NETHERLANDS RIOTS MAY LEAD TO CIVIL WAR
The Daily Mail reports that in the Netherlands, after a weekend of violent anti-curfew riots, the Mayor of Eindhoven has warned that the country may be heading for civil war. European leaders have pushed to tighten Covid lockdown across the continent.
PRESIDENT BIDEN WANTS TO REVERSE BREXIT
From the Express: Joe Biden wants to reverse Brexit and has the long-term aim of ensuring the UK rejoins the European Union, a foreign policy expert has said. The Chairman of the independent Bow Group think-tank claimed Mr Biden would not give the UK a better trade deal than the US currently has with the EU, amid fears of fuelling an exodus from the bloc. Mr Harris Quinney said: “We have a President who will consider the EU, not Britain, to be his closest ally, and ultimately will want Britain to rejoin the EU in the future.”
SCHOOLS COULD BE CLOSED UNTIL AFTER EASTER
The Daily Mirror writes: Boris Johnson has been accused of lurching from one shambles to another over schools, as fears for the education of kids in lockdown grows. Amid claims classes could remain shut until May, setting disadvantaged pupils back even further, angry parents joined Labour in demanding the PM get a grip on the situation and draw up a clear plan for a return. There were calls for teachers to be prioritised during phase two of the vaccination scheme in a bid to make schools safe. And fury is growing as there is still a severe lack of devices to help poor kids in home learning.
NO HOLIDAYS ABROAD THIS SUMMER
The Daily Mail reports: No holidays abroad for a year: Airline shares fell when Boris Johnson hinted ‘quarantine hotels’ will be introduced for UK arrivals to stop mutant Covid strains coming in from abroad, with fears the country could be essentially cut off from the rest of the world for a year. The Cabinet has been wrangling for days over the shape of the new restrictions, as The Times reports the scheme under consideration could cost each traveller arriving in the UK more than £1,000 while several ministers are said to be demanding a clear exit strategy, amid fears it will ‘kill’ aviation businesses and leave the UK isolated, while airport hotels could be packed out within 24 hours if it is applied to all arrivals.
EU COMPANIES FACE INCREASED MASTERCARD CHARGES
From the Guardian: Mastercard is to increase the fees EU firms face to take payments from online shoppers from the UK by at least 400%, in a move that could mean higher prices for consumers. When a credit or debit card is used, a percentage of the purchase price is paid by the retailer to the bank that issued it as an interchange fee, which is set by a payments firm.
THE SUPER RICH COULD AFFORD TO VACCINATE THE WORLD
From the Daily Mail: An Oxfam study, reported in the Daily Mail, claims that the world’s ten richest people (including Jeff Bezos, Elton Musk and Bill Gates) have seen their collective wealth increase by half a trillion dollars since the start of the pandemic. The study also claims that the magnates could pay to vaccinate the entire world with their profits from last year.
LOCKDOWN BOOK SALES
The Guardian reports: Despite the coronavirus pandemic causing a series of lockdowns around the country – bookshops in England were closed from 23 March until 15 June, and then again from 5 November until 2 December, with differing lockdowns in place around the rest of the UK – Nielsen has estimated that the volume of print books sold grew by 5.2% compared with 2019. This equates to 202m books being sold in the UK last year and was worth £1.76bn, up 5.5% on 2019, said Nielsen.
BRITAIN RISKS BECOMING A FAILED STATE
The Independent writes: Britain risks becoming a “failed state” without serious reform to its governance structures, Gordon Brown has warned. The former prime minister urged the government to devolve more power to regions and to replace the House of Lords with a regionally elected chamber. Writing in the Daily Telegraph newspaper Mr Brown said “the choice is now between a reformed state and a failed state”.
COVID JAB FOR CATS AND DOGS
The Independent reports: Cats and dogs may need to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to curb the spread of the virus, according to a group of scientists. Coronavirus can infect a wide range of species including cats, dogs, mink and other domesticated species, experts from the University of East Anglia (UEA), Norwich-based research facility the Earlham Institute and University of Minnesota have said. In an editorial for the journal Virulence, they warned that continued evolution of the virus in animals followed by transmission to humans “poses a significant long-term risk to public health. It is not unthinkable that vaccination of some domesticated animal species might… be necessary to curb the spread of the infection”.
DEBENHAMS HIGH STREET JOBS AT RISK
The Times reports: The online fast-fashion retailer Boohoo has agreed to buy the online business of Debenhams and rival Asos has entered into exclusive talks with the administrators of Arcadia to buy Topshop, putting tens of thousands of jobs at risk as the coronavirus crisis accelerates the transformation of the retail industry. Boohoo, founded in 2006, has acquired the Debenhams website and brand for £55 million from the FRP Advisory, the administrators of the collapsed chain, but the deal excludes Debenhams 124 department stores and puts 12,000 jobs at risk.
STREET E.V. CHARGING POINTS
From The Times: Royal Dutch Shell has agreed to buy one of the UK’s biggest electric vehicle charging networks as the oil giant steps up its push into the power sector. The Anglo-Dutch group said that it would acquire Ubitricity, which operates more than 2,700 public charging points, for an undisclosed sum.
WORKERS RIGHTS
The Daily Mirror reports that in the HoC Labour moved a motion urging all existing employment rights and protections to be maintained. The Tories abstained, but newly appointed Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng insisted there is no Government plan to reduce workers’ rights, stating ‘We will not row back on the 48-hour weekly working limit derived from the working time directive, we will not reduce the UK annual leave entitlement, which is already much more generous than the EU minimum standard, we will not row back on legal rights to breaks at work.”
The more I look through yesterday’s comments on ‘Trade Deals with so and so’ and ‘Trade Deals with such and such’ and the attendant this ‘power block and that power block’. The more I look at it, the more I think, what’s wrong with just TRADE. Sod the ‘deals’.
Qote
“”””New Trade Deal.with USA (Biden version)
Does anybody have the least idea what is going on?
What the objectives are, what terms are, is it a different deal from that Trump was offering
Is it in the spirit of being fraternal now there will be a true “special relationship” that will not have to be “cleared by our friends in the EU every 5 minutes”?
I am worried that we will not be negotiating another multinational power grab after the style of some of the terms of the TTIP )( Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) where overseas companies would have been able to override “local laws” disputes being settled by tribunal peopled by guess who – yes the very people making the dispute?
Apart from this I believe our relationship with the US is of paramount importance in confirming our return to our full entitled position of leadership in the councils of the world and as a fully functioning permanent member of the Security Council, particularly as a fully separate voice and policy if necessary from the EU (our choice not their shout)”””””
I don`t suppose many people noticed, but I put the above comment on “Daily News” Debbie style (anybody heard anything yet, hope she is going on OK LoL – that`s love incidentally) yesterday
No answers forthcoming there but looking at todays news and comments, it looks as though my misgivings are being realised in spades!.
So there is no change in the Obama position a peremptory `order` to get back where failed second class European nations belong – in the Care Home for Failed European Nations – the EU.
I believe Biden`s plans are to impose a TTIP including clauses as I suggest on tribunals which the EU rejected previously, I believe they will be unable to resist this time and when we come to sign a deal “at the end of the Q” we will be unable to resist also
I believe the USA deep state don`t want us to get too chummy with the Commonwealth and form a power bloc.
Anybody care to do an article or put together a “follow the dots” assessment of our whole future position outside the EU? because if we are to do an united KBO then we have to have a plan and a narrative. It`s no good me knowing a bit, you knowing a bit and the holy ghost knowing a bit – we need a coherent policy to fight on
I believe as one concerned about British firms, British jobs, the British people,the British pride and society, I believe getting us out of EU came first. Without that we can’t do anything. So now we can do as we wish to mend ourselves. So NOTHING should be done to protect or guide firms for political ends. Private firms must be limited by a share of the market. We already have laws introduced by the EU in a scheme to destroy our industries, which with small mods can be a game changer. The pressure on MPs to raise taxes beyond reason is legendry. This and many other pressures will occur for malign purposes to which politics are very susceptible. And, Because it is now possible.There are so many semi decayed and criminal advances that everyone has a favourite or 50.
And remember , almost every benign change will be resisted by the powerful in Unions, the Civil Service and all other Remainer riddled institutions from labour councils or Quangos to the HoL ( HoL would be totally different if members were chosen for their value as people) . Because ( By definition ) they wish us ill.
“There are so many semi decayed and criminal advances that everyone has a favourite or 50”
TGS were you ever a scriptwriter for Stanley Unwin?
Because this quite disturbed my fundemole and was not even an answer to my questions as to who is going to do a point by point review of our future position outside the EU and also the position re our interaction with the Commonwealth.
I believe we can never punch above our weight in the big wide world with just the USA as best friends (controlling friend) and it is vital that we have an independent future with the Commonwealth as a trading bloc, with defensive links.
Thank you for the attempt to answer my questions, they are genuine and I had hoped some more might have taken me up on it
EugeFAKEnews. Joe Bidet kneels down for BLM and agrees to vaccinate all Africans before Americans.
Joe Bidet flies in to Berlin and announces “Lafayette , nous sommes venus “
PRESIDENT BIDEN WANTS TO REVERSE BREXIT…….. But to be able to reverse Brexit, Brexit has to happen first. Under Boris Johnson’s Trade & (close)Cooperation Agreement with the European Union it is difficult to see how Brexit has really happened.
The Partnership Council and the dozen or so Specialised Committees are there in the TCA to keep the United Kingdom in “close regulatory alignment” with EU rules, while the Protocol on Northern Ireland splits the UK’s internal market between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
Johnson’s Trade & Close Cooperation Agreement gives the UK associate membership of the EU, rather than the colonial status offered by Theresa May’s Agreement. But that associate membership under Johnson’s TCA will revert to full EU membership when the Labour Party returns to power.
But Farage tells us the Brexit wars are over!
So Farage thinks that the Brexiteers have won? Then why were prominent Remainers (Blair, Major, Heseltine, etc) so pleased with the TCA? At two thousand pages including appendices it is a vast swamp of treacherous legal detail designed to frustrate attempts to diverge from EU rules. Especially when agreement has to be reached between the EU & UK sides on the joint Partnership Council and all the joint EU/UK Specialised Committees. Have you seen the flow chart for dispute resolution under the TCA? Getting Brexit out of that will be like trying to walk through mud up to your chest.
Ralph, the simple answer is to cancel the WA and properly WALK AWAY !
That’s right Bill! The content of the Trade & Cooperation Agreement shows that the only way to get a true Brexit is to avoid any deal with the EU. The TCA can be terminated by either side with twelve months notice, and that’s what the British side could do. No Deal on WTO terms of trade is the only way to get a true Brexit.
Committees , responsibility, authority and pay.
I think Farage cannot be trusted and IMHO he is dangerous (because widely trusted) and misleading. Always check out what he does NOT say.
Ralph, looks like there is only two of us left wondering when we leave. I suspect there are more than a few tories in safe seats hoping for a labour government next time round. They can then cry the crocodile tears when we join the Euro.
A digital euro then, because aren’t currencies going to implode and be replaced by digital currencies?
So. Biden wants to make sure there is an EU for us to rejoin. But riots could lead to civil war. Hmmm . . . ..
Funny if it turned out that Covid and the EU’s response to it is the last straw breaking the camel’s back.
But of course it will still be our fault – BREXIT!
As for covid vaccinations for our pets. Well I blame the USA veterinary profession’s influence for some of the mistakes that ours have made. Just like it’s US pharmaceutical companies that have pushed our human health agendas in the wrong direction.
The war monger Biden can get the eu army to fight for him in some far off land.
That will protect a lot of our boys and girls from another American nightmare
We’re bracketed with animals so the same treatment and jab dished out to us and animals? One of the scientists involved in producing the jab his only qualifications are as a horse doctor.
Pedigree Chum on Toast anyone? Woof woof.
Mr. Brown, we managed to avoid the failed state by rejecting Corbyn/McDonnell at the last election, although Johnson appears to be doing a good job of trashing the economy himself. You had a good crack at it yourself in 2008 so do us a favour and stick to your declared intention of smashing the SNP instead of proposing more powers to them to get us to the failed state quicker. No more experiments with socialism, it does not work.
Something like that Jim R !
Didn’t Blair/Brown do their best to turn us into a ‘Failed State’ when they were in power.
Does Brown want to smash SNP? I know nothing of that. Can you explain more?
Brown has been fairly vocal recently about a few aspects of the effects of separation, I only read the online Express occasionally and briefly ( full of junk) so I don’t really keep tabs on, or interest in what he says.
He is being touted as the next leader of Scottish Labour and if that comes about it will be implicit that he tackles the SNP head on as that is where the majority of Labour support dissipated to in 2014.
If he doesn’t do so there would be no point in him taking on the position.
Thanks Jim.
If this report is true, then it is surely time to tell Biden to mind his own ruddy business and keep his unwanted nose out of British politics. I would have thought he had enough problems on his plate dealing with the many problems within the USA, without interfering in the domestic politics of foreign countries which we are, and they to us. He is obviously just another politician that doesn’t believe in the democratic will of the people. I’d rather that we didn’t have a trade deal with the USA if that is the way he is going to play it. However we have a prime minister at the helm at the moment he seems to worry about how other counties view us rather than acting in the best interests of the citizens of this country. Biden and Johnson are two leaders that we can well do without at the moment I would suggest………..
re above countries not counties….
Agreed Colin. My reaction was – Fine. The so called special relationship can be forgotten about for 4 years then. Suits us.
Agreed
Britain risks becoming a “failed state” without serious reform to its governance structures, Gordon Brown has warned.
Britain risks becoming a “failed state” without serious reform to its governance structures, Failed Prime Minister Gordon Brown has warned.
There fixed it for The Independent
Star Wars Part 20xx – the Swamp Fights Back.
First day in office, Joe Bigone makes dozens of edicts for his big business pals.
Joe Bigone wants to reverse Brexit.
Beware, The Megolomania Force is stong with this one young window-pane.
This TG thing is rubbing off eh Colin?
Biscotte…are you going back in time to 1912 with TGS, and raiding Shackleton’s secret supply of whisky. I hope there is enough room in that Grandfather Clock shaped Tardis of his…….
CH – I dont drink whisky, you are mixing me up with James Bond. An easy mistake to make.
Grandfather clock? Next you’ll be telling us it runs on quadralithium crystals – delusional.
Major riots in Holland Rotterdam in the South and Amsterdam towards the North.Too extreme to avoid a mention.
And almost as bad, Madrid in Spain and Copenhagen in Denmark.
Nothing to see here, move along now.
‘Twas repeatedly mentioned by observers in Germany, commenting on articles and videos of said ‘protest’ that these ‘dutch’ people must’ve spent their time in Lockdown under sun-lamps to get a nice tan, while dyeing their hair and beards black …
The same ‘clientele’ has been ‘observed’ running riot in German city centres, with the Police saying these are only people who wanted to have a party.
Thus these Dutch (and other EU member state) rioters are now called ‘Party-Folks’ by discerning Germans. It’s totally not racist to do so … for the time being …
Oh. In that case Viv, perhaps the illegal immigrants are actually fleeing from WAR TORN EUROPE! Ha Ha!
So, it’ll be Frogs and Krauts coming over in little rubber dinghies from now on?
Yes Harry good one!
However I previously made a suggestion that earlier illegals should be returned in the stacked up dinghies.
I`m sure similar arrangements could be made for return of your lot although wouldn`t the former be capable of swimming?
Hopefull ??????
What do we have to do to get Priti Patel to do Er job, carry out her duties and STOP ILLEGALS ENTERING THIS COUNTRY ONCE AND FOR ALL?
There has to be an answer.
As you probably know…..I am a know all…………but, short of getting a working-class man or woman in the job instead of Patel……..who is in ‘a permanent state of inabilities’…..get RID of her ASAP.