We are witnessing Britain's slow descent into lawlessness and chaos under a government that seems to have ceased to care about our reputation or welfare or indeed anything beyond notions of being "sovereign" or "independent" or "free" although I honestly don't believe more than a tiny fraction of the population ever felt that before 2016 we were not all of those things anyway. Certainly not one of the other EU member states shares the same sort of thinking.
It now appears the UKIM bill will become law but with an amendment giving MPs the right to vote on implementing any of the "notwithstanding clauses" that override the Withdrawal Agreement. Johnson negotiated this with some of the rebels although as some lawyers have already pointed out, it won't make the slightest difference:
Mark Elliot is a Professor of Public Law & Chair of the Faculty of Law at Cambridge university.Getting MPs to vote in favour of Ministers breaching international law before they are allowed to do so still ultimately reduces to the same thing — breaching international law. https://t.co/uTVbA8kJ6T— Mark Elliott (@ProfMarkElliott) September 16, 2020
So, we have reached the point where the lower house approves of breaking international law and the repudiation of a treaty many of them were elected on, provided they get to vote. Whoever would have though it?
This cartoon comes from a German newspaper. Johnson is shouting, "Do you want total Brexit" and the banner reads "Democracy is the enemy of the people". A German newspaper. I'll leave you to think about it.
I have always thought Brexit was a folly and full of contradictions but now, in trying to implement it, we are getting sinking into madness and we should all begin to worry.
US Presidential candidate Joe Biden fired another warning shot across Johnson's bows with this tweet which came after Dominic Raab met Speaker Nancy Pelosi and offered assurances about not doing anything to damage the Good Friday Agreement. She obviously didn't believe him.
We can’t allow the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland to become a casualty of Brexit.— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 16, 2020
Any trade deal between the U.S. and U.K. must be contingent upon respect for the Agreement and preventing the return of a hard border. Period. https://t.co/Ecu9jPrcHL
The UK government still does not get the Irish problem. Every move to water down, weaken or limit the sea border makes a hard or harder border on land more likely or more necessary. The NI protocol was a serious attempt to provide a solution for the delusion peddled by Johnson that we could take back control of our borders, enjoy regulatory autonomy and an independent trade policy but without an actual border between us and the EU. Now he is reneging on it with the help of his MPs.
On the trade front, I think talks in Brussels are taking place and due to break up today - I assume without further progress. This comes as The Guardian have got hold of a leaked document warning of two day delays in crossing The Channel and queues of 7,000 trucks in Kent. This is dated last week and is supposed to be a reasonable worst case outcome. The report doesn't make clear if this is with or without a deal but I assume it will apply in either case.
The Goods Vehicle Movement System, which is supposed to control the flow of HGVs into Kent, is not due to be tested until November.
And finally, yesterday BIFA (the British International freight Association) released the results of a survey of its members with, "a majority of respondents [having] significant reservations over whether they will have the capacity to handle the major changes to the UK’s trading relationship at the start of 2021, such as new customs documentation and procedures."
The Goods Vehicle Movement System, which is supposed to control the flow of HGVs into Kent, is not due to be tested until November.
And finally, yesterday BIFA (the British International freight Association) released the results of a survey of its members with, "a majority of respondents [having] significant reservations over whether they will have the capacity to handle the major changes to the UK’s trading relationship at the start of 2021, such as new customs documentation and procedures."
A similar survey in May found 50% felt they would not have sufficient staff to undertake the additional Customs-related work that will be required from January 1st 2021. This has now risen to 64% - in other words, its even worse with another four months of planning and preparation gone.
With spectacular understatement BIFA say "Survey finds Government announcements, publications and information is insufficient and needs to be more accurate and clearer."
Asked whether they would like to receive more information from Government on various issues, an overwhelming majority said yes. 86% for import/export customs procedures; 71% for controlled and licensable goods; 82% for safety and security declarations; 77% on the Goods Vehicle Management System (GVMS); 85% on the Smart Freight Service and 62% on the Trader Support Service (Northern Ireland only).
If you aren't worried you don't understand the problem.
