Britain outside the EU

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Chris

You’re not comparing apples with apples. The currency and the border-free travel area were both contrary to long-standing British policy, favoured by Labour and Tory governments alike. The vaccine procurement programme is a one-off response to a crisis being endured equally by all member states. As a member of the EU it would have been politically very difficult not to be seen to be playing our part, not least because while we were members it was British policy to always try to position ourselves as showing leadership (with limited success I might add).

Ireland is outside Schengen but inside the vaccine procurement scheme.
Sweden and Denmark* are outside the Euro but inside the vaccine procurement scheme.

*Via negotiated exemption - Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Romania are committed to eventually joining.

Reality is, we'll just never know. Given a close result in favour of Remain, the Prime Minister of the day could well have seen a benefit in appealing to the Eurosceptic wing of the Conservative Party and to the UKIP supporters by pursuing our own path on vaccines.

[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by tweetiepooh

I don't like Australian wine, US is worse. Chile do make some nice stuff, for whites New Zealand. Trouble is too many new world wines are over extracted so get a slight bitter taste and really nice old world wines are expensive.

I can hypocritise myself by buying Italian wine. They're not the enemy.


---------- Post added at 13:15 ---------- Previous post was at 13:12 ----------

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

Reality is, we'll just never know. Given a close result in favour of Remain, the Prime Minister of the day could well have seen a benefit in appealing to the Eurosceptic wing of the Conservative Party and to the UKIP supporters by pursuing our own path on vaccines.

There is a sort of logical flaw in what you say.

Turning your illustration on its head, given a close result in favour of Leave, the PM of the day HAS (not could have) pleased the opposition and Remainers (including you) by pursuing our own path on vaccines.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

There is a sort of logical flaw in what you say.

Turning your illustration on its head, given a close result in favour of Leave, the PM of the day HAS (not could have) pleased the opposition and Remainers (including you) by pursuing our own path on vaccines.

Not really - I merely provided a possible scenario.

[nomadking]

Originally Posted by tweetiepooh

They do need to sort a few things out though like the one cheese maker reporting that every export to the EU needs it's own vet cert. His £20 cheese boxes each need a £180 certificate.
And the various tax bodies need to work something out especially for small traders.

Do other non-EU countries have the same issues?

---------- Post added at 13:45 ---------- Previous post was at 13:38 ----------

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

Reality is, we'll just never know. Given a close result in favour of Remain, the Prime Minister of the day could well have seen a benefit in appealing to the Eurosceptic wing of the Conservative Party and to the UKIP supporters by pursuing our own path on vaccines.

You can be very sure that in that scenario, the EU would've done a power grab, again. Eg Working Time Directive, and taking control of fishing in EEC/EU waters just prior to the UK(along with other major coastal states) joining.

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

[COLOR="Blue"]I can hypocritise myself by buying Italian wine. They're not the enemy.
[

Italian wine is good but then Australian wine is also very good. Chilean or Argentine wine can be excellent as well. Otherwise you also have Portuguese wine which is good, or French, or Spanish. Not to mention I had a good Turkish wine a few months ago. Really something to be said for wine in general really.

Apart from white wine - dreadful.

[Sephiroth]

Basically, anything but French for me now.

Macron needs to feel our resentment at his resentment.

Originally Posted by Hom3r

It came on my phone this morning that Macron is facing a loss in wine exports.

25% of French wine ends p in the UK, but Brits have been dumping EU stuff and buying wine from Australia, Chile etc.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world...pdate-video-vn

The "25%" figure in that article is from one shop in Calais....

---------- Post added at 14:04 ---------- Previous post was at 14:03 ----------

Originally Posted by Damien

Italian wine is good but then Australian wine is also very good. Chilean or Argentine wine can be excellent as well. Otherwise you also have Portuguese wine which is good, or French, or Spanish. Not to mention I had a good Turkish wine a few months ago. Really something to be said for wine in general really.

Apart from white wine - dreadful.

As in most cases, you get what you pay for...

[heero_yuy]

We didn't buy French wine anyway. It's absurdly over-priced for what it is.

Much prefer a good Australian Chardonnay. Also Chile, Argentina, California and South Africa all make good value wines. Without EU tariffs on these imports expect the value to become even better.

I ordered some Portuguese wine last week and it's taking ages to arrive. Not to do with the EU - U.K Store.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by jonbxx

But we didn't have to be part of the Commissions vaccine program even if we were part of the EU - that was each nations choice (see Hungary bringing the Sputnik vaccine in)

That is not in dispute. What Brexit supporters are saying is that this shows for the world to see that the EU is the bureaucratic, slow, monolithic organisation that Brexiteers have been saying it is.

[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

That is not in dispute. What Brexit supporters are saying is that this shows for the world to see that the EU is the bureaucratic, slow, monolithic organisation that Brexiteers have been saying it is.

The world knew that already but doesn't care because they're not dependant on the EU for anything important other than paying their bills.

As a Leaver, the message to the world needs to be that when the chips are down, our independence is helping us out of the pandemic's clutches.

But you're not wrong and it is indeed a pleasure to me that the EU has shown its bad faith and hypocrisy. A very short letter in today's Torygraph simply said: "It took just 28 days for the EU to throw Ireland under the bus",

[1andrew1]

Will be interesting to see how the government acts.

UK fashion industry facing ‘decimation’ over Brexit trade deal

More than 400 leading figures send letter to PM demanding urgent action on red tape

The UK’s £35bn fashion and textile industry is facing “decimation” as a result of red tape and travel restrictions thrown up by the new post-Brexit trade agreement with the EU, Boris Johnson has been warned.

In an open letter to the UK’s prime minister leading fashion industry and chief executives and icons, including models Twiggy and Yasmin Le Bon, said that Brexit was strangling the complex international supply chains and relationships that underpinned their industry.

“The deal done with the EU has [left] a gaping hole where promised free movement for goods and services for all creatives, including the fashion and textiles sector, should be,” they wrote in the letter co-ordinated by the Fashion Roundtable, an industry forum.

Fashion Round Table's open letter: https://www.fashionroundtable.co.uk/...-to-government
FT: https://www.ft.com/content/9275f5e1-...5-5767f5e748d5

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

Will be interesting to see how the government acts.

It really wont be that interesting.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Mr K

Thing is if we all keep 'exiting', we'll end up like San Marino, but with less influence. United we win, divided we fall, whether its the EU or the UK.

Imagine how much more nimble we will be though...

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

Brexit was a win, as the vaccine fiasco proves. However, separation for Scotland would not be sensible at all. There are simply no advantages unless spite is seen as an advantage.

Oh yes I was being spiteful 14 years ago in preparation for brexit

Originally Posted by TheDaddy

Considering all the billions we send up to you every year, I doubt we'll be expecting a cheque anytime soon and I can't wait for independence either, difference is though over 50% of English people want it, you even vote for a party based on gaining Scottish independence and we are still lumbered with you!

Btw what makes you think your government would do anything different with regard to smoking?

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

Will be interesting to see how the government acts.

Fashion Round Table's open letter: https://www.fashionroundtable.co.uk/...-to-government
FT: https://www.ft.com/content/9275f5e1-...5-5767f5e748d5

Has the fashion industry never exported goods outside the EU before? Every country requires papers. Exporting from outside the EU into the EU is no different.