Brexit: Well, That Only Took 1317 Days!
After a gestation period that would’ve impressed a Brontosaurus (44-months, or 188-weeks if you prefer to measure time by the week, or 1317-days, or 31,608-hours) the UK government finally kept its promise to Britons who voted for Brexit on June 23, 2016.
So, after bobbling the ball for 3.5-years, the UK government finally got it right (Thanks, Boris!) and at 11:00pm GMT on January 31, 2020, the UK left the European Union. And not a moment too soon, as if the dithering on the UK side had continued much longer the UK would’ve been thrown out of the EU — instead of leaving of its own accord! Yes, the frustration with successive UK governments grew to record highs over the past 3.5-years…
Anyway, that was then, and this is now, as they say.
What Next for the UK?
According to the terms of the Brexit agreement with the EU, the parties have 11-months to agree a trade deal to govern the future trading relationship, unless the parties decide to extend the trade deal negotiating period for another year, or longer.
I feel positive about getting a trade deal with the EU as it’s so obviously in the interests of both parties to arrange a fair-to-both-sides trade agreement, that there will be a signing ceremony before the end of 2020. Let’s hope!
Of course, the EU isn’t the UK’s only trading partner, so a trade deal with the Americans is important for the UK, And that too, must be concluded in a reasonable timeframe if the UK is to capitalize on its economic prospects following its departure from the European Union.
Let’s hope that Boris Johnson’s team sees the value of signing onto the CPTPP agreement — to become a member of the Trans Pacific Trade Partnership agreement — which is a huge trading region headed by Japan as the leading economy in the bloc.
Subsequent deals with Commonwealth of Nations countries — I’m hoping for a massive agreement between all Commonwealth nations, on par with the excellent CPTPP trade agreement. And, why not? The UK has ignored the Commonwealth for far too long now and huge opportunities await UK companies within that 2.5 billion member bloc (2.5 billion citizens/consumers in the Commonwealth of Nations countries by 2022) and further, the economy of that bloc consists of rapidly developing economies whose citizens are now beginning to enjoy real growth in their disposable income. Disposable income that could be used to purchase UK goods and services if you take my meaning.
Yes, huge trade opportunities await the UK, and not a moment to lose going after it. Because if the UK doesn’t go after that business, some other country or bloc will snap-up all of it and could completely displace UK trade in each country. That’s the punishment for taking too long to agree a trade deal.
Former UK Prime Minister Theresa May and her government found out what happens when it takes too long to accomplish something really important to the UK people, and those excessive delays are the only reason that Boris Johnson is now the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. So… fast, fast, Boris, on the trade file!
And thanks for getting Brexit done.
Putting the UK – EU Relationship in Context
All in all, the UK – European relationship has been a good one when measured over the past 107-years.
In that time, the UK fought to bring peace to the continent in WWI and WWII, it was a solid contributor to the NATO alliance during the Cold War, the UK participated in operations like the Berlin Airlift, the fall of the Wall/reunification of Germany, and in missions in the Balkans to try to prevent genocide and enforce International Court of Justice rulings against non-state actors there, and it invested trillions of pounds sterling in the continent in the 20th-century.
The UK helped to bring peace and prosperity to Europe and was an early supporter of a unified Europe from the time of former UK Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill — although Winston often said that the UK did not belong “in” continental Europe, but rather, that it should support a unified continent from “outside” continental politics.
Having played a pivotal role in the creation of a peaceful and prosperous European continent, the UK can now leave with its head held high, having accomplished all of its long-term objectives there, knowing that the ongoing peace and prosperity on the continent will continue for decades to come, due in part to the UK’s huge commitment to continental Europe since 1913, or thereabout.
Although the Brexit process might have frazzled nerves on both sides, there’s no doubt that the United Kingdom and the European Union will continue to be allies sharing a similar worldview and will continue trading with each other on an epic scale. While some tears have been shed over Brexit, the special relationship with our continental friends will endure for centuries to come, of that there’s no doubt.
Now, let’s make it easy on ourselves and quickly agree a fair and comprehensive trade agreement, so that both parties can continue to build on the successes of the previous century — as befits true neighbours, friends, families, and allies — thereby setting the bar for how countries can and should work together to create a better world.
And I wouldn’t expect anything less from Prime Minister Boris Johnson or from EU President Ursula von der Layen. In fact, we’ve only just begun!
Thumbnail image courtesy of www.ft.com
Should the UK House of Lords Move to York?
The respected Brexiteer Jeff Taylor (see video above) is sceptical of the UK government and its 3.5-years of Brexit dithering (who isn’t?) but like the Prime Minister, I think there’s a case to be made for moving the UK House of Lords to York and believe there are many ways to improve on the present House of Lords model to the point that most Britons would again see the HoL as a very necessary asset to the country.
The government should postpone the House of Commons renovations and sink the money into the HS2-to-York high-speed rail link to speed its construction timeline AND the government should begin building a new House of Lords building to be designed by the Lords and Ladies of the House (eg: a purpose-built building near York) that should be ready for occupancy by the time HS2-to-York is complete.
Further, the government should decide to limit the number of Lords to the same number of seats as the House of Commons (but do it through attrition only) and each Lord and Lady should have responsibility for a specific region of the country, or specific segment of the economy, or a particular and important social issue (like the NHS, immigration, Trident, chlorinated chicken, or cyber-security, for only a few examples) that would fall in line with their career expertise, to advise HM’s government and Britons.
And I believe strongly that they should publish public reports on their findings (with secret information redacted from the public report, obviously) on a very accessible to the public House of Lords weekly (non-technical and plain-language) blog.
Finally, allowing the House of Commons politicians to name future Lords must be the worst way to appoint people to such high office — it reeks of cronyism and political patronage — it’s no wonder the House of Lords is unpopular with many Britons.
Future Lords should be appointed by the Crown, full stop. For example, Sir David Attenborough should sit in the House of Lords as a climate change expert, and (Sir!) Nigel Farage should sit in the House of Lords as an expert on the EU Parliament.
The fewer ex-MP’s appointed to the House of Lords… the better… to my mind.
Now that’s a House of Lords model that would work wonders for the UK!
Visit or subscribe to Jeff Taylor’s excellent Brexit YouTube channel here.
Empowering UK Cities to Meet CO2 Targets in the Post-Brexit Era
Image courtesy of the C40 Cities Initiative.
Whether you believe in global warming and sea level rise or not, most people would agree that breathing clean air is better for you than breathing toxic exhaust fumes and that drinking clean water is healthier for human beings. If you don’t believe that statement, you’ve got bigger problems than polluted air in cities.
“The UK ranked 36th in the world for its CO2 emissions from consumption spread across its population, totalling at 8.34 tonnes per person in 2017 – the last year when such data for the UK was available. The global average for that year was 4.7 tonnes of CO2 per person.” — The Independent
As always, there’s a hard way to go about accomplishing something and an easier, more efficient way of getting things done. Which brings me to the point of this particular blog post, and that is… there is no reason that UK cities need to ‘go it alone’ in their quest to lower CO2 emissions — rather, by aligning with the C40 Cities initiative which provides expertise and other supports to member cities, UK cities can streamline their progress and get even better results by taking the C40 cities route to clean air and water.
Cities around the world are building a brighter future
“Human civilisation is facing an environmental crisis on a global scale. The world has failed to stop carbon emissions rising in a way that is consistent with a sustainable future for humanity and now we face a climate emergency. But the world’s leading cities are taking action to respond to the climate crisis and create the future we want.” — C40 Cities
There is help in numbers. There is also an unparalleled degree of technical assistance offered by the C40 Cities organization, and member cities share the results of their various CO2 reduction programmes with other member cities. And, being part of a larger group dedicated to clean air and water and better health for citizens means that UK cities won’t be ‘going it alone’.
Europe’s Biggest CO2 emitters. Image courtesy of Statista
Clean Air and Clean Water Works to Lower Healthcare Spending
Macmillan Cancer Support says that half of the UK population will develop cancer in their lifetime — which puts an unbelievable strain on the NHS, on families where half of them will face some kind of cancer in their life, and on the GDP of the United Kingdom.
Although there isn’t a direct link from highly polluted city air to cancer, it is widely acknowledged that respiratory ailments of all kinds are common in cities known for poor air quality and respiratory cancers represent some percentage of those ailments.
Half of UK population ‘will get cancer in lifetime’
The number of people in the UK who will get cancer during their lifetime will increase to nearly half the population by 2020, a report has forecast. Macmillan Cancer Support said the projected figure of 47%, up from the current 44%, would put huge pressure on the NHS. But the charity said that more people were surviving cancer compared to 20 years ago. — BBC
Even though cancer survival rates have improved in recent years, it becomes ever more costly as new (and astonishingly expensive!) technology comes online to improve the survivability odds of cancer. Prevention therefore, becomes more important as the incidence of various cancers increase and treatment becomes more expensive.
“In the 1970s, only 1 in 4 cancer patients would survive their disease for ten years or more. By 2010, this had risen to 2 in 4, and survival continues to improve today. This is due to groundbreaking research, innovative new treatments, and the tireless efforts of staff right across the NHS. However, there is still much to be done. This report summarises the current state of cancer in the UK, recognising where progress has been made, and highlighting the challenges that we continue to face. Cancer Research UK’s ambitious vision to see 3 in 4 people with cancer survive for ten years or more by 2034 serves as a driving force […] across the UK to achieve this.” — cruk.org
By working to improve air quality in UK cities, respiratory disease rates will fall — including cancers of the respiratory kind — which will help to lower NHS spending. See how it all weaves together? Investing in clean air in cities means lower healthcare spending.
And that’s a point sometimes forgotten by some of the good-hearted clean air purists pushing for lower CO2 emissions. Clean air in cities will save us money! Even hard-nosed business tycoons should understand that kind of logic.
What Can You Do?
What can you do to help improve the air in UK cities and lower your chances for air pollution caused illness?
Here are five ways to become part of the solution instead of part of the problem:
- Leave your car at home and use public transit to commute to any UK city.
- Install a programmable thermostat in your home and set it to ‘Eco Mode’.
- Install double-glazed windows, insulated exterior doors and seal drafts.
- Once per week, consume plant-based protein instead of meat protein.
- Shop locally. Decide to buy your meat and veg from local suppliers.
By choosing to lower your CO2 footprint, you’ll be working to lower the overall air pollution in the city in which you live or work, and you’ll help lower your chances of contracting some kind of respiratory disease (including respiratory cancers) and you’ll be setting a fine example for your family, friends and associates.
Living a healthier life, emitting less CO2, and living in cleaner cities will help to deliver the kind of transformation that Britons and UK cities need to survive and thrive in the 21st-century.
Related Articles
- The UK Grows its Economy as it Replaces Coal with Renewables (LettertoBritain)
- The U.K. Cut Emissions to the Lowest Level Since 1888. Here’s How (Fortune)
- How Westminster Politicians Could Help the UK Environment (LetterToBritain)
- UK power cut: National Grid promises to learn lessons from blackout (BBC)
- How UK Utility Companies Select Power Producers (LetterToBritain.com)
- What will it take for the UK to reach net zero emissions? (The Guardian)
- Want realtime energy information on the UK grid? (GridWatch.co.uk)
- Floating wind farms just became a serious business (Quartz)
- Building a Failsafe Energy Grid post-Brexit (LetterToBritain)
- Will 2020 Be the Year that Britain Shines? (LetterToBritain)
- Theresa May: Environment Speech, 2018 (LetterToBritain)
Letter to Britain 