Brexit has restored our position on important world bodies like the World Trade Organisation, giving us our voice back in helping guide global policies where a world answer is needed. In world trade we need to work with the WTO to promote freer trade with fewer subsidies, barriers and bans. The UK has been able to negotiate roll over trade agreements with the places the EU had agreements, despite Remain protestations to the contrary. We have also been able to go on and sign deals with Australia and New Zealand and are well placed to enter a major agreement with the Trans Pacific Partnership grouping, which would be a major free trade extension.
The UK has developed closer links with the 5 Eyes security and intelligence group, and has entered a special defence relationship with export contracts with Australia and the USA. We should take our free tradeĀ links with Australia, New Zealand, Canada and other Commonwealth countries further, pursuing mutual recognition of qualifications in English speaking like minded countries. We have a lot to offer and to gain from closer links in the English speaking world, and in the Commonwealth as a whole.
In what will be the Pacific century the UK has to look across the oceans as well as across the Channel. The EU trade deal is being distorted by the disgraceful mis interpretation of the NI Protocol by the EU and by their heavy handed and asymmetric enforcement on some Channel crossings.
July 28, 2022
Good morning.
Sorry off topic.
The US Fed’ has today raised its interest rates by another 0.75%. What does that mean for the UK economy and the housing market, especially with people facing large increases in energy and food prices ?
I remember people being paid to do nothing but stand outside their homes clapping the NHS as people tried to save it. I wounder if those same people will be doing the same for the UK and its economy ?
It’s payback time.
July 28, 2022
The US has decided, it wants a strong dollar again and will take a hard, hopefully fast, recession to achieve it. The US knows that a strong dollar brings down import costs and therefore inflation, and will cool off the housing price inflation, while reducing the national debt. As a bonus, crypto will be seen as worthless.
What of UK and EU? Well, look at us, more concerned with pronouns and football and foolish insults than fixing the economy. Our currencies will fall further against the dollar, import costs will rise and we’ll have more inflation because we are so dependent on imports. Deep, and long recession to follow. The EU is in an even worse situation, the Euro, once propped up by German economic power, now has it’s single support economy reduced to turning the street lights off. Putin could defeat the EU if they don’t do something.
The cause of all this, years of lazy, deluded, incompetent politicians only interested in the next opinion poll and their rich friends and donors.
July 28, 2022
Indeed, but Mr. Redwood still wants āGlobal Britainā and āfree tradeā. Free trade with Pacific countries with far lower labour costs than us. Itās as if he hasnāt actually noticed the destruction of manufacturing, the outsourcing of jobs, the dependence on imports, the balance of trade deficit, the sale of UK businesses and assets to pay for the trade deficit. I mean, he mentions those things sometimes, but wants more of the situation that creates those things.
NO! to āGlobal Britainā
YES! to an independent, self sufficient in food, energy and manufacturing Britain.
Stuff global trade – it is destroying this country.
July 28, 2022
Well, those countries with which Sir John seems to advocate increased trade appear to be Putin’s allies these days anyway.
July 28, 2022
Name them NHL.
We either trade globally or we trade with just the few you approve of.
July 28, 2022
MW,
Globalist-run Britain and free trade is a more accurate description.
Free Trade can be fine when it suits. Protectionist policies are better when it doesnāt.
Free trade was fine when Britain had the edge with manufactured goods other countries could not produce. When others can undercut us, itās not great for manufacturing employment in this country. Freedom from the EU should offer the opportunity to choose in which case to apply either policy.
When you have flogged off the family silver and politicians shamelessly court globalist favour for their personal post-politics careers things are more difficult.
July 28, 2022
I think you will find that the US Administration is just as interested with their pronouns as ours are. As for the rest I very much agree especially your last paragraph.
July 28, 2022
It might help I suppose if we started making stuff again?
Things that the world wants.
Cars, washing machines,raincoatsā¦decent stuff. Stuff with which to trade.
ā Made in Englandā.
Flog a few shiploads of coal and gusts of gas?
Steel?
Why are such obvious ideas mere pipe dreams in todayās world.
Answer = maniacal destruction and lunacy.
And unspeakable surrender!
July 28, 2022
all manner of domestic appliances, folding and lightweight racing bikes, high performance stuff like F1/F2/F3 equipment. Stop buying foreign railway carriages, always delayed, shipped halfway round the world, various delivered faults…
I suppose we don’t train engineers anymore, smart people want to be brokers, hedgefund founders, crypto gamblers. The much less able want to be MPs.
July 28, 2022
Well hopefully for UK will mean a gradual return to sensible interest rates of 3-4% for savers, a consequent fall in inflation driven by a stronger Ā£, and a deflating of the house price bubble to benefit young people. Nothing to dislike there.
July 28, 2022
Hopefully, energy suppliers have already hedged their purchase of Winter 22 season gas and power contracts, because winter prices have taken off this week. At recent prices, the average UK household is going to be paying Ā£1,400 for gas and Ā£1,000 for power per year wholesale next winter. That’s Ā£2,400 wholesale that will get marked up to Ā£3,500 retail; or, at today’s winter prices Ā£2,000 wholesale for gas and Ā£1,500 wholesale for power, which will get marked up to Ā£4,460 a year; Ā£372 a month on direct debit. Fellow number crunchers say I am under estimating.
If there is anyone running the Treasury at the moment, I suggest you shake about Ā£50 billion from the magic money tree, if you don’t want the UK economy to grind to a halt. Particularly the 60% of households on low incomes that have no Covid lockdown savings to fall back on like the top 40% of households have. Let the debt to GDP ratio take the strain; just like we did for financing WW2.
July 28, 2022
Three bodies matter in world trade. The US, China, the EU. No one else has any influence at all. So this is just fantasy rambling by you.
Reply What nonsense. The U.K., India, Brazil and many others are important at WTO
July 28, 2022
Gary
You are better off just agreeing otherwise you are told nonsense or lying.
July 28, 2022
Well agree then bill.
Or go away and post elsewhere because this site is plainly not good for you.
July 28, 2022
It is quite plain and obvious that the WTO isn’t just the three groups Gary and bill claim.
Japan?
Australia ?
South Korea?
South Africa?
Brazil?
India?
And of course the UK one the world’s biggest economies.
July 28, 2022
Peter 2
Grow up
July 29, 2022
bill.
Just thinking of your health and well being.
You seem to be unhappy and cross.
July 28, 2022
More a comment to our host, and agreeing with him. The EU have been working hard at increasing their influence at the WTO, buttering up the new WTO head and pushing ideas for reform. This is one of the main areas of work for the formidable Sabine Weyand.
July 28, 2022
A useful insight into the leftist / continuity remain mindset. Thanks, just what we need for the next election.
July 28, 2022
reply to reply …spot on Sir John. The future growth is with India, Brazil etc.
July 28, 2022
The biggest threat to Brexit other than the EU is the Labour party and yet the Tory party have aided and abetted Labour in their campaign to insulate themselves from criticism and accountability on issues that strike at the heart of this nation’s population.
The real problem to address isn’t the EU or Labour who as we all know act in unison but a Tory party who places its own survival above all else even if that means sacrificing their dignity and integrity of their own MPs. This self-defenestration is utterly repugnant
Labour, the unions and their client State aren’t being exposed by the Tory party and that is tipping us towards a place that most of us do not want to go
July 28, 2022
It was Mrs Thatcher who (quite rightly) insulated Downing Street from the IRA. Tony Blair then made it the centre of government, reducing ministers to repeating what Downing Street dictated to them on their phones.
Now Downing Street is the centre of government, who advises the incoming Prime Minister? Not the ministers any more, I think. The Cabinet is 30 or so strong – they listen more than they speak and then do what they are told. Not the back benchers any more because they are outside the gates now. Listen to what the candidates promise “I will do this…” “We” seems to be a forbidden word.
The Prime Ministerial Cavalcade leaves Downing street for PMQs and then returns to the packed office block which No 10 and No11 now are. And who packs this centre of government? No idea…
July 28, 2022
End-using consumers decide what they want to buy and at what price. Unless there is risk of harm they should be free to do so. Hostile Governments tend to interfere and obstruct freedom.
The EU did have some honourable ideals, but was far too free with its wish to control us, and acts with hostility at their loss of grip.
July 28, 2022
God damn right, the customer is king, a simple principle that the Tory party and this government have forgotten
July 28, 2022
Will an incoming prime minister realize achievement of all you seek would require a re-vamped, re-directed Foreign Office?
July 28, 2022
formula 57
Re-vamp and redirected?
The best thing that could happen is totally restructure the whole of the civil service and actually get it fit for the troubled times ahead. The tail cannot be allowed to keep wagging the dog.
That would lead to the desperate need to have politicians who are as street wise, knowledgeable and qualified as the people they are supposed to direct.
July 28, 2022
And I remember all these people knocking renewables and green energy.
Burning oil, coal and gas has left us dependent on unreliable, autocratic regimes. And yes, I know 95% of gas comes from the North Sea, but it doesn’t change the fact that pries are going through the roof.
Green energy combined with a nuclear caseload will give us the energy independence we need.
It’s a prince worth paying because I’m darned if I want to go through this again.
July 28, 2022
Green energy without massive storage to provide resilience is pointless.
As for nuclear. We threw away our nuclear abilities and are now reliant on the French and Chinese – currently building a massively expensive design that has nothing but problems. There is no working example of this reactor. The ones that are ahead of Hinckley are way over time and budget and have yet to produce a watt.
July 28, 2022
I’m not sure everyone has been knocking green energy per se.
It’s more to do with the bulldozing style implementation of it without a sensible transition.
It is still an expensive fancy.
It seems to be being pushed through more on a political ideology ticket, than a properly thought out change of energy use policy for the benefit of all. It’s also being pushed by some of the biggest hypocrites of Biblical proportions when it comes to practising being green. You don’t run super yachts and private jets on a very green diet!!
I’d love cleaner air, cleaner environment all round, yet everywhere I look they are pouring concrete in the ground where once there was fields and trees!!
So there are a lot of things not adding up as to why many are sceptical on the green energy issue as it’s being implemented, but not necessarily against greener energy as a concept in general.
July 28, 2022
Joni Mitchell: Big Yellow Taxi.
They took all the trees
Put ’em in a tree museum
And they charged all the people an arm and a leg just to see ’em
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone
They paved paradise put up a parking lot.
The Enea Tree Museum is a 75,000 m2 park near Lake Zurich in Rapperswil-Jona, Canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland.
July 28, 2022
Talking of unreliable autocratic regimes have you checked which countries actually produce the Uranium we need for our green nuclear power ?
Share of world production:
Kazakhstan 45%
Namibia 12%
Uzbekistan 7%
Niger 5%
Russia 5%
China 4%
Ukraine 1%
That’s 79% of total world production.
July 28, 2022
Russia’s importance is far greater than that table suggests-even leaving aside the huge Uranium reserves it has yet to exploit in eastern Siberia.Take this article from TRT World,17/6/22:
“Why the US can’t give up on Russian Uranium”:-
“The US nuclear power industry is dependent on cheap Russian uranium.Without Moscow,the US nuclear power industry would collapse in 1-1.5 years.US power plants,unlike Canadian ones,will not be able to operate without 3 to 4% enriched uranium.
The US has 96 operational nuclear reactors but no isotope separation facilities of it’s own.Nearly half the world’s uranium separation facilities are located in Russia.”
Needless to say Russian uranium supplies have not been sanctioned.
July 28, 2022
You missed Canada, and arguably Australia off your list of autocratic regimes.
July 28, 2022
True. But the amount of uranium required is extremely small, so it can simply be obtained somewhere else if necessary.
If we needed hundreds of tons of the stuff I would agree with you.
July 28, 2022
Looked it up. You may be misinformed. According to the international atomic authority, uranium is a relatively common metal that can be found throughout the world. Uranium is present in most rocks and soils, in many rivers and in sea water. Uranium is about 500 times more abundant than gold and about as common as tin. The largest producers of uranium are currently Australia, Canada and Kazakhstan.
July 28, 2022
It will take a long time to sort out nuclear: the prospect is of declining output because we have the wrong policy and old stations that are closing. It is however the long term foundation if we get it right.
Renewables are not going to solve the problem either. They fail to generate adequately all too often, resulting in extreme shortage pricing (like the almost Ā£10,000/MWh paid recently for imports from Belgium) because there is not enough backup capacity and bulk storage is uneconomic. We have lost capacity and fuel switching flexibility that could have reduced our demand for gas due to wanton destruction of coal stations. Gas supply is short because unreliable, autocratic regimes such as the US and the UK have prevented investment in production not only in their own countries, but also elsewhere through denying project finance. This was evident when prices started rising sharply over a year ago, although some of the blame was put on less activity during the pandemic. Meantime you are having to pay to run a renewables system and a backup system in parallel, and for all the extra costs for transmission capacity, etc. that entails.
July 28, 2022
I have repeatedly explained (but am constantly ignored) that the solution to our energy problems consist in the following:
(i) Deep geo-thermal energy. This is ‘green’ so will please that noisy crowd, and can produce 25% of our electricity needs, reliably 24/7/365. Why isn’t this cretinous government going ahead with this NOW?
(ii) RR SMRs. These will be designed and made in the UK, thus ensuring not just energy self-sufficiency but a manufacturing industry able to earns BILLIONS in exports. These need to be ordered TODAY, so that can be built right away and start operating as soon as they receive their safety approval, which OBVIOUSLY THEY WILL. There is NO DOUBT that they will be approved by the regulator. RR has been making safe and reliable nuclear generators for our subs for decades, FFS. Why isn’t this cretinous government going ahead with these NOW?
(iii) More gas production, including SHALE. This will take a year or more to come fully on-stream, so why isn’t this cretinous government going ahead with this NOW? And when this is produced it must be 100% EXEMPT FROM ALL CARBON TAXES.
In addition to these three things that need to be done NOW, the government needs to invest more, and put more urgency into, R&D in fusion, hydrogen production (both blue and green) and space-based solar power. This is the answer to all our energy problems, both of quantity and cost. But will the government do any of this? Of course not, they are much too stupid.
July 28, 2022
Spot on Mark.
July 28, 2022
You havenāt done the sums. Renewable is a disaster and the cause not the solution for our predicament. But nuclear is fine provided you can get it past the ignorant Left. Take a look at some Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity papers and decide whether increase in CO2 matters a toss
July 30, 2022
I would be careful using phrases like CO2 doesn’t matter a toss. It appears that you are saying that the increase in CO2 levels is not a problem.
I assume you actually mean that it is a very complicated problem to solve and involves some very difficult trade-offs between growth and the increasing impact of climate change on UK GDP.
I don’t know the answer to this as it appears to be very difficult to put precise numbers on the cost of climate change. I think we are still feeling our way forward as best we can.
However, I have great faith in the ingenuity of mankind and believe we will enjoy a cleaner, greener world in the end – albeit with a lot of arguments on the way.
July 28, 2022
We have plenty of gas and oil and coal and fracking reserves.
It is because we are reluctant to use our own resources in the UK we have become reliant on intermittent renewables and imported fuels.
And we have not developed and invested in nuclear power as France has.
July 30, 2022
Dear Peter,
you are quite right that many reserves of oil and gas exist that could be exploited.
The problem is that it takes a long time to develop them and the oil majors quite rightly fear that it may prove unprofitable as other forms of energy creation become increasingly competitive.
After all, I don’t know many people who would be willing to bet the bank on oil, coal and gas being growth markets in the future.
Unless you are proposing some form of nationalisation, which I generally don’t support, being a free-marketer myself.
July 28, 2022
Agree totally but what about steel. All our guff about free trade and as soon as we needed to we went into protectionist mode.
Did you speak out against it?
Re our trade agreements, no doubt they will be doing some good, but I cannot avoid thinking there is a āwhistling in the windā bravado desperate to prove a post Brexit dividend. Your governmentās news grid should, at every opportunity, tell us the resulting increases (actual not potential) in trade as a push back against the constant negative drip feed from the Remainers.
People in this country think we are worse off, trade wise, being out of the EU. To date you havenāt proved otherwise.
July 28, 2022
@ Nigl “Re our trade agreements, no doubt they will be doing some good,…” – perhaps but that is not necessarily so, as the example of the Australia – USA deal shows (ample google references to the problems).
July 28, 2022
Stuff free trade. Steel is a strategic necessity. We should make our own. Who cares if Chinaās is cheaper. Let them use theirs and we should use ours.
July 28, 2022
Quite right. In 2015 the Conservative government stated: “Steel constitutes a fundamental component of most elements of everyday life. From buildings to cars, to chemicals or food, steel underpins a range of industries and processes. Steel constitutes an important part of the UKās foundation industries, so-called because they supply materials to multiple strategic manufacturing and construction supply chains.” That was right then and nothing has changed – apart from the world becoming LESS secure, MORE unstable and INCREASINGLY unreliable in terms of security of supply. Of course we need our own steel industry. Only a complete moron would fail to understand this. And a semi-conductor industry too, which this government is doing NOTHING to achieve.
July 28, 2022
and control purity.
July 28, 2022
Sir J, re your final comment on EU enforcement on channel crossing.
There has been lots of media coverage stating France must carry out customes checks because of Brexit. Why has nobody stated:
1. Brexit gave France the right to do checks – it is a right not a requirement
2. Everyone knew such check would take longer than prior checks
3. French customs failed last weekend to staff up adequately for a known workload.This caused the massive delays at Dover, not Brexit or Chunnel problems
4. Perhaps more UK politicians could point out to the UK population they can avoid the delays by holidaying at home or in countries that are more welcoming to us
France continues to play games, trying to punish the UK for Brexit. Why not make more consequences for them?
July 28, 2022
PeteB
Start by playing hard ball by rounding up all the hotel and dingy invaders put them onto ships and take them back. It will be cheaper in the long run. They say they want to control it JFDI. Sod off with what France says or thinks and the ECHR.
I’am amazed with the number of people who get out of their pits every morning, sling on their Colt 45s and come onto sites like this always looking for a gun fight to promote the EU and our return. The way this country was treated when we were in was bad enough, we were just a cash cow, but now it begs belief. Why because we have only got a few politicians with vision and belief.
The rest are too incompetent, ignorant and arrogant to really give a stuff about this country and its people to do anything about it.
July 28, 2022
The French do play games, people seem to forget that prior to leaving the EU we always had summer delays at the French sea border crossing, the French have always demanded a UK passport as a form of IDā¦.passing via or though France has always been problematic, all other EU countries relatively easy and welcomingā¦.theyāre playing games
July 28, 2022
The Guardian 23 Jul 2016 ā On Saturday evening, Highways England warned of delays of up to 10 hours and police said traffic was queued back 12 miles out of Dover.
alamy.com “25th July, 2015. British tourists face long delays at Dover. ”
It is always the same the first weekend of the school holidays, yet everyone persists on trying to get over on the Saturday or Sunday of that first weekend.
July 28, 2022
they are not playing games – they are deadly serious spiteful nasty pieces of work.
Get used to it – and become grown-up.
July 28, 2022
Free trade is to be applauded for choice and price but the incoming Prime Minister and the new administration also need to ensure self sufficiency, we must not remain dependant on imports and the aim should be to export better and more innovative products at great profit.
Global trade for tat, home grown for quality. That is utopia.
Free trade in carbon credits is ruining us rapidly.
July 28, 2022
Narrow Shoulders
Self sufficiency all for it but around me thousands of acres planed for animal feed but the majority fo Bio Digester plants to produce electricity.
Always remember the elderly lady who commented that ” you can’t eat trees, golf balls and electricity” as the land surrounding her farm were bought or sold out for different and supposedly better forms of income.
July 28, 2022
“free trade” agreements far too often include things that are nothing to do with trade. The deal with India is mainly about allowing even more work visas and immigration for Indian nationals into the UK. Our political class really should not be signing up to this, there is no support from the voters, none at all.
July 28, 2022
And in related news, can there be a better example of politicians desperate to get elected promising anything/everything irrespective of previously held positions or total silence on issues that needed comment/action before now.
At least Sunak finally said no, Truss is like Theresa May, sat on her hands, said nothing either way and waited for other people to do the right thing and then, like a vulture feasted on the carrion. Sunak on the other hand is being hammered, including by you, for actually doing what he thought was right.
So it looks as if you support a turn coat fence sitter, yet another ardent Remainer promising a sun lit post Brexit upland.
Do I believe her? As the saying goes. āAs far as I could throwā etc. Bets on how long until a cleverly spun u turn.
July 28, 2022
But Sunak couldn’t keep his so-called moral stance on reducing inflation by not reducing taxes together for more than a couple of days. I think we need someone who can hold onto a firmly held principle for a bit longer.
July 28, 2022
Exactly right JR. Freetrade, Freedom to choose, unrigged markets (especially in healthcare, education, transport, housing), far lower simpler taxes, deregulation, cheap reliable energy, no net zero religion, sort out NI, enforce bordersā¦
July 28, 2022
Gets my vote
July 28, 2022
Iāve just realised youāre describing the UK prior to the Blair and Cameron governments
July 28, 2022
love it …..ha ha.
July 28, 2022
From a tweet by the excellent Dr. Clare Craig today.
āPaper showing no death benefit from vaccines in Netherlands. Suggestion of the opposite in fact.ā
So not the 90% effective as claimed but actually negatively effective by region it seems and very many serious injuries caused too. Yet still they push these even to children who were never at any risk. They will not be able to hide the facts. Still we have excess non Covid death running at about 12% in the UK but no serious government investigation of this it seems. Cardiac calls to A&E in the young in Scotland up 80%+ too. What is going on exactly?
Yes a high court judge blocks a UK legal case to challenge the vaccination of children who were clearly never at any serious risk anyway? Why your honour should we not look at the real statistics analyse them and then act rationally in the light of them?
July 28, 2022
Then we have the significantly falling birth rates in many countries too which seem to be vaccine related in the timing of the falls.
July 28, 2022
Then we have the significantly falling birth rates in many countries too which seem to be vaccine related in the timing of the declines and the vaccinations in that age group. Why no serious discussions and investigations by the NHS and Government.
July 28, 2022
LL
You have covered the latest developments really well in your post. As the public wake up I see the greatest medical scandal and tragedy in history developing.
July 28, 2022
What’s the point of wanting change? Democracy is pretty much ignored and governments do what they want, regardless of the consequences. They have learned well from the EU. The government thinks it is more important than the people and the country that funds it! So do the other main parties.
I have never been so disillusioned about politics in the UK, and other supposedly democratic countries. I wonder when the rot started to set in, and democracy was stealthily sidelined and ignored? I also wonder if politicians are envious of the power held by the EU commission where the peoples democracy cannot touch them, no matter how incompetent/greedy or grasping they may be and the MEPS’ too well paid to risk losing their jobs. Farage and his supporters were the exception.
July 28, 2022
Shirley M
Good post
July 28, 2022
The first thing to do is restart trading with Russia. Then look further afield.
July 28, 2022
That’s if Russia is still interested in trading with nations it classes as ‘hostile’.
July 28, 2022
with some justification?
July 28, 2022
The EU hasn’t stopped. Still buying Russian oil and gas and funding its war machine attacking its neighbours.
July 28, 2022
Allister Heath surely right as usual today:- āTruss is winning because she sees that groupthink is ruining Britain
Tory party members are revolutionaries who crave radical conservatism, not Sunakās cautious centrismā
But once elected can/will she actually deliver, indeed will she be allowed to deliver by the civil servants, the courts, the ECHR, the Lords, the many dire fake Tory MPsā¦ Good luck to her.
July 28, 2022
Good luck to her indeed. Put the fear of Farage and Reform into their hides again and something might happen.
July 28, 2022
I agree LL. This leaders election campaign has shown that around half the Tory Party are in favour of Whitehall groupthink, and I have a pretty shewed idea what that thought means.
I am seriously concerned about the strategic divisions within the party.
July 28, 2022
In 2 years time it won’t matter.
July 28, 2022
Over arching memo to all the rest. Bureaucracy/regulation created by us HMG is holding this country back/cost ing us vast amounts. Look at child care and what does this stupid government do create cost with one hand and look to subsidise it with the other.
So āless government equals better governmentā
July 28, 2022
In response to all those people who blame Brexit for this or that problem, I must point out that Brexit itself has not caused ANY problems or difficulties; where these exist they have been caused by the REACTION TO BREXIT by the EU. The EU could have agreed to much easier and more friendly terms with the UK, offering us a special relationship based on special friendship due to our closeness, our importance and, most of all, the debt they owe us for over a century of sacrifice that we have made for the whole of Europe. The continent is built on the blood and the bones of dead British soldiers – young men who died for Europe’s freedom and democracy.
Instead, the EU CHOSE not to do so. They chose to offer us NO favourable terms, NO unique relationship, No mutually-beneficial advantages. They CHOSE not to love us, but to act as Britain-hating racists. They CHOSE not to be our friends, but to be our enemies. The fact that they hate us so much, and are such vile people is more than enough reason for Brexit. What self-respecting person would want to be a member of a club filled with racists that hate you?
July 28, 2022
X TORY. I applaud both your post and the fact that Sir John printed it. I feel exactly as you do. Europe wouldn’t be free if it weren’t for the actions of a great leader in Churchill and the brave men and women who gave their all. Let’s also remember many European leaders sided with the evil empire against freedom and democracy. They do indeed have short memories and I wonder if Ukraine will go the same way when this war is over and they are also members of this hate driven club?
July 28, 2022
X-tory & FUS.
Well said both. And will Ukraine remember the billions spaffed in their direction to prolong this terrible war?
July 28, 2022
X-Tory
A possible answer to your last paragraph could be Ms Sturgeon and the SNP?
Great Post by the way.
July 28, 2022
The EU cares only about its own Project, they don’t even care about the people of the EU. If they did, they wouldn’t suffer the exploitation of eastern Europeans on low wages.
The exit of the UK from the EU rattled them, they saw red and acted irrationally and emotively, terrified of contagion.
July 28, 2022
+1
July 28, 2022
Yes X-TORY they should have allowed us to cherry pick to have our cake and eat it miserable lot
July 28, 2022
Why are we charging tariffs on citrus fruit and processed coffee when we don’t grow either.
Why are we rigidly sticking to EU tariffs now we’ve left.
Another of the treasury stalling tactics to keep us aligned with Brussels.
July 28, 2022
WA EU level playing field
July 28, 2022
Maybe just to prop up income on customs. At least the UK keeps the tariffs and doesn’t hand them over to the EU.
July 28, 2022
What a load of nonsense this morning – most of us have never even heard of WTO before this great brexit thing happened- even today we have no clue at all of where its at or who runs it – furthermore we now read somewhere else that it is in sharp decline – that its rules and rulings ard being ignored by some and most.
Then all talk about trade deals with countries on the other side of the world – just more wishful fanciful thinking and delusional at the worst – question is just how are we going to transport goods or even services around through such long distance and time – we don’t even have any suitable merchant ships anymore and long distance air transport is being discouraged – are we going to rely on foreigners again to ship for us? foreign flags and foreign crews who will run away at the first outbreak of world hostilities and we an Island nation of some fifth million plus – we would rather turn our backs to our nearest neighbours – absolute bonkers – especially when we see the actions now being taken in the real world to bring about toxic emissions reduction and climate control.
Of course all talk about security and trade together just adds to the confusion and conflation – you’d have to wonder what on earth has one’s got to do with the other in this day and age – for instance with all of the armies in Western Europe and North America put together etc we still cannot stop Putin shutting off the gas? Bonkers
Lastly the NI Protocol which is also part of the real world will in the end have to be adhered to, we can bring in all the new laws we like in an attempt to overturn or frustrate what has already been agreed but as we go along we’ll see that there will be consequences with both the EU and North America stacked against us? – so it’s about time we grew up and admitted that despite all that we were promised by the great politicians in their charge for the greasy pole that this brexit thing has been a monumental mistake- we were horribly lied to – and the lies continue in a feeble attempt to offlay the blame for which this country will be paying for generations.
July 29, 2022
Most of us have never heard of the World Trade Organisation says Gary.
One of the most hilarious things I’ve read on here.
Where have you been hiding Gary?
Your comments about world trade logistics comes in a close second.
PS
Ref the NIP….a bill is going through Parliament right now to alter the worst parts of it.
So you better get used to the changes that are coming.
July 28, 2022
Memo to incoming PM.
You work for us, not your friends in big business or dodgy NGO’s or supranational organisations.
Trade with others by all means for mutual benefit but ensure we are also as self sufficient as possible in a very unstable world.
Trade with others must not mean they write our immigration policy.
No more selling off the family silver to rich investors from overseas.
July 28, 2022
Meanwhile in real life, we agree to let the French take our fish, and send us the illegal immigrants they do not want in return.
Perhaps our Politicians are at last waking up, but unfortunately 15 years too late.
Perhaps they have realised that you cannot outsource, and import everything you need.
Perhaps they have at last realised it’s not what you say, but what you actually do that counts.
Perhaps they have realised that the very basics of life, power, water, transport, should not be in the hands or control of foreign powers/companies.
Perhaps they are realising that good strong fences, make for better neighbour relations.
Perhaps they are realising you cannot just print money and expect financial problems to go away.
Perhaps, but perhaps not.
July 28, 2022
Perhaps they are still fast asleep. Turning over in the bed doesn’t make them awake.
July 28, 2022
I believe it is time for a cost benefit analysis of our relationship with the EU.
It may well be in our interests to give the required notice of cancellation of the EU trade and Cooperation Agreement and move to WTO rules.
Why?
Our Fishermen are now more organised and poised to re-invest. Our vehicle manufacturers are well placed to source parts from outside the EU, thanks to numerous FTAs and other manufacturers have developed export markets elsewhere. Those who have been complacent will have 12 months to extract the digit.
Since Brexit, my Wife and I have travelled to a number of non EU states. No hold ups, a brief check of the Passport and a smiling “welcome to our Country, we hope you enjoy your stay”.
We only have two powers; our vote and the contents of our wallets.
It’s time to wake up and note the wind direction.
Have a nice day.
July 28, 2022
David Trimble Rip was an expert on law and knew the NIP would destroy the Good Friday agreement. It is incompatible with UK trading position and needs reversing asap.
Rishi is risk averse and has no empathy with ordinary UK citizens. He needs advisors for everything how we live and are incentivised to work.
Easy street versus hard road struggle experience.
Career v conviction politician.
Jam tomorrow v help today. A stitch in time saves 9.
Liz Truss has been focused on international trade as Britain relies heavily on this to depend less on the failing EU especially reliant on Russian gas.
July 28, 2022
It’s a too early to make judgements about David Trimbles contribution – I remember well when he joined hands with the Rev Ian Paisley as they both skipped down the Garvaghy road and just after the disgraced RUC police did a volte face to their original order which was to protect the local people- a change of order in the interest of public order. Of course the RUC no longer exists and Trimble moved over to the Lords but the questions remain – there was a time before the GFA and a time after.
July 28, 2022
All these global issues are fine but what has the Government done in Brexit terms for the voters that benefits them – well other than talk about Brexit.
July 28, 2022
Sir JR
“Assymetric enforcement of some channel crossings”
What exactly does that mean?
That we have to live with the consequences of Brexit?
“Disgraceful mis interpretation of the NI Protocol”
Are we as usual getting carried away about the EU?
What does Global Britain mean? We have been able to trade with the whole world for the past 50 years or longer.
July 28, 2022
I just donāt see any advantage for the UK being members of the unelected UN, WEF, EU Institutions or any corrupt and controlling global organisationā¦.thereās some advantage to individual politicians looking for a second career
We need to leave these organisations; as theyāve became elite, arcane; a chapter in a George Orwells novel
How has our membership of these organisations progressed or helped the working class people of Pembroke ā¦and its costing billions
July 28, 2022
great first line. If only we would take heed.
July 28, 2022
You talk of the commonwealth relationship, I read an article from Cityam that said there was a Ā£31bn boost for Global Britain as UK exports to Commonwealth markets hit the highest level in 15 years.
The pleasure of the commonwealth games for the nations to enjoy. All the Guardian and the left concentrate on is “is now a helpful tool for Great Britain to divert attention from its ills of the past, presenting itself as a more compassionate nation compared with other former imperial powers, the country that dismantled its empire to become friends with former subjects.”
I spotted this from the BBC “UK exports to the Commonwealth were worth around Ā£65 billion, and imports from the Commonwealth were around Ā£64 billion.30 Nov 2021” so a balance do we import the same % level of export gain now?
“Ills of the past!” The governments of yesteryear inflicted many ills on our own people, yet you don’t hear the British going on and on about people being deported, killed for stealing, or used as factory slaves and household slaves. You don’t hear the Australians pounding on about it.
There is a preoccupation about becoming republics and moving away from the commonwealth friendships, I wonder how much the commonwealth nations contribute financially to our monarchy or is our monarchy just ceremonial and symbolic of UK emigration in such large numbers?
“We gave more than half of our regional bilateral aid to countries in Africa. āWe remain committed to leading the global fight against poverty. As the third largest international donor, the UK will ensure aid is spent even more effectively in 2021.”
July 28, 2022
China provides’ Aid’ and takes their best natural raw materials away.
July 28, 2022
UK providesā Aidā and takes their worst migration away
July 29, 2022
The ones that make money probably then want to come to UK !
July 28, 2022
Nice high level thoughts which we have seen many times before, but what about ground level practicalities and reality.
Why does the cabinet office not have big signs on the wall asking ‘How do we end our country’s balance of trade losses? Why do we not keep what our country owns? Why do we not make here what we need?
Why does government continue to happily allow and promote the sale of home grown and home based businesses to foreign buyers? It is City short-termism and a love of appeasement of others demands so others will think we are ‘nice’.
Where is the long term plan? I do not approve of China’s political philosphy but it did not become what it is with a short-term attitude.
Our economy and manufacturing base has been destroyed in recent decades as a consequence of government stupidity and ignorance. Businesses close because our government is obsessed with ‘free trade’. Other countries also claim this but they protect themselves. They know we have weak leadership and will let them buy their competitors here if they wish.
Look around, where are our former international brands? The ones we once had have been sold and are now foreign owned.
July 28, 2022
As a Post script.
Another absolute vitality is that we must aim urgently for energy independence. And by this I don’t mean tens of thousands of more windmills and solar panels. Green fanaticism and attempts at glory from Boris have put us where we are. We must get more gas and oil out of the ground now – for ourselves not for others. If we don’t do something urgently ordinary people, people that the Boris and Sunak types not understood will die of cold and maybe worse.
July 28, 2022
Here is a subject you can memo two candidates and one future PM with. While Centrica make astronomic half yearly profits of Ā£1.34 Billion through selling the UK population and industry gas at Putin’s selected prices, what are they doing to extract our own undersea and on land gas at cost plus a small profit. It was a Boris/Carrie policy to avoid using our own gas that needs to be rapidly reversed. Nor should we be selling any of this gas to anyone until UK needs are satisfied at a price we can afford.
July 28, 2022
Totally agree with you, Agricola, except to say that Putin doesn’t ‘select gas prices’. They respond to various factors, as markets do. These include increased demand due to the failure of some Western countries, especially Britain, to hold sufficient gas reserves, and also to the fact that ‘sanctions have been applied by the West to reduce their purchase of Russian oil and gas’ (Forbes, June 2022). Gas flow to Europe has been further reduced recently by the ludicrous pantomime of Canada initially refusing the Nordstream 1 turbine maintenance ‘because of sanctions’, then allowing it when the EU decided to ignore what the sanctions policy said, in order to keep German industry running.
July 28, 2022
Iāve just paid my vehicle car tax, and Iām annoyed that on the final payment page our government inserted a by-line to āMake your next car electricā āSee how much youāll saveā
STOP SOCIAL ENGINEERING ā STOP TELLING US HOW TO BEHAVE – STOP TELLING US WHAT TO DO ā STOP TELLING US WHAT TO BUY
The last time I looked I didnāt live in China
July 28, 2022
You will not save anything as the EV car alone will cost Ā£30,000+ plus charger(s) so finance costs (or loss of investment income) plus depreciation is likely to be pushing Ā£1 a mile for an average user, insurance cost more, then charging costs and maintenance. Keeping your old car running is likely to be about 1/3 of the cost per mile plus no range limits, rapid tank refill, nor any need for a new Ā£10000+ battery fit after ~ 8 years.
Also the EV causes more CO2 not less if that concerns you. This as so much energy is needed to make the EV car and the short lived battery.
July 28, 2022
I suppose I just donāt like big brother telling me what to doā¦.next it will be weāre banning coffee; buy tea its better for you
July 29, 2022
very debateable !
July 29, 2022
I didn’t have you down as a coffee lover
July 28, 2022
+1
July 28, 2022
āBrexit has restored our position on important world bodies like the World Trade Organisationā
The United Kingdom has been a WTO member since the WTOās inception on 1 January 1995.
July 28, 2022
Listening to this morning’s sky high estimated energy bills from October and January it is clear that by applying normal measures it will not be possible to provide sufficient assistance to households to enable them to heat their homes and eat through this winter.
Exceptional measures will be required but there are not enough truly wealthy people to provide sufficient tax to assist the vast number of people who will require assistance. Middle band earners are going to be just as hard hit and will not be able to contribute.
Looking at the estimated profits of the energy companies, it is clear that they are the only source of sufficient money to make a significant dent in the demand. All the Treasury would be doing would be to take back and redistribute the true windfall profits that the companies have made. The government should take back all the additional money that has been made over and above previous profits, say, averaged over the last three years.
This should only be repeated if energy costs remain high.
July 28, 2022
Sir John, Given that today you have Tweeted about UK gas production can we pleae talk seriously about energy prices? You need to understand – and you need to explain to your ‘chosen one’ Liz Truss – that domestic (and business, which is just as important to the country) fuel bills will NOT come down significantly through her, and your proposals. Lets look at these. You suggest increasing gas production. Yes, of course this is essential, but it will take some time for the new production to come on stream, and the price of the gas will still be much too high. I shall explain why, and the solution, in a minute. Truss has said she wants to suspend the green levies on our bills. These are actually called the “environmental and social obligation costs” – and they only amount to about 8% of the average bill, so while this is a welcome proposal, it is peanuts. The same applies to eliminating VAT on fuel bills, as this is only 5%. So yes, great, but this doesn’t go to the core of the problem.
The REAL PROBLEM, the reason our fuel bills are so astronomically high, is the CARBON TAXES on the fuel (gas, oil and coal) in the first place. These carbon taxes are called the Climate Change Levy and the Carbon Price Support. It is THESE taxes that MUST BE SCRAPPED. As long as these taxes continue then producing more gas, or even fracking, will do NOTHING to cut our fuel bills. We need to ABOLISH THE CARBON TAXES.
Do you agree with this? And will you explain this to the ridiculous Truss who seems more bothered about wolf whistling then the wolf at our doors this winter.
July 28, 2022
How will the UK reconcile its relationships with Australia, New Zealand and Canada with regard to Five Eyes now that all three have governments that should really be called marxist?
All three are doing their best to conform to WEF ambitions for the world with NZ especially, looking to appease China. Can any be trusted, and that must include USA under the current regime.
July 28, 2022
Will our new government recognise, I wonder, that net zero is unworkable and unafordable. To successfully trade and compete with most Pacific countries it needs to be dropped as they pay lip service only to this daft concept.
July 28, 2022
Glen whilst we may not like it, or be able to afford it, they will force you into it eventually by taxing all other means of personal transport out of existence.
Have you noticed all of the new so called LOW EMISSION areas now springing up around every sizeable City or large Town., and all have DIFFERENT CRITERIA, just to make it that more complicated.
Apparently Birmingham (home of the Commonwealth Games) is one of the latest examples, indeed so poor has the signage and publicity been, it has been reported that over 400,000 fines for non compliance have been sent out already.
Soon we will all be driving around from one area to another, all with different rules, different costs, and different payment systems. What a bloody Nightmare.
Surely a national scheme IF WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS FARCE forced upon us would be the best solution JR, then at least we would all know the score upfront, rather than finding out to our cost later.
The alternative of military type planning for each journey in advance is a nonsense and so inefficient..
July 28, 2022
I see the Consultation period for the new enlarged ULEZ for London proposed for 2023 finishes tomorrow.
Yes fully aware it was extended by a massive amount in October last year, but it is now being proposed to extension yet again, now into some parts of Essex, Sussex, Kent, Surrey, Berkshire.
Still, it’s only Ā£12.50 a day, probably peanuts for those who can afford it, abject misery for those who cannot.
Guess I will not be entering that area at all in the future if that is possible, thank goodness we have no family to visit who live in the area.
July 29, 2022
We do – but ULEZ is no problem if the vehicle passes the pollution levels.
July 29, 2022
Shops are being boarded up in Bristol because no-one is coming in now if they can help it.
July 28, 2022
The German city of Hanover has turned off the heating and switched to cold showers in all public buildings because of the Russian gas crisis. It’s the first big city to turn off the hot water after Russia dramatically reduced Germany’s gas supply. Germans have been told to expect sweeping gas reduction measures and extra charges on their energy bills.
And the EU has agreed to lower demand for Russian gas this winter by 15%.
In a bid to save energy, Germany’s northern city of Hanover has decided hot water will no longer be available for hand washing in public buildings, or in showers at swimming pools, sports halls and gyms. Public fountains are also being switched off to save energy, and there will be no night-time lights on major buildings such as the town hall and museums.
UK PM – take note of the shape of things to come.
Yardbirds: Shapes of things.
Shapes of things before my eyes
Just teach me to despise
Will time make men more wise?
Here within my lonely frame
My eyes just heard my brain
But will it seem the same?
Come tomorrow, will I be older?
Come tomorrow, may be a soldier
Come tomorrow, may I be bolder than today?
Now the trees are almost green
But will they still be seen
When time and tide have been?
Fallin’ into your passing hands
Please don’t destroy these lands
Don’t make them desert sands
Come tomorrow, will I be older?
Come tomorrow, may be a soldier
Come tomorrow, may I be bolder than today?
Lesson to be learned re- Ukraine?
July 28, 2022
Has this government gone mad, Iāve just read on the BBC that the commonwealth gamesā¦.āāare carbon neutralāā ā its an athletic competition for god sakeā¦canāt the climate change committee send a memo to everyone to stop being so woke https://www.birmingham2022.com/about-us/our-purpose/our-legacy/sustainability/carbon-neutral-legacy
July 28, 2022
Glen. It’s all so bloody boring. It’s included in everything now. Just makes me want to switch off. How did the athletes get here? Walk? Absolute tosh.
July 28, 2022
I see that National Grid have come up with their first shot at a Winter Outlook. They assure us that despite the fact they expect to issue a large number of Electricity Margin Notices we will have adequate supplies over the winter. That is despite the loss of 2GW of nuclear and 2.1 GW of coal capacity since last year, and no additions of anything other than renewables that are useless during Dunkelflaute>. They are assuming that plants will operate with less hiccough than normal, the wind will be blowing a little at least somewhere and even that there will be some sunshine after dark, and the French, Dutch, Belgians and Norwegians will agree to share out power cuts across Europe to keep the UK supplied when they are themselves short. We have I suppose promised to pay up to Ā£10,000/MWh for the privilege – or the equivalent of well over Ā£1bn a day. I suspect they (and we) will learn a lesson about supposed free trade with the EU.
July 28, 2022
The French in particular are in deep s*** because of EDF’s fleet of decrepit and ageing nuclear plants. It is being re-nationalised, a process which France-Soir called ‘Sovietisation’. So as usual, the profits were partly privatised and now the losses come back to the state to be socialised.
Not that EDF was ever wholly privatised. But it did become a public limited company in which some of the shares were not owned by the government … a form which I think any nationalised industry should take, complete with a separate regulator.
Germany should be negotiating with its main gas supplier to ensure enough supplies to replenish gas stores before winter. It’s not doing that.
I call the German moves suicidal. It’s as if they were designed to collapse the national economy. Whatever could be happening?
Well, do read up on the book the Head of the World Economic Forum published in June 2020, called ‘COVID: The Great Reset’. It’s informative yet terrifying. Unusually, it can’t be just a ‘mad conspiracy theory’, because the WEF, Prince of Wales, etc, etc have all said what they plan to do. The UK government even seems to be part of it, given what’s on its website.
I’m appalled. We leave the EU, but then join this mad rush for a global, top-down, unelected government which will be far more a corporatocracy than a democracy.
July 28, 2022
If itās true that Liz Truss is going to put you in Nr 11, we shall vote for her. Iām amazed she has the capacity for such discernment, every PM must have a deft touch when it comes to choosing whose brand to pick.
Russia is now weeks away from beating NATO in itās proxy-war. British experts are now speaking out in the papers, warning of antagonising both the Bear and the Dragon. Perhaps she will be in. O position to do further damage come September,
July 28, 2022
Lots of fake news coming from many sides and part and parcel of deception in modern warfare.
July 28, 2022
Is that a rumour rumour, or a rumour youād could take to the bankā¦.either way it gets my vote
July 28, 2022
Playing the race card to secure any form of an advantage or to demonise law abiding people must be made a criminal offence.
The Tory party cannot allow itself to become like Labour with its religious and ethnic affiliations. It it goes down this route it will damage itself beyond repair
It is utterly reprehensible to see this form of racial and ethnic politics infect the party
Established political parties set up centuries ago are now being used as conduits to secure political power for those with ulterior intent
July 29, 2022
The party, this government, this country should just adopt the polices and principals of āequal opportunitiesā at every levelā¦.but without monitoring and recording the endless meaningless data and employing hundreds of thousands of equal opportunity /diversity/ race relations officers ā who at the end of the day are like communist commissionaires in the pursuit and power against the common man
July 28, 2022
We should use our membership of WTO to press for a reduction in non-tariff barriers, the EU’s traditional weapon of choice against free trade.
July 30, 2022
I repeat, in case it has been missed, that when any EU nation causes unnecessary delays to our businessmen, tourists and exports, we should compute a monetary value for those delays and deduct said amount from the moneys we still owe the EU. Just DO it.
July 30, 2022
*This* x 1000