- British parties give up Brexit fight. Politico, 31st August 2020.
Brexit in the news. 30/08/2020
Weekend catch-up edition.
- Scottish Tory leader would vote against UK import of chlorinated chicken from US. The Guardian, 30th August 2020.
- EU Presses U.K. to Reveal State-Aid Plans to Save Brexit Talks. Bloomberg, 28th August 2020.
- The Wilful Amnesia of British History: The other sides of our island story. The New European, 27th August 2020.
- UK science is a British success story being sacrificed in the name of Brexit. The New European, 27th August 2020.
- A story close to my heart.
- Boris Johnson’s most enduring legacy may not be Brexit, but the frayed relationship between Scotland and England. Bloomberg, 28th August 2020.
- Covid-19 recession: the reasons for it and the challenges ahead. The UK in a Changing Europe, 19th August 2020.
- Site in Hull being considered for new Brexit ‘lorry park’. The New European, 24th August 2020.
- This would be the fifth lorry park, in addition to four in Kent. Whilst the lorries are sitting there, waiting to be processed, they are dead weight for the hauliers who operate them.
- How the EU is a beacon of rights for the disabled. The New European, 28th September 2019.
- U.K. Starts Research on Brexit Customs System Due in Four Months. Bloomberg, 28th August 2020.
- UK ready to walk away from Brexit trade talks over state aid demands. City A.M., 30th August 2020.
Brexit in the news. 29/08/2020
- Pessimism mounts in Brussels over Brexit talks ‘disaster’. Politico, 28th August 2020.
“Growing the customs sector”
That’s an interesting euphemism for “dealing with more red tape.”
Brexit in the news. 28/08/2020
- Barnier ‘flabbergasted’ at UK attempt to reopen Brexit specialty food debate. The Guardian, 28/08/2020.
- “According to EU sources, the UK is attempting to water down protection for EU geographical indications, while keeping the special status for British produce, such as Scotch whisky, Melton Mowbray pork pies and Cornish pasties.”
“Activist Lawyers”
The attack on the judiciary continues…
Never mind, heading out of the EU on no-deal means EU countries will be more than willing to help us out, surely.
27/08/2020 23:00: The Tweet now appears to have been deleted following substantial negative feedback, that does nothing to reduce the impact of the official Home Office Twitter account talking of ‘activist lawyers’ stopping the removal of asylum seekers.
Brexit in the news. 26/08/2020
- Germany scraps plans for Brexit talks at EU ambassadors summit. The Guardian, 26/08/2020.
- Former Australian PM Tony Abbott tipped for post-Brexit UK trade advisory role. The Guardian, 26/08/2020.
- Choosing Tony Abbott as UK trade envoy ‘staggering’, says Labour. The Guardian, 26/08/2020
- Brexit: when will the 90/180 day rule kick in? The Connexion, 26/08/2020.
Brexit in the news. 25/08/2020
- The Irish Sea border means chaos looms, even with a Brexit deal. Polly Toynbee, The Guardian.
Asylum Seekers in Epping
This story in The Observer caught my attention. I lived for almost 10 years in Loughton, not too far from Epping, and observed a couple of years before I left that a ‘swing to the left’ meant the Conservatives taking seats from the BNP.
Having said that, I find the tone of the article disappointing. I don’t believe that Epping is all that different from many towns and cities across the UK, and whilst the emphasis is on the less tolerant members of the town, it’s easy to forget that many others don’t share the same feelings.
It also entirely fails to make the distinction between ‘migrants’ (as in the headline) and ‘asylum seekers’ (as in the body of the article).
The article demonises the town based on a few anonymous opinions, and I am not entirely sure what it is trying to say, or more to the point, what it is trying to achieve? If it is that towns and cities across the country are torn between tolerance and intolerance, then I wouldn’t argue with that, but why single out a particular place on the border between London and Essex?
I note that since I first read the article the sub-heading has been changed to emphasise “false claims of ‘crime surge’ in Epping.”
Brexit in the news. 22/08/2020
- Time-wasting UK makes post-Brexit deal unlikely, says Barnier. The Guardian, 21st August.
- Brexit: The EU and UK are locked in last-minute power play. BBC News, 21st August