UK - England, Wales, N.Ireland, Scotland

[RTH10260]

French fishermen threaten to block exports to UK in run-up to Christmas as tensions rise over fishing rights
Fisherman in France claim they have been "deceived" by the British government over fishing licences and have called on the European Commission to take "retaliatory measures", with one official saying the blocking of the port in Calais and exports into the UK is "an option".

Amar Mehta
Wednesday 6 October 2021 08:09, UK

French fishermen have threatened to blockade the port of Calais and cut off Christmas supplies in a post-Brexit fishing row.

They claim they have been "deceived" by the British government over fishing licence applications and have called on the European Commission to take "retaliatory measures".

The president of the fishing committee for the northern Hauts-de-France region, Olivier Lepretre, said blocking the port in Calais and exports into the United Kingdom is "an option".

Just 31 out of a possible 70 licences for French vessels have been granted granted access to operate in the UK's exclusive economic zone.

"As far as French fishermen in northern France are concerned, in the absence of any results, the blocking of the port of Calais and exports to the United Kingdom for the period leading up to Christmas is an option," he said.

Mr Lepretre met with France's Minister of the Sea, Annick Girardin, last week to discuss fishing licences granted to French fishermen by the UK government.

Overall, in Hauts-de-France, 31 out of a possible 70 eligible vessels have been granted permission to operate in British waters, the committee said, describing it as "an unacceptable decision condemned by the entire profession".

"UK authorities are refusing to grant full licences due to evidence deemed insufficient," it said.

"The work has been however meticulously done by the French side and fishermen believe they have been deceived by the British government."




https://news.sky.com/story/french-fishe ... s-12427035

[RTH10260]

empty return containers clogging up British ports cause full containers are not transported into the country

It's all going 'tits-up' at UK box ports and, despite what Boris says, we can't fix it

© Peter Moulton
By Mike Wackett 06/10/2021

The UK’s main container ports are overwhelmed with unclaimed imports and starting to refuse the restitution of empty boxes urgently needed back in Asia.

And other North European ports are also heavily congested, but the acute HGV driver shortage in the UK has extended container dwell times significantly in past weeks, with the country’s main box hubs now “in danger of grinding to a complete halt”, according to one industry observer.

Yesterday, Felixstowe suspended the restitution of Evergreen, Maersk and CMA CGM empty returns.

Other carriers are also expected to be restricted by the port, but there is no indication as yet that there could be a blanket stop on receiving empty equipment, or that export deliveries could be halted.

In a customer advisory, Evergreen says the block on the return of its empties at Felixstowe was “due to the large volume of import containers coming into the port” against the backdrop of “a well-publicised national driver shortage”.

It added: “Import container dwell times are increasing as a result and causing port congestion.”




https://theloadstar.com/its-all-going-t ... nt-fix-it/

[RTH10260]

as commented on by a vlogger

[RTH10260]

Fears of toilet paper shortage as production costs ‘go through the roof’
Connor Parker
Thu, October 7, 2021, 5:10 PM·3 min read

The UK could face a toilet paper shortage as businesses limit production of household products in the wake of soaring energy costs hitting their finances, industry bosses have warned.

The chief of the Confederation of Paper Industries called for a “temporary winter cost-containment measure” to help companies in the sector, who are seeing costs go “through the roof”.

Andrew Large said that steep energy cost rises were impacting a variety of important sectors, including food packaging, toilet paper and the production of sterile medical packaging.




https://news.yahoo.com/fears-over-short ... 13261.html

[RTH10260]

Trade war looms as UK set to spurn EU offer on Northern Ireland
EU leaders urged to push back against No 10’s brinkmanship over role of European court of justice

Lisa O'Carroll Brexit correspondent
Sun 10 Oct 2021 10.32 BST

Fears that the UK is heading for a trade war with the EU have been fuelled by strong indications from the government that it thinks proposals to be unveiled in Brussels on Wednesday over Brexit arrangements do not go far enough.

The Brexit minister, David Frost, will use a speech in Portugal on Tuesday to say that the EU scrapping its prohibition on British sausages to resolve the dispute over the Northern Ireland protocol does not meet the UK and unionists’ demands.

Lord Frost will call for “significant” changes to the post-Brexit agreement he negotiated, including over the role of the European court of justice, something the EU is highly unlikely to concede to.

“Without new arrangements in this area, the protocol will never have the support it needs to survive,” he will warn on the eve of a significant move by the EU to resolve the row.

Ireland’s foreign minister, Simon Coveney, reacted with incredulity at the UK’s “red line” and its timing just days before what he said was a “serious” offer from the EU.

He tweeted: “EU working seriously to resolve practical issues with implementation of Protocol – so UKG creates a new “red line” barrier to progress, that they know EU can’t move on … are we surprised? Real Q: does UKG actually want an agreed way forward or a further breakdown in relations?”




https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... rn-ireland

[Lani]

Looks like a UK disaster to me. Is there something I'm missing?

[Azastan]

Looks like a UK disaster to me. Is there something I'm missing?

No, you are seeing the effects of stupid people doing stupid things because they wanted to be like the United States under Trump.

[Lani]

Looks like a UK disaster to me. Is there something I'm missing?

No, you are seeing the effects of stupid people doing stupid things because they wanted to be like the United States under Trump.

The Brexit vote was before our election. When it happened, I realized that tfg might win. And here we are. Two old countries are failing.

[Foggy]

Well, they did pass Brexit before we elected TFA, but yeah, some of the same motivations.

[Uninformed]

To most rational beings there does appear to be a large number of stupid people in positions of authority/power. I wouldn’t doubt their level of incompetence nor their adherence to a confused nationalist ideology, but I am also pretty sure they really don’t give a monkey’s about the issues faced by both private citizens and to a lesser extent industry/business. It’s all the price that must be paid in the (ultimately failed) attempt to mould the UK into the once again great nation it used to be. It will all turn out well in the end. Stay calm and carry on…

[Azastan]

Looks like a UK disaster to me. Is there something I'm missing?

No, you are seeing the effects of stupid people doing stupid things because they wanted to be like the United States under Trump.

The Brexit vote was before our election. When it happened, I realized that tfg might win. And here we are. Two old countries are failing.

I know, but it's the "USA USA USA" mentality applied to the UK.

[much ado]

No, you are seeing the effects of stupid people doing stupid things because they wanted to be like the United States under Trump.

The Brexit vote was before our election. When it happened, I realized that tfg might win. And here we are. Two old countries are failing.

I know, but it's the "USA USA USA" mentality applied to the UK.

We got rid of our "Boris". And the majority of us do not want him back. Why is it so hard for the UK to get rid of their Boris? Are his policies still popular?

[RTH10260]

lorry drivers among them?

More than 1,000 migrants crossed English Channel over two days

Sunday 10 October 2021, 7:18pm

ITV News watched as dozens of men, women and children who sailed in from flimsy dinghies were brought ashore by Border Force in Dover, Correspondent Rebecca Barry reports

More than 1,000 migrants crossed the English Channel in small boats over the past two days.

After 10 days of bad weather, which made crossings impossible, at least 40 boats managed to reach Britain on Friday and Saturday.

At least 624 people reached the UK on Friday aboard 23 boats - the fourth highest daily tally on record during the crisis.

And 491 people, including children, crossed on Saturday aboard 17 boats, according to numbers released by the Home Office on Sunday morning.

More people were seen arriving in Dover on Sunday.

A young girl with a pink jacket was seen on Sunday being helped to put on woolly hat by a border official. She is one of a number of children who have made the dangerous crossing in the last few days.

Another woman was seen ushering a small child ahead of her as the pair were guided up a gangway by a border official.

Meanwhile, a French minister has claimed "not one euro" of the £54 million the UK promised to France to try to stop migrants making the perilous journey across the English Channel has been paid.

He urged the government to fulfil its promises.

Earlier this year, the government pledged to send millions of pounds to support French efforts to stop the crossings.



https://www.itv.com/news/2021-10-09/fre ... sings-cash

[RTH10260]

The bad bad bad ... EU is acceptable for a holiday of the Prime Minister while the country burns


Boris Johnson flies to Spain for Marbella villa holiday

By Tammy Hughes
13 hours ago

Boris Johnson has flown to Marbella to holiday in a private villa on the Costa del Sol, according to reports.

Downing Street did not deny the Prime Minister had travelled to Spain, and declined to say whether he was working at No 10 or in Chequers, as is commonplace.

The PM flew to the holiday resort with pregnant wife Carrie and 17-month-old son Wilf.

It is their first break since travelling to Mustique last year.

Government sources told the Sun on Sunday that Mr Johnson was “exhausted”.



https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/bori ... 59699.html

[RTH10260]

EU ‘close to the end of the road’ over Northern Ireland protocol
Point will come when EU says ‘enough, we cannot compromise any more’, warns Irish foreign minister

Lisa O'Carroll Brexit correspondent
Mon 11 Oct 2021 12.25 BST

The EU is close to the end of the road with the UK over the Northern Ireland protocol, accusing David Frost, the Brexit minister, of trying to undermine serious attempts to solve the problem, the Irish foreign minister has said.

Simon Coveney said he had spoken to Lord Frost’s counterpart, the European Commission vice-president, Maroš Šefčovič, on Sunday. They have agreed there would come a point when “the EU will say: enough, we cannot compromise any more”, Coveney said.

Coveney tweeted on Saturday night questioning whether the UK actually wanted “an agreed way forward or a further breakdown in relations”.

Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, he said it was undiplomatic to question the UK’s motivation in a Twitter spat but added that it was a “bit rich” of Frost to be just as accusatory, given the Brexit minister had briefed the media that EU proposals to be unveiled on Wednesday would not meet the UK’s demands.

The heightened tensions before the negotiations over the protocol have even begun have raised fears that talks are doomed, with the potential for a trade war next year.



https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... d-protocol

[Volkonski]

[Uninformed]

Probably won’t matter as we’ll soon find out we don’t have any/enough grit. Laugh or cry?

[Volkonski]

[RTH10260]

https:// twitter.com/guardiannews/status/1447657797441687555?

Guardian news @guardiannews
Councils fear gritter driver shortage this winter
Constrictions on road de-icing could follow those affecting bus and bin collection services
theguardian.com
10:18 PM · Oct 11, 2021

Brexit - a slippery slope

[Uninformed]

Icy what you did there.

[Foggy]

There snow doubt Brexit was a mistake.

[Uninformed]

“Brexit: Lord Frost proposes 'entirely new' NI protocol”:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-58881855

[RTH10260]

Frost to meet icy response.

[RTH10260]

Energy crisis: Gas levy 'expected to be confirmed in next two weeks' despite rising prices
The move to fund low-carbon alternatives is likely to prove controversial, with people already wrestling with rising costs in the face of increased wholesale prices - triggered by global demand as economies recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Monday 11 October 2021 07:55, UK

It commits the government to cutting the price of electricity by removing green levies and slapping additional costs on gas to fund the switch to low-carbon alternatives.

However, the step is likely to prove controversial, with households already struggling with soaring energy bills in the face of increased wholesale prices, triggered by global demand as economies recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

The energy watchdog Ofgem has already warned millions of households should expect to see a "significant rise" in their bills at the next price cap review.

One government insider told The Times that the plans were "madness".

[RTH10260]

EU member states to issue joint warning to UK over reduced fishing rights
Fourteen countries likely to take tough stance in future talks about fisheries if access to UK waters does not improve

Daniel Boffey in Brussels and Lisa O'Carroll in Dublin
Mon 11 Oct 2021 18.38 BST

Fourteen EU member states are preparing to issue a joint declaration accusing the British government of risking “significant economic and social damage” to their fishing communities, as wider relations appear close to breaking point.

In the statement, seen by the Guardian, France, Belgium, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Cyprus, Portugal, Denmark, Italy, Lithuania, Sweden, Malta and Latvia will call for the UK to act “in the spirit and the letter” of the Brexit deal struck last Christmas Eve.

The governments of the UK and Jersey, a British crown dependency, have infuriated the French government in recent weeks over the reduced numbers of licences given out to small boat owners who fish in coastal waters. In a pointed sign of solidarity, the member states will make a thinly veiled threat about the likely impact on future EU-UK fisheries negotiations if the UK does not rethink its stance.

The development comes at a febrile time in the EU-UK relationship, as Maroš Šefčovič, the European Commissioner responsible for Brexit, prepares to table proposals on improving the post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland.



https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... ing-rights