Trade Deal, or No Deal...

[Dave2002]

As expected Covid-19 is being used as an excuse for ignoring the problems of those in the arts sector needing to work in the EU.
which completely ignores that the person involved here https://www.theguardian.com/politics...pe-post-brexit had done all the necessary Covid checks, in addition to the post Brexit ones.

And we see that

The culture minister Nigel Huddleston said that the “door always remains open” for further talks.

so he's not going out of his way to ask and chase this up then, is he?

A much more proactive stance is needed, unless he's so busy dealing with other urgent matters that he hasn't the time.

Like the person highlighted in the article I am really quite ashamed to be British these days, though the work on genome sequencing is very good.

[Pulcinella]

At least Gove is now beginning to feel the heat, according to this article in today's Sunday Times:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/michael-gove-feels-the-heat-as-firms-spell-out-unvarnished-truth-about-brexit-qqpbb7wf5?shareToken=67bbc523c218d9da5f7d5559e4d10a11

[oddoneout]

At least Gove is now beginning to feel the heat, according to this article in today's Sunday Times:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/m...7d5559e4d10a11

If he is (and I haven't read the article) then he will either slither out of the kitchen or turn the gas off.

[vinteuil]

At least Gove is now beginning to feel the heat, according to this article in today's Sunday Times:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/m...7d5559e4d10a11

... even Gove is preferable to the mediocrity sometime 'diplomat' and failed whisky salesman 'Lord' Frost


.

[Cockney Sparrow]

(Lord) Frost is replacing Gove in relations with the EU post Brexit. Per the Times over recent days, Frost threatened to resign (whatever role he had) so Johnson made him a cabinet rank cross departmental "czar" on matters Brexit/EU post 1 January - relieving Gove of the post-deal relations with the EU on the agreement, after effects etc. Seen as demotion for Gove - although they say he doesn't mind. He'll move on to some other role - he could go to Health, etc etc. when the reshuffle comes. Apparently Gove and Johnson have a "complex" relationship. I would suggest "keep your enemies closer" being part of it.
I can't imagine that the EU will be minded to cut any slack to the UK (if they would ever have done so) when they are dealing with the uncompromising Frost.

[cloughie]

(Lord) Frost is replacing Gove in relations with the EU post Brexit. Per the Times over recent days, Frost threatened to resign (whatever role he had) so Johnson made him a cabinet rank cross departmental "czar" on matters Brexit/EU post 1 January - relieving Gove of the post-deal relations with the EU on the agreement, after effects etc. Seen as demotion for Gove - although they say he doesn't mind. He'll move on to some other role - he could go to Health, etc etc. when the reshuffle comes. Apparently Gove and Johnson have a "complex" relationship. I would suggest "keep your enemies closer" being part of it.
I can't imagine that the EU will be minded to cut any slack to the UK (if they would ever have done so) when they are dealing with the uncompromising Frost.

Gove, I understand, has thr role of keeping the Union together so no doubt will be delighted at Salmond and Ruth Davidson putting the knife into Queen Nicola from whichever direction. Frost no doubt will be delighted with his Cabinet post, but maybe not sorting out the mess that he agreed to across the waters!

[oddoneout]

I'm not good with numbers and am no economist but this doesn't seem like a good thing for GB Plc?

City firms revealed in the final months of 2020 that they planned to shift nearly £100bn in assets to the EU, taking the total value of assets lost to the bloc since the Brexit vote to £1.3 trillion, according to a new survey.

from here

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/mar/02/city-firms-made-plans-in-brexit-run-up-to-move-assets-worth-100bn-to-eu-survey

On a pedantic note the clumsy phrase "assets lost to the bloc" reads as the opposite of what is meant; inserting "by the UK " after "lost" would have been more accurate...

[oddoneout]

Not very "Green" this Brexit thing is it? Quite apart from whether the facilities are ready or not, the amount and nature of the construction work won't do anything for emissions, surface water management etc, and I don't suppose any of it will use on-site renewables, heat or water management systems.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/mar/07/british-ports-say-they-are-not-ready-for-brexit-customs-checks

[french frank]

Not very "Green" this Brexit thing is it? Quite apart from whether the facilities are ready or not, the amount and nature of the construction work won't do anything for emissions, surface water management etc, and I don't suppose any of it will use on-site renewables, heat or water management systems.
https://www.theguardian.com/business...customs-checks

On the readiness of our customs checking facilties, we have a cunning plan: we will not check imports from the EU and will suggest they don't check imports from the UK . Except the EU might take the view that that is BRINO …

[oddoneout]

On the readiness of our customs checking facilties, we have a cunning plan: we will not check imports from the EU and will suggest they don't check imports from the UK . Except the EU might take the view that that is BRINO …

Or Brillo - to rub them up the wrong way...

[oddoneout]

A government spokesperson insisted that freight volumes between the UK and the EU were now “back to their normal levels” and said there was “no general disruption at UK ports”.

I suppose that as long as they can assume that 'lorry movements normal' equals 'freight levels normal' then this will continue to be the official view, and the Freight industry's observations that a significant number of lorries are now travelling empty on return journeys where previously they would carry loads both ways can be ignored. Presumably the German view of the situation can also be similarly dismissed

Figures from Germany this week showed that imports from the UK had fallen by more than 56% to €1.6bn (£1.4bn) in January from the same month a year ago amid Brexit disruption. Official UK trade figures are due to be published on Friday

I wonder what the "official" UK trade figures will look like.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/mar/11/trade-survey-finds-74-of-british-firms-hit-by-delays-with-eu-markets

[LHC]

I suppose that as long as they can assume that 'lorry movements normal' equals 'freight levels normal' then this will continue to be the official view, and the Freight industry's observations that a significant number of lorries are now travelling empty on return journeys where previously they would carry loads both ways can be ignored. Presumably the German view of the situation can also be similarly dismissed

I wonder what the "official" UK trade figures will look like.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics...ith-eu-markets

The figures for January 2021 are likely to be a very poor metric for anything really, as there would have been significant stockpiling both ways in late 2020 in advance of the Brexit deadline, and there was also considerable disruption at the beginning of the month caused both by Brexit and by the closure of borders in late December as a result of the Kent Covid variant. Figures for January were always going to be much lower than in previous years, and this was almost certainly exacerbated by Coronavirus.

We won't know for several months (or even years) what impact Brexit has really had on exports and imports to the EU.

[oddoneout]

The figures for January 2021 are likely to be a very poor metric for anything really, as there would have been significant stockpiling both ways in late 2020 in advance of the Brexit deadline, and there was also considerable disruption at the beginning of the month caused both by Brexit and by the closure of borders in late December as a result of the Kent Covid variant. Figures for January were always going to be much lower than in previous years, and this was almost certainly exacerbated by Coronavirus.

We won't know for several months (or even years) what impact Brexit has really had on exports and imports to the EU.

The seasonal and other stockpiling did distort figures but when that is taken into account(and by now much/most of that should have worked through) the freight figures are still down - and it is stuff that businesses are trying to trade, and orders to be fulfilled.

[DracoM]

Well, many sheep farmers up here voted for out, and are now rather worriedly wondering what on earth they did in dong so.
Sheep farming/exports etc are under serious pressure after Brexit

[Frances_iom]

People voted for Brexit for many reasons - most I think unconnected with trade but more to do with the feeling that Brussels bureaucrats were getting too much unaccountable power - the stupid arrangement that BJ + Frost agreed to re NI shows just how the crafty use of totally unnecessary red tape can destroy livelihoods and in NI force the re-union of Ireland.
However as seen from the start of the 'vaccine war' and the denigration of the Oxford vaccine the EU will do all in its power to harm the UK in trade - my only solace is that maybe this will break the dominance of London and the City in the allocation of supposedly national resources.