‘BREXIT BRIEF’ – ISSUE 120, 22 May 2020

Postcard diplomacy

Post-Brexit relations between the UK and EU took another turn for the worst this week following a tetchy exchange of correspondence between the respective Chief Negotiators. 

With just one further round of “virtual” talks scheduled before the 30 June deadline for either side to request an extension to the transition period, David Frost was the first to fire off a missive on behalf of Team Johnson.  In a desperate pitch for a Canada-style “have cake and eat it” Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that Brussels has always said is not on offer, he wrote: “We find it hard to see what makes the UK, uniquely among your trading partners, so unworthy of being offered the kind of well-precedented arrangements commonplace in modern FTAs.” He continued: “What is on offer is not a fair free trade relationship between close economic partners, but a relatively low-quality trade agreement coming with unprecedented EU oversight of our laws and institutions.”  Frost added limply: "It does not have to be like this.”

But his EU counterpart, Michel Barnier, suggested it was time for UK negotiators to get some proper work done.  In his swift reply, he said he did not think "an exchange of letters regarding the substance of the negotiations is necessarily the best way to discuss on substantial points." He added: “It cannot be a substitute for serious engagement and detailed negotiations and, in particular, I would not like the tone that you have taken to impact the mutual trust and constructive attitude that is essential between us."   Addressing the Tory “cake and eat it” position directly, Barnier repeated the EU27’s view that the UK "cannot expect high-quality access to the EU Single Market if it is not prepared to accept guarantees to ensure that competition remains open and fair."

Tensions were further increased later in the week when Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove confirmed there will be new checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK at the end of the transition period - despite claiming precisely the opposite throughout the referendum campaign. These will include the expansion of physical infrastructure at Northern Ireland's ports to facilitate increased inspections on animals and food products. However, Gove also claimed that trade from Northern Ireland to Great Britain would be "unfettered" with no need for new paperwork. This runs counter to the view of almost all independent trade experts, with the EU itself making clear that “exit summary declarations” will be required.  The EU-UK “virtual” talks are due to resume on Monday 1 June.

Crunch time for immigration policy

The Immigration Bill, the UK Government’s chosen vehicle to end free movement and introduce its deeply flawed points-based immigration system, was debated in the House of Commons on Monday – albeit with most MPs delivering their contributions whilst sitting in front of a laptop.   With a Tory majority of 80, the legislation passed its Second Reading and will now be subject to more detailed scrutiny in Committee. But, in a week when Boris Johnson was forced to U-turn twice after attempting to deprive overseas NHS and care workers of rights afforded to their British colleagues, it might not yet be plain sailing for Ministers.  

Nick Thomas-Symonds, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, spoke for many when he said that the Government’s £25,600 salary threshold sends a signal that anyone earning less than this amount is seen as unskilled and unwelcome in the UK. From the Conservative benches, former Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes called for an extension of visas for care workers.  Directing her comments at Home Secretary Priti Patel, she said: “What of ancillary staff in our hospitals?  We cannot open hospitals if we cannot clean the loos.”  Let us hope that many other MPs, particularly those that give Boris Johnson his majority, have the courage to speak up before it is too late.

Meanwhile in America…

Donald Trump embarked on another shop floor tour yesterday, his third such visit in the past fortnight. On the previous two, both to mask factories, he refused to wear a mask. Last night, he toured a Ford plant in Michigan which has been modified to manufacture ventilators and other personal protective equipment - including masks.  And again, he refused to wear a mask.  When pressed by the travelling White House press corps to explain why he was the only person in the building without a face covering, Trump said: “I had one on before. I wore one in the back area. I didn’t want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it.”  Another reporter asked why he was putting the health of everyone else at risk. The US President replied: “I tested very positively in another sense. I tested positively toward negative. I tested perfectly this morning, meaning I tested negative."

Unfortunately, his soothing words did not satisfy all of his hosts, particularly the state’s Attorney General, Dana Nessel, who had written to the White House to make clear it was the law in Michigan for everyone to wear a mask in enclosed areas. Speaking after Trump’s motorcade had swept out of the plant, she said: “The President is like a petulant child who refuses to follow the rules. This is not a joke.”  Indeed not, given that more than 5,100 Michigan residents have now lost their lives to coronavirus.  Nationally, the total number of fatalities is expected to pass 100,000 in the coming days. Earlier this week, Trump described news that 1.5 million Americans had tested positive for Covid-19 as a “badge of honour” and a tribute to the volume of tests taking place.  With most states now following Trump’s direction to reopen for business, the gravest consequences of the most bizarre Presidency in US history may about to be endured.   

Stay safe this bank holiday weekend.

Jason

Dr Jason Aldiss BEM BVSc MRCVS

You can follow me on Twitter @JasonAldiss