Friday 12 June 2020

U turn on a U turn - government in a spin

The government is now U-turning on its U-turns. Last year, in the run up to October 31st they announced traffic from Europe would be waived through without checks to avoid chaos in Dover and Folkestone - because we weren't prepared.  In February they U-turned and confirmed plans to introduce import controls on 1 January next year.  All UK imports were to be treated equally whether they were EU or non EU.  So that was clear.

In the official announcement in February Michael Gove, "confirmed that the policy easements put in place for a potential no deal exit will not be reintroduced as businesses have time to prepare."

Well businesses didn't have time to prepare, mainly because the government couldn't tell them what to prepare for.  Now we learn the government isn't prepared either.  So, late last night, as revealed by the ever reliable Peter Foster the policy "easements" are to be put back in place by taking a "flexible and pragmatic" approach:
Instead of asking for an extension to the transition period because we are "totally unprepared" the government intends to throw open our borders to all and sundry on January 1 and allow goods and vehicles in without checks. So much for taking back control. They say it's up  to the EU to decide what to do about stuff going the opposite way, seemingly forgetting the French are already prepared, as Foster points out in the thread - which is well worth reading in full by the way.

Shane Brennan of the Cold Chain Federation said, "It is an damning indictment of the UK's strategic planning that the only workable way to control our food imports post Brexit is not to control them"

The Road Haulage Association welcomed the news which will be officially announced later today:


In any case as the RHA say, it only solves half the problem. They want the French to do the same. But Foster quotes Sam Lowe who says France is unlikely to reciprocate and will probably offer what they offered previously - which means they will apply animal health and plant product checks in full.  I assume they will also expect our paperwork to be complete and correct.  After all, they invested in the necessary infrastructure when we did not.

The French may well say to Britain why not ask for an extension? You can do this yourself but want to avoid the embarrassment by essentially getting what amounts to an extension without paying the price - politically or in EU funding.

In any case, all the form-fillers are still needed as are the extra 200 million customs declarations on exports plus a similar number of safety and security declarations.

We were always going to be in the weaker position but this makes it worse and gives another huge lever to Brussels to force Johnson into accepting their terms, which he will probably do but then repudiate them afterwards. It comes as a top level meeting is to take place on Monday between Johnson and Von der Leyen to "reset" the talks. 

There is a mounting sense of chaos surrounding the government, its people, methods and its policies. 

On Wednesday Tim Montgomerie, said to be the most influential Tory outside the cabinet and the founder of the website Conservative Home, a former adviser to Johnson, launched a furious attack on him in of all places, the New Statesman. It as much an attack on Cummings as it is the PM.

He accuses Johnson's nutjob of a senior adviser of being far too powerful and aggressive and of imposing a "reign of terror" on Downing Street. He says, "earning the disfavour of key prime ministerial adviser Dominic Cummings was fatal, even if you were chancellor of the Exchequer. Everyone was dispensable. Except Dom."

This is from one of Johnson's natural supporters, a man who "wanted him to be party leader."

According to Montgomerie, a man with once said to be constantly checking the pulse of the Tory party, things are starting to change. Backbenchers are fed up with the slump in the polls, the "succession" of policy errors and with being ignored when they called for Cummings' head.

It all smacks of a government at the end of its term - unpopular with the public, constant sniping from its own supporters, U-turns by the day, restless backbenchers and all while stumbling haplessly from one crisis to another.

We surely cannot continue with Johnson for four more years?
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