Monthly Archives: August 2022

It used to be a reliable middle-class hack: if you wanted a zero-effort holiday, with no decisions except whether to have a pina colada or a beer, you went somewhere French-run and all-inclusive. The business model relies upon a large number of abstemious French people who prefer aqua aerobics, and a small but noticeable number of quietly extravagant British people. Then you would chat to them in halting French, and they would take over in much more expert English.

French parenting is incredibly harsh, and the swimming pool resounds to the sound of: Non, crtin! Who knows what this does to the long-term adult prospects of the three-year-old miscreants, but it makes the bar incredibly peaceful and nice, since only the kids who arent carrying on are in there. This is the way its been for years.

And then what happened? Was it Brexit? I probably ought to list a number of other factors, for balance, but sod it. Its definitely Brexit: it somehow killed Anglo-French holiday cohabitation, which is why the four of us ended up the sole British family by a Tunisian beach, the only people for miles around who didnt know whether Fanta was masculine or feminine, and were too thirsty to Google it.

This is a bad new world: theres nothing to be said for it. I cant tell you the number of times I was asked whether I was Flemish or from the Netherlands. I was incompetent enough that I clearly wasnt French, yet nobody expects to meet a British family who can even say merci any more. No, not German either! Canadian, then? A Swiss family approached at one point and said: We heard you were here, but didnt believe it. Youre an endangered species!

There are the serious consequences of our departure from the EU, and they have been ably listed by everyone: the slide into recession that was just unnecessary and wilful, the wanton destruction of small businesses and trade, the sheer national self-sabotage that all remoaners predicted, only to see those very predictions turned against them. Then there are the myriad inconveniences: the queues at airports, the indignity of a blue passport that you didnt choose and, nevertheless, have to carry like a badge, the new weird restrictions that come from no longer being part of the club.

But theres atmospheric stuff, too: I think the perception is that our whole nation has turned against internationalism. When you try to speak another language not very well, people look at you like a dog standing on its hind legs. When you vape constantly, other vapers look surprised, as if thats a laidback European thing now, the British being perceived as joyless and self-flagellating, otherwise how else to explain us? When you queue by a bar, people give way to you, as though youre so exceedingly Viking that who knows what youll do otherwise?

I wanted to wear a badge saying: Dont look at me I didnt vote for this, much like the one that my mum made me wear after the general election of 1983 (a weird statement: I was 10, so obviously). I wanted to act the internationalist ambassador by, I dont know, maybe being able to play ptanque, or not getting sunburnt on the very first day, or knowing the intricate leg routine to Freed from Desire, which for some reason the French, who run their dancefloors like aerobics classes, can all do in sync.

I wanted to make some gesture of atonement and reconciliation, to which the closest I got was walking around with a shit-eating half-smile on my face. I managed one full conversation the whole week, when I flipped some pickles out of a jar and they went everywhere. Sorry, I said (in French!), its very difficult. Actually, some impossibly stylish woman replied, its really easy. Thats what you want. A level of continental familiarity where people are amusingly rude to you. Now people are mostly eerily polite.

Zoe Williams is a Guardian columnist

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 300 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at guardian.letters@theguardian.com

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As a Brit abroad post-Brexit, I wanted to wear a badge saying: Dont look at me I didnt vote for this! - The Guardian

Breeding programmes designed to save critically endangered species are being jeopardised by Brexit, with zoos warning they are being prevented from transferring animals such as rhinos and giraffes by red tape created by the UKs departure from the EU.

The animal health regulation was passed in 2016 before the EU referendum, but came into force in April 2021. There have been no reports that the UK dissented from the regulation.

Zoos small populations mean it is essential that they swap animals for breeding programmes to keep the gene pool as broad as possible.

Before 31 December 2020, an average year saw about 1,400 transfers between the UK and other EU countries. But in 2021 there were just 56, and so far this year there have been 84, according to the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (Biaza).

Nicky Needham, Biazas senior manager for animal care and conservation, said there were more than 400 European Endangered Species Programmes (EEPs), and UK zoos and aquariums were involved in coordinating about 25%.

These are safety net populations for threatened species, she said. Animal transfers between zoos and aquariums are carefully planned to maintain a healthy genetic population.

One programme to save the Eastern black rhinoceros, a critically endangered species, has 87 animals, of which about 39 are at UK zoos. Losing this would jeopardise the viability of the population and stop reintroductions to east Africa, Needham said.

Transfers have plunged for two main reasons, Needham said. Since Brexit, a new EU Animal Health Regulation has come into force, after being agreed in 2016. That created new controls on the import of animals and plants into the EU, known as sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks.

Many of those checks need to be carried out at border control posts, which are usually set up by private enterprises. A few exist at airports in the EU, but so far there are none at French ports, creating an effective ban on the import of any large animal.

Last week the Observer revealed that farmers were considering taking the extraordinary step of building a border control post in Calais and paying for it themselves, so that breeders could export their pedigree cattle, sheep and pigs.

The few animals that have been transferred successfully to European zoos have travelled in aeroplanes. One was Sammi, a margay or tiger cat, born at Shaldon Wildlife Trust in Devon in late 2020. Margays are native to central and south America, but illegal hunting mean they are now classified as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

There are 45 in Europe, with only six breeding pairs, so after the age of 10 months, when margays leave their mothers, Sammi was scheduled to go to Berlin Zoo to pair with a female margay from France.

Prior to Brexit this would not have been a problem, said Zak Showell, Shaldon Wildlife Trusts chief executive. It would have taken a month or two to organise for the animal to get collected by a specialist transport company. This took six months.

When were dealing with small populations, being able to move animals to set up new breeding pairs is incredibly important. Certain animals like the black rhino, if you dont breed them then they stop cycling. Having individuals on their own or not in breeding situations hampers the ability to continue breeding these endangered species.

Some zoos have not been so lucky, with transfers falling through or facing very long delays. Ramon the orangutan arrived in Munster in June 2022 from Blackpool Zoo, after a year of planning. His departure means Blackpools zookeepers can import another male to join the group and hope for more baby orangutans.Showell had to apply for separate animal health certificates for Sammi the margay.

Every time an animal is moved, Defra has to negotiate with the other country on what level of health screening and surveillance and everything else needs to be done for this animal to move, he said.

Some countries want new certificates for each species, Showell added. Ive just been told I need to move some tamarins [New World monkeys] to Belgium. The health certificate for primates from the UK to Belgium does not exist. Its made the whole process incredibly complicated and so much more time-intensive.

Costs have also increased, because specialist transport companies are not able to drive their vehicles in Europe without approval. Were moving more animals via planes, which is more expensive. And were talking small animals here. You cant fit a giraffe on a plane.

A Defra spokesperson said: This shows the real harm the bureaucratic approach the EU has chosen to take on animal and plant health. Were ready to continue to negotiate on this where sensible pragmatic compromises can lead to improvements for everyone.

Meanwhile we are working closely with the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums to identify priority exports where there are welfare concerns or implications to breeding programs.

All of the requests for export health certificates for the exports of zoo animals have been successfully fast tracked.

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Brexit threatening endangered species as red tape hits zoo breeding programmes - The Guardian

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Brexiteer Tory MP on Monday admitted immigration has increased since Britain voted to leave the EU.

Despite the Leave campaign proclaiming that Brexit would mean taking back control on immigration and asylum, and cutting migration to the tens of thousands, the UK is seeing a rise of people coming from abroad.

Neil OBrien, MP for Harborough MPin Leicestershire. accused Boris Johnsons Government of liberalising non-EU migration since Brexit by ending caps on visas, lowering qualification requirements and removing minimum earning requirements for skilled migrants.

The number of small boats arriving on the shores of Kent had highlighted the issue and increased the risk of a new populist party forming in the UK, the former Levelling up minister added.

More than 20,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats so far this year. Some 607 people made the perilous journey on Saturday alone the third time the total has topped 600 since the start of 2022.

Immigration will be one of the hottest issues facing the new Prime Minister, Mr OBrien wrote in an article for ConservativeHome.

First, many Leave voters assumed Brexit would reduce immigration. But since the referendum its increased. And people are starting to notice.

Second, the small boats crisis highlights it. If the new Prime Minister doesnt grip that, could be the spark for a new populist party.

The proportion of UK residents born overseas has increased by 7 per cent since 2000.

In 2021 there were approximately 6 million people with non-British nationality living in the UK and 9.6m people who were born abroad, according to Government data.

Some 573,000 people migrated into the UK in the year ending June 2021, compared to 334,000 people who emigrated from it.

Holger Hestermeyer, professor of international and EU law at Kings College London, found that many European countries have seen an increase in the number of residents born abroad.

The UK does not seem to be an outlier, but rather fits into the Western European context, he said.

But Mr OBrien said the UK was now seeing more immigration from poorer countries, rather than European areas or Canada, the US, New Zealand and Australia.

The same very high immigration, but more from poorer countries wasnt what people wanted from Brexit, he said.

It comes as a new report revealed a shortage of workers across the UK has been made worse by Brexit.

Data shows that just 43,000 EU citizens received visas for work, study, family or other purposes last year, a fraction of the up to 430,000 Europeans who came to the UK annually in the six years to March 2020.

The British hospitality and support services have been hit particularly hard and labour shortages means some employers are having to raise wages to attract staff, which is further forcing up prices as inflation soars.

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Immigration has increased since Brexit, admits Tory MP - Evening Standard

I was a new MP, having been elected less than a year before the referendum was called. David Cameron deserved great credit for his efforts to renegotiate the terms of our membership of the EU, but for me it didnt go far enough. To reach a different conclusion to the then Prime Minister, and indeed my predecessor in Richmond (Yorks), WIlliam Hague, was extremely difficult. But, I believed that the referendum was a once in a generation opportunity and we had to grab it.

Before being elected, I had a business career in which I worked around the world in places like the US, India and Brazil. That experience convinced me that the key to growth is to remove the bureaucracy of Brussels. If countries like Canada, South Korea and South Africa could all trade freely with the European Union without surrendering their independence then why not us? And why not allow British businesses to take advantage of new markets around the world?

As an MP, I saw too many examples of businesses being stifled by EU red tape that did everything from prohibiting us from favouring British produce to mandating the width of a hedgerow. On the doorstep, it was clear that the public were fed up with unelected officials in Brussels having more of a say over who could come into the UK than they did. I have said many times that I am the product of this countrys compassionate and generous immigration system, but it must be the case that we have control of our borders - and we can only do that outside the EU. As a member of the EU, every one of the EUs 500 million citizens had a legal right to move to the UK and there was absolutely nothing that we could do about it. That isnt fair.

I am often asked if I was tempted to campaign the other way instead. I wasnt tempted for a minute. I was told that my decision would be detrimental to my career. But I was guided by principle, and not what I thought might be best for my political career.

Make no mistake, the establishment was against us. Whether it was millions of pounds of taxpayers money spent on a leaflet to voters to tell them to vote remain or the pathetic scare stories about Brexit costing every household over 3,000 being peddled by others in this contest, it was a steep and narrow path to victory. But we did it. My promise is that I will deliver it in full.

In many ways, Brexit was about changing our mindset. It wasnt just about what we couldnt do, but what we didnt do. I felt that we could create a brighter future for our country.

I have been clear that, as Prime Minister, I will make the most of the freedoms that Brexit has given us. I have already started, with the creation of freeports in areas like Teesside and financial services reform that will make the UK the best place in the world to invest. A year ago, I gave a speech at Mansion House and published a roadmap for the financial services sector.

I will rip up or reform every last one of the 2,400 legacy EU laws that are holding our economy back.

From implementing remaining Basel III standards to allowing pensions funds and insurance companies to invest in UK infrastructure and completing Solvency II reform, I will make London the worlds leading financial centre.

I will replace EU-derived GDPR laws and make sure that we can clamp down on those who abuse peoples data. I will also cut red tape that slows down clinical trials. Outside the EU, we delivered the fastest vaccine rollout in Europe. We must build on that and deliver a single approval service in the UK for clinical trials - which will help cut waiting times.

2016 was a huge moment for our country. We must now move forward, capitalise on the opportunities available to us to grow our economy and create well-paid jobs up and down the country.

This is our chance.

The rest is here:

Brexit was the right thing for Britain, says RISHI SUNAK - Express

Michael Fabricant has blasted Lord Adonis' claims that "when Boris goes, Brexit starts to go".

Boris Johnson resigned as Prime Minister on July 7, and will remain Prime Minister until a new Tory leader is elected in September.

While Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, and Keir Stamer have all committed to Brexit, Mr Johnsons resignation has sparked fears rejoiners will overturn leaving the EU.

On Twitter, Andrew Adonis, chairman of European Movement UK, repeated calls the UK could be back in the Customs Union & single Market by 2030.

The Lord said: I havent changed my view that when Boris goes, Brexit starts to go too.

Not in one fell swoop but a death of a thousand cuts which would accelerate if Lab win the ejection.

The UK could be back in the Customs Union & single Market by 2030, which Euromove is campaigning for!

In response, Mr Fabricant, Tory MP for Lichfield, said: This is why we must remain vigilant to keep Brexit and the independence of the UK.

David Bannerman, former Tory MEP, added: This is the true agenda: If Boris goes Brexit goes. Except they underestimate Liz Truss.

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Brexit: Ministers 'filling jobs with foreign workers' as immigration fails to slow - Express

Brexit is having a negative impact on business, according to almost half of UK IT leaders questioned in a Computing Delta study.

14% said the impact of the UK leaving the EU has been "negative" with 33% judging it to be "somewhat negative". That compares with 3% who viewed Brexit as "positive" and 6% who said "somewhat positive". The largest proportion (44%) said Brexit has been "neutral", however.

Among public sector respondents working in local government, health and education, none viewed Brexit as a positive.

Supply chain problems were affecting several respondents.

"Stock availability is extremely poor and disruptive," commented an IT manager in a charity. "Supply chain issues are having an impact on procurement and timely replacement of IT hardware," added an IT architect in the energy sector.

In part, these supply chain issues were thought to be a result of global shortages, but in the main increased paperwork, higher costs and Brexit-induced bureaucracy were blamed.

"We deal internationally, and within the telecoms sector there have been some changes when dealing with EU countries which make it more difficult to trade and setup customers within these countries," said a UC architect at a technology firm, while a contracts and framework manager in another tech company blamed "red tape, a slower supply chain and troubled logistics."

Some respondents, including an IT director at a small marketing firm, said they'd lost numerous European customers, while an IT leader at a university complained about the impact on research activities. Another in education said simply, "Brexit is a mistake".

Recruitment difficulties were another of the issues raised, with some respondents saying Brexit has exacerbated the pre-existing tech skills gap.

Among those who viewed Brexit as a positive, one, an IT distributor, who said there'd been no change to the business as a result of Brexit, although the global semiconductor shortage has been problematic while a CTO in manufacturing believed initial problems will be ironed out. "It's all good," that person said.

Despite the travails caused for many by Brexit, overall more (40%) said they were more optimistic about their business than this time last year than less optimistic (18%) citing a bounceback following the lifting of Covid rules.

"The pandemic has shown the resilience of staff and the ability for the business to adapt to new challenges," said an upbeat CIO in a large engineering firm.

The research was carried out in July among 115 UK IT leaders with responsibility for IT strategy, planning, procurement and budgets.

Technology is advancing at an unprecedented rate, and the industry is changing along with it. To keep pace with the latest trends join us this October for the IT Leaders Festival 2022: where IT decision makers to come together to learn, collaborate and tackle their biggest challenges.

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Brexit is having a negative impact, say 47% of UK IT leaders - http://www.computing.co.uk

Lord Moylan made the comment about Labour as he responded to a tweet by Mujtaba Rahman, the managing director for Europe at Eurasia Group. Mr Rahman posted a thread with a series of predictions about the implications of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on the EU.

Mr Rahman said Vladimir Putin's brutal attack on Kyiv could lead to French President Emmanuel Macron's European Political Community vision of a "wider circle" of European states who are "linked to EU but not part of it".

He added that this could one day "offer a path for Labour to co-operate" with the bloc.

Lord Moylan replied to Mr Rahman's tweet: "Interesting that he expects @uklabour to blaze the trail of betraying Brexit. I agree."

But Mr Rahman furiously hit back insisting the Tory peer had misconstrued his tweet.

"The new/revived concentric proposal is all about that. You think it will attract @uklabour - I agree, precisely as a path back.

"A better question is how the EU is going to cooperate (as an equal) with a friendly, democratic, major power on its doorstep that simply will not be subordinated into concentric architecture that has the EU at its centre.

"Six years after the Brexit vote, Brussels has no idea."

It comes after Sir Keir Starmer last month insisted that if he came to power he would not reverse the UK's departure from the bloc.

The Labour leader made the comments as he set out a five-point plan to "make Brexit work" in a speech at the Centre for European Reform at an event at the Irish Embassy in London.

Sir Keir ruled out rejoining the EU, single market or customs union as he vowed to move on from "arguments of the past".

The Labour leader said: "There are some who say, 'We don't need to make Brexit work - we need to reverse it'. I couldn't disagree more.

"Because you cannot move forward or grow the country or deliver change or win back the trust of those who have lost faith in politics if you're constantly focused on the arguments of the past.

"We cannot afford to look back over our shoulder because all the time we are doing that we are missing what is ahead of us.

"So let me be very clear. Under Labour, Britain will not go back into the EU. We will not be joining the single market. We will not be joining a customs union."

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'Can you read?' Row erupts as Tory peer told to 'grow up' over 'Brexit betrayal' claim - Express

SCOTLAND's salmon industry is facing "acute" labour shortages due to Brexit despite average salaries of 36,000, business leaders have warned.

Salmon Scotland has warned candidates in the Tory leadership contest, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, Scottish salmon businesses are running 20% light on staff and that without change there was a threat to the industry's business competitiveness.

International sales of Scottish salmon were valued at 280m in the first half of this year, with France accounting for more than half of the total.

But this was down by around 8% compared to 2021, across both EU sales and non-EU sales.

The drop was saidto have been offset by increased demand at home.

Scottish salmon is said to be UKs number one fresh food export, shipping to 52 different markets last year, with growth across 10 of the top 20 markets.

Now the trade body Salmon Scotland has called for a more "enlightened" approach to immigration to assist businesses, which it said was "vital to the economic performance of the UK not only in economically fragile coastal and rural areas but across the length and breadth of the country in processing, engineering, science and technology industries".

Farm-raised Scottish salmonsupports 12,000 jobs many in rural and isolated areas of the country.

But despite growing worldwide demand for the high-protein fish, the industry saidthe labour pool has shrunk in recent years with many key workers returning to eastern Europe post-Brexit.

The body says the industry does not have enough staff across key skill areas due to workers returning to their homes in Eastern Europe as a result of Brexit.

Salmon Scotland said that "very low" unemployment and "extremely limited" labour availability in areas where businesses have processing facilities, namely Rosyth near Edinburgh, Argyll, Fort William, Stornoway, Dingwall and three separate sites in Shetland mean processing factories are running 20% light on staff.

And there are ongoing concerns that changes to the Northern Ireland protocol could lead to retaliatory action by the EU, causing increased friction at the border, delays and queues for hauliers crossing to France, or extra costs for exporters.

The protocol is part of the 2019 Brexit deal and keeps Northern Ireland in the EU's single market for goods, preventing a hard border with the Republic of Ireland.

Salmon Scotland said a change to key worker definitions, changes to the salary cap level and a broader public signal that the UK is open to people and thus to business have been cited by the body as measures to improve the issue.

They have also asked candidates to take a "pragmatic" approach to trade negotiations with the EU, avoiding a so-called "trade war", with a "clear focus on the nation's export businesses who depend on a positive, professional relationship with France and the other countries of the EU".

Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland, said: Labour shortages in our processing businesses are acute. We would urge you to embrace a more enlightened approach to the movement of labour into the UK so as to assist business.

Steps could include a change to key worker definitions, changes to the salary cap level and a broader public signal that the UK is open to people and thus to business. No change to the current UK Government approach and the attitude in particular of the Home Office is a clear threat to business competitiveness against our main international competitors."

Fresh salmon from Scotland will normally arrive in France the following morning, but in recent weeks there have been delays of up to 48 hours due to queues on the UK side of the Channel and there are concerns of repeat problems.

Salmon Scotland wants the UK Government to introduce immediate contingency plans for perishable goods to have priority status when delays occur at peak times such as the summer holidays.

Mr Scott added: Maintaining and enhancing our export position to the EU and wider European markets is of considerable importance to our businesses

Any escalation of EU-UK negotiations over the Northern Ireland protocol is high on our industry risk register. Continuous access to our main markets in Europe is vital for the UKs food and drink export success story.

Our ask is that a pragmatic approach is taken to these negotiations by the UK Government.

No UK export business needs a trade war or even any such suggestion between the UK and the EU.

We would urge you to deploy a serious, pragmatic approach to these negotiations with a clear focus on the nations export businesses who depend on a positive, professional relationship with France and the other countries of the EU.

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Brexit staff shortage a threat to Scots salmon farming - HeraldScotland