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David Henig Profile picture
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25 Jan, 5 tweets, 1 min read
I see this week the EU is going to break up because of poor vaccine distribution.
Wonder what the EU equivalent reporting to the UK media would be right now? "UK government, desperate to overcome world-leading covid death rates, takes gambles in vaccination programmes" perhaps?
The EU clearly is struggling with vaccine supplies right now. But the UK is struggling with hugh hospital and death rates, closed schools and the difficult of serious debate given a media inclined to amplify right wing controversialists.
I'm still not sure how a struggling EU is supposed to be good for the UK anyway. Unlikely we get better deals in this situation. Will certainly hit our economy if the EU economy struggles. So I think we're treating the EU like Man United or whichever team you like to see lose.
Treating your nearest / largest trade partner as the football team you like to see lose isn't a great basis for a trade or foreign policy though.

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More from @DavidHenigUK

David Henig Profile picture
26 Jan
A milesone, or perhaps millstone, in world trade. It is now 25 years since the start of the first US-EU dispute over food at the WTO. The US asked for consultations over the EU ban of hormone treated beef on 26 January 1996. This issue has never been satisfactorily resolved. Image
The EU-US disagreement over hormone treated beef goes back even further than formal dispute, to 1981, with the first US retaliation coming in 1989. Although the EU now give a special 'high quality beef' quota as recompense, the disagreement essentially remains live.
Over time US and EU disagreements over food trade policy have grown to include chlorinated chicken, EU geographical indications, and ractopamine in pork. And each side is well backed by domestic interests with large financial stakes, to leave little room for changing policy.
Read 5 tweets
David Henig Profile picture
26 Jan
Interesting read and another reminder that as a storyteller Johnson is strong, but some qualifications. Britain, or England? And how much does it help that it becomes increasingly clear that the current official opposition is incapable of creating a narrative?
I find it interesting how little serious analysis is given to the Johnson communications style which is so important. It seems to me to exemplify certain English characteristics, almost a bit of a joke about being not so good, but also a bit of optimism about a better future.
So Johnson's failures, a couple of poor EU deals, a high covid death rate, are half-heartedly explained away, but unconvincingly, because he isn't trying to win the argument but the sympathy and sentiment as a bumbling Englishman. It seems to work for enough people.
Read 5 tweets
David Henig Profile picture
25 Jan
While the anti-lockdown extremists have poisoned the debate on lifting covid restrictions (they are good at this) I do wonder what a sensible discussion on how to ease restrictions would look like. Because we are having problems. theguardian.com/education/2021…
Would have thought first priority should be schools, particularly primary, and exam age (bad news for 11-14 year olds, but so be it). That is presumably the only indoor easing that is even possible, and is probably balances by new travel restrictions.
The next easing after schools should probably be outdoor socialising. So not reopening bars and restaurants, even socially distanced, but making us meet outside where the risk seems significantly lower.
Read 5 tweets
David Henig Profile picture
23 Jan
With regard to Scottish independence and Irish unification my biggest shift is that a previous view I would never see them in my lifetime has been reversed, now it feels like a matter of time. That isn't necessarily my choice (and it won't be anyway) just what I observe.
If the largest component in a union discovers its own nationalism you can't be surprised when the other parts do similarly. The slight oddity in the UK being the English denial that this is what is happening.
Sage thoughts from the sage. Might add, as always good to ask, what is the UK government prepared to do differently to keep Scotland and Northern Ireland?
Read 6 tweets
David Henig Profile picture
23 Jan
Daily Mail discovers borders, blames French for inventing them, then in the second half of the article gets a bit closer to the truth that this is the new normal. dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9…
The French will not be checking the content of lorries coming direct from Ireland on this ferry. Thus wondering if the border checks between Britain and France are the fault of the French or the British??? 🤔
So if trade between Ireland and France takes place without checks and trade between Britain and France, and indeed Britain and Ireland, has checks, which of the three countries do we think are the greater champions of 'free trade'?
Read 7 tweets
David Henig Profile picture
23 Jan
First priority with regard to the US should not be a full trade deal but removing the scotch tariffs imposed by the US as part of the Boeing / Airbus case.
ft.com/content/c26c55…
Then after sorting the Scotch tariffs the UK could actually lay out some realistic priority offensive interests because at the moment we don't know if a US trade deal would remove any barriers to UK exports. The US not being generous in trade deals. ft.com/content/c26c55…
Finally, after removing scotch tariffs and identifying priority interests we also need a policy on whether or not we accept US food in the UK. NB Trade and Agriculture commission likely to recommend we do not. In which case probably no deal anyway.
Read 4 tweets

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