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[cheshire pete] 23/3/2021 15:55

How's the vaccine rollout going in EU land then Minerve....the place we were all so stupid in wanting away from lol. How many lives has Boris saved by world beating vaccine approval and rollout?

[cheshire pete] 23/3/2021 15:52

Scruff1: #350

Rang my GP the other day asking how we rebuild our immune systems after 12 months of lockdown to a normal level before next winter, having wrapped ourselves in cotton wool by not having been exposed as much to viruses in general. I asked if walking down the high street and see a group of schoolkids heading my way should I cross the road to avoid them, or not. Likewise if going for a takeaway coffee better before school finishes or after.
Answer was avoid until you've had the second jab. Could see where I was coming from and agreed that it was a matter of timing.

[minerve 2] 23/3/2021 15:45

scruff1

Again, you Brexiteers were so hell-bent on Brexit you voted in Boris. Everybody with sense knew what Boris was like. You sound surprised.

Unfortunately this country and the whole world is full of morons and whilst morons continue to behave like morons they spoil things for the rest of us.

If the government opened up travel between certain countries the morons would book flights to jump from country to country to get around the bans. That's what they have done and will continue to do.

The fact your wife cannot see her grand kids is the price you pay when your children leave the country. That's life. You can't always have your cake and eat it.

[freddie01] 23/3/2021 14:04

HyNet North West awarded £72m of funding


HyNet North West has been awarded £72m of funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the project’s consortium partners. The HyNet North West project aims to transform the North West into the world’s first low carbon industrial cluster, playing a critical role in the UK’s transition to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and the global fight against climate change.

The North West industrial cluster region has the largest concentration of advanced manufacturing and chemical production in the UK and is home to a concentration of energy intensive users. The HyNet North West hydrogen and carbon capture and storage (CCS) project is being developed by a consortium of regionally located partners including Progressive Energy, Cadent, CF Fertilisers, Eni UK, Essar, Hanson, INOVYN (part of the INEOS Group) and the University of Chester.

From 2025, HyNet North West will begin to convert natural gas into low carbon hydrogen at Stanlow Refinery, with carbon dioxide safely captured and stored offshore in the Liverpool Bay gas fields. A new pipeline network will transport the clean hydrogen to power industry, fuel buses, trains and heavy goods vehicles, to generate electricity, and to heat homes across North West England and North Wales.

[tygarreg] 23/3/2021 13:48

I cant believe that anyone would continue to argue for remain or rejoin. Can you imagine what pleasure they would get in screwing a ransom out of the UK and inflict their Euro and laws on us again. They would carve up what's left of uk industry between themselves and relocate it to their hinterland and use our contributions to finance it. Get serious. Wake up and smell the stench. Best move ever to get out of the EU. Hell, we are still tipping our hats to the descendants of the Norman conquests from 1000 years ago.

[maxk] 23/3/2021 13:24

An EU vaccine export ban should trigger tariffs on German cars

America's use of "smart tariffs" has made the EU return to the negotiating table and make concessions - Britain should follow suit


MATTHEW LYNN
22 March 2021 • 2:24pm
Matthew Lynn




Vials will be stopped at the ferry ports. Factories will be monitored to check where products are going. And customs officers, presumably accompanied by sniffer dogs trained to detect whatever it is a Covid-19 vaccine smells like, will patrol the borders.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Union Commission, is threatening to escalate the growing vaccine war between Britain and the rest of Europe over supplies of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab. At a meeting of ministers on Thursday she may well invoke emergency powers to block exports from the continent.

But hold on. It is surely impossible for any British government to accept that without retaliating. We shouldn’t block the shipment of vaccines or their ingredients to Europe. That will simply cost lives on the continent, and two wrongs never make a right.

Instead, the UK should borrow a trick from the United States. Smart tariffs. We should unveil, by Thursday morning, a list of immediate, emergency levies that will be applied on EU exports to the UK, such as cars, foods, wine, clothing and machinery. With luck, they won’t have to be imposed - but the threat of "smart tariffs" may well be enough to ensure vaccine supplies keep flowing.

The vaccine row between Britain and the EU grows worse with every day that passes. The EU is furious that the UK appears to have secured more supplies of the Oxford vaccine than it has, even though it was, after all, created in Britain, and has been widely - and unfairly - criticised across the continent.


The EU has already blocked the shipment of 250,000 doses to Australia at the request of the Italian government. Now it is threatening to block exports of vital ingredients for the manufacture of the jab from a plant in the Netherlands. A final decision will be made at a meeting of heads of government on Thursday.

In the background, of course, the UK has been rolling out its vaccination programme with stunning success. In Britain, 30m doses have been delivered, with half the adult population now on one jab, compared with only 8m in France and 10m in Germany, amid delays to authorisation, misjudged suspensions, and a blizzard of paperwork and bureaucracy that seems to ignore the urgency of the situation.


If export controls are imposed by the EU, it will be impossible for the British Government to accept that. It won’t make much difference to the rest of Europe, especially given that the continent’s leaders have gone out of their way to undermine trust in the vaccine. But it may well hold up the rollout of the inoculation programme in this country, and potentially delay the exit from lockdown, inflicting terrible damage to our economy. Reasonable? Proportionate? Not really.

If the EU wants to go down that route it can, but the UK should make it clear it will retaliate. We could impose a blockade of vaccines or their ingredients to the EU, yet that would be descending to their level. It would cost lives across Europe, and slow down the fight against Covid-19, and no one wants to do that. Instead, we should opt for "smart tariffs".


The US has shown the way. Over the last five years, it has responded to the EU’s belligerence on trade with a series of selective tariffs on products ranging from automobiles to wine and spirits to aircraft and metals. And guess what? It worked. Over a whole range of issues, the EU came back to the negotiating table and started to make concessions. We should do the same.

Even better, we could apply tariffs to products from the home regions of particular EU leaders (a tactic Brussels pioneered in 2018 when it imposed tariffs on products such as Harley-Davidson motorbikes to change the minds of specific Republican Congressmen) Such as?

The French Prime Minister Jean Castex made his career in the Pyrénées-Orientale, a region that sells a huge amount of wine to the UK. A 300pc tariff would be interesting. Ursula von der Leyen represented Lower Saxony in the Bundestag for many years. Its biggest company happens to be Volkswagen. Again, a 300pc tariff on VW’s might focus a few minds at Thursday’s meeting.

Targeting specific companies and regions might seem extreme, but in reality it would simply be borrowing tactics the EU itself uses to up the pressure in negotiations.

Across the board we could threaten to impose emergency tariffs across a range of EU products. It would not do any significant damage to the British economy. We run a vast trade deficit with the EU, and that is especially concentrated in manufactured goods, and food. Everything targeted for tariffs could easily be sourced elsewhere, and often more cheaply.


If a new VW suddenly costs £100,000 rather than £30,000 because of the tariff, people can buy a Nissan or Toyota instead. If French wine is suddenly £20 a bottle at Majestic the Chilean or Australian alternative will still be the same price. In truth, we will hardly notice. Smart tariffs are widely used around the world as a weapon in trade negotiations, so it would not break World Trade Organisation rules. It is robust - but it is hardly unfair.

Of course, it would be far better if it never reached that point. But the UK could easily unveil a list of smart tariffs by Thursday morning to be imposed in the event that vaccine shipments are blocked.

A 300pc tariff on VWs, and 100pc on all EU cars. A 300pc tariffs on wines from Pyrénées-Orientale, with a 100pc on any alcohol from the EU. A 100pc on cheese, and another 100pc on clothing.

In truth, it would be an instant and proportionate response. Vaccines should not be held up at borders, and supply chains should not be interrupted. Vaccination is the only effective way to fight Covid-19 and bring the crisis to and end.

But if the EU insists that is its choice - and the UK should make it clear that while it won’t impose controls on vaccines it will retaliate with tariffs on other products.

[utrickytrees] 23/3/2021 13:01

Howard boy or Nancy boy?

[grahamite2] 23/3/2021 12:47

The youth of this country now know their elders were right to vote to leave, and they are grateful for it.

[barkboo] 23/3/2021 12:42

Minerve 2 - Would you fight for Guy Verhofstadt, he is only a pencil mustache short of a crank!

[geckotheglorious] 23/3/2021 12:35

"European officials are furious that AstraZeneca has been able to deliver its UK contract in full while falling short on its supplies to the EU"

Why???

UK signed a contract with Astra 4-6 weeks BEFORE EU did, and the UK didnt quibble on price either, as the EU did.

Why should EU expect to get its vaccine orders fulfilled at the same time as UK does, or in equal "fair" share as the UK ,when they messed about for 4-6 weeks whilst UK got on with it.

This "EU vaccine export ban" (see below) to ONLY the UK tells you all you need to know, even you hardened Remoaners.

The EU is not the UK's friend, and we should not treat it as such either.

If EU bans export of vaccines to UK, UK should reciprocate by banning export of said "vital ingredients" needed to make those vaccines in the EU.

We ALSO need to stop paying them any monety until they fix the Immigration problem UK is experiencing due to their poor border control all the way from outskirts of the EU empire to the closest to the UK , namely France.

UK only has an issue with Illegals crossing the English Channel because the EU lets them cross into the EU, to then move absent deportation, through all member states to get to the French coast. Plenty of opportunities to deport the parasites back outside the EU to North Africa/Turkey, or wherever else they have entered from.


"EU’s vaccine export ban: 118 states exempted worldwide, but UK is targeted
EXCLUSIVE - EU Commission’s hatred for Brexit Britain becomes ever more brazen

How the EU now only seems to want to target one country – the United Kingdom

This week the EU Commission seems to have only one country in its sights - the country which voted in 2016 to leave its club. The EU's latest moves appear to be directed solely at the United Kingdom.

Today Facts4EU.Org can reveal the full list of 118 states which were specifically excluded from the EU’s export regulation in January, and how the EU Commission is only targeting the United Kingdom and its Commonwealth partner Australia for punishment out of all the countries in the world"

[barkboo] 23/3/2021 12:33

I wouldn't fancy you fighting for Queen and Country - btw...most remainers are stupid!

[minerve 2] 23/3/2021 12:30

Yes, believe it or not, most Remainers are British born and have a better sense of patriotism.

I've done more for this country than you have most likely.

[barkboo] 23/3/2021 12:26

Minerve 2 - I know you are an ex. Howard boy, I have my contacts, are you born and bred British? lol

[minerve 2] 23/3/2021 12:20

scruff1

"The grandaughter is growing up fast and she is missing those incredibly important years. She can never get them back. "

Well, youth and EU citizens who were benefitting from the UK in the EU and Erasmus have seen their plans destroyed and will never get those years back.

I'm sorry but I don't feel sorry for you. A bit of your own medicine will do you, your wife and fellow Brexiteers good.

(And I am sorry I have to say that scruff because you come across a decent Brexiteer.)

Look, hopefully for your family your route to Dubai will open soon.

[scruff1] 23/3/2021 11:49

Merkel is East German so dealing with her former masters suits her better than dealing the west.

[xxxxxy] 23/3/2021 11:48

agricolaMarch 23, 2021I find it all somerhing of a mystery. Government behaves financially in ways that I as an individual would never be allowed to, because I could not bare the consequencies. Yet I have to bare the consequences of government borrowing behaviour. I also suffer the consequencies when government spend money on white elephant projects, but fail to spend on things that directly affect my and everyone elses quality of life. I have in mind a properly funded NHS, people sleeping rough on the streets and totally inadequate housing at the lower end of the market. Experiencing all this lumpen management of the money, I have been forced to give government, I can understand those individuals who move or incorporate offshore. In the best possible way they can they are safeguarding the best interests of those they are directly responsible for, their family. Knowing that government will waste whatever tax they might have been forced to pay. Am I missing some great hidden truth.... John Redwood blog

[freddie01] 23/3/2021 11:43

Liz Truss announces creation of four major new Trade and Investment Hubs across the UK



New trade hubs will channel the economic benefits of international trade directly into Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the North of England.


Four major new trade and investment hubs will be established in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the North-East of England to boost trade and investment and level-up the country, the International Trade Secretary will announce today (23 March 2021).

The trade hubs in Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast and a new second major DIT site in Darlington, will be established as part of a new strategy to boost exports and bring the benefits of the government’s global trade policy to the whole of the UK, including benefits from future free trade agreements with the US, Australia, New Zealand and CPTPP.

They will mean exporters have a direct feed into UK trade policy, and can better take advantage of opportunities in fast-growing markets like the Indo-Pacific region. The trade hubs will also create a critical link between the regions and the resources of the Office For Investment – a joint initiative with the Prime Minister’s Office – to channel investment money into every UK nation and region.

The trade hubs will be home to teams of export and investment specialists, who can provide businesses with expert support and advice to help them:

maximise their export potential and boost their trade in new markets overseas
better access major trade markets like India, the US and Japan
feed directly into DIT’s free trade agreements programme
The launch of the trade hubs marks the start of a major export drive, which will see DIT focussed on promoting British exports from all parts of the UK, to help level up the country, build back better, and support a resilient economy as outlined in the government’s Integrated Review.

Earlier this month government-led research showed exports support 6.5m jobs across the UK, 74% of which are outside London. The research estimates jobs directly and indirectly supported by exports pay around 7% higher than the national median, with Office for National Statistics estimating that goods exporting businesses are also 21% more productive.

The new trade hubs will also support the launch of high-profile export campaigns due to launch later this year, that will seek to maximise export potential and boost UK enterprise in global markets, following the recent launch of the food and drink export campaign. Last year, goods exports from the North of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland were £98.4bn.

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said:
I’m determined to use UK trade policy to benefit every part of the UK. These Trade and Investment Hubs will help this country to an export and jobs-led recovery.

They will mean we can channel investment into all corners of the country, and that exporters – whether they’re selling Scotch beef, Welsh Lamb or cars made in the North of England – have access to the expertise they need to sell into the fastest growing markets.

550 staff are expected to be present in the hubs by 2025, with an ambition to increase this to 750 staff by 2030. An existing DIT Hub in Edinburgh announced in September last year, will see a significant increase in headcount following its relaunch today.

[maxk] 23/3/2021 11:36

It's vaccine wars mr.e.

Any excuse will do.

[sentimental rules] 23/3/2021 11:35

funny that the EU agency has cleared the AZ vaccine eh elbee