Even more than an EU army, they want an EU defence industry to rival the big US arms firms. What they have been trying to do is to handicap the UK's ability to use state aid to boost our domestic arms industry by shackling us to EU rules whilst quietly agreeing to drive a bulldozer through state aid rules themselves by sponsoring EU 'champions' in fields including defence development. You can be sure they have already picked half a dozen big EU27 firms for 'boosting'. They wanted our money and expertise, but after their behaviour on Galileo the government have told them to go whistle.
Both military and diplomatic co-operation agreements are out. The UK's position is that we are members of NATO, that EU members should pay their 2% rather than buggering around playing toy soldiers, and that the UK will co-operate on an ad-hoc basis outside of NATO on military and diplomatic matters as and when it suits us. With no silly 'dynamic' agreement governed by the Berlaymont waved in our faces.
The EU's overly risk-averse approach to anything new means that the world's Artificial Intelligence, big data and Biotech investors aren't going to put their post-Covid money into the EU27. Without a single university in the world's top 20 (the UK has 4) there are few centres of research excellence anyway in the EU, and the bloc's restraints and development caution will throw a heavy blanket over innovation and drive the cleverest innovators out of Europe. Some hope of any world-beating defence development coming out of the EU27.
Well, they had their chance. They took advantage of the UK's political weakness under the abysmal Cameron and even more abysmal May and now they must face the consequences.
| EU/EEA, the UK, San Marino, Monaco, Switzerland, Andorra 3/3/20 | ||
| Cases | Deaths | |
| Italy | 1835 | 52 |
| France | 178 | 3 |
| Germany | 157 | 0 |
| Spain | 114 | 0 |
| United Kingdom | 40 | 0 |
| Switzerland | 30 | 0 |
| Norway | 25 | 0 |
| Netherlands | 18 | 0 |
| Austria | 18 | 0 |
| Sweden | 15 | 0 |
| San Marino | 8 | 1 |
| Belgium | 8 | 0 |
| Croatia | 8 | 0 |
| Greece | 7 | 0 |
| Iceland | 6 | 0 |
| Finland | 6 | 0 |
| Czech Republic | 5 | 0 |
| Denmark | 5 | 0 |
| Romania | 3 | 0 |
| Portugal | 2 | 0 |
| Andorra | 1 | 0 |
| Lithuania | 1 | 0 |
| Monaco | 1 | 0 |
| Latvia | 1 | 0 |
| Ireland | 1 | 0 |
| Estonia | 1 | 0 |
| Luxembourg | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 2495 | 56 |
12 comments:
I must admit that, having held my nose and voted Conservative for lack of a Brexit Party alternative, I am very satisfied with the approach Boris and team are taking to the EU negotiations.
I have a feeling that you will soon be forgetting all about negotiations with the European Union.
Of course, we'll have varoufakis to worry about!
"Forgetting all about negotiations with the EU"; should have been long forgotten already and the Article 50 provision for WTO trade implemented. Still, better late than never!
JPM - you could be right. Talks with the USA begin on Monday ...
And they deserve no better.
JPM: "I have a feeling that you will soon be forgetting all about negotiations with the European Union."
Just tell us what you mean you pathetic little nonentity (hat-tip Monty Python...or was it Peter Cook?). I mean some 6 Nations this weekend so I will be all rugby-ed up, that would make me forget. Plus in the middle of several weeks in Latin America is foremost in my mind so I have pretty much forgotten anyway. But come on, spit it out.
Should have been all over bar the niggles that will take years to get ironed out. We could have been out by the end of 2016 and all negotiations done and dsuted by 2018.
I have a feeling that if the EU does not soften re our no go areas then we will stop talking in June. Bullying our negotiators will not work this time. The Empire strikes back!
Douglas Carswell has penned a broadly complimentary article on CapX.
Britain is the second largest arms exporter in the world. After America by a long way and just a tad ahead of France. Sales in 2018 amounted to 14 billion quid.
As we've read, there's great disquiet about our exports to Saudi that uses our stuff in Yemen. However that simply highlights our main market that is "The Middle East".
Being a member of the Commonwealth does help as well because we supply many countries that are also members.
But let's not overlook our training facilities (that are not included in export numbers). We're rather good at that and it helps build up goodwill partly because we train using English that's very much the second language of choice worldwide. That plus training them using our kit means they're more likely to want if they like it.
We're talking hellish big money that translates to jobs as well as R & D - and a jolly good excuse to chin wag with the people in those countries that use our stuff. Trust me; those conversations yield impressive intelligence information.
It is erratic, however our sales numbers are, by and large, on the ascent. Germany exported about $8 BN last year. So we outsell them 2 to 1.
Given all this - that's after a brief search - then it's perfectly understandable that the UK should want zero involvement with the EU from 1/1/21.
Yes, could be worth fifteen billion, a US deal, we're told.
The one we have with the European Union presently is worth four hundred billion. Then there are all those with other countries through it too. Every little help though.
Incidentally, the Chinese knocked up isolation hospitals in a few days. How do you think the private sector here would do on that point?
The Tories have given up. Planning for millions of sick, and for public disorder if you read between the lines.
JPM why dont you and the DoomGoblin Greta just kill yourselves?
You might just be happier..
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