I believe that 66 out of the 69 of the trade deals so far signed by the UK are simply new bilateral deals replacing EU treaties with the same countries.

The only others signed are with Australia, Japan and Norway/Iceland/Lichtenstein.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47213842

I nite the 3 countries picked out in the article you reference, with whom the UK are currently negotiating are Brazil, Malaysia and India.

https://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/co...l/index_en.htm

https://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/co...a/index_en.htm

https://www.business-standard.com/ar...0801019_1.html

That's my understanding as well - these 'new deals' are merely bits of admin to replace previous arrangements, with no substantive changes.

What about the shortage of truck drivers? Presumably this isn't a sector that has seen a vast reduction in numbers because the job is largely Covid safe. So why then is the UK disproportionately affected?

There's also the fact that trade deals will never replace the human benefits that have been lost due to this calamity. We can have as many trade deals with the other sides of the world as we like but I've had my right to live anywhere in Europe stolen from me along with the other protections, privileges and freedoms EU membership gave us. However, as has been the case all along, the actual tangible benefits of EU membership we have lost have been totally glossed over and People have been conditioned to think trade is all that matters.

There may well be labour shortages in Germany, France etc. How much of this is due to migrant workers returning to their own countries due to Covid restrictions? After Covid restrictions are eased these migrant workers are likely to return to France, Germany etc. Not going to happen in the UK is it?

And, topically, today the EU wide Covid-19 passport comes into operation. Had the UK been in the EU we would have been a part of it (unless of course the UK negotiated an opt out!!) and Brits would have had their two weeks on the Costas rescued. I haven't noticed much of the print media make a big point about it; if they do it will undoubtedly be couched in terms of the EU "victimising" the UK for not allowing us the same access to 2 weeks in the sun and EU citizens have.

Now there may be an agreement between UK and EU at some stage in the future, but as of today, UK holidaymakers and people looking to visit friends and relatives in the EU are scratching around and navigating their way through testing, and sorting out where Brits are and aren't welcome.

Of course trade is extremely important, and frankly we're likely to fail the test on that one too, though make no mistake the success government has had in luring Nissan into the investments they have announced this week is extremely welcome. Whether the incentives that Nissan have given could have been made if the UK were in the EU we don't know, simply because we don't know what those incentives actually are - Kuarteng hasn't said.

I don’t think the vaccine passport makes any difference to be honest. Those that want British tourists, such as Spain and Greece, as letting them in based on the NHS app or other paperwork, and those that aren’t are applying additional restrictions anyway - even between the member states. It’s not a carte blanc to travel, it’s just a common app. .

e.g. for Cyprus.

https://cyprusflightpass.gov.cy/en/country-categories

https://www.euronews.com/travel/2021...l-restrictions

Yes, Germany has declared Portugal as a "Risikogebiet" so on the same level as the UK, but they have come under quite a lot of pressure as a result from the EU. Of course, as Germany is a sovereign nation (as in it has control and doesn't need to take it back!!) Brussels can huff and puff as much as it likes but can't bully Germany, or any other state into changing its position. Generally however things would have been easier for UK travellers were we inside the EU, than outside. Of that there really is little doubt.

Incidentally, Portugal must really be regretting the decision to hold the Champions League final and allow in a bunch of Brits. That is surely the root cause of the current pretty disastrous uptick in new cases (of the Delta variant) in Portugal which has lead directly to the German clamp down.

"Whether the incentives that Nissan have given could have been made if the UK were in the EU we don't know, simply because we don't know what those incentives actually are - Kuarteng hasn't said. "

Treeza was never what you would call open and transparent either. There again, whatever the arrangements are with Nissan has never really been explained.

It seems to be more a matter of straightforward incompetence by the UK rather than Brexit in particular. Had the British government kept up to speed it seems pretty clear that the UK could have participated in the border relaxation.

Given Nissan have already committed to make electric cars here it makes sense for them to make the batteries here too.

I read that some other carmakers are considering setting up 'gigafactories' in the UK too. Must be some nice sweeteners on offer, the details of which will of course never see the light of day.

Read a number of more than 100 Million STG for Nissan. Now, with the rules of origin if they ever want to sell their cars outside the UK, they basically have to make the batteries there, otherwise they would have to be considered not of UK origin pretty much everywhere. Remember, rules of origin are a WTO thing, not an EU one. As Batteries make up to 30 to 40% of an electric cars worth, it is pretty much mandatory to manufacture them in the same customs area as the car.


As to the EU's covid pass, it is not a passport per se, it is just something that has to be recognized in each and every participating country (it is not only used in the EU, but also in other countries). Not only to enter said country, but as the main means of proving the vaccination status in all kinds of settings. For example if a prove of test or vaccination is required to eat inside (it is in some countries), the EU Covid pass has to be accepted, as is of course the yellow vaccination pass in which usually every vaccination, including the Covid ones, are recorded as well.

The NHS QR code is actually technically compatible with the EU system, but as the UK, does not want to partake in the EU system for political reasons it will not be accepted by the EU check-app (freely available in app stores everywhere, in Germany for example CovPass Check) as it has not been electronically signed with an EU approved key. As the EU system only works with EMA approved vaccines, Hungary cannot use that system either for its Sputnik V vaccinated population, but has to accept all other EU countries QR code.

The UK couldn’t participate in the EU scheme as it’s not a member. However, as stated, the two systems are compatible and talks on mutual recognition and interoperability are near completion.

As I previously linked, that includes the both being compatible with the ePassport gates at all major UK airports.

https://www.theguardian.com/business...-mansion-house

Post-Brexit talks on City access to EU have stalled, Sunak reveals

https://www.euronews.com/2021/06/30/...rade-singapore

UK and Singapore agree post-Brexit deal for financial services

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-...ft-2021-06-30/

UK wins financial services carve-out from new global tax rules - FT

So Rishi sees the future of financial services as China. Good luck with that.

https://www.cityam.com/post-brexit-r...ding-top-spot/

Post-Brexit rebound: London muscles out Amsterdam to reclaim trading top spot

I've learned something new from that article. £7.6 billion is more than £7.6 billon.

Perhaps we can apply that to the football? If there's a draw, England wins. :ok:

It does appear that officialdom is intent on ensuring that the tail wags the dog.

Here's an interesting article, straight from the horse's mouth. If you import cheap labour and then their country of origin raises pay while the cost of living remains low, guess what happens. The good news is that the industry is likely to wake up and smell the coffee.