You've got to judge people, ultimately, by their actions rather than their words.
Jacob Rees-Mogg
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/jacob_reesmogg_959198
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/jacob_reesmogg_959198
There is sometimes an
almost vindictive streak in politics whereby governments follow policies
which they know will harm the electorate, but nonetheless, they keep
them, sometimes for years.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/jacob_reesmogg_959124
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/jacob_reesmogg_959124
Pots and Kettles
"There is sometimes an almost vindictive streak in politics whereby governments follow policies which they know will harm the electorate, but nonetheless, they keep them, sometimes for years."
You've got to judge people, ultimately, by their actions rather than their words.
Jacob Rees-Mogg
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/jacob_reesmogg_959198
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/jacob_reesmogg_959198
WTO RULES OK?
We are led to believe,
by a small (minded?) cadre of politicians known as the European
Research (sic) Group, that were we to leave the EU with no deal, we
can simply begin trading on World Trade Organisation rules.
Picture the scene:
8.00am, 30th
March 2019 – The Department for Exiting the EU.
Ring, ring, ring, ring,
ring.
WTO: Good
morning, this is the World Trade Organisation, unfortunately all our
advisers are busy at the moment and your call is held in a queue.
You may also contact us
at www.wto.lastchancesaloon.com
You are number 69.
Brexit
Minister (take your pick): What!!!! Don’t you know who this
is…………..we are GREAT BRITAIN!!!!!!
Cue
Musak: Land of Hopelessness and Over glorified.
Some
15 minutes later:
WTO:
Good morning, this is the World Trade Organisation, Jean-Claude
speaking, how may I help you?
Brexit
Minister: (Whispered aside) Are they taking the piss!
This is GREAT BRITAIN here.
Jean-Claude: Oh hello and how are you today?
Brexit Minister: Well, to be honest, we’ve got a bit of a
flap on and we want to begin trading on WTO rules pdq.
Jean-Claude: Mm, I see and when would you like to begin
trading.
Brexit Minister: Today of course, I’ll have you know we’ve
got important trade deals to negotiate by Monday morning.
Jean-Claude: Oh dear, well give me your contact details and
I’ll get the paperwork out to you today.
Brexit Minister: PAPERWORK!!!!!
Let me remind you who you are talking to…….GREAT BRITAIN you,
you………(sighs with frustration)
Jean-Claude: Unfortunately, rules is rules; that’s a
little WTO joke!
Brexit Minister: God’s teeth!! Well just get on with it!
As with most things concerned with Brexit, the above playlet is
fantasy.
The reality, as described by Anneli Howard in the Guardian of
28.01.19 ( Moving to WTO rules
could take seven years, EU law experts warn)
is rather different.
At this point, I must warn readers that Anneli Howard is an EU and
competition law expert and a
Member of the Bar Council’s Brexit Working Group
The clue to the point is in the description i.e., she’ qualifies as
an expert and as such, according
to that well known sage and man of the people Michael Gove, is an
unnecessary encumbrance
when it comes to understanding simple things, like the future
prosperity and security of our
country. Nevertheless, just in case the esteemed Michael Gove is
wrong, I think it worth repeating
what Ms Howard has to say.
She warns that in the case of no deal and trading on WTO rules:
- The UK must produce its own schedules (i.e. its preferred tariffs) covering both services
and each of the 5000 product lines covered in the WTO agreement.
- All 163 WTO members must agree to these schedules; it’s possible, though unlikely, that
Spain might veto because of Gibraltar or Argentina because of the
Falklands.
- There are no “crash out” terms; the WTO has blocked the UK from using the EU schedules.
- Nine statutes and 600 statutory instruments need to be adopted before leaving.
- We are not allowed to “cut and paste” the 120,000 EU statutes into UK law and then
make changes over time.
- Finally, the UK will need to establish new enforcement bodies and transfer new powers to
regulators to create its own domestic regimes.
Phew! Ms Howard’s
final comment is to say that negotiating and ratifying future trade
deals could take over seven years.
Good luck
everybody!
Dear Editor,
ReplyDeleteLike other parts of the country, here in Canterbury, we are planning a Festival to celebrate all elements of European, World and the Best of British Culture on ‘Brexit Day’ 29th March. We have named it “Bidet" to honour a fabulous European icon much feared and misunderstood by our 'John Bull, Leaving' brethren.
It is proving impossible to fix a reliable date for this event however due to the rival Westminster Kamikaze Squadrons’ obsessive determination to destruct much that is good in this fair isle. However, neither seems to have the courage to ‘take off’.
Could we urge your readership to encourage them to get a move on so we can get the huge Kent lorry parks underway; food supplies depleted; medical supplies exhausted. We need to get our celebration of European and British Culture underway on time.
Oh dear, as the late Terry-Thomas would have said of the political leadership of Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn, ”they are a shower and complete and utter shower”.
Good wishes,
John Hills