Cont: Brexit: Now What? The Perfect 10.

[Archie Gemmill Goal]

Weirdly something like that just happened to me. I ordered a book from a UK company with a subsidiary in Australia. It didn’t turn up so I asked what was going on - “customs delays due to Brexit”. It came a few days later... posted from Oz.

Yeah but the parcels go through the same customs offices who will now be overloaded as their workload has increased 5 fold or 10 fold or whatever. The customs offices are backed up so any parcel in or out will have to just wait in line.

 

[Archie Gemmill Goal]

The thing is this is a phantasm. The drug companies are ONLY selling to governments at present. Unless there is black market diversion this is never going to be an issue. This is purely to make a point. The only group that could divert supplies would be the Irish government.

If it's not happening why would anyone care that the EU takes steps to prevent something that isn't happening and would never happen anyway?

Arlene Foster can get her knickers in a twist if she wants but she might do well to remember she was the one who wanted NI to leave the EU.

 

[Vixen]

Yeah but the parcels go through the same customs offices who will now be overloaded as their workload has increased 5 fold or 10 fold or whatever. The customs offices are backed up so any parcel in or out will have to just wait in line.

I note Amazon has just built a centre in Dublin in order to avoid <ahem> post-Brexit issues.

https://twitter.com/reesmarx/status/1355309253221879810?s=20

#Amazon customers living in #Ireland will not have to worry about the impact of #Brexit. #Amazon is almost done building its first #Irish fulfilment centre (FBA) in #Baldonnell, west of #Dublin.

Good news for #ecommerce businesses!

Their turnover has increased amazingly as a result of all the lockdowns yet - like many platforms and MNC's - they are masters at paying as little tax as possible in the countries in which they operate.

 

[Aber]

IMV there is something off about Pascal Soriot, CEO of AstraZeneca.

Read the full interview in La Republica, which gives more depth on the issues:

https://www.repubblica.it/cronaca/2021/01/26/news/interview_pascal_soriot_ceo_astrazeneca_coronavirus_covid_vaccines-284349628/

Somehow the EU has convinced itself that there is something shady going on, but no specific claims have been made.

 

[Aber]

If it's not happening why would anyone care that the EU takes steps to prevent something that isn't happening and would never happen anyway?

Because the justification for invoking Article 16 was rather thin, and the EU did not follow the requirements in the NI Protocol for notification and discussion.

Just about everyone in Ireland North and South sees this as a Bad Thing.

 

[angrysoba]

If it's not happening why would anyone care that the EU takes steps to prevent something that isn't happening and would never happen anyway?

Arlene Foster can get her knickers in a twist if she wants but she might do well to remember she was the one who wanted NI to leave the EU.

Indeed, bollocks to Brexit, but that doesn't mean the EU didn't behave like dicks here. They did, and it isn't only Arlene Foster getting her knickers in a twist.

 

[Klimax]

There's allegation that British government is mandating Astra Zeneca to prioritize UK regardless of contractual obligation including contract with EU.

 

[Andy_Ross]

Well, the UK paid a lot more for their doses so they probably think it's fair they get first pick.

 

[angrysoba]

There's allegation that British government is mandating Astra Zeneca to prioritize UK regardless of contractual obligation including contract with EU.

This is the thing. I haven't heard anyone say it. So, why not actually produce the evidence? The investigators have gone in; have they said what they have found? What is supposed to have happened here?

 

[angrysoba]

Well, the UK paid a lot more for their doses so they probably think it's fair they get first pick.

They being Astra Zeneca or the UK?

 

[Archie Gemmill Goal]

Because the justification for invoking Article 16 was rather thin, and the EU did not follow the requirements in the NI Protocol for notification and discussion.

Just about everyone in Ireland North and South sees this as a Bad Thing.

Was it a bad thing when the DUP were urging Boris to do it a couple of weeks ago and he was saying he wouldn't hesitate?

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/...if-necessary-says-boris-johnson-39964412.html

 

[angrysoba]

Was it a bad thing when the DUP were urging Boris to do it a couple of weeks ago and he was saying he wouldn't hesitate?

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/...if-necessary-says-boris-johnson-39964412.html

Indeed. It is a bad thing.

 

[Archie Gemmill Goal]

Indeed, bollocks to Brexit, but that doesn't mean the EU didn't behave like dicks here.

Quite possibly. And the fact they reversed the decision probably means they agree with that. It just seems odd to claim simultaneously that the decision doesn't do anything, and yet is awful.

They did, and it isn't only Arlene Foster getting her knickers in a twist.

No but she one of the ones quoted which is ironic when as I mention above her party was pushing Boris to do it weeks ago. And are partly responsible for the whole ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ shebang in the first place.

 

[gypsyjackson]

Yeah but the parcels go through the same customs offices who will now be overloaded as their workload has increased 5 fold or 10 fold or whatever. The customs offices are backed up so any parcel in or out will have to just wait in line.

Australia to Malaysia shouldn’t have any customs problems due to Brexit, though. Covid, maybe. I think the company just used it as an excuse.

I do feel very sorry for my former colleagues in HMRC though. I had the pleasure of being in the intake of new customs officers in 2017, but as I had policy making and EU experience I got to work on Brexit negotiations after just 2 months. Then I emigrated. My colleagues not so lucky, and having a very busy time, at least those few that didn’t leave.

 

[Archie Gemmill Goal]

Australia to Malaysia shouldn’t have any customs problems due to Brexit, though. Covid, maybe. I think the company just used it as an excuse.

I do feel very sorry for my former colleagues in HMRC though. I had the pleasure of being in the intake of new customs officers in 2017, but as I had policy making and EU experience I got to work on Brexit negotiations after just 2 months. Then I emigrated. My colleagues not so lucky, and having a very busy time, at least those few that didn’t leave.

The UK does seem to have taken the opportunity of Brexit to put in new rules for everyone so I wonder if that's played a part in other parts of the world as well?

 

[Pixel42]

UK firms plan to shift across Channel after Brexit chaos

Hundreds of UK companies could switch operations to countries inside the EU in what is threatening to become a dramatic exodus of investment and jobs caused by Brexit.

The Observer can reveal that by 1 January this year some 500 businesses – mostly UK-owned, or UK-based with overseas owners – were already making inquiries about setting up branches, depots or warehouses in the Netherlands alone, for “Brexit-related reasons”. Since then the number of inquiries from UK companies has increased further.

If companies switch all or parts of their operations to Europe it will mean the loss of jobs, economic activity and tax revenue at home.

The figures have been compiled by government unit the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency, , which said that while most of the firms were already based in the UK, a minority were new companies from the US and Asia which had investigated a UK move, but had decided against investing here because of Brexit.

 

[Klimax]

Well, the UK paid a lot more for their doses so they probably think it's fair they get first pick.

You sure about that? Contract between EU and AZ is for 870m€, 2/3 payable in advance.
Link to s cap.

I can't find how much is UK paying per dose. (EU is paying 1,78€ per dose according to Belgian gov)

This is the thing. I haven't heard anyone say it. So, why not actually produce the evidence? The investigators have gone in; have they said what they have found? What is supposed to have happened here?

How about:
Covid: EU-AstraZeneca disputed vaccine contract made public

EU officials say AstraZeneca has been asked to send some doses manufactured in the UK to the continent to make up the shortfall, but the company said on Wednesday that its contract for UK supplies prevented this.

And maybe you brits need to be more careful...
UK restricts COVID medicine exports amid AstraZeneca vaccine fight

Yet, while Johnson hit out at the EU for weighing export controls on vaccines, the British government itself has a list of 174 medicines that are currently banned from export from the U.K., because they “are needed for UK patients.” Additions to the list in 2020 included around 100 medicines that have been suggested as possible treatments for COVID-19 patients or are being used to alleviate symptoms of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units.

 

[Vixen]

This is the thing. I haven't heard anyone say it. So, why not actually produce the evidence? The investigators have gone in; have they said what they have found? What is supposed to have happened here?

The news reports have said that it would be several days before the results of the 'raid' would be fully assessed.

 

[Vixen]

Well, the UK paid a lot more for their doses so they probably think it's fair they get first pick.

No, that is not the issue. The issue is EU suspect AZ is diverting what were designated EU supplies to the UK. Soriot claims the shortage is due to 'production problems'. The EU sent along officials to the factory in Belgium to check out this claim for themselves. The results are not yet known but late yesterday evening the EU slapped the UK with Article 16.

Thanks to angry phone calls from the Irish and the British PM, the EU retracted this but the threat is still there in its revised statement.

The only people saying EU boobed are Dominic Raab, Laura Kuennsberg for the BBC and Robert Peston. It's all hype. I don't believe the EU 'made a mistake' at all as this was all carefully drawn up by their official bods.

I expect we'll hear further developments after the weekend.

 

[LondonJohn]

Was it a bad thing when the DUP were urging Boris to do it a couple of weeks ago and he was saying he wouldn't hesitate?

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/...if-necessary-says-boris-johnson-39964412.html

Uhh, that's quite a misrepresentation. What actually happened was that the DUP sought - and received - an assurance from the PM that the UK would invoke Art.16 if things got sufficiently bad as to warrant it.

The DUP wasn't "urging Boris to (invoke Art.15)". The entire request and assurance was predicated on some hypothetical future situation if/when the conditions that Art.16 was designed to address ever came to pass.

By contrast, the EU's disastrous, ill-conceived and politically-damaging intention to invoke Art.16 was under circumstances which came nowhere near even approaching the type of situation which Art.16 was designed to handle.


(BTW I voted Remain and wish we'd remained within the EU - but at the same time, I believe(d) it was clear that there were significant institutional problems and failings within the structure/operation of the EU, EC, Council of Ministers etc. And I have no problem whatsoever concluding - based on the available reliable evidence - that the European Commission behaved disgracefully and probably unlawfully in its now-abandoned intentions wrt the AstraZeneca issue. Because it did.)