that your Leave vote was to stop all that?

      1. a-tracy
        September 24, 2021

        MiC- what are you talking about? I am not anti-immigration never have been, I just don’t agree with people being able to claim benefits after arriving with nothing and jumping over Brits on the housing register by breaking lease agreements on private rental properties making themselves homeless and getting scarce housing association and council properties over people waiting for years. I also don’t like that they take part-time jobs on lower pay and get all sorts of benefits for their families at home, when our benefits pay more than a full time wage for their wife or husband at home with their children.

        However, I don’t believe that fuel tanker drivers are in horrendous short supply on the income levels they offer. They either still have drivers furloughed or their furlough drivers aren’t available to come back, or perhaps they have too many drivers on holiday this month. This upsurge in fuel was predicable at the end of furlough and as more home workers start returning to offices. It will not be a problem to train British drivers to take these jobs and I would ask Hoyer why they didn’t. I would like someone to investigate this. How many Eu drivers did they employ before this January and how many do they employ now. When did their EU drivers resign or are we talking about sub-contractors and not employees. If they are owner drivers short this is not the same as employee shortages.

      2. Peter2
        September 24, 2021

        No that isn’t what Leave said.
        You are making things up again MiC

      3. Micky Taking
        September 24, 2021

        we could hire foreign workers on licence – you know like Germany did.

        1. MiC
          September 24, 2021

          You’re all over the place!

          😂😂😂

          1. a-tracy
            September 25, 2021

            Actually Martin I don’t think this is going to go the way you want it to go. I want GB news to properly investigate this company that supplies drivers to BP that started this crisis with their over egged news of a few drivers they didn’t have access to. Why didn’t they have access, have they furloughed any drivers this year, when did they end the furlough, how many EU drivers did they employ? Why didn’t they ADR train sufficient British HGV drivers it is not their rates of pay and terms and conditions that is stopping their drivers? Is it owner drivers they are short of, how many did they used to sub work to.

          2. Peter2
            September 25, 2021

            Wrong again MiC
            We can decide as an independent nation about levels of immigration visas work permits that may be required.
            Just all independent countries do.

          3. Micky Taking
            September 25, 2021

            I’m glad I raised a smile or 3 -you are usually such a pessimistic bastard.
            Print that Sir John.

          4. MiC
            September 25, 2021

            “Virtue Out Of Necessity”, I think that’s called, Pete.

            😂😂😂

          5. Peter2
            September 25, 2021

            Your reliance on smiley faces is a sad indictmemt of your debating skills MiC

    2. a-tracy
      September 24, 2021

      John, can we sue the companies and tv channels for bringing on this panic buying that is going to close key industries down. I hope these petrol stations have been limiting purchases to ÂŁ25 per vehicle – No. I hope the government has already told the army to get prepared for the military fuel tanker drivers to be deployed this weekend – No.

      All bought on by mass media hyping up a small isolated problem by BPs transport provider. It will be toilet roll panic out of stock all over again and everyone will say it’s down to Brexit! What a joke. All the work from homers have been out and fuelled up their cars whilst everyone else is out at work that are actually using their cars. All the people who take a month to use a tank of fuel will have all been out putting in a full tank. They’ll be sorry when ambulances can’t get fuel and their home deliveries stop, and the supermarkets can’t get fuel because no-one is working fast enough to limit these panickers today.

    3. Mark
      September 24, 2021

      It also requires additional training in order to handle safe loading and discharge, as well as the extra complications of a load that sloshes around, so driving has to be careful and measured, with more than normal amounts of anticipation. You can’t just get an HGV licence and drive a fuel tanker. I imagine though that some have been lured away by even higher offers of pay.

      1. a-tracy
        September 24, 2021

        Mark, lets get the facts. How many tanker drivers did Hoyer employ before January 2020? How many of them were EU drivers, what % of the workforce? What is their usual employed driver turnover? How many have they had on furlough, how many did they continue on part-time furlough during the quiet summer months? What % are on holiday this month? What % are on sick leave? When did the Eu drivers, that the news are claiming are responsible for this shortage, resign, how long have the vacancies been advertised? Which area of the UK are they in?

        How many HGV tests weren’t done each month because of covid? What % of their workforce retired and is this higher than a usual month, didn’t they get adequate notice of driver’s leaving? This company caused a mass panic buy helped along by our British media. We will have problems now because of irresponsible reporting.

  40. Kenneth
    September 24, 2021

    Sorry for being stooppid but why do we have to have trade “deals” anyway.

    Surely every trade is a deal. Why do governments get involved?

    1. Nota#
      September 24, 2021

      @Kenneth – exactly. We just need to trade with others equitably. Tax avoidance just kills the wellbeing of the society the money is extracted from. Pseudo barriers to protect are just as damaging to all.

    2. agricola
      September 24, 2021

      Ken, as far as the USA is concerned I agree an agreement on trade is not that important. In fact it could open the door to items we are not that keen on, nor they in reverse. So lets carry on trading where it mutually suits us.

      Some trade deals trigger both sides to get involved. Mostly they get rid of duties to oil any transactions. Consequently I am in favour of them, particularly with developing countries where the mantra trade is better than aid is something I agree with.

  41. miami.mode
    September 24, 2021

    Saw Channel 4 news last night and have seen BBC this morning and when interviewing people they are both desperate to blame Brexit for a shortage of lorry drivers and get frustrated when the major blame seems to be the shortage of driving tests over the past year due to Covid.

    1. jerry
      September 24, 2021

      @miami.mode; There was a shortage of UK trained and licensed HGV drivers well before the 2016 referendum, never mind actual Brexit/pandemic. The transport industry, today, suggests (bravely…) there is shortage of 100,000+ HGV drivers in the UK. That sort of number can not be accounted for by a shortage of driving tests over the past year or so due to Covid, it is an almost institutional level of failure to recruit and train people here in the UK over a much longer timeline.

      1. Micky Taking
        September 24, 2021

        The industry has pointed out for years the shortage of HGV drivers, relying on the EU citizen drivers holding back the minor disaster…now arrived.

        1. glen cullen
          September 24, 2021

          This government has allowed and encouraged EU drivers with unscrupulous transport companies to undercut our honest UK companies for decades
.100% blame this government

          1. jerry
            September 24, 2021

            @glen cullen; Not quite, allow me to correct that for you.

            UK governments, for the last 40+ years, have allowed and encouraged unscrupulous transport companies to undercut the more honest UK companies, first by way of bogus training schemes and in more recent years by the employment of cheaper EU27 drivers, most often from the ex-Warsaw pact EU accession entry countries.

          2. glen cullen
            September 25, 2021

            Completely agree Jerry

      2. MiC
        September 24, 2021

        You can’t compel anyone to take a given occupation.

        Like many, the pay and conditions of lorry driving have been eroded relentlessly for years, and it does not attract that many any more.

        1. Peter2
          September 24, 2021

          Sorry???
          I thought you said it was only due to brexit MiC

          1. MiC
            September 24, 2021

            No – when did I say that?

          2. Peter2
            September 25, 2021

            Oh come off it MiC
            In nearly every comment you claim brexit is to blame for everything that happens

        2. Micky Taking
          September 24, 2021

          But hundreds of thousands of miners did the job, are you suggesting the pay was good, the conditions fair? It all comes down to putting food on the table and a roof over your head.

          1. MiC
            September 24, 2021

            When employment was homogenous in an area people could not conceive of doing anything other than what was always done.

            It’s different now.

            That’s what happens when you atomise employment.

            People go self-employed, take on franchises, learn trades – but lorry driving doesn’t have much pull, it seems.

            Tough.

        3. jerry
          September 24, 2021

          @MiC; No you can’t make someone do a job, but you can encourage people to do suitable work, which is how the old style school careers worked. Trouble is, since 1997 far to many (young) people have brainwashed into thinking they are above certain types of employment – perhaps the govt could offer a “Degree Course” in HGV driving…

          1. MiC
            September 25, 2021

            No, it was rather the American import, that “every kid gotta follow their dream”, encouraged by a wide range of influences.

            Not many dreamt of being lorry drivers.

          2. jerry
            September 25, 2021

            @MiC; “it was rather the American import”

            I never said it wasn’t, just that it was imported/implemented here in the UK from mid 1997 as part of New Labour’s manifesto pledges.

            “Not many dreamt of being lorry drivers.”

            Perhaps not, but nor have many dreamt of making a career out of glorified burger flipping and coffee dispensing either, both of which now apparently have NVQ style training awards! You missed my point, that old style school exam/careers advice used to put aside the “(day-)dreams”, it focused the student on their abilities (or at least achievable goals) in the harsh and cold light of day, as employers see them.

      3. a-tracy
        September 24, 2021

        Jerry, are there 100,000 advertised hgv vacancies at the moment? Most HGV drivers are paid over the salary threshold required by the UK anyway. The terms and conditions are higher than in the majority of Countries in the EU.

        John ask the tax office – ‘Do we have any HGV drivers on furlough in the past three to six months?’

      4. miami.mode
        September 24, 2021

        Estimates by the Road Haulage Association are 40,000 due to Covid and 20,000 to Brexit. The disappointment by the broadcasters is because the figures are not reversed.

        1. a-tracy
          September 24, 2021

          How are the RHA calculating they are 100,000 driver’s short? How have they calculated that 50,000 EU drivers went home? Are they self-employed owner drivers? Or were they employees driving vans owned by companies in the UK? How many HGV’s less per day are coming into the UK from the EU? Are they saying we need 100,000 more HGV driver’s every day? Are these jobs all advertised on-line?

        2. jerry
          September 24, 2021

          @miami.mode; Those figures you give are short of 40,000+ drivers, even with 60k accounted for.

          There is no way that even ‘just’ 40,000 HGV tests have been cancelled in the last 18 months or so, meaning there were likely either as many as 30,000 fully trained HGV EU27 drivers who never applied for or took up UK employment, the only other explanation is the positions were never advertised, an industry akin to running on the reserve tank all the time.

          The disappointment amongst some Brexiteers, that the down-sides to Brexit are starting to show so quickly (admittedly not helped by the pandemic, but that just accelerated the crisis), must be hard to swallow, hence their constant attack on the MSM messengers. EU freedom of movement was masking many long standing problems in the UK road haulage industry and certain other sectors of the wider economy.

          1. a-tracy
            September 25, 2021

            Jerry, the MSM were irresponsible, the UK was not going to run out of fuel until they induced a panic. They accelerated and revelled in the problem they caused. We are running out of fuel stocks today because people are panic buying not because of lack of drivers! Last night our local petrol station had a full tanker delivery yet they were empty by 7am this morning.
            Just how is restrictions on the freedom of movement stopping HGV drivers? Seriously they are paid above the rate required to freely come here. The industry has had four years notice not just a few months.

          2. a-tracy
            September 25, 2021

            Just a few facts I’ve looked up. In April to June 2020 there were only 454 multiple choice theory tests taken for large goods vehicles (LGV). In April to June 2021 there were 19,278 taken. This is to do with covid. If people weren’t trained last year to take the place of retirees then why is this a surprise to anybody.

          3. jerry
            September 26, 2021

            @a-tracy; the MSM were irresponsible, the UK was not going to run out of fuel

            You mean in the same way as there was no fuel shortage, at the refineries, in 2000 when tanker drivers went on strike?!

            Even if the figures you give in your second comment are correct, those 20k tests effectively lost due to Covid still do not explain the other missing 80k qualified HGV drivers needed here in the UK now. Those 20k lost tests were simply to deal with “churn” in the already available fleet of UK drivers, people who would have left the industry anyway, not the long standing short fall of available UK drivers that was being mitigated by the use of EU27 based lorries and drivers.

            As for Covid, there were measures put in place quite early in 2020 to allow HGV drivers, at least those with with sleeper cabs, to enter/leave the UK during Covid restrictions, so not all the shortage of drivers can be placed on Covid. Nor can Covid be blamed for all the shortages either, even less so now the govt has asked both industry and society to open up, had the govt still had strict infection control measures in place Brexiteers might well have been able to pull the wool but that excuse was repealed months ago now.

            As for the MSM, unless you plan to declare a state of emergency, war or something, applying DSMA-Notices, censoring what is published by the MSM is a very dangerous road to travel. Shoot the messenger why not, it won’t change the facts, nor stop social media comment…

          4. a-tracy
            September 26, 2021

            When the tanker drivers went on strike there was fuel available and when the strike was settled it got delivered. The same as now fuel deliveries are still ongoing. Striking whilst there is nothing to deliver is pointless, if you can’t deliver anyway what is the point of striking. Your comment makes no sense to me. There was plenty of fuel in the refineries, there is a shortage at the pump, the same as today when our MSM was triggered to induce a panic fill up situation. In the same way that people didn’t go on the loo more when the MSM told us there were low stocks of toilet roll they just ran out because people that didn’t need toilet rolls stockpiled and changed their buying patterns quickly.

            Those test figures were for one quarter, covid lockdowns and test shortages went on for a year. People are still retiring and the drivers that would normally take their place didn’t get their licences. Then the dvla went on strike to add to the backlog problem. They didn’t go on strike last year! It sounds very orchestrated to me.

            I would be interested to hear more actual facts especially on the BP contractor that started this panic.

    2. Nota#
      September 24, 2021

      @miami.mode – logic says over the years using foreign labour to supress wages in the UK would always lead to problems. We need a Government that is interested in a resilient self reliant UK

  42. bigneil - newer comp
    September 24, 2021

    Could you answer a question please John?

    When ALL the hotels are FULL of migrants. all here illegally, their bills being paid from our taxes, – – – then what? Don’t say it won’t happen.

    THEY STILL COME – NONE ARE GOING BACK.

    1. Everhopeful
      September 24, 2021

      +1
      Wasn’t there that nasty conspiracy theory about The Great Replacement?
      Doesn’t look all that conspiracyfied now really, does it?

    2. agricola
      September 24, 2021

      A suggestion for SJR as he has not answered.

      Take one medium sized, uninhabited Hebridean island and build an immigrant holding facility / prison in which the basic decision of acceptable refugee or deportation candidate is made. Then act on that decision. In pararallel clean up the law so that the process is free from predatory lawyers. This might have a deterent effect.

      1. glen cullen
        September 24, 2021

        We already had that – it was called Napier Barracks in Kent
.but our government bottled it when someone said ECHR

    3. formula57
      September 24, 2021

      @ bigneil – newer comp “- then what?” – billeting (like happens in time of war).

    4. Sea_Warrior
      September 24, 2021

      Funny that we have to look to left-wing Denmark for an example of how to stem the flood.

  43. X-Tory
    September 24, 2021

    I’m glad you enjoyed your Spartans dinner last night. You deserved a little celebration. But how come you (as a group) are leaving the job half done, with Northern Ireland having been sold out and handed over to the EU, our fishermen having been betrayed and our borders open to an invasion of illegal migrants? Have you completely lost the spirit of rebellion? Have you no fight left in you? You need to finish the job!

    Reply We are pressing on both these issues

    1. Everhopeful
      September 24, 2021

      “Pressing”
      “peine forte et dure” one hopes!

    2. Micky Taking
      September 24, 2021

      How do your few actually ‘press’ ?
      You could try blocking Downing Street road entrance with placards?

    3. hefner
      September 24, 2021

      ‘These are the MPs who held out against the odds and thus helped to deliver a real Brexit. They can wear their commemorative ties and scarves with pride’, Marc Francois, 23/09/2021

      Is ‘a real Brexit’ as good as the ‘true’ Brexit (as in the True Cross)? Or are the Spartans, whose namesakes BTW had been annihilated at the Battle of Thermopylae, just wanted to get a nice £100/head meal?

      PS: that’s roughly a full day’s worth for a HGV driver.

      Reply We paid for our own meal and the ticket price included a limited edition tie

      1. Micky Taking
        September 24, 2021

        a tie with roaring lion on it?

  44. Mark Thomas
    September 24, 2021

    Sir John,
    There won’t be a Free Trade Agreement with the US while Biden/Harris are in the White House. But it doesn’t matter as we still trade with them.

    Last night Max Keiser launched into another tirade against Brexit. This was triggered by the rise in fuel prices. Once again he wanted to demonstrate how much cleverer he is than 17.4 million people. Curiously he didn’t mention any of the downsides that you’ve listed. Although he is a former Wall Street Banker with a strong anti-British bias.

    1. Nota#
      September 24, 2021

      @Mark Thomas – Free Trade with the US does it even matter? The US is the largest investor in the UK, while all the time the UK is the single largest investor in the US

    2. Sea_Warrior
      September 24, 2021

      Only Stacey Herbert makes the show watchable.

  45. X-Tory
    September 24, 2021

    When Brexit occurred the UK was in the uniquely advantageous position in that, with both the EU and US, we ‘held all the cards’, in that we had a trade deficit with the EU and a trade surplus with the US. This meant that it was the EU and the US that needed a trade agreement more than us – the EU to maintain their advantage and the US to gain one. In both cases, by merely saying ‘no’ and walking away, we would be the winners.

    Unfortunately, as we know, our parliament of Remainer Traitors did not allow us to play our hand, and refused to let us walk away without a deal. So we squandered our advantage and the EU gained what they wanted – a trade agreement – at our expense. With the US, not reaching a trade agreement is absolutely fine by me. They would only want to impose all sorts of demands on us. As we are the ones with a trade surplus we have nothing to gain by agreeing to this. Some people (both Remainers and Brexiteers, to be fair) are just brainwashed into believing that ‘trade agreements good’. They should try thinking for themselves a bit more. Ricardo’s theories of 200 years ago are obsolete in the modern world!

  46. glen cullen
    September 24, 2021

    The UK PLC business model hasn’t changed for 7 decades, apart from a few tweaks left and right depending whom is in government, the model has worked relatively satisfactory
..but now all of a sudden, during the past 18mths and without consent our business model is being turned upside down and inside out
    Renewables good, high tax good, immigration good, multiculturalism good, criminal rights good, acceptability of drug good, vanity projects good, house of lords good, building in flood plains good, BLM good, prioritising refugees good, anything green good, everything electric good, removing history & culture good, cycle lanes good, EU single market good and being woke is good

    1. Everhopeful
      September 24, 2021

      +1
      It is all “good” because it will all destroy the West.
      There are crazed leftist loons cheering it on.
      Most of them can have no idea what they are aiding and abetting.
      Like in most revolutions.

    2. DOM
      September 24, 2021

      It is my belief that the decision of Tory leaders to ‘go with the narrative’, the narrative being Marxist and progressive bigotry, as exposed our people and this nation to an existential threat.

      Margaret Thatcher stood up bravely to terrorism and nearly paid with her life, she may as well not have bothered when you see what her party have done to our country since her removal

      It upsets me to see the compliance and indeed silence of Tory MPs in this destruction of this nation. They act out of nothing less than personal aggrandisement and in their hearts they know it. Their snivelling deceit and hypocrsiy make me vomit

  47. Mike Wilson
    September 24, 2021

    The trouble with the Single Market was the fact that we imported much more than we exported.

    Successive governments have allowed so many companies to be bought by foreign owners or owners who stopped the assets at the cost of jobs and strategic production capacity. A major industrialised country with almost no steel industry. It’s been madness for decades.

    1. MiC
      September 24, 2021

      And now we export even less, markedly less.

      The fact that imports might have fallen even more does not make for prosperity, however.

      1. Peter2
        September 24, 2021

        Wrong
        As you have clearly demonstrated, our trade deficit gap is lower.

        1. MiC
          September 24, 2021

          Great.

          If the entire economy shut down completely then Peter would be happy, because exports and imports would balance exactly – at zero each.

          1. Peter2
            September 25, 2021

            First you come to the wrong conclusion, as you blame everything and anything on Brexit.
            Now you are being deliberately obtuse.

            Covid has reduced import volumes a lot and reduced our export volumes.
            The trade gap is therefore reduced.
            I didn’t say it was a great thing.
            But it is an inevitable effect of the pandemic which shut down trade.
            And the EU are playing us up for leaving.

      2. Micky Taking
        September 24, 2021

        It has been how EU wants trade with us.

  48. rose
    September 24, 2021

    Going back to the energy question, why does HMG have a Chief Scientific Officer, a Chief Medical Officer, a Chief Economist, but no Chief Engineer?

    1. Mark
      September 24, 2021

      Beam me up, Scotty! What a brilliant idea.

  49. Pauline Baxter
    September 24, 2021

    The E.U. has got to realise they cannot control us etc.
    Yes but surely B.J. has got to realise that he cannot run U.K. energy supplies, hence the economy, on Sun and Wind!

    1. Mike Wilson
      September 24, 2021

      Yes but surely B.J. has got to realise that he cannot run U.K. energy supplies, hence the economy, on Sun and Wind!

      Surely Johnson has got to realise he cannot run a drinks party in a brewery. Everyone in the country is beginning to realise that. We have a wally as a Prime Minister.

  50. Denis Cooper
    September 24, 2021

    Secondly, from March 15 2021:

    https://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2021/03/12/continuity-in-us-policy/#comment-1215624

    “That’s good, because while the Daily Express today:

    https://www.tomorrowspapers.co.uk/daily-express-front-page-2021-03-13/

    may hold out the prospect of a “fantastic” US-UK trade deal “that will bring wealth to every corner of our nation” when I turn to page 4 I find that Liz Truss does not actually provide any estimate of the potential overall gain for our economy.

    For that I have to explore beyond her usual gross exaggerations to page 32 here:

    https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/869592/UK_US_FTA_negotiations.pdf

    “A trade agreement with the US could increase UK GDP in the long run by around 0.07% (within a range of between 0.02% and 0.15%) or 0.16% (between 0.05% and 0.36%) under scenario 1 and scenario 2 respectively. This is equivalent to an increase of £1.6 billion or £3.4 billion compared to its 2018 level.”

    Which is of similar magnitude to the UK’s projections for the potential benefit to the UK economy of the EU’s proposed TTIP deal with the US back in 2013, page 14 here:

    https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/IDAN/2014/536403/EXPO_IDA%282014%29536403_EN.pdf

    “The study shows that the relative impact (i.e. as a share of GDP) of the TTIP is similar for the UK and US economies – between 0.15 and 0.37 % of GDP. For the EU27, the study suggests that the relative gains would be about twice that – between 0.4 and 0.8 % of GDP. The difference in the magnitude of the FTA’s potential impact on the UK and the EU is explained by the difference in the two’s initial level of openness with the US.””

  51. Denis Cooper
    September 24, 2021

    Thirdly, from May 23 2021:

    https://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2021/05/23/some-questions-for-the-bbc/#comment-1230934

    “My presumption is always in favour of free trade, but I am by no means a free trade fanatic and recognise that it has its downsides. But I also recognise that after seven decades of systematic global trade liberalisation the economic impacts of most special trade deals are now very limited. At most the overall effects are “marginal” – that is where I would most likely place Boris Johnson’s “fantastic” trade deal with the EU, worth around 1% of GDP to the UK, more for the EU – but they may be “trivial” or even “negligible”. As I repeatedly said, as far as I was concerned it was not worth any concessions at all to secure such a low value trade deal with the EU, and his betrayal of our fellow citizens in Northern Ireland is shocking and must be reversed. As for a trade deal with Australia, they have been our steadfast friends and it would be good to have a preferential trade deal even if in economic terms it was worth very little to us and not much more to them. And similarly with the USA and other friends, but I do not see such special trade deals as in any way essential. The idea that we must do what Dublin wants in order to keep in with Washington and so have a chance of getting that all-important transatlantic trade deal is just propaganda BS.”

    1. O'Malley
      September 24, 2021

      The NI are northern Irish not English they are mostly the descendents of the planters who came across a few hundred years ago caused mayhem and polluted the landscape same as you English did in so many other parts of the world they are the lost tribe hardly your fellow citizens.. in any case it’s only a matter of a decade or so before demographics will take over and despite what you think about the Biden being non-cooperative there are dozens of the young Irish diaspora on the Hill waiting to take step in so you see you reap what you sow. it all started centuries ago the English started it and it is not finished yet

  52. paul
    September 24, 2021

    There is no shortage of gas at this time, the only reason that stopping more gas being pump onshore is gov regulations, they burn the gas off at sea instead of sending the gas onshore to be used, as usual they are fighting deflation and using every trick in the book to keep price’s up.
    They the gov have been fighting deflation for years now and have built up big debts in the process to keep the markets up along with the USA who are now sitting on 30 trillion of debt and wwon’t be more than hand full of years before the USA start buying ETF like in JAPAN in a effort to keep the markets up.
    They won’t win the war on deflation.

    1. glen cullen
      September 24, 2021

      Do you think gas producers and the world energy markets have upped the prices (artificially or not) due to governments in the western world indicating a year on year decrease in gas usage with a reliance upon renewables
.they’re just squeezing as much money out of the well before the greens cap it closed

  53. Mike Wilson
    September 24, 2021

    I have to say, Mr. Redwood, that your government is going to have to do a classic U-turn and allow a lot of people from the EU into the country to do the jobs they used to do. Particularly those working as drivers and in the food and agriculture sectors.

    Empty petrol stations, empty shelves in shops – it won’t be long before the riots start. Even we British will not put up with this nonsense. Huge increases in energy costs. Please – just get your boss to quit and get the government to resign en-masse. You are not up to the job.

    1. Bitterend
      September 24, 2021

      No No No! Instead get drivers and agricultural workers from Africa India and S.America- anything but workers from Eastern Europe

      1. MiC
        September 27, 2021

        They can’t stand the cold and wet like Eastern Europeans can.

        You haven’t a clue.

    2. a-tracy
      September 24, 2021

      Mike we are being told lies. We are told veg pickers are being paid ÂŁ30 per hour, any EU worker could take those jobs as they pay over the minimum requirements to work here without being eligible for top up benefits. This government kept the furlough on too long with so many vacancies. People have got used to 80% of pay for doing nothing, and quite a number have taken second jobs whilst claiming furlough from their primary employer so are on 150% of their usual pay for less hours. Furlough ends at the end of this month, a full investigation is required of people out of work, what skills they have, what vacancies are available locally, what training they need to take them. Where do EU citizens normally live with they take farm jobs? Are they full of asylum seekers right now? Put the asylum seekers to work.

      1. Hansen
        September 25, 2021

        I used to work there in UK on farms four or five years ago but got bad feelings about it like not being welcome made me change.. now am working in Germany and have full EU rights to social protection and pensions etc.. nobody wants to work in a place where they are told they are different and not wanted

        1. a-tracy
          September 25, 2021

          Hansen, that is interesting I have several immigrants in my family and they are very happy all got settled status and a couple are applying for citizenship, their friends are doing degrees in this Country as well as working in restaurants or setting up their own businesses all aided by the British system and have improved their lot and settled down here and aren’t intending to return to the EU. Each to their own I guess, how much effort did you make to integrate? Or were you just here for a short spell each season? Who told you that you weren’t wanted? People in shopping centres, what clubs did you join? Where did you bump into these people that didn’t make you welcome? Was it your boss? Local people if so in which County?

          I’m glad that you are happy in Germany and I hope that you continue to be happy there.

  54. acorn
    September 24, 2021

    JR continues to be obsessed by the EU that we left near nine months ago. He is acting like a jilted boyfriend of some Euro female who sent him a “Dear John letter” by email naturally. The UK is now a “third country” in EU terms, like circa seventy-odd other non-EU member countries that have some level of economic agreement with the EU. This is what you voted for and what you got.

    The deal has been done, the Treaty signed and deposited for all UN and WTO countries to read. Now, to the global diplomatic world, it appears the British no longer understand what the terms “treaty” and “treaty protocol” actually mean and what they imply.

    Number crunchers across the channel are telling me that, not just France, consider the UK to now be a vassal state of the USA, proven by the diplomatic cock-up that is the Anglosphere’s AUKUS . Apparently, Biden has told Macron that he accepts that the EU should develop its own version of the now redundant NATO; and, he would wish the two separate entities to act in concert on the global stage. It is now clear that the USA no longer has “allies” in NATO, it just has very junior partners. Those partners appear not to want to be in that club anymore.

    1. Peter2
      September 24, 2021

      The biggest importers into the EU are Japan, India, South Korea, China and USA
      Tell me acorn….how do they manage this without any trade deals?
      PS
      Japan has done billions of trade into the EU since the 1970s yet only has recently had a trade deal.

      1. acorn
        September 25, 2021

        Sorry Peter2, are you answering some other comment of mine; or is this just another strawman?

        1. Peter2
          September 25, 2021

          You keep telling us that the UK is terribly affected by not being a member of the EU and yet the biggest traders in the EU have no membership nor any formal deals.
          You moan about our third country status and yet it doesn’t affect these nations at all.
          You sound like Macron getting all cross because we are doing deals as an independent nation once more.

          1. bill brown
            September 25, 2021

            Peter 2

            Macron got angry because he was not consulted on teh tri-party negotitiions and Biden has also acknowledged that this was wrong, so I would suggest you get the context right first

          2. Peter2
            September 25, 2021

            No he got cross because he suddenly realised France wasnt the centre of the Universe

  55. bill brown
    September 24, 2021

    Sir JR

    Intereting perspectives and some of them are as usual correct but also some of them are quite biased

    So there are some questions to ask
    1) Was our car and steel industry competeitive when we joined the the COmmon market in 1972?
    2) Was the single market as nagative for the UK as you have outlined?
    3) Have we not been able to trade with the whole world whilst being membersof the EU?
    4) Whatdoes the Anzu sdeal have to do with a trade dela with Australia?
    5) Yes, the French got upset, but they will get over it. Is the security of Global Britain not an integrated part of the sucurity of Europe as well and therefore very important?

    The answers to these questions migth give a less biased view on the EU and the small spell with the French. I seem to record we have just developed a well run missle system with the French.

    1.Yes with tariffs, not without
    2 Yes
    3 Only with tariffs and other barriers imposed by EU
    4 The deal will lead to substantial UK exports
    5. We do not have a land border with the continent so our defence is easier. US support is crucial to us and the continent

    1. Peter2
      September 24, 2021

      Why not try and answer your own questions bill?
      Excite us with your own views.

      You critisise others for not posting answers without facts and figures.

      1. bill brown
        September 25, 2021

        Peter 2

        maybe, there was a reson for asking the answers and I also go my answers, so what is your point?

    2. bill brown
      September 25, 2021

      Sir JR,

      On answer 3 most of the EU members including Britain have traded with the rest of the world both with tariffs and without for years.
      On ansswer 5 yes we are an island but our defense whehter this is the case or not is an integrated part of the defense of democratic Europe

  56. Diane
    September 24, 2021

    Glen Cullen: With a very heavy sigh & a lazy hand, little to add as you said it all pretty much. Should we though feel concerned at the Telegraph’s 23 Sept report on Border Force issues, controls ? what controls? Four questions comprise the current illegal migrant screening process instead of the previously required 40. Apparently. Why bother at all then ? In reality no longer any meaningful ability to ID anyone who is coming in, whole system beyond breaking point we are told. 14000 mobiles handed out this year it says. National security and safeguarding issues just brushed aside, through necessity it seems.

  57. Bitterend
    September 24, 2021

    Keep digging

  58. Whocares
    September 24, 2021

    A plea to European lorry drivers – please come back- we will fix the visas – any amount – also you East European agricultural workers we need you as well – and we promise we won’t denigrate or make fun of you in our political circles or in the rag press.

    1. a-tracy
      September 25, 2021

      No, these British companies need to train people resident and out of work in the UK instead of relying on cheaper own drivers looking for back loads.

      What EU lorry driver was made fun of in political circles or in the press – give us some examples.

  59. Sayagain
    September 24, 2021

    Forget about it European drivers are not going to come back here- neither are fruit pickers – they have moved on – it’s all about taking back control

  60. Mike Wilson
    September 24, 2021

    I keep reading that we are short of 100,000 HGV drivers.

    This is, of course, utter nonsense.

    https://www.statista.com/statistics/320906/licensed-hgvs-in-great-britain-united-kingdom-weight/

    So, we’re saying 1 in 5 lorries has no driver.

  61. Lindsay McDougall
    September 25, 2021

    We now have a different problem with the EU following Brexit. Although there is tariff free trade in industrial goods, there is nothing resembling free trade in financial services and agricultural goods. Furthermore, there are non-tariff barriers to our exporters that should not be there. Only 2% of containers coming into Europe, mainly Rotterdam, from the USA and China have their contents inspected in detail. The remaining 98% are covered by trusted trader arrangements. No such courtesy is extended to UK exporters. We still theoretically owe the European Union ÂŁ40 billion. We should suspend any further payments to the EU and announce that any costs incurred by UK exporters as a result of unnecessary bureaucracy will be estimated by us and deducted from the balance owed. We should include costs resulting from the Northern Ireland Protocol in the deductions. The advantage of this sort or retaliation is that it would be targeted at the thing we hate, backdoor protectionism. Why nor float this idea – phrased as a question – at PMQs?

    Reply I would not do that because the PM would feel obliged to rule it out. I of course argue that we should not be making payments to them and offer ways of revisiting this to the government.I was the only MP who made the case for leaving without a Withdrawal Agreement.

    1. bill brown
      September 25, 2021

      yes and leaving without a withdrawal agreement would long term ahve cost teh country even more. (source EIU)

      1. Peter2
        September 25, 2021

        Why so bill?
        Many nations trade successfully with the EU without a formal treaty deal.
        Many nations carry on happily as independent nations.
        There is a big world out there besides the EU which is going slowly backwards with its reducing share of world trade.

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