Truss Takes on Frost's Mantle

 

Liz Truss has now taken over from Lord Frost, after his resignation, as Brexit negotiator.

A canny appointment by Boris, as it may well stymie her leadership bid if she fails.

Pope Calls EU Nazis

 

🚨 | NEW: The Pope has compared the EU to a Nazi dictatorship over its ban of the word Christmas

— Politics For All (@PoliticsForAlI) December 7, 2021

Will He, or Won't He?

 

France's Fox To Be Shot

 

SCOOP in our Morning Trade UK newsletter: The UK is looking at a PERMANENT rerouting of more trade to the EU via northern ports to protect against FUTURE French tantrums that threaten the Dover-Calais route. pic.twitter.com/CFd7BdlSJG

— Emilio Casalicchio (@e_casalicchio) November 5, 2021

Armistice Declared

 

France has temporarily backed down from implementing its various threats over fishing rights around Jersey, allowing time for the UK and France to continue talking for the next day or so.

Depending on which side of Brexit they stand, the Twitterati are claiming it's either because Jersey granted 49 temporary licences yesterday, or because Macron backed down in the face of the UK's threat to retaliate.

In reality Macron was told to wind his neck in the by the EU, who have been less than forthcoming with any display of public support for him.

Lost in Translation - The Language of Diplomacy

 

There once was a time when French was known as the language of diplomacy.

Over the weekend a letter penned by the French PM Jean Castex (with his hand guided by Macron) to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrt the fishing dispute, caused something of a diplomatic meltdown between France and Britain.

Various journalists, academics and pro/anti Brexit bods spent the weekend arguing over the last sentence of the letter. Specifically whether it was a threat to punish Britain for leaving the EU, or whether it was that people need to be made aware that there are downsides to leaving he EU.

In reality either "translation" means in effect the same thing. Given that French was the language of diplomacy, Castex knew full well what he was saying; namely:

Pour encourager les autres!

Donnez-moi un Break - French Ambassador Summoned To The FCO

 

In response to French threats over fishing etc, the French ambassador to the UK, Catherine Colonna has been summoned to meet Britain’s Europe Minister Wendy Morton this afternoon at the FCO.

The fact that a junior minister is informing the French of the displeasure of Her Britannic Majesty's Government may, or may not, be taken as a sign that the UK doesn't want to escalate this too much or may in fact be taken as a slap in the face to France's dignity.

France Throws a Hissy Fit

 

France is none too happy with the UK and has decreed that it will introduce extra controls on boats and trucks coming from the UK, in retaliation for what it says is Britain’s failure to honour its commitments on fishing rights, the government announced Wednesday.

Bizarrely it has also threatened to disrupt the UK’s energy supply if Britain fails to address French concerns over fishing licenses. London branded the proposed moves "very disappointing."

From November 2, it will ban British fishing boats from landing at designated French ports and introduce systematic security controls of British boats as well as reinforced health and customs controls, it said Wednesday. It will also reinforce checks on trucks headed to or coming from the UK.

It said “a second series” of measures was also “being prepared.”

Unsurprisingly, David Frost was unimpressed.

1/2 It is very disappointing that France has felt it necessary to make threats late this evening against the UK fishing industry and seemingly traders more broadly.

We set out our position earlier this evening. https://t.co/2kuHofrWsw pic.twitter.com/kfhH2ML6hz

— David Frost (@DavidGHFrost) October 27, 2021

Poland Ups The Ante

 

🔴 Poland has vowed to "defend our rights with any weapons which are at our disposal" as it warned the EU against starting "World War Three" https://t.co/A2m9eNV7IY

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) October 25, 2021

EU Declares War on Poland - This Won't End Well!

 

Brussels has vowed to punish Poland for its challenge over key elements of EU law.

Ursula von der Leyen said the EU had three ways of hitting back at Poland, and “will act.” 

In response to von der Leyen’s threats, Poland’s PM Mateusz Morawiecki told the European Parliament he rejected “the language of threats.”

Poland Threatens EU

 

The European Union risks collapse or becoming a dictatorship if it continues to blackmail Warsaw over fears of "Polexit", the Polish prime minister said.

Luncheon is Served

 

As Brexit Minister David Frost heads to Brussels for a lunchtime summit with his European Commission opposition number Maroš Šefčovič, the Remain camp are having to eat some humble pie.

Some Remainers won’t like it, but PM has got a better deal for N Ireland by aggressive negotiation @indypremium https://t.co/fZYVImJudc pic.twitter.com/ozNefx3iiG

— John Rentoul (@JohnRentoul) October 15, 2021

Brexit - Fudge or Lemon Sours for Christmas?

 

Brussels last night made a significant move by proposing a compromise that would see a major reduction in checks on goods moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

However, whilst the UK has welcomed the concessions and a reopening of talks, there are sticking points; not least the thorny issue of the European Court of Justice's oversight of the Northern Ireland protocol.

The talks will doubtless go on for weeks. As to whether they will end up serving fudge or lemon sours for Christmas remains to be seen.

We are reaching a point where the people of Northern Ireland may need to consider unifying with the South, in order to resolve this once and for all.

European Commission Proposals Coming This Afternoon

The European Commission will this afternoon present its proposals for easing the onerous checks on businesses trading across the Irish Sea while still keeping the single market and customs union safe from unwanted imports.

As to when the UK responds, either substantively or generally, is not known. However, Lord Frost has indicated quite clearly that the major bone of contention will be the ECJ.

The Brexit story will continue for some moths yet, before there is any real sign of a genuine resolution or total breakdown.

Poland Sticks Two Fingers Up To The EU

 

🚨 Polish court rules that EU law is not compatible with the country's constitution and asserts primacy of Polish law, and says EU cannot intervene in Polish judicial system.

This is a major escalation of the rule of law crisis between Warsaw and Brussels https://t.co/F3wN0PLphE

— Henry Foy (@HenryJFoy) October 7, 2021

Lord Frost Threatens To Trigger Article 16

Lord Frost said the protocol - put in place to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland - was "not working and needs to change".

He said he worried the UK's proposals would not be agreed by the EU.

Lord Frost said triggering Article 16, which would suspend part of the deal, may end up as "the only way" forward. 

Speaking at the Conservative Party conference, Lord Frost said the government "knew [it was] taking a risk" when it agreed to the protocol in the autumn of 2019, claiming his team were "worried right from the start that the protocol would not take the strain if not handled sensitively".

But he said the arrangements were "going to come apart even more quickly than we feared", and support for the protocol had collapsed across Northern Ireland.

"We can still solve these problems," said Lord Frost, pointing to proposals he sent to the EU in July.

"We still await a formal response from the EU... but from what I hear, I worry that we will not get a response that enables the significant change we need," he added.

"So I urge the EU to be ambitious. There is no use tinkering around the edges. We need significant change."

The EU has sent its own proposals to the UK on changes the protocol, but Lord Frost did not mention them in his speech.

Instead he said if the two sides did not come up with a solution, "using the Article 16 safeguard mechanism to address the impact the protocol is having in Northern Ireland...may in the end be the only way to protect our country, our people, our trade and our territorial integrity, the peace process and the benefits to this great UK".

 

AUKUS - Bonnet de Douche!

 

Furious 🇫🇷 foreign minister Le Drian this morning on the 🇬🇧🇺🇸🇦🇺 deal: a "knife in the back", "betrayal of confidence", "allies don't do this to each other". Rare to hear quite this sort of language. France (which had its own conventional submarine contract with 🇦🇺) is very angry https://t.co/DJgLbZjCbR

— Sophie Pedder (@PedderSophie) September 16, 2021

France is now braced to lose out on a multibillion-dollar submarine supply deal with Australia, which its foreign minister called “a stab in the back,” while the EU’s Indo-Pacific strategy was upstaged on the day it was launched. 

As POLITICO’s Stuart Lau, Jacopo Barigazzi and David Herszenhorn report: 

“It was doubly infuriating for the EU camp that Brexit Britain was the only European ally invited to the top table.”

Wrt the sub, there were issues with the submarine contract from the beginning, including spiralling costs and security concerns. In other words, this is partly of France's own making!

UK Delays Controls on EU Imports Until July 2022

 

Confirmed: the U.K. delays controls on EU imports again.https://t.co/EiyEDSHlO0

— Cristina Gallardo (@gallardo_ortega) September 14, 2021

Guy Hates Countries

 

Fun fact: EU combined has more gold medals than US or China #TokyoOlympics

I’d love to see the EU flag next to the national on athletes’ clothes.

Our identity is layered - we’re proud Italians, Latvians, Germans, Slovenians... and Europeans. Our sports should reflect that !🥇🇪🇺

— Guy Verhofstadt (@guyverhofstadt) August 5, 2021

Chateauneuf du Pape - French ID Cards in English!

 

President Macron’s government has angered the French by launching national identity cards featuring the English language.

The cards, which were brought in this week, provide an English translation of the French terms, including nom (surname), prénoms (given names) or nationalité (nationality) — a formula that critics say is belittling.

Identity cards have existed in France since 1921, when they were brought in by police to help single out and to catch criminals. In theory, they are not compulsory.

Until now, they have been in French only. But that changed in the new version of the cards, the first of which are being issued following a EU directive setting out the format that must be followed by all member states to include at least two languages.

In an article in Le Figaro, Mathieu Bock-Côté, a French-speaking Canadian sociologist, accused Macron of abandoning the “fundamental identity” of France. He said Paris had “conceded the privilege of European cosmopolitanism to the UK even though it has left the EU”.

The EU Has Blood on its Hands

A study published in the Lancet this week found similar safety profiles for the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines, and drove a coach and horses through concerns about the safety of the AZ jab by finding that incidences of blood clots were far higher among COVID cases than people who had the vaccine. The real-world study of more than a million people found the number of blood clots among AZ and Pfizer recipients was similar. It concluded that either way, you were far more likely to get a blood clot if you rejected a vaccine and caught COVID.

Politico reports that British government officials reacted with genuine fury at the actions of those who needlessly destroyed the reputation of the AstraZeneca vaccine — the jab that had the best chance of vaccinating the developing world but now suffers from low uptake. 

Earlier this week, POLITICO quoted a European official who “faulted EU countries for making decisions based on ’emotion’ rather than science,” revealing that “scientists and politicians quietly blamed Brexit” for the row over the AZ jab. 

A government official told Playbook: 

“The European leaders who trashed the AstraZeneca vaccine have blood on their hands. We now know what we all suspected is true, that they did it out of spite for Britain because of Brexit.

When the history books are written, they’ll say these people were directly responsible for the deaths of thousands in developing countries who won’t take AZ because of their anti-vaxx scare stories.”

Thanks But No Thanks - UK Rejects EU NI Proposals

Boris Johnson has rejected Brussels’ latest attempt to resolve problems with the post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland, insisting that the withdrawal agreement signed last year must be renegotiated.

A series of proposals published by the European Commission on Monday with the aim of easing implementation of the Northern Ireland protocol were said to be insufficient for the scale of the problems.

The dance continues, with a view, probably, to the UK tearing up the protocol.

EU Trashed AZ Out of Spite for Brexit

Did EU leaders deliberately trash the reputation of the AstraZeneca vaccine in part for political reasons because of Brexit, meaning the jab that was meant to save the lives of millions in poorer countries now isn’t? Astonishing private admission in this piece https://t.co/gOr6aXdVVl

— Alex Wickham (@alexwickham) July 26, 2021

"We Cannot Go On As We Are!" - Yes We Will!

 

The EU have responded to Lord Frost's statement that "we cannot go on as we are", by saying that the EU is ready to "continue to seek creative solutions" on trade between Britain and Northern Ireland, but 

"will not agree to a renegotiation of the protocol."

The ball is back with Lord Frost.

Whither The NI Protocol?

 

Today the government will publicly lay down its terms for dealing with the mess that is the Northern Ireland protocol.

It is reported that Johnson told Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin in a phone call yesterday that all goods made in Great Britain should be able to go into Northern Ireland without checks.

-Abandonment?

-Renegotiation?

-Stickers on products?

The USA has made it clear that it will be watching what we say.

Frost Declares Temporary Armistice in Sausage War

 

Here is our statement on today's agreement enabling sausages and chilled meats to move to Northern Ireland for a further three months, without any requirement for dynamic alignment with EU rules.https://t.co/MgZfg2h6ts pic.twitter.com/MX3oL7fTCd

— David Frost (@DavidGHFrost) June 30, 2021

As Frost correctly notes, the protocol is not working as it was hoped; something needs to be changed, otherwise it will be abandoned.

 

The Extension To Nowhere

Additional EU flexibility on Protocol - whether 3 or 6 months - makes it less likely it gets what it wants: full HMG compliance with the treaty it signed. It postpones escalation. But it will make it more, not less, difficult to put the relationship back onto the right track 1/

— Mujtaba Rahman (@Mij_Europe) June 23, 2021

Victory?

Outgoing DUP leader @EdwinPootsMLA says he has received a personal assurance from the UK Government that significant changes will be made to the Northern Ireland Protocol

Poots, told BBC NI that there would be a “significant victory” on the protocol in July

— Darren McCaffrey (@DarrenGBNews) June 22, 2021

Staggering Towards Divorce

NEW: The EU will take a measured response to any further unilateral moves by the UK to delay implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol, with senior officials signalling a staggered approach to legal action and arbitration, @rtenews understands.

— Tony Connelly (@tconnellyRTE) June 11, 2021

 

A staggered approach will slow down the inevitable divorce.

The End of The Protocol is Approaching

"The EU should have enough self-awareness to understand that the deal it obtained was too good to be true" -- really do recommend this tub-thumper from @AllisterHeath in @Telegraph

It'll drive some mad, but I'd bet majority in UK feel this way. https://t.co/SbGsOrA95f pic.twitter.com/v3tNtL6nmD

— Peter Foster (@pmdfoster) June 10, 2021

 

It is clear that the end of the Northern Irish Protocol is approaching, helped along by the intervention of Biden who ordered his ambassador in London to issue a Demarche against the UK for allegedly "inflaming tensions".

Once the UK abandons the protocol, the EU will place tariffs and sanctions on various British products; and thus the UK will end up having a "hard Brexit".

Pushback From The EU Over Irish Border Checks Story

 

Have got some strong pushback from EU sources to Politico story that EU diplomats mulling emergency plan to introduce border checks between Ireland and rest of EU if London and Brussels talks over Northern Ireland Protocol ultimately fail. 1/https://t.co/GFpvPbUFa5

— James Crisp (@JamesCrisp6) June 9, 2021

Sausage War

 

Swiss Abandon Talks With EU

Owing to unbridgeable differences over wages and immigration, the Swiss government has pulled the plug on a new framework agreement with the European Union.

The European Commission responded:

“We regret this decision.

Privileged access to the single market must mean abiding by the same rules and obligations.” 

 Switzerland’s decision to abandon the talks means that as existing treaties lapse, trade and immigration between Europe and a country at the heart of the bloc could be dramatically restricted.

Red Wall Backs Oz Deal

 

Explosive polling from @IFTtweets

💥🇬🇧🇦🇺 87% of Conservative voters in “Red Wall” constituencies are supportive of a UK-Australia FTA.

🪃🇬🇧🇺🇸Australia was ranked as the second highest priority for an FTA, after the United States.

Details: https://t.co/WfLY9vSgnP

— Tom Harwood (@tomhfh) May 20, 2021

Barnier Wants To Suspend Immigration and Limit Schengen

 

🚨🇫🇷 | NEW: Michel Barnier has suggested France should suspend immigration for 3-5 years

Via @Francetele

— Politics For All (@PoliticsForAlI) May 11, 2021

Macron Does Irony - Bonnet de Douche!

The EU's response to the Covid pandemic demonstrates the need for Brussels to be given greater powers over health policy, says Emmanuel Macron. https://t.co/oKZXhHbO8c

— Nick Gutteridge (@nickgutteridge) May 10, 2021

Sink Them!

 

FRENCH fishermen are threatening to blockade Jersey’s port and stop supplies being delivered to the Island after a worsening diplomatic dispute between the two jurisdictions reached new heights. https://t.co/T9y63BWYlS

— jepnews (@JEPnews) May 5, 2021

Britain To Recognise EU Ambassador

 

Britain is preparing to grant full diplomatic status to the European Union’s ambassador, João Vale de Almeida,concluding a dispute that has strained relations between the two sides for the past year.

João Vale de Almeida took up his post as the EU’s first ambassador to London last spring after Brexit but was denied formal recognition.

EU Parliament Ratifies Brexit

Hugely welcome the overwhelming vote by @Europarl_EN for our trade agreement with the EU.

Hope we can now begin a new chapter together as Europeans, characterised by friendly cooperation between sovereign equals.

Thank you @EU_Commission @michelbarnier for helping get us here.

— David Frost (@DavidGHFrost) April 28, 2021

 

660 MEPs voted in favour of Brexit trade deal 

5 votes against

32 abstentions 

EU Sues AstraZeneca

The EU, in a desperate attempt to deflect attention from its abysmal handling of vaccine procurement and roll-out, is suing AstraZeneca.

Whisper it quietly, but there are 11 million unused doses of AZ in the Netherlands.

In other news, the EU won't make any decision about helping India until sometime in May!

EU To Ditch AstraZeneca

French Industry Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher tells @BFMTV it is "highly likely" that the EU will not renew its vaccine contract with AstraZeneca, preferring new deals with Pfizer and Moderna.

She expects the Novavax and Sanofi jabs to be ready in the second half of this year

— James Franey (@jamesfraney) April 16, 2021

All that fuss and smearing of AZ only foir the EU to ditch it!

I doubt that AZ will be entirely unhappy to lose the EU, given how difficult the EU was to deal with. However, the EU's decision is remarkably risky and costly given:

1 AZ is sold at cost

2 The EU has not yet signed a contract with Novavax!

EU's Vaccination Programme Holed Below The Waterline

Johnson & Johnson has paused deliveries to Europe after reports its jab caused blood clots in a few people that received it. EU was expecting a delivery of 55m doses, and without @Airfinity suggests the EU won’t hit a 75% vaccination rate until December 8. pic.twitter.com/8V6g3TRcO3

— Joe Barnes (@Barnes_Joe) April 15, 2021

The EU's vaccination programme has been holed below the waterline by a combination of 3 factors:

1 The deliberate smear campaign orchestrated by Macron et al against AZ.

2 The failure of vdL's vaccine procurement programme.

3 The decision by various countries to pause, restrict and in Denmark's case outlaw AZ vaccinations.

4 The pause in deliveries of the J&J vaccine.

The Empire Strikes Back - Britain Breaks EU's Australian Vaccine Blockade

 

Britain has put family first, wrt Covid vaccines.

The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age reports that Australia’s early rollout has been propped up by 717,000 doses manufactured in the UK rather than from factories in Europe as widely believed.

The need to source jabs from the UK underscores the difficulties Australia and AstraZeneca have faced in extracting supply from the EU under the bloc’s tough new export controls. It is now known that not a single AstraZeneca dose has been exported to Australia from Europe. 

The first 300,000 UK-made doses landed at Sydney Airport on February 28 – one month after the European Commission introduced new curbs limiting the export of vaccines produced on the Continent.

The Morrison government said at the time that the shipment had come from “overseas”, which was presumed to be continental Europe, a major hub for production.

Another large batch arrived on an Emirates passenger plane in March, well after Italy and the European Commission formally blocked an application by AstraZeneca to ship 250,000 doses to Australia.

 

EU Blockades Australia

🚨 BREAKING: The EU has blocked the export of 3.1 million doses of the AZ vaccine to Australia - Australian minister

— Politics For All (@PoliticsForAlI) April 6, 2021

 

 This will backfire on the EU.

EU Ignores Barnier's Call for End of Vaccine War - #VaccineGate

Barnier quoted by EuroGuido:

“It is true that the UK has a quicker vaccination rate compared to the EU. But the fight against COVID 19 is more than speed of vaccination, important as that is… We will all find strong and weaker points in how we managed this. But there is no place, in such a serious situation, for polemics and competition. There are so many more reasons to cooperate, in the short and the long term.”

However, today the EU has once again threatened to suspend exports of the AstraZeneca jab to the UK unless the company delivers the vaccines manufactured within the EU to its member countries first, with internal market commissioner Thierry Breton claiming “there is nothing to negotiate” and that “the doses must stay in Europe“

Bonnet de Douche!

 

🚨 BREAKING: Macron’s aides say he is so bright and has read so much that he is now France's top authority on coronavirus, and can do without experts

Via @lemondefr pic.twitter.com/gnY6UrKguP

— Politics For All (@PoliticsForAlI) March 30, 2021

EU Blockades Meningitis Vaccine Destined for USA - #Vaccinegate

 

Last week, the EU covered itself in "glory" when thinking they had come across a "secret" stockpile of illicit vaccines in Italy destined for the hated and perfidious Albion, they pounced and blockaded it.

One small fly in the EU's oinkment, the vaccines had nothing to do with the UK; they were in fact destined for Mexico and Canada!

This week the EU has doubled down, again (oddly enough) getting the Italians to do the dirty work.

Bloomberg reports that Italy’s customs agency is holding up a shipment of GlaxoSmithKline Plc meningitis vaccine and plans to test its contents amid growing suspicion that drugmakers may try to export coronavirus vaccine batches out of the European Union.

The shipment, worth about $10 million, has been sitting at Rome’s airport awaiting testing for about a week, according to two people familiar with the matter who declined to be identified. Glaxo confirmed the delay, saying the semi-finished batch was bound for its production site in Marietta, Pennsylvania.

The EU's Vaccine Lake (23.5 Million Doses)

 

EU Commission: As of the end of last week 88 million vaccine doses have been delivered to EU countries, and 64.5 million of those have been administered.

— Nick Gutteridge (@nickgutteridge) March 29, 2021

EU Doesn't Have a Leg To Stand On

I sound like a broken record but:

1. The EU have no credible case under contract law. If they had they'd have sued AZ.

2. There is no treaty provision that extends the Commission's power to this extent without trashing other treaty provisions.

3. If they persist it will 💥 https://t.co/gl1niqYLAh

— Barrister's Horse (@BarristersHorse) March 25, 2021

EU Continues To Blockade Australia

 

Reuters reports the EU has not replied to Australia's request to release 1 million AstraZeneca doses paid for by Canberra.

PM Scott Morrison said last week the vaccines were destined for Papua New Guinea, which is facing a health crisis from rising coronavirus infection rates.

— James Franey (@jamesfraney) March 26, 2021

V Day - #VaccineGate

 

To note as EU leaders meet:

🔸Divsion: Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden disagree with restrictions

🔸Ban does NOT mean more EU vaccines, @VDombrovskis admitted yesterday vaccines remain property of companies

🔸EU/UK are talking

🔸EU vaccine supply ramping up within weeks

— Darren McCaffrey (@DarrenEuronews) March 25, 2021

As EU leaders mull over whether to dig themselves further into the hole that vdL and her wayward Commission have dug for them, it is worth noting that yesterday's farcical raid by the Italians on an AZ factory (that revealed a stash of vaccines destined for Mexico) was as a result of a tip off by one of vdL's henchmen in the Commission.

Note this, and note it well, this mess is down to vdL and her Commission. She is now doing everything possible to deflect the blame and difficult questions being posed, by stoking up the tensions elsewhere!

Groß Deutsche Farce!

NEW: Merkel U-TURNS on planned tougher lockdown over the Easter bank holiday which will not now take place - saying it wasn’t implementable

Merkel told state leaders "the mistake is my mistake” adding “I ask forgiveness of citizens” saying she regretted the uncertainly it caused

— Darren McCaffrey (@DarrenEuronews) March 24, 2021

EU Set To Blockade Mexico and Canada - #VaccineGate

 

The Franco/German cabal running the EU continues to swathe itself in glory (or something very smelly).

It seems that, thinking they have come across a "secret" stockpile of illicit vaccines destined for the hated and perfidious Albion, they are about to pounce and enact their blockade.

One small fly in the EU's oinkment, the vaccines have nothing to do with the UK; they are in fact destined for Mexico and Canada!

La Stampa reporting:
"29 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine hidden in the Catalent plant in Anagni. Ready to be shipped to the UK, but discovered by the Italian authorities following an investigation launched on the recommendation of the European Commission"

T https://t.co/1SugJF7nks

— Bruno Waterfield (@BrunoBrussels) March 24, 2021

EU and UK sources both say the reported stockpile of 29 million AstraZeneca doses discovered in Italy has nothing to do with supplies to Britain. It's a fill and finish site and jabs there are destined for Canada, Mexico, and Covax.

— Nick Gutteridge (@nickgutteridge) March 24, 2021

Keep it up lads, the whole world is now seeing you for what you really are:

-incompetent

-corrupt

-deceitful

-bureaucratic

-Stalinists!

EU on Verge of Making a Major Blunder - Again!

Cabinet ministers privately saying the exact opposite: https://t.co/eNSzr2r2Wu

Worrying development 👇👇 https://t.co/qzt3OFQEqc

— Harry Cole (@MrHarryCole) March 23, 2021

 

The EU have badly misread the UK!

The EU's Vaccine Arbitrage System

Leader of Austria, others claim something isn't right in the allocation of vaccine doses via the EU, that the pro rata system is being violated. @nytimes reporting in 10 countries in Jan & Feb found opaque & politically sensitive arbitrage going on #thread #covid #vaccines

— Matina Stevis-Gridneff (@MatinaStevis) March 23, 2021

This will blow up in vdL's face on Thursday.

EU's Vaccine Blockade

Having destroyed the reputation of the Oxford-AZ vaccine on the continent of Europe, the EU is now determined to blockade the export of Pfizer to the UK.

The damage political leaders can do:
61% of people in France now think the AZ vaccine is unsafe, up 18 percentage points on February. Only 23% think it is safe, down 10 points.
55% of Germans think the AZ jab is unsafe, up 15 points on February. Just 32% say it is safe, down 11.

— Andrew Neil (@afneil) March 22, 2021

There’s something farcical about the EU’s vaccination threats.
It seems most worried about Halix plant in the Netherlands, which makes AstraZeneca vaccines. Most of the jabs being exported from the EU to Britain are Pfizer.

— Andrew Neil (@afneil) March 22, 2021

Boris will be working the phones (calling EU leaders) ahead of Thursday's blockade vote. I assume one of the sticks being wielded is that if a blockade is voted for, this will disrupt the UK's roadmap; which will in turn ensure that no British citizens will be allowed to travel to Europe for their holidays and spend their money there.

Which EU countries desperately want British holiday £'s?

-Portugal

-Greece

-Italy

-Spain

France Fucks Up Again - Les Cretins!

 

I mean 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

BREAK: France is now recommending #AstraZeneca jab for over-55s only

Where do you start!

All over the place on this...

— Darren McCaffrey (@DarrenEuronews) March 19, 2021

Ou sont les cretins? 

Là-bas en france! 

Apprenez ceci pour la préparation

The EU's Bureaucratic and Intellectual Rigidity

 

EU vaccine "failures seem to reflect fundamental flaws in the continent’s institutions and attitudes — including the same bureaucratic and intellectual rigidity that made the euro crisis a decade ago far worse than it should have been"https://t.co/6YYV9pocpl

— Bruno Waterfield (@BrunoBrussels) March 19, 2021

The EU will end up destroying itself !

The Poison at The Heart of Europe

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has threatened to block vaccine exports to the UK and other countries with markedly higher rollouts of coronavirus jabs.

Read more: https://t.co/M0zhN5weHk pic.twitter.com/ow4mVJj9jr

— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 17, 2021

There are millions of unused doses of AZ vaccine sitting on the shelves in Europe, the use of the vaccine has been suspended (despite the assurances of the EMA that it is safe) and now vdL threatens global supplies.

Aside from the fact that her threats have no legal basis, she neglects to mention that a blockade of supplies and components of supplies will hinder factories outwith the EU blockade zone from manufacturing the vaccines; which in turn means that the supplies of the vaccine to the EU will be negatively impacted.

It is little wonder that UK cabinet ministers are now of the view that, until she is removed from office, there is little chance of an improvement in relations with the EU; in fact we can expect things to worsen.

The EU Has Gone Batshit Crazy!

 

Not only have vast swathes of the EU suspended the Oxford-AZ vaccine, allegedly because of "fears over blood clots", it is now considering suing for lack of supplies caused by its own botched contract negotiations.

 

🚨France is considering suing AstraZeneca for a lack of vaccine deliveries, despite the country suspending the use of the jab

Read More👇👇 https://t.co/vO9pbSGKBb

— The Spectator (@spectator) March 17, 2021

Members of the EU (eg Italy) have admitted that this nonsense is entirely political, and not based on any form of science (the EMA has no worries bout the vaccine's safety).

Given the alleged "fears" over clots, will the EU be banning other medicines that cause clots eg paracetamol, birth control pills etc?

EU To Take Legal Action Against UK

2/ The European Commission will issue legal proceedings through two letters to the British government, following its decision on March 3 to unilaterally extend grace periods which eased the full implementation of the Protocol.

— Tony Connelly (@tconnellyRTE) March 15, 2021

The EU will take legal action today against the UK over its unilateral move to change the terms of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Theoretically, if this spat continues, the EU may decide not to ratify the Brexit agreement.

The question is, does this worry the British government or is this the "plan"?

EU Admits it Was Lying About UK Vaccine Export Ban

 

EU Commission spokesman acknowledges Council President Charles Michel's claim the UK has an 'outright ban' on vaccine exports is wrong. 'We know different countries have got different measures in place. This does not concern vaccines, as far as we understand, coming from the UK.'

— Nick Gutteridge (@nickgutteridge) March 10, 2021

Raab Hits Back at EU Vaccine Lies

 

Breaking: Understand Dominic Raab has written to European Council pres Charles Michel this evening after he made false claims about UK operating a vaccine export ban.

The letter sets record straight and urges EU to need for unity on pandemic.

EU rep has also been summoned.

— Harry Yorke (@HarryYorke1) March 9, 2021

Clearly the post Brexit relationship with the EU is breaking down. It is entirely possible that the agreement with the EU may well be ripped up.

Germany Follows Britain's Lead

BREAKING: Germany is to rewrite its vaccination plan and follow Britain’s lead by delaying the second dose of coronavirus vaccines.

Via @thetimes pic.twitter.com/Dj5Gebf5g4

— Politics For All (@PoliticsForAlI) March 5, 2021

Relationships Are Hard

It looks like the European Commission will take legal action against the UK for it's unilateral move the NI Protocol.

So what are the options?

— Tony Connelly (@tconnellyRTE) March 4, 2021

Lord Frost has set the cat amongst the pigeons.

Whether this is part of a master plan to implement a "hard Brexit" by default, and then blame it on the EU remains to be seen.

UK Goes Unilateral

Breaking: away from the Budget, major movement on the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The UK is unilaterally extending the supermarket grace period by five months.

EU sources saying this is a breach of the protocol - claim rejected by UK side.https://t.co/1LUYFY4Lq1

— Harry Yorke (@HarryYorke1) March 3, 2021

 

It will be interesting to see what other actions the UK will take in the coming week or so!

Lord Frost has wasted no time in letting the EU know that he hasn't gone anywhere.

The EU is Revolting!

 

EU will include UK in covid vaccine passport, despite Brexit, because of revolt by Greece, Spain, Italy even Macron's France: they are desperate for British tourists

— Andrew Pierce (@toryboypierce) March 2, 2021

Le U Tourne - Chateauneuf du Pape!

 

The story of a French reverse ferret:
Latest research shows Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine slightly more effective than the Pfizer vaccine. For those over 70, four weeks after 1st dose, protection ranged between 57/61% for 1 dose of Pfizer, between 60/73% for AZ.

— Andrew Neil (@afneil) March 2, 2021

Top trolling of the eu😁 https://t.co/Y8rcd77L3G

— Ken Frost (@ken_frost) March 2, 2021

EU's Chickens Come Home To Roost

 

I am running out of words to describe what is happening. There are three groups of countries. Those wealthy enough to vaccinate its citizens, those who cannot afford it - and the European Union pic.twitter.com/HtwETh9Xwq

— Bruno Maçães (@MacaesBruno) February 22, 2021

EU Reaps What it Has Sown

 

Just weeks ago, the European Union was clamoring for AstraZeneca Plc’s Covid-19 vaccine. Now, fewer than one-tenth of the doses delivered to Germany have been administered in the initial days of the roll-out, and some health-care workers say they’re concerned about side effects.

Germany isn’t alone: Some French health workers are also pushing to get shots from Moderna Inc., Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE instead.

The EU vaccine campaign is already far behind that of the U.S. and U.K., and catching up will be impossible in the near term unless people are willing to take the 300 million shots the bloc ordered from AstraZeneca. 

Badmouthing the AZ vaccine, in order to cover up the incompetence of Commission, has now come back to bite the EU on the arse.

Frost Joins Cabinet To Take Charge of UK/EU Relationship

💥 NEW with @GeorgeWParker @pmdfoster: Inside the Downing Street power struggle that saw David Frost take his fourth government job of 2021, join the cabinet, become a Cabinet Office Minister and take control of UK-EU relations https://t.co/kBbaBPjYcS

— Sebastian Payne (@SebastianEPayne) February 17, 2021

 

Lord Frost, as from 1 March, will be in the Cabinet and be responsible for UK/EU relations. 

Some people are whining that he is not elected. However, as they well know, no members of the Cabinet are elected, they are appointed by the PM.

His appointment is entirely rational, as he was responsible for negotiating the Brexit deal.

Data Sharing To Continue

 

EU set to allow data to continue to flow freely to the UK after concluding that the British had ensured an adequate level of protection for personal information

It will be welcomed those in health, insurance and technology that regularly transfer customer personal information

— Darren McCaffrey (@DarrenEuronews) February 15, 2021

When Elephants Fight, Ants Get Squashed!

I think entirely in line with expectations. Doubling down & dismissing any real prospect of improving operations of the Protocol. Entirely within EU's right & understandable in some ways. But equally I think short sighted. Thread 1/ https://t.co/rEwR0efwGp

— Raoul Ruparel (@RaoulRuparel) February 11, 2021

 

Dublin is becoming increasingly concerned that it will become squashed in the fallout from this, now that it realises that the EU doesn't give a monkey's about it.

On @BBCNews at 6pm, Taoiseach @michealMartinTD says the EU should 'dial it down a bit' over the UK & #Brexit or Ireland could become 'collateral damage'.

— Alastair Stewart (@AlStewartOBE) February 11, 2021

Ursula von der Leyen Summoned To Appear Before Parliament

 

Huge questions to be answered about #EU Commission's handling of #covid #vaccine procurement - and the crazy decision to trigger Article 16. Open letter from Irish MEPs calling on President von der Leyen to appear in Parliament next week to answer questions on all of it pic.twitter.com/ZuxGWyhbP0

— Mick Wallace (@wallacemick) February 4, 2021

Bet she doesn't turn up!

Article 16 - The Sequel

 

This thread is a helpful explainer as to what Article 16 is all about.

A lot of discussion about Article 16 of NI Protocol, especially after Johnson said that he would consider invoking it to prevent a border down the Irish Sea.

A thread to clarify what Article 16 really is, & why it doesn't offer a solution to the Prime Minister's problem: /1

— Anton Spisak (@AntonSpisak) February 4, 2021

 

It would seem that the UK are now pushing to invoke it. However, unlike the EU which invoked it without exhausting (or even following) the agreed consultation process, the UK will at first try consultation and negotiation.

BBC Eviscerates EU - #VaccineGate

The remarkable story of how the EU started to feel the pressure over the vaccine rollout. In 5 minutes. Producer by @MichaelCoxJhttps://t.co/hXcmu9k2pJ pic.twitter.com/bnuRxDbkXK

— Ros Atkins (@BBCRosAtkins) February 1, 2021

EU in Full Blown Panic Deflection Mode

 

Sorry, but as a dyed in the wool remainer, I am quite comfortable in saying that this is (a) a deliberate falsehood and (b) a shameless attempt by the EU to cover their arses on their own failures on the vaccine roll out. https://t.co/7zJ6DlP8Un

— Stuart Neil (@stuartjdneil) February 2, 2021

Ursula von der Leyen - A Case Study in Rewarding Failure

 

The last few days have been somewhat of a clusterfuck for the EU Commission under the "leadership" of Ursula von der Leyen.

Not content with libelling AstraZenca and publishing the confidential contract whilst leaving in links to the sensitive redacted parts of the contract, VDL and her team then blocked exports of covid vaccine and imposed a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland without even telling the Irish and British that they were going to do it.

Unsurprisingly that action brought down a firestorm of criticism from around the world and, within a few hours, VDL was forced to about face and rescind the hard border and promise that vaccine supplies to the UK would not be blockaded.

Should this clusterfuck come as a surprise?

No!

VDL's career has been riddled with screw ups and allegations of corruption eg:

- during her time as German defence minister the Bundeswehr's condition was described a "catastrophic" by a former defence minister

- none of the German submarine fleet was seaworthy

- German soldiers took part in a multinational exercise with broom handles for guns

- VDL faced an investigation for corruption and wrongdoing wrt using outside consultants

- VDL has even faced allegations of plagiarism for a thesis she wrote whilst studying medicine

It is therefore not surprising that she was promoted to EC President, as that was the most effective and least embarrassing means of removing her from German politics.

However, as #VaccineGate has shown she is now in a position where she can wreak even more havoc.

Will she resign?

No, of course not, she is already taking credit for AstraZeneca's promise to increase vaccine shipments to the EU bu 9 million to 40 million during Q1.

Step forward on vaccines.@AstraZeneca will deliver 9 million additional doses in the first quarter (40 million in total) compared to last week’s offer & will start deliveries one week earlier than scheduled.

The company will also expand its manufacturing capacity in Europe.

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) January 31, 2021

This is all very well and nice, except that is the very same deal that she rejected only a few days earlier!

This is the very same offer you rejected a few days ago! https://t.co/tHn09vKrRz

— Ken Frost (@ken_frost) January 31, 2021

Given her talent for clustefucks, it is likely that in order to get rid of her she will have to be promoted to another high office in the very near future.

Goodness knows what/where that will be!

Lord Frost To Maintain Brexit Role

 

David (Lord) Frost’s title will be PM’s representative for Brexit and international relations, am told

This acknowledges - rightly - there’s more to do. Grace periods end. Teething problems endure.

Brexit is “done” in name only? (BIDINO)

— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) January 29, 2021

German MEP Threatens UK and USA - #VaccineGate

 

German MEP threatens UK and USA! https://t.co/DSG2JkX1r0

— Ken Frost (@ken_frost) January 28, 2021

A German MEP, for reasons best know to himself, has just threatened the UK and USA.

The lessons of European history are seemingly quickly forgotten, namely that you shouldn't fight wars on two fronts!