Brexit

[SFO]

1 hour ago, PaulCP said:

Anybody else think that the current action by the French, and the rest of the EU to a lesser extent, in blocking access from the U.K. to their country, as well as being Brexit related is just looking for an excuse to blame the U.K. when the devious French politicians finally announce that the current Covid mutation is prevalent there.

They know that they already have it, just like they knew, but denied, that they had BSE many years ago.
What poetic justice it would be if UK scientists found that this mutation actually started in France! (I think I’ll make this my New Years wish)😉

The blanket bans by our European neighbours - especially France - really shows who our friends are.

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

We would do exactly the same thing.

[Colin P]

1 hour ago, PaulCP said:

What poetic justice it would be if UK scientists found that this mutation actually started in France! (I think I’ll make this my New Years wish)😉

Would certainly explain why it started appearing in Kent.....

Just we are better equipped to identify it.

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

Lufthansa flying over emergency supplies of fruit and veg.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55424448

Plane has just taken off. Hopefully no sprouts on board.

[PaulCP]

1 hour ago, LotusLeftLotusRight said:

We would do exactly the same thing.

I think you misunderstood my post🤔

We should do exactly the same thing but I’m not sure we would and we certainly showed our reluctance to close borders earlier in the year.

However my point was about the motive behind the French action 😠

[Barrykearley]

What an utter load of tosh

[andydclements]

3 minutes ago, PaulCP said:

I think you misunderstood my post🤔

We should do exactly the same thing but I’m not sure we would and we certainly showed our reluctance to close borders earlier in the year.

However my point was about the motive behind the French action 😠

I'd guess that last time they was blasted by their citizens for not closing borders (despite the infection already being in the country) so this time they're doing the other option simply so that they cannot be accused of exactly the same "mistake" (shutting borders once it's in is going to have little effect unless the quantity that would come in is much more than is already in).

[pete]

So Europe is in decline 

https://www.cityam.com/europe-hurtles-into-decline/amp/

[Barrykearley]

Finally some good news

[Neal H]

So, it seems that the WHO is sending a bunch of scientists to “thoroughly” investigate the Coronavirus outbreak. Despite the fact that Wuhan is the home of the “world’s leading coronavirus research facility” as well as being the first city to be affected by the pandemic, they don’t seem to feel the need to investigate whether it may have resulted from a lab leak as they have no plans to investigate this facility. More likely is that China has refused them permission. I think Donald Trump may have been right in his assessment of the WHO.

I’m not a big believer in coincidence, and would have thought the fact that the pandemic originating in the same city as the world’s leading coronavirus research facility would make it worthy of inclusion in any “thorough” investigation.

[C8RKH]

3 hours ago, SFO said:

The blanket bans by our European neighbours - especially France - really shows who our friends are.

 

3 hours ago, LotusLeftLotusRight said:

We would do exactly the same thing.

Interesting points both.

Firstly @SFO, the EU and her members has form on this. Think what happened with the migration issues and how the mainland EU members closed their borders leaving Greece with the issues?  Then look at COVID when Italy was on it's knees. The EU and her members turned their back on Italy, closed their borders and some countries even refused to supply PPE. In both instance the actions taken by the EU members where in direct contravention of EU's laws and policies and no one gave a flying fook as when it comes down to it all they want to do is to save themselves. So what, apart from trading, really is the point of the EU in reality?

The same thing happened again to Greece and Italy re the financial crisis, whereas those pricks in Paris just get away constantly with selectively applying the rules.  There are days I wake us and just think we should declare war on France. Send over a Mini Cooper S with a Union Flag on the roof and 4 NAAVI cooks in a uniform and the invasion of Paris would be over in an hour with the Chief cook handling the surrender whilst he cooked lunch. I have had enough of Macron and his politics of the little man. He is the most loathsome politician in Europe in my very humble opinion.

As for closing our borders, I disagree that we would do the same thing. It's not our way.

[SFO]

29 minutes ago, C8RKH said:

 

Interesting points both.

Firstly @SFO, the EU and her members has form on this. Think what happened with the migration issues and how the mainland EU members closed their borders leaving Greece with the issues?  Then look at COVID when Italy was on it's knees. The EU and her members turned their back on Italy, closed their borders and some countries even refused to supply PPE. In both instance the actions taken by the EU members where in direct contravention of EU's laws and policies and no one gave a flying fook as when it comes down to it all they want to do is to save themselves. So what, apart from trading, really is the point of the EU in reality?

The same thing happened again to Greece and Italy re the financial crisis, whereas those pricks in Paris just get away constantly with selectively applying the rules.  There are days I wake us and just think we should declare war on France. Send over a Mini Cooper S with a Union Flag on the roof and 4 NAAVI cooks in a uniform and the invasion of Paris would be over in an hour with the Chief cook handling the surrender whilst he cooked lunch. I have had enough of Macron and his politics of the little man. He is the most loathsome politician in Europe in my very humble opinion.

As for closing our borders, I disagree that we would do the same thing. It's not our way.

totally agree.

The EU is not a country or even close to it.  Those in it - especially France - are in it only in their own narrow national interest. There is no doubt in my mind that le petit Macron closed Calais as Brexit posturing. The new CV19 variant was a fig leaf for Macron's desire to flex his pathetic muscles. 

lorry drivers from the EU leaving the UK are low risk (as they generally do not mix or interact with the great British public with the supposedly more contagious strain) and has been ever since this whole madness started. 

in a way, it's good to have had the disruption as even a WTO Brexit would not involve closing Calais. We didn't sink into chaos or anarchy, nor did we starve. We will be fine. 

[PaulCP]

Just heard some interviews with lorry drivers stuck in Dover on the radio. (Yes I know it’s still the media and they do things for effect)

All those interviewed were of mainland European nationality and every single one was blaming the U.K. government for their current plight.
Exactly the reaction that Macron engineered and wanted IMO.

[Chillidoggy]

Macaroon's transparently political cock-up may well backfire on him. Firstly, if he thought the Brits would be cowed by it, he's sadly mistaken, at least in this household. Quite the opposite, in fact it may well strengthen our resolve. From now on, I won't be buying any French goods if I can possibly help it. They can pour their pissy wine down the drain, confine their boring cars to a rubbish tip, and stick their tasteless cheese where the sun don't shine.

And so what if there's no lettuce on the shelves? Are we going to lay down and die because of it? The answer, if you listen to the BBC, is "Probably", when in reality the answer is "Of course not, don't be so silly".

Chocks away Ginger, I'm off for another 🇬🇧 🍺 or two!

[pete]

Euronews is saying a deal may be imminent

[Barrykearley]

I do hope not

[C8RKH]

1 hour ago, Chillidoggy said:

Already there, old bean!

And now there's talk of putting the lorry drivers in a hotel.

As long as the bill is sent to that spineless wonder Macron I don't give a fig!  I'm with @Chillidoggyand am now boycotting french products.

[Colin P]

7 minutes ago, C8RKH said:

As long as the bill is sent to that spineless wonder Macron I don't give a fig!  I'm with @Chillidoggyand am now boycotting french products.

Thanks heaven for new world wines. 

Ditto, albeit their cheese is disgusting, their cars are crap, their decent wine is overpriced and I like chianti anyway, So won’t be too difficult. 

[SFO]

29 minutes ago, C8RKH said:

  I'm with @Chillidoggyand am now boycotting french products.

Me three

[C8RKH]

43 minutes ago, Colin P said:

Thanks heaven for new world wines. 

I've actually found a nice Romanian Pinot Noir that slides down wonderfully well and a great Chilean Merlot.  No hardship here lol.  I also prefer Prosecco to Champagne. Going Frenchless is not going to be hard.

[thebartman]

 How's a Romanian (EU) wine going to get here ? Or Italian Prosecco, or Spanish Riocha? I don't know, but someone here might - what are WTO tarrifs on this stuff? or is it just Olde English "Longbow" humour and waving 2 fingers ?

[rallyesax]

I might hide for a moment, bullets are coming strong over here. 😉

[Bibs]

I took these at Manston this afternoon...

https://www.espritdroneservices.co.uk/4000-lorries-at-manston-airport-december-2020/

[thebartman]

Great shots  - well worth the PPL equivalent 👍

🤔 If they lined up all the red lorries down the middle, then maybe the air-freighted goods would be able to land  - extra runway capacity ?

BTW (Be lovely to see an illuminated "night-shot" if such a thing existed ...)

[Bibs]

3 hours ago, rallyesax said:

I might hide for a moment, bullets are coming strong over here. 😉

Don't panic Baptiste, it's just the politicians in the firing line!