The Brexiteers did gain a mandate for Brexit, in principle if not in practice, via their narrow referendum victory. Boris Johnson has, however, effectively delivered a ‘hard Brexit’. As a damage limitation exercise it does little to mitigate the adverse economic consequences of Brexit. The UK could have chosen to remain in the customs union – the optimum free trade agreement (FTA). It could have remained in the single market avoiding non-tariff barriers. It could have remained in both. Instead it has chosen a FTA as a third country avoiding tariffs and quotas on manufactured goods. But the tariffs on these would be zero even without an FTA.
The electorate were initially and erroneously promised by Brexiteers that Britain would “hold all the cards” on departure from the EU. They were told in a succession of big, little lies that the UK would thereafter enjoy “frictionless trade” with the EU despite the fact that it is impossible to provide frictionless trade access to non-members. The electorate did not give their consent to this disruptive EU departure. Relief that a deal has been done will prove to be premature when people realise that it is a bad deal.
Johnson repeats the mantra that Britain has “taken back complete control” of its laws and regulations. However, every country engaged in international trade must surrender some degree of control over product specification and technical standards. It is common sense that it is necessary to comply with the requirements of foreigners in order to sell things to them. Thus, in order to achieve complete regulatory divergence, the UK would have to withdraw from international trade.
It is significant that no other EU non-member has settled for an FTA. Norway is in the single market, Switzerland has an array of deals binding it closely to the EU orbit. The UK, alone, has chosen to trade with limited access to its natural market – thus imposing new compliance costs and logistical problems on exporters of goods and limited market access on exporters of services. Unfortunately the British economy is 80 per cent services and 20 per cent goods. The economic damage of this bad deal will soon become evident with the end of the transition period.
I leave it to Mrs Thatcher, who was one of the architects of the single market, to make a cogent case for this transformative project. To quote the Iron Lady: “Just think… what a prospect it is. A single market without barriers – visible or invisible – giving direct and unhindered access to the purchasing power of 300 million of the world’s wealthiest and most prosperous people. Bigger than Japan, bigger than the US. On your doorstep. It is not a vision. It is not a bureaucrat’s plan. It is for real.”
The Conservative Party, aka “the party of business”, should reflect on these sentiments &ignore their deluded, populist ERG head-bangers. The deeply flawed post-Brexit trade deal is also “for real”. Efforts should be made immediately to realign with the EU regulatory regime.
GEORGE WORKMAN
Mornington, Co Meath
There are a lot of anti-vaxxers about
I read, with some consternation, the article by Jake O’Kane (December 12). He was very critical of those who have decided, often after much research, against taking this covid vaccine – and referred to such individuals by the pejorative term ‘anti-vaxxers’.
Of course not all of these are anti-vaxxers, nor conspiracy theorists. Many are medical doctors.
Consider the ‘percolating’ outcome of the vaccine offer. Initially we were told that doctors and nurses would be the first to receive it; then carers in old people’s homes; now it is apparently these elderly people themselves who will be first in line – the previous two offers having, as you might say, gone into the ether.
It seems that there are a lot of anti-vaxxers about and many of these are professionals who would be well-informed about their decision, whatever about the Karen and Richard that Mr O’Kane cited.
Was this report “a bit previous”?
What are we to make of this? What, indeed, is Mr O’Kane to make of it?
The Sunday Times (December 13) carried the headline – “Thousands of health staff set to refuse Covid vaccine” – and the article begins: “Hundreds of thousands of NHS and care workers may choose not to have the coronavirus vaccine.” Surely they can’t all be, simply, anti-vaxxers – particularly since many in this category would actually be paid to administer it – and would, you’d think, have faith in their endeavours?
As they say, “Nane sae queer as folk”.
Now we hear that share prices have fallen in some of the pharmaceutical companies involved – just when a (possibly) more serious strain of the virus emerges – and matching severity of ‘lockdowns’. Is a mood of cynicism now developing, perchance?
ISABELLA CORR
Newtownards, Co Down
Two titans of peaceful change
This year we lost two titans of peaceful change, John Hume, Nobel Peace Laureate and Seamus Mallon, former Deputy First Minister.
They were an incredible team, John the courageous and visionary peacemaker and Seamus the straight-talking nationalist who turned trust builder.
They were always there trying to find a peaceful way forward, even in the darkest of dark days, never losing faith in the primacy of politics even when they had little reason to sustain that faith.
The newly established John and Pat Hume Foundation will continue to advance their deep commitment to non-violent peaceful change making.
The pandemic also gives us an opportunity to build a more inclusive and resilient communities. At our recent discussion on Shared Home Place in Derry, Maureen Hetherington spoke passionately of ‘a global system that is ethical, and compassionate, that following the Africa concept of ‘Ubuntu’ locates individual identity in the context of belonging to each other’
The challenge to us all today is can we together build a society based on neighbourliness and tenacious solidarity?
TIM ATTWOOD
Belfast BT11
Housing matters
It has been over a month since Carál Ní Chuilín MLA, in her position as DFC Minister, outlined Sinn Féin’s proposals to shake up the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE). However, we still await the detail other than the headline of the landlord arm moving to a mutual but what has happened in between such times is Sinn Féin councillors at local government have failed twice to vote against a motion submitted to adopt an anti-privatisation position on the NIHE.
If Sinn Féin aren’t against privatisation then they are only left with two other positions to adopt, they are either for it or indifferent. If Sinn Féin can’t vote against a motion to adopt an anti-privatisation position of the NIHE and in an area like west Belfast and I was on the NIHE waiting list I would question if Sinn Féin are on my side.
GERARD McDONALD
Belfast BT13
Support your local shopkeepers
Seamus Mac Daibhid (December 8) complained about not finding a locally produced chicken in Tesco. He then tells us of the many things produced here and how from now on he will shop at Lidl because they supply such goods. I have been in Dungiven many times and the local butchers and greengrocers etc, have any amount of local produce. Why can he not shop with them?
JOSEPH KENNEDY
Dunmurry, Co Antrim
