The EU has gone now its China. Farage at it again.

[waz-24-7]

Mr Farage the war mongering power seeking leader of the Brexit party has now proclaimed that we should set the UK on a course to combat China.
Is this man totally mad?

Perhaps he should focus more on maintaining the United Kingdom. It is more apparent than ever that the United Kingdom is now under serious risk of break up.
Scotland seriously wants to remain within the EU. That aspiration via the SNP is gaining increasing momentum as the SNP gain even a bigger lead over others. Referendum? Goodbye Scotland possibly??

Northern Island has come out very badly as a result of the neglect shown by Westminster during Brexit. Re unification of Ireland is now a real possibility. Sinn Fein gains strength and will be pushing forward with its reunification strategy. Goodbye N Ireland possibly?

The Welsh assembly will be watching with interest. Plaid Cymru will push on with an independence ticket to take decision making from Westminster.

Little England with its Westminster power house dominating decision making will come under real pressure as a divided and disjointed Union cracks and falls apart..possibly?

Mr Farage. You should look closer to home for your next project. China cannot be stopped by little England , not least until it has the new found power and strength that you have promised us past 10 years. To launch a NEW war against China just 24 hours after your Brexit victory is true folly.

[Kanonier]

Yawn.................

[Brazen]

Mr Farage the war mongering power seeking leader of the Brexit party has now proclaimed that we should set the UK on a course to combat China.
Is this man totally mad?

Perhaps he should focus more on maintaining the United Kingdom. It is more apparent than ever that the United Kingdom is now under serious risk of break up.
Scotland seriously wants to remain within the EU. That aspiration via the SNP is gaining increasing momentum as the SNP gain even a bigger lead over others. Referendum? Goodbye Scotland possibly??

Northern Island has come out very badly as a result of the neglect shown by Westminster during Brexit. Re unification of Ireland is now a real possibility. Sinn Fein gains strength and will be pushing forward with its reunification strategy. Goodbye N Ireland possibly?

The Welsh assembly will be watching with interest. Plaid Cymru will push on with an independence ticket to take decision making from Westminster.

Little England with its Westminster power house dominating decision making will come under real pressure as a divided and disjointed Union cracks and falls apart..possibly?

Mr Farage. You should look closer to home for your next project. China cannot be stopped by little England , not least until it has the new found power and strength that you have promised us past 10 years. To launch a NEW war against China just 24 hours after your Brexit victory is true folly.

If those countries want to leave the UK good luck to them. I believe that Ireland should be reunited if the cifizens want, Wales’s can go their own way if they wish, and almost everyone is fed up with the whinging Scots so goodbye to them please.
As for China, its quite perverse that the western world by buying their products to maximise profits are enabling them to become militarily stronger and a bigger threat to us. Is it not permissible for Farage or anyone else to point out these dangers without being called a warmonger by a bitter remoaner?

[Hedge-fund]

The hatred the tree hugging sailor has for his country is laughable.

On the wrong side of every argument he starts.

Neither the possibilty there is underlying mental illness nor the suspicion of deliberate trolling should be ruled out.

[jofra]

Perhaps Cornwall will be next to seek independence - after all, but for a mere 3.7 mile stretch from the north coast to the start of the River Tamar, Cornwall would be a separate island...

P.S. Hedge-fund - I thought you liked Farage....?

[Hedge-fund]

I don't like or trust any politican.

[sophie]

Don't agree Hedge-fund. Some back bench MP's work terrible hard for their constituents. My daughter lives in an area of Norfolk where her chap works his socks off to try and right wrongs for his constituents, regularly holds surgeries and doesn't care who's office in London he has to knock on to get results. Could go on but I won't, but just trying to show that just because he don't see them glad handing the BBC interviewers and sucking up to the front benchers, that all politicians are not to be trusted.

[EnjoyingTheSun]

You must be devastated Waz, two days out and the U.K. hasn’t been enveloped in floods and fireballs from the sky yet.
Still fingers crossed eh?

[Charlieboy]

Good on you Nigel and many thanks for getting the ball rolling regarding the UK leaving the dreadful EU. Thank you
Now onwards and upwards.

[dippersgirl]

Welll.........................I go with Kanonier
Send NF to Norway so he can fall down the big hole!!!

[Brazen]

You must be devastated Waz, two days out and the U.K. hasn’t been enveloped in floods and fireballs from the sky yet.
Still fingers crossed eh?

Yes it’s sad isn’t it that a certain section of our society cannot wait for it to fail instead if channeling their efforts into making it work?

[thornaby]

Waz, your hatred for Farage and Brexit is jus pathetic, get a bloody life,

[waz-24-7]

Waz, your hatred for Farage and Brexit is jus pathetic, get a bloody life,

Hmm.
Your debating skills are somewhat thin even absent when I look back at your uninvited insults and rather empty comments.
If you wish to debate then please do so If not or are simply unable ;please go and insult others face to face or even simply go away.

Thank you.

[waz-24-7]

Good on you Nigel and many thanks for getting the ball rolling regarding the UK leaving the dreadful EU. Thank you
Now onwards and upwards.

I think that you are missing the point. Brexit is done. Mr Farage has commenced his next campaign.
Take on China.
This is the topic for debate.
My view is that it is a corrosive and damaging aspiration and a battle the UK does not want or needs to get into.

Most of the UK economy is back to work tomorrow. I am certain that , every single business , like me, will rise to the 2021 challenges.

[EnjoyingTheSun]

Most of the UK economy is back to work tomorrow. I am certain that , every single business , like me, will rise to the 2021 challenges.

Blimey that’s a bit optimistic Waz!
Still best of luck to you for 2021

[waz-24-7]

Most of the UK economy is back to work tomorrow. I am certain that , every single business , like me, will rise to the 2021 challenges.

Blimey that’s a bit optimistic Waz!
Still best of luck to you for 2021

Hey,
Yes. I feel very lucky that I enjoy my job and a challenge has never frightened me.
However,
Like most . Some politicians just don't cut it and make life outside of Westminster or other seat of power rather more challenging than is necessary.
As you may gather Mr Farage is one such politician
He has made my job working in Europe immensely more challenging. And now he wants to actively hinder the business I do with China.

Why would I like the man?

[erol]

You must be devastated Waz, two days out and the U.K. hasn’t been enveloped in floods and fireballs from the sky yet.
Still fingers crossed eh?

Yes it’s sad isn’t it that a certain section of our society cannot wait for it to fail instead if channeling their efforts into making it work?

The EU you mean ?

[Medjoul1]

Message 9 Charlieboy,

To be accurate Nigel Farage was just the 'useful idiot' for his backer and chief Brexiteer Arron Banks. The same one who lives in Belize and moved all his assets offshore before Brexit.

[thornaby]

Absolute disgrace that Farage did not get a Knighthood , he is a hero, a national treasure who almost single handedly freed us from the Eu allowing us to regain our national sovereignty.

[Brazen]

You must be devastated Waz, two days out and the U.K. hasn’t been enveloped in floods and fireballs from the sky yet.
Still fingers crossed eh?

Yes it’s sad isn’t it that a certain section of our society cannot wait for it to fail instead if channeling their efforts into making it work?

The EU you mean ?

Haven’t you noticed that we are no longer in the EU?
We spent 40 years trying to make that work.

[johnerebus]

Interesting that the sometimes dearth of intellectual debate with corrobated evidence and not just opinion on this topic turns to agressive rudeness and name callin barely disguised as argument.

This is truly the quality of debating skills of those who are unable to write the letters of the word 'cat' in the correct order.

Makes me larf cynically and makes me sad.

[EnjoyingTheSun]

backer and chief Brexiteer Arron Banks. The same one who lives in Belize and moved all his assets offshore before Brexit.

Source?


This is Banks entry at companies house

https://find-and-update.company-informa ... pointments

Just for comparison here is EU fan Richard Branson's entry at companies house

https://find-and-update.company-informa ... pointments

I wonder if you can spot one big difference

[Brazen]

backer and chief Brexiteer Arron Banks. The same one who lives in Belize and moved all his assets offshore before Brexit.

Source?


This is Banks entry at companies house

https://find-and-update.company-informa ... pointments

Just for comparison here is EU fan Richard Branson's entry at companies house

https://find-and-update.company-informa ... pointments

I wonder if you can spot one big difference

I can!

[erol]

We spent 40 years trying to make that work.

In your opinion. Not in mine.

[EnjoyingTheSun]

I can!

No assistance for this part of the show!

Not that he will answer of course, I'm still waiting for an answer on the maths of the allegedly free Erasmus scheme.

As for the source he is probably on the horns of a dilemma there as he swore blind he doesn't read The Guardian so can't use that or anything too similar.

[Hedge-fund]

Message 9 Charlieboy,

To be accurate Nigel Farage was just the 'useful idiot' for his backer and chief Brexiteer Arron Banks. The same one who lives in Belize and moved all his assets offshore before Brexit.

To be even more accurate I think you mean the other bad boy of brexit Andy Wigmore.

[Hedge-fund]

Interesting that the sometimes dearth of intellectual debate with corrobated evidence and not just opinion on this topic turns to agressive rudeness and name callin barely disguised as argument.

This is truly the quality of debating skills of those who are unable to write the letters of the word 'cat' in the correct order.

Makes me larf cynically and makes me sad.

Cta.....tca.......tac.....

Bloody hell you're right!

[EnjoyingTheSun]

Message 9 Charlieboy,

To be accurate Nigel Farage was just the 'useful idiot' for his backer and chief Brexiteer Arron Banks. The same one who lives in Belize and moved all his assets offshore before Brexit.

To be even more accurate I think you mean the other bad boy of brexit Andy Wigmore.

Or to be even more accurate Andy Wigmore who is half-Belizean, not a multi millionaire and not a significant backer of Brexit.

It doesn't have the same ring though does it?

[Brazen]

We spent 40 years trying to make that work.

In your opinion. Not in mine.

So were we not trying to make it work? Please explain

[Brazen]

I can!

No assistance for this part of the show!

Not that he will answer of course, I'm still waiting for an answer on the maths of the allegedly free Erasmus scheme.

As for the source he is probably on the horns of a dilemma there as he swore blind he doesn't read The Guardian so can't use that or anything too similar.

Branson with most of his cash and assets out of the Uk had the temerity to try and foil the democratic decision of those whose assets are in the Uk and pay their taxes there.

[EnjoyingTheSun]

Branson with most of his cash and assets out of the Uk had the temerity to try and foil the democratic decision of those whose assets are in the Uk and pay their taxes there.

And sued the NHS.
I’d like to think most people have seen through the hail fellow well met hippy persona Branson puts up.
Phillip Green is an unacceptable face of capitalism but I give him credit for at least being up front about it.

It’s like politicians, you accept that they are generally two faced liars so at least own it.

[PoshinDevon]

Most of the UK economy is back to work tomorrow. I am certain that , every single business , like me, will rise to the 2021 challenges.

Blimey that’s a bit optimistic Waz!
Still best of luck to you for 2021

Hey,
Yes. I feel very lucky that I enjoy my job and a challenge has never frightened me.
However,
Like most . Some politicians just don't cut it and make life outside of Westminster or other seat of power rather more challenging than is necessary.
As you may gather Mr Farage is one such politician
He has made my job working in Europe immensely more challenging. And now he wants to actively hinder the business I do with China.

Why would I like the man?

Not convinced that Mr Farage on his own has made your job working in Europe more difficult. You could also say that the 17.4M or 52% have made your job more difficult. However; democracy has been the winner and we must move on.

As for China; Mr Farage, if he is starting a campaign, I believe it will be very short lived and will in no way capture a huge amount of interest. I don’t really think you need to be concerned.

[EnjoyingTheSun]

As for China; Mr Farage, if he is starting a campaign, I believe it will be very short lived and will in no way capture a huge amount of interest. I don’t really think you need to be concerned.

Big difference between reflecting a movement and tide of opinion and starting one

[waz-24-7]

Blimey that’s a bit optimistic Waz!
Still best of luck to you for 2021

Hey,
Yes. I feel very lucky that I enjoy my job and a challenge has never frightened me.
However,
Like most . Some politicians just don't cut it and make life outside of Westminster or other seat of power rather more challenging than is necessary.
As you may gather Mr Farage is one such politician
He has made my job working in Europe immensely more challenging. And now he wants to actively hinder the business I do with China.

Why would I like the man?

Not convinced that Mr Farage on his own has made your job working in Europe more difficult. You could also say that the 17.4M or 52% have made your job more difficult. However; democracy has been the winner and we must move on.

As for China; Mr Farage, if he is starting a campaign, I believe it will be very short lived and will in no way capture a huge amount of interest. I don’t really think you need to be concerned.

Certainly Mr Farage alone has not made things difficult. However as the mainstay and leader of the Brexit party. I hold him responsible primarily for hoodwinking many to follow the big red campaign bus with its fake news and unqualified claims of newly found wealth. Who would have entertained that four years down the line the exit mess was such a shambles...on both sides. Each side of the argument failed to tell the truth and to explain precisely the facts. This clearly led to unprecedented division with our own United Union now under risk of break up.
That is not what people voted for surely.

Today we hear that the first UK citizens and now non European, have been denied entry to the Netherlands. I have explained this would likely happen for many years. The losses as non Europeans will continue to emerge in due course

I am concerned about Mr Farage. His base agenda to secure power is quite frightening. His uncanny skill as the pied piper is worrying to me. He and Mr Dominic Cummings are dangerous political players..
I am not overly concerned however of his anti china rhetoric and his campaign will I think struggle to get off the ground. Mr Trump will join his party certainly. Some however will lap up his preaching and will see no wrong.

Regardless.. We are where we are so onwards and upwards.

[PoshinDevon]

Waz..... Let it go.... let it go.

U.K. citizens turned back and denied entry to the Netherlands....... the reason was because of COVID restrictions on travel and entry of U.K. citizens and their trips were deemed not a necessity. I see no problem with that at all.

Brexit done, left the EU a year ago, transition period ended and a deal agreed. Some will like the deal, others will hate it and some like me will think it isn’t perfect but is fair.

Time to now embrace the challenge and stop looking back.

[Hedge-fund]

The NHS gets £1b per week more now than at the time of the referendum.

The £350m per week was a gross underestimate.

The mental poster waz needs to be challenged on every lie told.

[waz-24-7]

Waz..... Let it go.... let it go.

U.K. citizens turned back and denied entry to the Netherlands....... the reason was because of COVID restrictions on travel and entry of U.K. citizens and their trips were deemed not a necessity. I see no problem with that at all.

Brexit done, left the EU a year ago, transition period ended and a deal agreed. Some will like the deal, others will hate it and some like me will think it isn’t perfect but is fair.

Time to now embrace the challenge and stop looking back.

Posh,
If you check correctly and to correct your assumption.
20 UK citizens were denied entry being non European and had no legitimate right of entry combined with no reason to travel within Netherlands.

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/ne ... 81925.html


Let me assure you that I am forcibly content with the current situation and I am pro active in all matters Brexit. The challenges are plentiful. How I travel now to Cyprus. I have not yet fully fathomed but like you, I will adjust accordingly.

[waz-24-7]

The NHS gets £1b per week more now than at the time of the referendum.

The £350m per week was a gross underestimate.

Wow,
That's great news.
Thanks for letting us know.
https://www.nhscampaign.org/sandbox-2/N ... nding.html

[PoshinDevon]

Waz

From the Guardian.... not a paper I normally read but.... this appears to me to be a denial of entry due corona virus rules around entry and also the travel deemed as not a necessity.

As I said, I have no problems with any country denying entry due to COVID rules and/or if their journey was deemed unnecessary,

“A Dutch border force spokesman confirmed on Monday that up to 13 British citizens had been turned away at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport since Friday because their trips were not necessary and third-country coronavirus regulations now applied.”

[waz-24-7]

Waz

From the Guardian.... not a paper I normally read but.... this appears to me to be a denial of entry due corona virus rules around entry and also the travel deemed as not a necessity.

As I said, I have no problems with any country denying entry due to COVID rules and/or if their journey was deemed unnecessary,

“A Dutch border force spokesman confirmed on Monday that up to 13 British citizens had been turned away at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport since Friday because their trips were not necessary and third-country coronavirus regulations now applied.”

Okay ...I beg to differ upon the matter.

UK travellers have been blocked from entering the Netherlands following the end of the Brexit transition period.


Dutch border police have turned away 10 British nationals since 1 January, after the UK officially left the European Union, reports broadcaster NOS.
New coronavirus rules dictate that passengers arriving from non-EU countries will be permitted entry into the Netherlands only for essential reasons, not for leisure travel.
“They all had a negative PCR test,” a border police spokesperson said of the 10 Britons, “but had forgotten the basic rule – that they need to have an urgent reason to come, such as work or serious family issues.”

My position remains that loss of European status is a non positive outcome of Brexit.

Of course the topic is no longer Brexit but the ridiculous notion that Mr pied piper Farage wants to get us all to boycott china.
Many will say. no worries. But then of course china will fight back as the EU are and the UK yet again suffer loss.

As I said . Farage would do better in campaigning to hold together the now deeply divided Union that is England, Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland.
Because all four nations are within a common market with the same currency and run by bureaucrats in Westminster. It may be that he sees that possibly a follow on union break up would strengthen the individual sovereignty of each.

My vote is to keep the United Kingdom as a full Union and we should work to improve the un perfect ways and laws of Westminster. Certainly not throw out the dummy and further diverge and divide.

[EnjoyingTheSun]

As I said . Farage would do better in campaigning to hold together the now deeply divided Union that is England, Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland.
Because all four nations are within a common market with the same currency and run by bureaucrats in Westminster. It may be that he sees that possibly a follow on union break up would strengthen the individual sovereignty of each.

My vote is to keep the United Kingdom as a full Union and we should work to improve the un perfect ways and laws of Westminster. Certainly not throw out the dummy and further diverge and divide.

The only person I've seen banging on about the Union breaking up is you.

If a country wants to leave the union then if the majority vote for it then sadly we will wish them well. That's democracy.

Scotland had a referendum in 2014 and voted to stay. Now it is not feasible for them to have a referendum every year but I don't agree with Johnson that they should have to wait until the 2050s either.

[Medjoul1]

No assistance for this part of the show!

Not that he will answer of course, I'm still waiting for an answer on the maths of the allegedly free Erasmus scheme.

As for the source he is probably on the horns of a dilemma there as he swore blind he doesn't read The Guardian so can't use that or anything too similar.

Companies House does not verify the accuracy of the information filed

ETS, apologies, I had no idea you were waiting for an answer when you could have found the info quite easily here from the Uk govs own source.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new- ... -thousands

I still don't read the Guardian

Brazen, I don't keep every news article I read but I do remember it stating that Wigmore is relocating whereas Banks has. The same article informed the reader that the other 'poster boys' of Brexit/capitalism have or are in the process of relocating their assets eg James Ratclffe to Belgium, Jacob Rees-Mogg to Ireland, Barclay bros off shore, Lord Edmiston, assets to Malta and we already know James Dyson who moved his ops to Singapore.

Don't shoot the messenger

[Hedge-fund]

The NHS gets £1b per week more now than at the time of the referendum.

The £350m per week was a gross underestimate.

Wow,
That's great news.
Thanks for letting us know.
https://www.nhscampaign.org/sandbox-2/N ... nding.html

Years out of date and part of project fear at the time.

The reality as of Jan 2021 is that the govt is spending over £1 billion more per week on the nhs.

By the way. France has vaccinated just 400 people as of yesterday and every eu region (I hesitate to call them countries) is fatally short of vaccine.

Thank God - and Nigel - the newly independent UK was able to move faster to save UK lives.

[EnjoyingTheSun]

ETS, apologies, I had no idea you were waiting for an answer when you could have found the info quite easily here from the Uk govs own source.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new- ... -thousands

The link came up page not found. And that's not an accusation.

I will be very surprised if it was as free as you state that the government left it because of cost. My critical thinking head is getting very mixed messages on this.

[EnjoyingTheSun]

The same article informed the reader that the other 'poster boys' of Brexit/capitalism have or are in the process of relocating their assets eg James Ratclffe to Belgium, Jacob Rees-Mogg to Ireland, Barclay bros off shore, Lord Edmiston, assets to Malta and we already know James Dyson who moved his ops to Singapore.

Don't shoot the messenger

I always find it surprising that some very average journalists who bemoan about the rich and their secret billions seem to know exactly where all their assets are. These secret billionaires obviously aren't as good at funneling their money as they used to be.

[Hector]

And my vote goes to..........Brazen!

[Hedge-fund]

The NHS gets £1b per week more now than at the time of the referendum.

The £350m per week was a gross underestimate.

Wow,
That's great news.
Thanks for letting us know.
https://www.nhscampaign.org/sandbox-2/N ... nding.html

Years out of date and part of project fear at the time.

The reality as of Jan 2021 is that the govt is spending over £1 billion more per week on the nhs.

By the way. France has vaccinated just 400 people as of yesterday and every eu region (I hesitate to call them countries) is fatally short of vaccine.

Thank God - and Nigel - the newly independent UK was able to move faster to save UK lives.

From today's Telegraph - The EU's first big test since Brexit





Europe's vaccine blunders threaten the entire EU project

Feet-dragging over vaccine rollouts will lead to the unravelling of the EU's superstars, France and Germany
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard




The European vaccination fiasco has mushroomed into a larger danger for the EU project itself. Brussels acquired powers beyond its competence. Nothing before has exposed so clearly why the nation-state is the proper fulcrum of government.

This episode is less obviously threatening than the post-Lehman civil war between eurozone creditors and debtors, a clash of interests that has been papered over for the time being. But it may nevertheless be just as treacherous in different ways.

In a matter of three weeks we have seen the germination - excuse the pun - of a novel, broad-based, Teutonic Euroscepticism. The front pages of Die Welt, Der Spiegel, and much of the German press are a riot of allegations and indignation. The word Katastrophe is being thrown around liberally.

Bild Zeitung took direct aim at Chancellor Angela Merkel in its splash on Monday, accusing her of sacrificing German lives by overriding the vaccine policy of her own government. She handed over the programme to Brussels in order to play the good European as her swansong gesture.

The European Commission then mangled the job. It drifted through the summer. Under pressure from Paris it ordered 300 million doses of the ‘French’ vaccine from GSK-Sanofi in September, only to discover later that Sanofi’s clinical trials had run into trouble. By then the EU vaccine fund was running low.

Several countries balked at Pfizer’s hard-nosed demands - allegedly $50 (£36.80) a dose - for the ‘German’ BioNTech jab. No firm order was issued until mid-November, even though BioNTech had emerged as a front-runner months before. By then the EU had dropped down the pecking order. “Instead of mass delivery, the vaccine is reaching us as a trickle,” said Bild.

"Obviously, the European purchasing process was flawed,” said Markus Söder, the Bavarian premier and the man that Germans would most like to see as the next Chancellor.

“It’s hard to explain why people elsewhere are being vaccinated more quickly with an excellent vaccine developed in Germany. Time is crucial. If Israel, the US, or the UK are far ahead of us with jabs, they’ll also gain economically."

Israel has vaccinated more than a million people with the German jab. So has the UK. The US has surpassed four million. Germany is moving fast by EU standards at 320,000 but is already hitting buffers, partly because some Länder are struggling with the logistics, but also because supplies are running out.

“I don’t see where the does are going to come from,” said Prof Karl Lauterbach, the Social Democrats’ science guru. Supply timetables are an impenetrable secret. Pfizer over-promises. But as far as we know, Germany will not receive more than token deliveries in January, and barely enough to make a decisive impact until late March.

What could change this is rapid approval of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab by EU regulators. They are taking their sweet time - with the usual pieties about “high EU standards” - and may not act before February.

This is indeed a Katastrophe. One should not pay too much attention to Twitter but I have never before seen such a vehement outpouring of anger and Verzweiflung with EU institutions on German social media.

A view is taking hold that the sooner Germany regains control of its core governing functions, the better. This new mood will collide at some point in 2021 with the economic consequences of the pandemic.

Lack of vaccines imply an extra quarter of lockdowns and eurozone recession. This pushes Club debt ratios further beyond the point of no return. It pushes the French ratio into the danger zone. It pushes more struggling firms over the brink. It raises the risk of permanent scarring.

It implies that German taxpayers will have to dig deeper into their pockets to beef up the European Recovery Fund. The current €390bn grant component, spread over five years and 27 countries, is not going to move the macroeconomic needle.
Angela Merkel (left) in video conference with regional governors to discuss the extension of Germany's lockdown
Katastrophe: Angela Merkel (left) in video conference with regional governors to discuss the extension of Germany's lockdown. The Chancellor is under fierce scrutiny for the decision to hand over responsibility for vaccinations to Brussels Credit: Jens Buettner/dpa via AP

It implies too that the European Central Bank is going to have to cross red lines established in last May’s menacing ruling by the German constitutional court. Ultimately, it brings forward the day when Germany has to decide whether it is willing to take another big step towards fiscal union and agree to transfers that dwarf reunification costs after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

In France we are watching the parallel unravelling of the Europeanist Macron presidency. The leader who began this pandemic with the stirring words “we are at war” - repeated ever since - cannot explain why the French state had failed to vaccinate more that 352 people by the beginning of this week when Italy has done 129,000, Poland 51,000, or Denmark 47,000. The Balkans have done better.

“We are facing a state-scandal,” said Jean Rottner, president of the Grand Est region and himself a critical care doctor. “It is harder to get vaccinated than it is to buy a car.”

Indeed. The elderly must have a medical consultation five days before the jab. There must be a cooling off period after consent in case patients change their minds.

The precautionary principle has been pushed to absurdity, which raises suspicions in France that foot-dragging on the roll-out disguises something else: failure to secure the specialist freezers needed for the BioNTech vaccine. Something similar happened during the mask fiasco. Mr Macron’s government said face masks were useless in the first wave last spring because it had failed to obtain enough of them.

The more forgiving reason is that Mr Macron has been cowed into caution by French anti-vaxxers: 58pc of the population in the latest Odoxa survey, up eight points form a month ago, albeit very soft poll data. If so, he is making matters worse. “It is a gigantic psychological error,” said professor Axel Kahn, a geneticist and head of France’s anti-cancer league.

Prof Kahn said roll-out pedantry beggars belief in a fast-moving emergency. “You have to face reality. I am afraid that within a few weeks we’re going to have a knife to our throats, just like the English,” he said.

Mr Macron has woken up to the political danger. He can hardly do otherwise. He issued a theatrical coup de colère over the weekend, insisting that he was as furious as everybody else over the delays. “We are ambling along at the rhythm of a family walk,”he told Journal du Dimanche.

“This is going to have to change fast and change for real, and it will,” he said. Yet it is he who controls and micro-manages the most centralised state in Europe. It has been his policy all along.

The prevailing view of French elites is that this episode will be forgotten if Mr Macron gets a grip immediately. Perhaps, but this is not a question of media management. Vaccine immobilism and dose shortages until the spring condemn France to protracted a health and economic crisis as far out as April and probably May, by which time the battered British will be long over the hump and enjoying a V-shaped boomlet.


Webpage if you have access:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/20 ... ok-europe/

[Brazen]

And my vote goes to..........Brazen!

[PoshinDevon]

Hedge-Fund

Thanks for the article and web page link.

Made for interesting reading.