Shanker Singham
@ShankerASingham
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CEO of Competere. Former advisor to UK Secretary of State for International Trade, Chairman of Special Trade Commission, former cleared advisor to USTR.
Joined September 2015
If Margaret Thatcher had responded to the conventional wisdom, she would have u turned in the 1980s as a response to the 364 economists who claimed her plans would bankrupt Britain. And we would not have the vibrant City of London, or the economic growth of the 1990s.
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UK and US are working towards concluding trade deal before US elections.
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Or we could teach children about Magna Carta, The role of English common law, the Rule of Law, Adam Smith and David Ricardo, Cobden and Bright. .
"British things… turns out there’s hardly any.”. @MrNishKumar and @HHTV_ are spilling the tea on British stuff in #HorribleHistories #Brexit special ☕️ Streaming now on @BBCiPlayer 👉 . @RealMatBaynton
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This is extraordinary. More people are affected by campylobacter and listeria in Europe than in the US. Why would an advanced economy like the US deliberately have dangerous products. This is scaremongering of the worst kind.
Rat hairs in the paprika and maggots in the orange juice? . @Keir_Starmer defends Jeremy Corbyn's claim a trade deal with the US will lead to a lowering of standards. JM . #KayBurley #AtBreakfast
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That was real racism, but since it is directed at a conservative it does not count.
The Guardian will not remove a cartoon which portrayed Priti Patel as a bull, despite her describing the image as racist and offensive.
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Great speech by @BorisJohnson at conference. When people are free to choose, they choose freedom. This was the central core of all the speeches. The UK recognized more than most who were still playing relativistic realpolitik that this was a defining moment for liberal democracy.
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We now appear to have a situation where the Mid East is escalating directly because of Hamas misinformation propagated by @BBCNews.
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Hearing a lot of reactions like this. It is based on the assumption that the EU is itself a beacon of free trade. Reality is the Customs Union has very high tariff walls and the regulation is rapidly becoming less not more competitive.
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It’s out of date and incorrect on most things. More seriously, if former government ministers are leaking documents like this that is damaging the national interest and the PM is right to call this out as collaboration the EU. The leaker should face the full consequences.
The Sunday Times Yellow Hammer Report is out of date and wrong on #Gibraltar. Read our full statement here:
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Tory MPs will need to develop strong spines. This is just a foretaste of the howls of anguish from those who object to reform. Nobody said reform was easy. This fight is what it looks like.
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This highlights the complete London-centrism of most broadcast media. The reality is that most journeys in the UK, going to work, taking the kids to school or doing the shopping are done by car because no alternatives exist. The notion that the poor ins society don’t drive is.
Sky News: “It won’t help as the poorest in society dont drive”. Kemi Badenoch 🔥: That is a ludricious statement, if you step outside of London and come to my constituency, you will find the poorest in society drive because they live in a rural area. What you said is quite
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Extraordinary situation to find ourselves in. Not only are we in danger of squandering all the potential benefits of Brexit, we are headed on a road to being a rule taker to Brussels forever. If we continue down this path we will be irrelevant to other trade partners.
It is very disappointing that the cabinet has decided to entrust the final handling of Brexit to Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party. It now seems all too likely that British trade policy and key law making powers will be handed over to Brussels - with no say for the U.K.
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The European Union has more to lose from a No Deal Brexit than a well-prepared UK. My take in the Sun @iealondon
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UK is liberalizing all trade with Ukraine. Very big positive step and can happen on our own time line because we have control of our own trade policy now. Congrats to @trussliz @annietrev @BorisJohnson.
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The EU is desperate for an extension. This is because the current extension terms are incredibly unfavorable to the UK. The UK would be extremely foolish to give in to this. It would be a trap from which they would struggle to escape.
Like, even if you want one, the mood music just isn't there? There is no room for maneouvre in the positions that decision-making politicians have taken in the UK on extension.
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Conservatives who think Corbyn and McDonnell are the lesser of two evils cannot possibly have been conservatives to start with!.
Tory MPs who plan to vote for Corbyn against their own government plumb unprecedented depths of BDS (Brexit Derangement Syndrome). But I suppose it keeps these nonentities and has/never-beens in the headlines.
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Quite disturbing to see the stereotypical views of Rwanda. The reforms the country has introduced have had a significant effect. Development work is hard and the Rwandans should be recognized not vilified, regardless of your view of the facility.
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Journalists with some economic or science background should be asking questions at these briefings. Lobby journalists playing surface gotcha games are not necessary in a public health crisis.
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If Airbus, BMW and others need a comprehensive FTA as I believe we would all like to see, they should be lobbying Brussels. The U.K. wants to talk about the trade arrangement. Brussels does not @iealondon
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Afraid this is not enough. The public should not subsidize a comment platform.
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Shanker Singham: Brexit – and why the transition period must not be extended beyond December this year | Conservative Home
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China’s imposition of a barley tariff on Australia simply because Ausbhad the temerity to push for a Covid 19 enquirer is completely unjustified. Five Eyes allies must stand together on this.
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Re the volume of leaked documents the @jeremycorbyn is brandishing, leaking internal documents is incredibly damaging to the UK national interest. I would assume, like other countries, whoever is leaking these documents will face criminal proceedings.
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They’re all coming in now. Congrats to DIT.
UK signs Eastern and Southern Africa trade continuity agreement. Congratulations again to @tradegovuk and @DFID_UK colleagues on securing this.
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UK is heading to have signed up a trillion pounds worth of trade.
Pleased to have finalised deal with Ghana covering £1.2bn of trade. Deal will be signed shortly 🇬🇧🇬🇭. 👇.
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Guardian not covering itself in glory. Again.
For clarity - my parents asked me to deliver some essentials - including medicines. They are both self-isolating due to age and my father's medical condition and I respected social distancing rules.
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There does seem to be a misunderstanding. Civil servants serve at the pleasure of the government of the day which serves at the pleasure of the people. People first, then ministers, then officials. In the UK the order seems reversed.
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Forget the 'end is nigh' scaremongering – Britain is officially ready for no-deal Brexit
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There is a security issue in Corbyn’s continuing membership of the PC.
I've written to Boris Johnson requesting an urgent Privy Council briefing and answers to questions following the US assassination of Qassem Suleimani.
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Don't be fooled: this Brexit deal creates a triple lock to shackle the UK to Brussels forever | BrexitCentral
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The UK joining CPTPP is a seismic moment for the global trading system - CapX
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Not only is this absurd, it is actively damaging the UK’s negotiating position and makes no deal more likely than less.
If Mr Johnson fails to reach an acceptable trade agreement with the EU the Prime Minister will also have failed the people of the United Kingdom. As a lifelong member of the Conservative Party, I believe that Mr Johnson's position as Prime Minister would be untenable. 1/2.
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This is how Huawei has operated for years, hiring senior establishment figures to embed them in the establishment. We need to seriously think about the implications of this for our Five Eyes and Defence relationships.
Needs investigating - but not by Whitehall.
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It tells us he is focused on the major issues in the globe, and frustrated he has to deal with a media that is incapable of even the most basic nod to actual, serious world events.
What does Rishi Sunak's response to Braverman's speeding incident tell us about him?
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This is utter nonsense. Are we going to try and take control of AMTRAK? Trade deals don’t deal with this sort of thing @jeremycorbyn.
Boris Johnson's trade deal with Donald Trump would see our NHS sold off to US corporations. Labour won't let this happen. Tomorrow in parliament we were due to debate Johnson's harmful plans but he’s pulled it because he doesn't want his disastrous privatisation agenda exposed.
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Brexit news: EU exit cancellation would humiliate UK warns Brexiteer Shanker Singham | UK | News |
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His private life is his business. But he has a track record on predictions. He said Sweden would have 40,000 deaths by now. They have 2,800. He said that 150,000 people would die from BSE. 200 people died. He said avian flu would kill between 200m people. It killed 440.
"For now though, the question still remains: has Ferguson’s disease modelling been as reliable as his judgment?" via @spectator.
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Interesting how fast these processes can work when both parties want them to.
The National Diet of Japan has today formally approved the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. 🇬🇧 🇯🇵. An important step towards the formal ratification of this historic deal.
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The UK government has proposed a reasonable and credible solution to the Irish border issue and the DUP is in support of it. To get a deal, everyone needs to climb down at least one step and we think the U.K. and DUP have done that. Now over to the EU @GregHands @SuellaBraverman.
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@CarnegieMellon I’m afraid that’s not enough @CarnegieMellon . Any academic who seeks to celebrate the death of a monarch who was crowned in 1952 after the independence of many countries and oversaw the dismantling of empire is not someone who has anything valuable to teach.
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As I and many others have repeatedly said over last couple of years, you cannot lock the global economy down without devastating consequences.
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There are no words for the depravity we have seen on streets in supposedly civilized, advanced nations today. The first time I have ever felt ashamed of the country that has given me and the world so much. We are in a very bad place. The giants of our past would be horrified.
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Very important news. CPTPP partners have been looking for this letter for some time. Great the UK has initiated it.
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It’s obvious from our meetings in the US that the withdrawal agreement means no US UK FTA. Terrible shame as there is so much support for it here @DavidDavisMP @OwenPaterson.
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A particularly nonsensical piece form the Mail on Sunday. Are they not aware that millions of British tourists eat good American food during their summer holidays, and are pleasantly surprised by the quality and the price.
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This is an absurd report. A comprehensive FTA such as we have proposed has not been modelled. Neither has other trade deals, and improvements to our own regulatory system. It does not referent the totality of our potential independent trade and regulatory policy.
As we head into an election campaign, @BBCNews must stop reporting as fact the findings of a rubbish report, based on rubbish assumptions as @hmtreasury suggests, and from an organisation heavily funded by European interests.
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Shockingly, alternative arrangements were never proposed to EU despite the fact that the Brady amendment was the only thing that has commanded a commons majority.
Absolutely spot on. Remain zealots in @cabinetofficeuk Europe Union and EU apparatchiks.
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I backed Remain also. When the facts change, we change. What do you do, sir?.
It’s impossible not to admire a politician with convictions. So many are just desperate careerists.
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Brexit Is Difficult Enough Without MPs Actively Siding With Europe – Why The Cooper-Boles Amendment Deserves To Be Defeated | HuffPost UK
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How is this a good use of WHO time in a crisis? It’s time to reform this politicized, virtue signalling organisation.
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The IMF lack of focus on the regulatory issues that drive micro economic outcomes has been part of the problem and part of the orthodoxy that has caused so many problems in the past.
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Exactly right. The EU would not allow the UK any meaningful say in a CU. @GregHands and Liam Fox are absolutely right on this.
Have to say I like this honesty from @EmmanuelMacron - this is exactly what real friendship consists of. Let's work together to get a great relationship as independent jurisdictions under way so we can help each other out permanently in a way that suits our peoples.
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This is very serious. Taiwan is one of the few countries that has had any measure of success in dealing with coronavirus. The Chinese government and the world health organization has blocked that knowledge from reaching the rest of the world.
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister tells @SkyNews that 70% of his country’s requests to join WHO technical meetings have been rejected, resulting in a lack of vital two-way information sharing during this pandemic.
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I have not changed my position. Continuing with this team and approach under this deal would be a disaster.
@ShankerASingham I'll rephrase it more precisely, privately @ShankerASingham is saying he thinks it may be time to back the deal rather than risk ending up remaining. He has not yet publicly backed the deal.
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Mervyn King Brilliant on @BBCr4today complete failure of this government at every level. New phase 2 leadership is absolutely critical across all of government.
Remarkable intervention by former Governor of Bank of England Mervyn King on @BBCr4today - “not obvious jobs lost at all. British economy grown slightly more than Germany”. Kills Project Fear. Feels there has been collective breakdown amongst MPs not seeing value of country.
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This really is pathetic. The world is at a highly dangerous time, and the G7 has come together to attempt to find solutions to war, China and poverty in developing countries and this is the level of the UK media. No wonder it is the laughing stock of the world.
NEW: Sunak very terse at press conference over Braverman. Gave one answer and then didn’t elaborate when asked follow-ups. Said he doesn’t “have the full details” & hasn’t spoken to her: Said he understands she’s expressed regret for speeding & accepted the penalty” 1/
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An extraordinarily foolish thing to do. Most of the general public support would be horrified by this juvenile attempt to silence someone they don’t agree with.
Equity’s minority ethnic members committee (@EquityMEM) has called on fellow actors to “unequivocally denounce” Laurence Fox for comments he made during an appearance on BBC1's Question Time
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Clearly right @DehennaDavison . There is a strong orchestrated campaign pushing the U.K. to seek an extension but it would be a trap as the EU would then slow roll the negotiations while the U.K. remained a rule taker without a say, subject to common commercial policy.
A lot of people have emailed asking me to support an extension to our EU transition period - in other words, to delay Brexit. Many of these emails have come from a pro-EU campaign group. In December, I was elected in Bishop Auckland on this manifesto👇🏻 so the answer is no 🇬🇧
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The House of Commons has voted for the Brady amendment which would allow the WA to pass with alternative arrangements on the Irish border. It is lazy to say the House of Commons has not voted for a substantive way forward. It has.
“One of the many provocative allegations made by the European Union [. ] is that while the House of Commons has frequently voted against a number of proposed variations on Brexit, it has never told them what it actually wants. This is, of course, untrue.”.
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This is a big one. The Mexicans were not as easy as they might have been. Huge congrats to the @tradegovuk team. Proving the naysayers wrong again.
🇬🇧🇲🇽 As promised, we’ve signed yet another deal – this time with Mexico!. 🚗🥃 Nearly 4,000 British businesses exported to Mexico last year, from automotive, to food and drink. 👀👇 Read more. #GlobalTrade #GlobalBritain
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Important intervention from @theresa_may. MPs should reflect on her words.
People aren’t daft, voters aren’t stupid. They can tell the difference between the politicians who are doing what they promised and the ones who are trying to con them.
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And thank you to you @DavidGHFrost and your team for your perfect combination of resolution and pragmatism.
Britain has just become a fully independent country again - deciding our own affairs for ourselves. Thank you to everyone who worked with me & @BorisJohnson to get us here in the last 18 months. We have a great future before us. Now we can build a better country for us all.
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The lack of understanding of the on the ground realities in NI by @SpeakerPelosi is extraordinary. The NIP issue is a hugely nuanced one and simply conflating the GFA and NIP in this way, while it may be good politics in the US is profoundly destabilizing in Northern Ireland.
The Good Friday Accords are the bedrock of peace in Northern Ireland and a beacon of hope for the world. Ensuring there is no physical border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland is necessary for upholding this landmark agreement, which transformed Northern Ireland.
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It’s amazing how much support for the UK US FTA exists all over the US. Provided the UK can have control of tariff schedules and regulatory autonomy @DavidDavisMP.
Really positive discussions on the future of UK/Oklahoma trade relationship. Sadly impossible to implement with the Draft Withdrawal Agreement as UK will not control its own tariffs or regulatory environment
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Can we please get some people with science backgrounds to ask useful questions instead of this nonsense. Boris has to ask his own team about the Oxford study because the lobby was too busy playing games!.
The Kuenssberg/Gibbon Gotcha school of journalism - crude, rancid and accusing - did not deserve the expert, calm and authoritative replies that it got from Johnson, Whitty and Vallance during the PM’s press conference today.
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And so ends pharmaceutical innovation in Europe.
The European Commission is expected to announce it will sue AstraZeneca over delays and shortfalls in its vaccine delivery. Now nearly all EU members, including those that had expressed some reservations, have said they back the lawsuit.
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Agree with this. Too many politicians seem to be run by the media. It isn’t about what media thinks. It is about doing the right thing.
The more I see of Dominic Cummings speaking to the press in a manner showing that he couldn't care less about them, the more I like him.
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Just to correct a misunderstanding on the NI protocol, this is not permanent, and can be superseded by the ultimate U.K. EU FTA. It is true that it is much more likely that the regulatory arrangements and some customs arrangements would end up in the FTA, but that is not required.
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The US is now considering revoking HK’s special trade status. This could have a massive impact on its status as a financial Centre among other things. The UK needs to act to repatriate HKers who wish to leave.
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Great news. UK trade deals with Australia and New Zealand will come into force from midnight May 31. From initiation of negotiation to entry into force, these were very quick. Congrats to @biztradegovuk.
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For the last three years, the government you were part of was obviously heading for a Customs Union of some sort so there was no chance member states would be concerned about their interests diverging. Having overseen disastrous negotiations in the past, good we have a new team.
This is the kind of thing I warned against in my maiden speech. If anyone thinks the EU won't take a united approach to the next phase of the negotiations or that the threat of no deal will persuade them to give us what we want they have learnt nothing from the last 3.5 years 1/4.
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Surely the civil service would not seek to impact the result of the Conservative Leadership race?.
#ToryLeadership candidates open to ‘no deal’ have uncovered plans by the Government to release fresh waves of #ProjectFear during the leadership contest, with Gove and Hancock likely to be the biggest beneficiaries given that they’ve ruled out ‘no deal’.
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Odd. I thought the reason for setting up the NHS was to support and help the public.
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UK now fourth biggest exporter of goods and services in the world.
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A word on customs costs and disruptions. Trade from Netherlands to Italy or other Southern European destinations chooses to go through Switzerland and not stay in EU even though customs forms and transit declarations are required because the logistics costs are more significant.
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There is a parliamentary majority for the Withdrawal Agreement Plus alternative arrangements on the Irish border. We are where we are because of choices made by leadership not because of parliamentary arithmetic.
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I’m sure Barnier said that knowing Nigel would repeat it, thus increasing the chances of a Corbyn victory and the UK being in a Customs Union with dynamic regulatory alignment and no trade or regulatory policy. An odd way for the Brexit party to behave.
Barnier said just last night there is no chance of us leaving by the end of 2020. Boris should stop pretending his so-called “deal” gets Brexit done by Christmas.
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Excellent from Rishi Sunak. We can criticize the government all we want but we have got to pull together now so that we can hit the accelerator hard as soon as we emerge.
“We want to look back on this time and remember how we thought first of others and acted with decency. We want to look back on this time and remember how in the face of a generation-defining moment we undertook a collective national effort and we stood together.” @RishiSunak
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Perhaps they should launch a RuPaul Drag Race in Saudi or other Mid East countries. Let’s see how that goes down. .
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We proposed these measures back in December. What has this government done to achieve any of them? Nothing.
Here’s what needs to be done to make the Withdrawal Agreement acceptable. Since this was written, an agreement was reached on replacement of the Protocol on the border with Ireland:. Similar text should be moved into the WA now.
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Not sure why media reporting that the Malthouse Compromise involves technology. It does not. Read the text and see it relies on existing administrative procedures.
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This is complete fiction. TAC reviewed the deal and there are many farmers and NFU members who have served on it. The elephant in the room is EU farmers who have no barriers at all to the UK market as we speak. Does this farmer have anything to say about that?.
'Liz Truss sold us down the river with the Australian trade deal. We want honesty.'. Arable Farmer Andrew Ward MBE reacts to Liz Truss pledging to 'unleash' British farming by getting rid of EU regulations and slashing red tape. 📺 Freeview 236, Sky 515, Virgin 626
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Demystifying customs and borders. A customs declaration and other customs formalities should not be confused with physical inspections which are rare and intelligence led, nor should they be confused with regulatory checks.
What is a border? Demystifying customs controls and checks in Northern Ireland, writes @ShankerASingham .
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Excellent comments from @darrengrimes_.
The IEA's @darrengrimes_ says it's "patronising" to assume having rejected such policies in 2015, 17 and 19, that what voters really want is a tax-based assault on the homes of wealthier Britons.
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Now that Boris Johnson has secured a pathway to a an independent trade and regulatory policy, Brexiteers should unite around how that end state FTA with the EU, US, CPTPP etc can actually be delivered. This means being able to show regulatory flexibility. Many are silent on this.
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Not what I or @DominicRaab actually said. This deal is the worst of all worlds, reduces Brexit to a damage limitation exercise. Also means no deal is better than this.
Crikey. When leading Brexiteers @DominicRaab & @ShankerASingham are saying we’d be better off Remaining IN than Leaving under this Agreement, the Brexit compass really starts to spin.
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This decision is a classic example of a powerful incumbent, black cabs, using regulation to block a new entrant from competing with them. It is bad for consumers, especially the poorest who can’t afford exorbitantly priced black cabs. As usual this hits the poorest the hardest.
Transport for London says Uber has not been granted a new licence to operate in London after "several breaches that placed passengers and their safety at risk" were identified.
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The notion that the Boris and May deals have the same or similar consequences for our external trade policy is completely wrong. The deal is clearly not perfect, but for trade policy the difference is - to use Trump’s own favourite word- huge.
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Important commitment from HMG. Now we need to make sure we are fully ready as soon as possible.
I just chaired a constructive EU Joint Committee meeting with @MarosSefcovic. I formally confirmed the UK will not extend the transition period & the moment for extension has now passed. On 1 January 2021 we will take back control and regain our political & economic independence
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It’s more than outrageous. This reflects badly on the BBC and on all the scientists (actually PhD students and Mathematicians) who would sign such a thing at this crucial time.
This is outrageous.
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Just on Sky News on @DavidGHFrost speech.
“Sovereignty matters to us. We aren't going to collapse like a house of cards in November - which [Brussels] think we will. The EU is operating from the playbook of the May administration which tended to collapse in the negotiations when the EU was very firm.“ @ShankerASingham
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Supply side reform delivers low prices and lower cost, benefiting the poorest. Those who object to it are those who have benefited from the status quo, the large incumbents and vested interests.
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Not just this. But an immigrant’s son who worked his way up at a grammar school - something she trivializes with her salesman comments. Often, it is the British left who exemplify privilege, and elitism and the right that exemplifies aspiration, hard graft and enterprise.
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Some of us do. Others are defacing the statue of Churchill. Extraordinary how far we have fallen.
On this day, we remember the incredible bravery of the men who landed on the beaches of Normandy, to open the path for victory against Nazi Germany. 76 years on, we thank them for their courage, and pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. #DDay76
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History is littered with candidates who have promised all kinds of things, only for the population to find out that the socialism on which it is built means less competition, less services and higher prices, destroying wealth and pushing the poor into poverty.
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Key reasons why CU would be worst of all worlds.
To be clear in light of some comments this morning: a customs union would be a *disaster* for the UK and wouldn’t deliver Brexit. Not going to happen - read why from former Trade Minister @GregHands here:
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I doubt this will get much coverage in the UK press but this is a hugely important agreement to be a signatory to, in our own right.
Today 🇬🇧 has joined the @wto Government Procurement Agreement as an independent party. ✅ Securing access to 🌍 public procurement contracts worth £1.3 trillion for 🇬🇧 business . ✅ Marks another significant step for the UK as independent trading nation .
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Exactly. He is a lesson to us all in basic humanity. The Guardian not so much.
Despite having an important and demanding job @RobertJenrick made the time to drop round food and medicine to his parents. He should be commended for that decent behaviour - not vilified.
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