The UK Politics & Brexit Thread

[C240Sport97]

Pritti Patel has gone up in my estimation

Home Secretary Priti Patel: I wouldn't take the knee — LBC

Home Secretary Priti Patel has told LBC she does not support taking the knee for Black Lives Matter protests.

apple.news

 

[flowrider]

Pritti Patel has gone up in my estimation

Home Secretary Priti Patel: I wouldn't take the knee — LBC

Home Secretary Priti Patel has told LBC she does not support taking the knee for Black Lives Matter protests.

apple.news

I wouldn't take the knee either. For me the gesture has too close a link to the BLM movement.

 

[st13phil]

Interesting article on the EU's position regarding "equivalence" in financial services with the UK:

Europe’s war on ‘equivalence’ risks violating international law – the UK should exploit the mistake

Britain should become exactly what Brussels fears - Singapore-on-the-Thames - but that does not mean a race to the regulatory bottom

www.telegraph.co.uk

For those that can't navigate the paywall, key points:

• The EU risks violating international law if it continues to deny the UK "equivalence" in financial services already granted to a string of other countries. Selective treatment of one state for political reasons breaches the non-discrimination principle of the World Trade Organisation. It is strictly forbidden. Lorand Bartels, an expert in international trade law at Cambridge University, said: “A good lawyer would reach for Article VII of General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). It is not a slam dunk but it would be a good case.”
• The EU case (that its ties to the UK are fundamentally different from ties to any other third country, and that equivalence was never designed for such circumstances) is hollow since the UK has rolled over existing European regulations and is 100pc aligned at this point. Where equivalence is granted, it can be withdrawn within 30 days. Under any reading, the EU is engaging in a “disguised restriction on trade in services”.
• Finance and services are not part of the EU-UK trade deal, but the Political Declaration commits the EU to “balanced arrangements”, “liberalisation” in services trade, mutual treatment in a “non-discriminatory manner” and respect for “regulatory autonomy”. The Tusk-Juncker letter of January 2019 stated that the Declaration had a quasi-legal status and would be interpreted as such by the European Court. The UK signed a goods trade deal that greatly favoured Brussels on the assurance that the EU would behave with a minimum of good faith in services. Clearly it is not doing so. Given the EU’s parallel breach of the Good Friday Agreement - by disregarding loyalist interests - and nastiness over UK food and fish exports, pressure is mounting for a unilateral abrogation of the trade agreement. That would be a mistake (though it may come to that).
• Since the EU intends to treat the UK as an apostate rather than a trade competitor, the condign answer is to become exactly what Brussels fears: Singapore-on-the-Thames. That does not mean a race to the bottom. Singapore is a highly-regulated manufacturing and financial economy. But it is also well-regulated.

 

[st13phil]

Ms Sturgeon and co. will do everything they can to suppress any information they don't like.

Sturgeon is an astute political operator, but there's a growing body of evidence that she is also corrupt.

She boasts that Holyrood is different to from Westminster. Indeed it is. It's hard to imagine that in Westminster an inquiry into the conduct of the government and the Prime Minister's role in that conduct could be chaired by a Minister (Linda Fabiani) who was sacked by the person (Alex Salmond) who is at the heart of allegations that the government acted improperly / illegally.

The Spectator won their case and has since published Salmond's evidence that Sturgeon and her cronies have gone to extraordinary lengths to keep hidden. Whether that will arrest the descent into farce that the Inquiry has taken over the last weeks remains to be seen, but I'll have a side bet that Sturgeon will continue to obfuscate and do her very best to ensure that the truth remains hidden.

 

[C240Sport97]

Interesting article on the EU's position regarding "equivalence" in financial services with the UK:

Europe’s war on ‘equivalence’ risks violating international law – the UK should exploit the mistake

Britain should become exactly what Brussels fears - Singapore-on-the-Thames - but that does not mean a race to the regulatory bottom

www.telegraph.co.uk

For those that can't navigate the paywall, key points:

• The EU risks violating international law if it continues to deny the UK "equivalence" in financial services already granted to a string of other countries. Selective treatment of one state for political reasons breaches the non-discrimination principle of the World Trade Organisation. It is strictly forbidden. Lorand Bartels, an expert in international trade law at Cambridge University, said: “A good lawyer would reach for Article VII of General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). It is not a slam dunk but it would be a good case.”
• The EU case (that its ties to the UK are fundamentally different from ties to any other third country, and that equivalence was never designed for such circumstances) is hollow since the UK has rolled over existing European regulations and is 100pc aligned at this point. Where equivalence is granted, it can be withdrawn within 30 days. Under any reading, the EU is engaging in a “disguised restriction on trade in services”.
• Finance and services are not part of the EU-UK trade deal, but the Political Declaration commits the EU to “balanced arrangements”, “liberalisation” in services trade, mutual treatment in a “non-discriminatory manner” and respect for “regulatory autonomy”. The Tusk-Juncker letter of January 2019 stated that the Declaration had a quasi-legal status and would be interpreted as such by the European Court. The UK signed a goods trade deal that greatly favoured Brussels on the assurance that the EU would behave with a minimum of good faith in services. Clearly it is not doing so. Given the EU’s parallel breach of the Good Friday Agreement - by disregarding loyalist interests - and nastiness over UK food and fish exports, pressure is mounting for a unilateral abrogation of the trade agreement. That would be a mistake (though it may come to that).
• Since the EU intends to treat the UK as an apostate rather than a trade competitor, the condign answer is to become exactly what Brussels fears: Singapore-on-the-Thames. That does not mean a race to the bottom. Singapore is a highly-regulated manufacturing and financial economy. But it is also well-regulated.

EU's position on "equivalence" is illogical and indefensible. Their only agenda is to do all they can to damage the City of London, and to create their own financial services industry from thin air. It's like HMG telling Germans how to run manufacturing.

don't be alarmed by press on Amsterdam doing more share trades than London. It would be surprising if there were more share trades in London than in an EU venue for a population around 6x greater. Plus equity trading is low margin business.

All EU will succeed in doing is to make EU companies less efficient as they have to pay more for financial services, and have access to less quality, depth and variety; protectionism ultimately harms you as you don't compete

not sure WTO argument works as that deals with good, not services. Services liberalisation has always been far behind goods.

 

[st13phil]

EU's position on "equivalence" is illogical and indefensible.

Completely agree.

Post Brexit, even the most ardent proponents of the EU are struggling not to notice that it's a nasty, small-minded, protectionist regime.

not sure WTO argument works as that deals with good, not services.

GATS (General Agreement on Trade in Services) does.

 

[C240Sport97]

Post Brexit, even the most ardent proponents of the EU are struggling not to notice that it's a nasty, small-minded, protectionist regime.

that same regime thinks it is world player

but it has no real military ability, sponges off the US for its defence, and has ingrained and deep rooted resistance to change to adapt to a fiercely competitive world

 

[Petrol Pete]

ALEX BRUMMER: UK takes the open road

News that the Amsterdam stock exchange traded on average £8.1bn of shares each day in January against £7.5bn in London looks like a body blow to the City's status as a great global financial centre.

www.dailymail.co.uk

I don't pretend to completely understand it , but this helps a bit.

 

[C240Sport97]

ALEX BRUMMER: UK takes the open road

News that the Amsterdam stock exchange traded on average £8.1bn of shares each day in January against £7.5bn in London looks like a body blow to the City's status as a great global financial centre.

www.dailymail.co.uk

I don't pretend to completely understand it , but this helps a bit.

The key paragraphs:

"There has been no disguising Bailey’s exasperation with the EU over financial regulation.

In a sharp Mansion House speech, he was nonplussed as to why Canada, Australia, the US, Hong Kong and Brazil have been granted equivalence but more closely aligned UK denied, except for clearing and settlement."

 

[flowrider]

EU's position on "equivalence" is illogical and indefensible. Their only agenda is to do all they can to damage the City of London, and to create their own financial services industry from thin air. It's like HMG telling Germans how to run manufacturing.

don't be alarmed by press on Amsterdam doing more share trades than London. It would be surprising if there were more share trades in London than in an EU venue for a population around 6x greater. Plus equity trading is low margin business.

All EU will succeed in doing is to make EU companies less efficient as they have to pay more for financial services, and have access to less quality, depth and variety; protectionism ultimately harms you as you don't compete

not sure WTO argument works as that deals with good, not services. Services liberalisation has always been far behind goods.

I think the guy quoted may have a bit more knowledge on these matters.......

Professor Lorand Bartels | Faculty of Law

www.law.cam.ac.uk

 

[Dryce]

Sturgeon is an astute political operator, but there's a growing body of evidence that she is also corrupt.

She's flattered by the general lack of quality around her - in her own party and at Holyrood - historically the SNP administrtarion has not been transparent - and given an easy ride by a UK media that is more professionally interested in giving the UK government a hard time.

I have some sympathy with her and her dealings with Mr Salmond. He is a disruptive and IMO a selfish arrogant influence on Scottish politics.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

She's flattered by the general lack of quality around her - in her own party and at Holyrood - historically the SNP administrtarion has not been transparent - and given an easy ride by a UK media that is more professionally interested in giving the UK government a hard time.

I have some sympathy with her and her dealings with Mr Salmond. He is a disruptive and IMO a selfish arrogant influence on Scottish politics.

I don't understand how she gets such an easy ride, mention the falings to people (supporters) and they blame Westminster.
When you explain these are devolved issues you just get the blame it on Westminser replies.

 

[st13phil]

I have some sympathy with her and her dealings with Mr Salmond. He is a disruptive and IMO a selfish arrogant influence on Scottish politics.

Salmond is definitely an unpleasant character, but I find myself strangely interested in a fight between two people I dislike...

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Salmond is definitely an unpleasant character, but I find myself strangely interested in a fight between two people I dislike...

Same here, there is a lot more to this story.

 

[Harrythedog]

Salmon, the previous champion of Independence , at war with the current champion of independence. Is the job becoming a poisoned chalice whereby a failed leader doesn’t want to endorse the next William Wallace ?

 

[Dryce]

I don't understand how she gets such an easy ride, mention the falings to people (supporters) and they blame Westminster.
When you explain these are devolved issues you just get the blame it on Westminser replies.

Prejudice.

 

[Harrythedog]

She's flattered by the general lack of quality around her - in her own party and at Holyrood - historically the SNP administrtarion has not been transparent - and given an easy ride by a UK media that is more professionally interested in giving the UK government a hard time.

I have some sympathy with her and her dealings with Mr Salmond. He is a disruptive and IMO a selfish arrogant influence on Scottish politics.

Looks like the SNP have sorted the postal votes anyway

SNP attacked as postal vote campaign redirects to party’s own website

A PRE-ELECTION row has broken out after the Tories accused the SNP of turning Scotland into a "one-party state" over a postal vote campaign.

www.express.co.uk

 

[m80]

Reading here has made me more aware of the SNP than I was.

I wonder if Tory strategy is to give 'em enough rope.

 

[Big Janner]

Post Brexit, even the most ardent proponents of the EU are struggling not to notice that it's a nasty, small-minded, protectionist regime.

Been saying so for years

 

[Dryce]

I wonder if Tory strategy is to give 'em enough rope.

No.

It's more a case of the prejudice nurtured and husbanded in Scotland means that a Conservative government in Westminster is simply seen as a lever that can be worked by the SNP to creeate more discord and separation

It has got the the point where the Scottish Conservative party is increasingly separate as well.