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David Henig Profile picture
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25 Jan, 5 tweets, 1 min read
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.
I'm nervous on travel restrictions since we seem to be in a talk tough and never mind the consequences place, and they will be harder to lift, but if need be I would suggest 14 day strictly enforced quarantine plus ban from various places rather than more stringent.
Sadly I suspect for covid restrictions as per Brexit what 'debate' there is involves only the extreme positions, but it would be nice to think that could be different.

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More from @DavidHenigUK

David Henig Profile picture
27 Jan
Almost as if the Prime Minister and government haven't been telling the truth about the absence of checks between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northe…
I'm beginning to think a lot more people should have been following trade twitter before December 31 because this was another known issue the UK government chose to ignore.
What you need to know now from trade twitter is that the UK-EU agreement will not be the subject of tweaks or renegotiations until both sides want it to be, and the chances are right now neither want that, so we are stuck with the text we have.
Read 5 tweets
David Henig Profile picture
26 Jan
A bit to disentagle here. In principle yes. But there will be some performance on both UK and EU sides. And some healthy competition. That's fine.

More seriously, a UK wanting to show itself a better ally to the US than the EU has to be tempting.

@thomaswright08 @Sime0nStylites Image
Pretty clearly the current UK government wants to pretend the EU isn't our neighbour and largest trade partner. We want to be a Pacific power. Does the US respond wearily and point us back to Europe or encourage anything the UK can helpfully do? Tricky diplomatic issue.
In trade key UK advisers have long dreamed of the UK leaving the European regulatory area and joining the US in battle against EU regulation. That could be good for US agriculture interests, but bad for existing trade disputes with the EU. Again, how does the US respond?
Read 4 tweets
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
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.
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

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