BREXIT NO DEAL THREAT TO RESURFACE SAY PEERS

The Express reports: The threat of No Deal Brexit has resurfaced amid renewed tensions between the UK and the EU, peers are warning. The Lords EU committee is expected to highlight the delays in the bloc ratifying the trade agreement struck by Boris Johnson in a report next week. The group – led by cross-bencher Lord Kinnoull – will caution that the Northern Irelandprotocol row has soured relations, according to the Guardian. It comes as the EU threatens to push ahead with legal action over the UK’s decision unilaterally to suspend parts of the Brexit terms, amid fears that obstacles to trade with the mainland are fueling sectarian tensions.

 

POST BREXIT FUELS BOOM IN DOMESTIC CORNISH FISH SALES

The Telegraph reports that Cornish fishermen have seen a boom in domestic demand after French awkwardness over post-Brexit paperwork. Fishermen and fishmongers in Cornwall are picking up home trade following Brexit with lobsters, spider crabs and pollock all seeing a huge uplift in sales. The fishing renaissance has been prompted by individual households buying directly from Cornish suppliers particularly during the coronavirus lockdown. Craig Tonkin, owner of Fresh Cornish Fish in Newlyn, said he’s seen a huge change in the customer base of his family-run business since Britain left the European Union: “We were an export company and were probably 90% export and 10% UK and we’re now probably 60 or 70% UK and 30% export.”

 

BRING BACK THATCHERS’ LAW TO STOP FISHING CHAOS

The Express reports that Boris Johnson has been urged to reinstate an old law first introduced by Margaret Thatcher to protect British fishing waters. In 1988, Mrs Thatcher’s Government introduced the 1988 Merchant Shipping Act which stated vessels fishing in UK waters had to be at least 75 percent British owned. The law was overturned by the House of Lords which found it clashed with laws made by the then European Community, since renamed the European Union. Now the UK has left the EU – Britain’s fishing industry is currently following rules set out in the Brexit deal – with a transition period in place. But, that has not stopped June Mummery, a former Brexit Party MEP, calling for the 1988 Merchant Shipping Act to be reinstated.

 

BORIS SHOWS THE JAB IS SAFE

The SUN reports that Boris  Johnson has received his first dose of the AstraZeneca jab and said: ‘I didn’t feel a thing’. The PM was given his first shot at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London – as European nations scrambled to undo their damaging blockade of it. The PM returned to St Thomas’ Hospital for his appointment at 6.30pm Friday evening. Speaking to reporters outside the hospital, he said: did not feel a thing. It was very good and very quick and I cannot recommend it more highly. When you get your notification please go and get your jab. Reassuring Brits that the Astrazeneca jab was safe, he added: Don’t just listen to me, listen to all the scientists and what the European Medicines Agency have to say. He was joined by France’s prime minister Jean Castex and Slovenia’s leader Janez Jansa, who both received the AstraZeneca vaccine today to try and rebuild confidence in it on the continent.

 

FERGUSON CAUTIONS BRITS AGAINST FOREGN HOLIDAYS

The Daily Mail reports that Professor Neil Ferguson warned today that Britain must keep out the South African variant of coronavirus  amid spiralling cases in Europe, suggesting foreign holiday plans may have to be shelved. The SAGE adviser – dubbed ‘Professor Lockdown’ because his gloomy modelling of the first wave spooked ministers into the spring shutdown – said the troubling Covid strain was accounting for a ‘significant’ amount of new cases on the continent. He stopped short of calling for an outright travel ban but hinted that tough surveillance and quarantining at airports and borders would need to remain in place. The South African variant, officially known as B.1.351, is the Covid strain concerning scientists most because it makes the current crop of vaccines slightly less effective. However, jab makers are still confident the immune response stimulated by inoculation is enough to protect the vast majority of people from falling sick with the strain.

 

STURGEON WILL FACE VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE  SAY SCOTTISH TORIES

The London Evening Standard reports that Nicola Sturgeon will face a vote of no confidence unless she resigns by Tuesday amid accusations she misled parliament about her involvement in the Alex Salmond investigation, the Scottish Conservatives have said.The party’s leader at Holyrood, Ruth Davidson, claimed there was no question the First Minister had lied to parliament and so the Tories will table a motion of no confidence on Wednesday unless the First Minister has resigned. Ms Davidson’s threat followed a leak that the inquiry into the Government’s unlawful investigation into harassment complaints against the former first minister has reportedly concluded that Ms Sturgeon gave an inaccurate account of meetings with Mr Salmond. According to Sky News, the Holyrood committee also finds it hard to believe Ms Sturgeon’s testimony of when she first heard concerns relating to the former first minister’s alleged behaviour. The SNP leader’s spokesman said she stands by her evidence and accused the committee of resorting to baseless assertion, supposition and smear.

 

WARNING OF NATIONAL RAIL DISPUTE

The London Evening Standard reports that rail union leaders are warning of a national dispute over fears that thousands of maintenance jobs are set to be axed because of massive cuts in spending.The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) is seeking urgent talks with the Government over the future of Network Rail (NR), as well as safety and maintenance standards on the railways. RMT officials said they have been told that “drastic” cuts are being planned, with an announcement expected in the coming weeks. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “Under orders from the Government, Network Rail is using the Covid-19 drop in passenger numbers and service levels to rush through the most radical restructuring of the railway infrastructure since privatisation.Rather than the post-Covid-19 return to rail recovery which our economy and climate desperately needs, this is a return to the disastrous days of Railtrack. Rail staff, who have been essential workers throughout the pandemic, have already had a kick in the teeth with an attempt to impose the Government’s pay freeze.

 

LOCKDOWN COST WETHERSPOONS MILLIONS

The Guardian writes that JD Wetherspoon has reported that it swung to a loss and revenues plunged by more than half in the six months to January as the latest coronavirus lockdown took its toll. Wetherspoon’s said revenues fell by 54% from £933m to £431m in the six months to 24 January, with the business making an overall pre-tax loss of £68m. In the same period last year the company, which runs 872 pubs across the UK, made a £35.7m profit. Its outspoken founder and chairman, Tim Martin, a regular critic of the UK government’s decision-making during the pandemic has criticised the regulations that have been put in place.The company is preparing to open beer gardens, rooftop gardens and patios at 394 of its pubs in England in line with Boris Johnson’s plans for relaxing Covid-19 restrictions through the spring and summer. However, Martin said: It remains to be seen whether the government will adhere to its reopening plan, following the successful vaccination programme – or whether the knee jerk reaction to the latest news, which seems to have been the main generator of policy and regulations, will continue.

 

NEW ROLE FOR THE BRITISH ARMY INFANTRY

The Telegraph reports that the British Army is to turn infantry soldiers into elite fighters to tackle ‘high threat’ missions abroad. As part of the move four infantry battalions will be absorbed into the new Ranger Regiment, which will be part of a Special Operations Brigade that will work in support of special forces in high-threat environments. Over the next four years a share of £120million will be invested into the unit, which will undertake roles traditionally carried out by the Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Boat Service (SBS) such as training, advising, enabling and accompanying partner forces from foreign countries. One area a Ranger battalion might be used is in Somalia where government forces are tackling Islamist al-Shabaab terrorists. The Government is keen to expand its Defence engagement in East Africa and tackle causes of instability in the region.

 

AND FINALLY

From the Guardian: They say you should never meet your heroes, which has been just as well for literature fans who for centuries have been told they would never see an accurate likeness of William Shakespeare. But now it seems the mystery has been solved. A groundbreaking discovery means we finally know at least how Shakespeare wanted to be seen. The effigy above his grave in Holy Trinity church in Stratford-upon-Avon was thought to have been installed several years after his death in 1616 as a posthumous memorial but new research has found that the bust was in fact modelled from life by a sculptor who knew him. Dr Paul Edmondson, the head of research at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (SBT) in Stratford-upon-Avon, said: This is truly significant. We can therefore say that is how Shakespeare wanted to be represented in our memories. 

 

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