Welcome back to the EU!

[Mark Bolam]

I understood most of that.

 

Where do we stand on animal welfare standards?

i.e. we lead the world (UK) but the EU lets it’s other countries treat their own ‘rules’ like very rough guidance.

 

The EU are a cancer.

 

Brexit has been a total shambles, and we are worse off for sure, but being tethered to those self-serving, bureaucratically crazy hypocritical twats what was made 52% vote to get out of their evil grasp.

[Josey Wales]

Hi Mark Bolam

I am in complete agreement with you as regards our animal welfare standards in comparison to some countries within the EU. As far as the current negotiations are concerned, my understanding so far is that the Common Veterinary Area (CVA) agreement will, among other things, mean the UK's ban on live animal exports will remain in place. Further, from what i have read so far, the deal also empowers the UK to negotiate opt outs in future discussions so that our, as you correctly say, superior animal welfare proposals are not put at risk. 

The devil is in the detail, which is why i replied to Squaredy's post originally. Nothing is signed yet. You never know, i might end up slighting the bastards alongside the rest of you, and eating humble pie. Lets see.

I respect your view of the EU, and believe me, i am not someone who subscribes to the view of it being a Utopian ideal. There is a lot i do not like, but ironically they were often a good brake upon the worst excesses of our own governments, red or blue. It is illuminating to see what EU laws our past governments did say 'no' to, and the majority were concerning workers rights and environmental protection. 

I try not to be so politically dogmatic that i refuse to see where one party can do both good and utter shite at the same time. Currently, i agree with Labour trying to improve upon the disastrous Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) that Johnson and Frost agreed with the EU in their rush to 'Get Brexit done!'' It gave the EU so much, they are happy with it and unwilling to dramatically change it. It works better for them, to our detriment. It needs to be changed. Labour are trying that.

On the other hand, i hate Labour for the current planning and infrastructure bill currently going through parliament. Out of the EU, and the protection their legislation gave some of our designated wildlife sites, Labour are planning to utilize this loophole to bulldoze wildlife rich sites for development. Lodge Hill, in Kent, a fantastic Nightingale habitat on former MOD land in your county, and where i am from originally, is under threat again. FFS! Twats, all of them!

Like the EU, or hate it, Labour or Tory, leaver or remainer, it truly makes no difference now, but Brexit has caused more problems than it could ever solve. It's done. We left the EU. We are not going back. Time to move on.

This is our future, which is why i said we need to address it, not glower across the channel and never speak to our most important trading partner ever again, and why i said in my last post that we are more similar in our current situation to Switzerland, with an economy not too different to ours, also not in the EU, and that perhaps we need to learn from the never ending discussions they have with the EU and see our future in that. Not great, no, but that is where we are. 

 

[Mark Bolam]

Good post Josey.