Wow indeed. I have an Irish friend who's father was a Sergeant in the RUC. In the early 80s he got home from work at night and a gunman came out of the shadows and shot him dead on his doorstep, my friend lives in Croham Hurst. Small world...
IRISH TIMES Our place in the new European pecking order is now clear Dublin is a prisoner of Europe’s unwinnable battle with Britain Fri, Feb 5, 2021, 00:37 Eoin Drea 93 please log in to view this image In the end it took barely a month for Ireland’s true position in this new EU to be revealed. The chorus of ‘solidarity with Europe’ which was Ireland’s entire Brexit negotiating strategy now seems oddly out of date. Because what the events of the last week have shown is that the EU - in effect the French and German governments - will act in their own self-interest when they deem it necessary to do so. And what can be more necessary than trying to salvage the credibility and relevance of the European Commission itself? The political fallout from the European Union’s self-inflicted vaccine debacle should not be underestimated in Ireland. While Brussels may argue that any consideration of filleting the Brexit Agreement was short-lived, and ultimately withdrawn, the realisation in Dublin that such an action was even deemed remotely credible should afford food for thought about Ireland’s future engagement in Europe. And while Brussels’ vaccine hari-kari will pass it is, in reality, only a harbinger of Ireland’s much bigger problem. Namely, that Dublin is now a prisoner of Europe’s unwinnable battle with Britain. Like the naughty younger brother with a penchant for pulling hair and breaking toys, Britain now dominates the EU’s strategic thinking. Unable to tie Westminster down to the constraints of the Single Market, Britain now looms as a serious economic threat. And, to Brussels decision makers, a constant source of annoyance and aggravation. But the EU is not secure enough to rise above the bait. It continues to fall for every little provocation. Britain remains nimble economically, a pre-eminent centre of global finance and will, no matter how hard the EU imagines, be impossible to paint as a failing state in the years ahead. Indeed, some of Britain’s underestimated strengths - a penchant for risk, embedded links between industry and academia, self-belief mixed with blind panic - are reasons for its success in implementing a relatively speedy vaccination programme. Lacking the centralising (and often suffocating) state control prevalent in the EU, Britain is already proving more agile than Brussels would have ever imagined. In part, Europe’s vaccine breakdown is driven by its constant comparison to Britain. Comparisons that will spread to almost every conceivable policy area in the decade to come. That is not to say that Brexit Britain will be a great success compared to the EU. Or to suppose that Brexit is not damaging to the future constitutional position of Scotland and Northern Ireland. Nor is to imagine the EU as a giant, German propelled Titanic. Far from it. But Britain will be successful enough to draw occasional flattering comparisons with an EU-27 increasingly dominated by its biggest members. In the middle of this unwinnable battle stands Ireland. Grown used to the EU limelight afforded by Brexit, the Emerald Isle doesn’t know in what direction solidarity blows in 2021. Taoiseach Michael Martin’s view that ‘mistakes were made’ by the EU in threatening to invoke Article 16 of the Northern Ireland protocol is the nearest Dublin has ever come to substantive criticism of Brussels in its near fifty year EU membership. But it should not be Ireland’s last word on the matter. Because rather than falling back on its traditional subservient attitude to the EU, Ireland needs to get critical, and credible, if its success in the EU is to be maintained. And while Ireland has long been regarded as one of the EU’s most ‘pro-European’ members, this sentiment, and its universal and unquestioned acceptance in Irish public discourse, has given rise to a fawning attitude towards EU decision making. No doubt propelled by a crushing desire to appear distinctive from Britain, it has, unfortunately, also protected the EU from any serious constructive debate within Ireland. Brexit just seemed to reinforce the stereotypes of ‘bad Brits’ and ‘good Europeans’. But rather than viewing recent events as blip in post-Brexit realities, Ireland should use them as an opportunity to engage in a more realistic, less deferential relationship with Brussels. A relationship shorn of the naïve view of Ireland as ‘lucky’ and ‘grateful’ to be participating in the European integration process. Such views have distorted Ireland’s EU agenda for far too long. But this will not be easy. For all its dreams of Europe, Ireland’s physical presence in the EU’s institutions is at historic lows. No coherent plan exists for improving foreign language learning in Irish schools. While central to Brexit negotiations, Ireland’s domestic political debate has become increasingly detached from Brussels realities (as the forced resignation of Commissioner Hogan in 2020 showed). But Ireland needs to double down to protect its vital interests. And this involves more than just the EU. Ireland has deep cultural and political links with Britain that Brexit has compromised. They should not be allowed to go so easily fallow. They should be invigorated to provide ballast to a more realistic Irish relationship with Brussels. The economic battle between the EU and Britain is only beginning. The only viable strategy for Ireland is to play both sides. Eoin Drea is a researcher at the Wilfried Martens Centre, the official think tank of the European People’s Party of which Fine Gael is a member
U.K.-EU Freight Trade Back to 90% of Normal, Port of Dover Says By Lizzy Burden and Charlotte Ryan February 9, 2021, 5:00 AM GMT+13 Updated on February 9, 2021, 5:51 AM GMT+13 Road Haulage Association said exports had dropped sharply Government denies that 3/4 vehicles are returning to EU empty LISTEN TO ARTICLE 1:19 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Share Tweet Post Email In this article 1487207D PORT OF DOVER LTD Private Company Freight traffic through the Port of Dover is running at 90% of usual levels, better than had been feared amid new Brexit red tape and another round of social restrictions to contain the coronavirus. The port’s figures are higher than a U.K. government estimate of 82%, which was provided in response to claims from the Road Haulage Association that truck cargoes to the European Union were down 68% last month compared to a year earlier. The Cabinet Office said flows through all U.K. ports last week were “close to normal” despite the impact of lockdowns on trade and denied that up to three-quarters of vehicles that had arrived in Britain from the EU were returning empty. “It is an entirely normal part of freight flows to have empty lorries on the outbound leg from the U.K. into the EU -- this has always been the case,” the government said, adding that “all IT systems and infrastructure were ready in time and are operating effectively.” Speaking to lawmakers on Monday, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said the RHA’s 68% figure was “erroneous. It was based on a partial survey.” Nevertheless, David Emerson, a director at SEKO Logistics, said new paperwork requirements had made freight forwarding “very difficult,” especially given congestion at Felixstowe and Southampton ports. He estimated that volumes for parcels were up to 70% lower than last year. — With assistance by Joe Mayes
Mostly journalists from The Sun etc. bemoaning the 50p a day to fund the WOKE LIBERAL AGENDA of the BBC. Seems to be an increasingly regular occurrence. I hope you’re joking and they aren’t actually streaming the guy’s funeral. I fear you’re not.
Boris in the groove today. He just owned Sir Starmer again. Starmer looks weak and doesn't really have much to say. Oh crap lets all hide... 'Mr Scottish Independence' is up now.
The reality is setting in. Ireland benefited greatly from joining the EU but those days are long gone. With more smaller States set to join in future their role switches to 'net contributer' and, like other former 'net recipients' things will never be as good. Germany runs the EU with France as their sidekick whether any of the other leading members like it or not and that won't change anytime soon...
The reality is, Ireland is still in a win/win position with the EU. Despite becoming a net contributor the past few years, the EU still has an approval rating of 88% which is the highest in the EU. The multi-nationals based here contribute billions to our economy and make our net contribution look like pocket money. Those numbers will only grow as we are the only English speaking country left in the EU. With a proud Irish American President in place in Washington, more and more American companies will set up their European HQ here. The huge multi-national sector based here wouldn't be here if we were out of the EU. Virtually every American tech company have their European base here already. The vast majority of the Irish population know what side their bread is buttered on these days. Brexiteers don't like to hear that but your leaving has made us more pro-EU. That is the reality.
Can I interest you in a dozen incredibly similar opinions on the EU from middle-aged Express lemmings as a result of them making a mistake for a few hours, holding their hands up and going back on it while completely ignoring all the threats made by senior UK politicians over and over again for years?
Although I respected a lot of the pro EU arguments, the project is doomed. Recently the EU actions showed exactly what Ireland is to them...Firstly a Brexit bargaining chip. Then an idiotic attempt to cause problems at the Irish border because they cocked up. All this rubbish at the border is now starting to hurt EU companies. That's probably why they now want to sort things out so things run smoothly. It's a shame really because before Christmas there were still a few arguments about the benefits of being in the bloc. After recent EU actions those Arguments/voices have fallen silent. The EU seriously doesn't understand business. I think Finglas quote of more companies setting up in Ireland is more of hope than reality. The US likes to trade without all the BS, the red tape that is a fundamental pillar of the EU will never change. For years the US has said they (EU) don't understand business. Their isolationist approach is getting them in trouble. The Eurozone is f22ked... what did I say a few months back? Rather than the EU act like tw2ts they should embrace business/trade with us without all the cr2p?
I'm happy with it. It's the best thing that this country has done in many years. The EU is falling to bits and sadly there are people who either can't see it or want to admit it. All this cr2p at the border or making a woman fill out 70 pages of rubbish to transport 1 box of fish will only end one way. You better wrap yourself in your EU flag and take the honourable way out mate.
What information do you want me to supply to show you that the Eurozone is in the s22t? What information do you want me to supply to show how they cocked up on Vaccines? What information do you want me to supply to show how they used Ireland as a pawn? What information do you want me to supply to show how Josepp Borell proves my point? you tell me what right wing press told me that?
