Last night the EU achieved the impossible...

[oggbashan]

They got the UK government, the Irish government and ALL parties in Northern Ireland to agree.

No one would have thought have feasible. But the EU did it.

What did they all agree on?

The EU is a bunch of useless losers who tried to bully the UK by closing the Irish border because of arguments about vaccines.

The Brexit negotiations failed many times on the question of keeping the Irish border open and the Good Friday agreement in place.

Yet the EU threatened to close the border less than a month after Brexit.

 

[Champakian]

The EU seems to be like a saddled pig waiting for a midget rider...

 

[Dribble]

The EU has a right to close the border. The UK thinks they have the Aces...they have 2's. If you want open borders...the answers are obvious.

 

[oggbashan]

The EU INSISTED on an open border in Ireland.

But now they want to shut it?

It was a very hard deal to reach because the EU wanted the Irish border open and free.

 

[Dribble]

No, that's one border that cannot be closed. I guess you don't know the history.

Unfortunately, the EU wants to play it by the rules, and expect the rest of the world to do the same. Gentlemen's Agreements to be followed, and such. It's time for them to wake up and get acting with common sense. Might be a nasty surprise for the UK, if that ever would happen. I fear, but keep hoping.

Oh I know the History. What I also know is the UK keeps changing the goalposts. Again...the answers are very very very simple. If the UK wants free trade with the EU...then they have to do something to earn it. The EU don't need the UK...the UK needs the EU. How much do you want it?

 

[CornusKousa]

They got the UK government, the Irish government and ALL parties in Northern Ireland to agree.

No one would have thought have feasible. But the EU did it.

What did they all agree on?

The EU is a bunch of useless losers who tried to bully the UK by closing the Irish border because of arguments about vaccines.

The Brexit negotiations failed many times on the question of keeping the Irish border open and the Good Friday agreement in place.

Yet the EU threatened to close the border less than a month after Brexit.

The EU sounds like it's run by Democrats LOL

 

[Dribble]

The EU INSISTED on an open border in Ireland.

But now they want to shut it?

It was a very hard deal to reach because the EU wanted the Irish border open and free.

Yes they did...and rightfully so. But they didn't just threaten to close it for no reason did they? If it was such a "hard" deal to reach...then what is the problem? It is what the UK wanted in the first place

 

[CornusKousa]

The EU don't need the UK...the UK needs the EU. How much do you want it?

LOL

That must be why the EU tried charging them such an insane amount of money to leave and is now doing all they can to harass and fuck with the UK.


No, the EU NEEDS the UK....they need that MONEY.

The UK doesn't NEED to set all that money on fire by giving it to them.

 

[oggbashan]

The proviso the EU tried to implement is meant to be a last resort when all other negotiations have failed.

They didn't even TELL the British or Irish that they were going to do it. There had been NO negotiations - just a unilateral act.

The British (and Irish both sides of the border) can now regard the EU as unprepared to meet the conditions of an agreement they wanted to make.

 

[oggbashan]

Yes they did...and rightfully so. But they didn't just threaten to close it for no reason did they? If it was such a "hard" deal to reach...then what is the problem? It is what the UK wanted in the first place

Yes, they did - for no reason and without even telling the Irish or British governments they were doing it.

The EU Commission is in deep shit with the 27 governments still in the EU (and the electorates).

 

[oggbashan]

The 'problem' is, that this border should never be closed. With good reasons.

It was an ill-considered idea of the EU to think they could stop exporting their vaccines to the UK because of some contract-cluster-fuck where AstraZeneca seems to have promised vaccination intentions to the EU, but vaccination numbers to the UK.

The EU ordered the vaccines three months AFTER the UK, and only approved the Astra Zeneca jab YESTERDAY.

The EU cancelled orders from France and Germany because they wanted all EU countries to have a combined order. At the time the UK was still in the transition period but decided to go it alone on vaccines. That has annoyed the EU because the UK was faster off the mark - by months - and the EU's orders are much later.

The EU commission has been trying to blame the UK for its own cluster-fuck and the 27 governments are not impressed.

 

[oggbashan]

And I'm afraid it's not something that won't happen again. With all the different opinions, conflicts of interest, and persistent reluctance to take action when countries fail to do their share, the EU will never be at the front of anything. However, without the EU, its countries are even more vulnerable. It's the best solution in a bad situation.

Many EU countries and their citizens are getting irritated with the EU. Further exits are possible - not probable - but there are many anti-EU parties growing in support.

The UK joined a trading bloc and was happy with that. What the EU is now is nothing like what it was when the UK joined.

Even German voters are getting fed up with paying for other countries' economic fuck-ups.

 

[Champakian]

I read this morning that Britain is joining an 11-member Pacific trading deal
and they are going to export vaccines to the EU.

They seem to be doing okay...

 

[Dribble]

Actually, what i am reading is this 'threat" only involves 1 item. The vaccine. Which is 60% behind in delivery. Any Govt has a right to take care of their people first. Sounds more like sour grapes by certain members of the UK. I find it ironic the UK is complaining about something they didn't want in the first place. If it was something they wanted...why did they drag their feet on that topic during the negotiation process?

AND in positive news...Harry gets a shitload of money from your traitorous news sources. Any country that treated a family the way they have treated this one, deserves to be shunned.

 

[Funit]

Actually, what i am reading is this 'threat" only involves 1 item. The vaccine. Which is 60% behind in delivery. Any Govt has a right to take care of their people first. Sounds more like sour grapes by certain members of the UK. I find it ironic the UK is complaining about something they didn't want in the first place. If it was something they wanted...why did they drag their feet on that topic during the negotiation process?

AND in positive news...Harry gets a shitload of money from your traitorous news sources. Any country that treated a family the way they have treated this one, deserves to be shunned.

Sour grapes from the EU you mean? what the fuck has the UK done wrong?

 

[oggbashan]

Actually, what i am reading is this 'threat" only involves 1 item. The vaccine. Which is 60% behind in delivery. Any Govt has a right to take care of their people first. Sounds more like sour grapes by certain members of the UK. I find it ironic the UK is complaining about something they didn't want in the first place. If it was something they wanted...why did they drag their feet on that topic during the negotiation process?

...

The Threat was more than a threat. It was an act the EU commission intended to do. Whether for one item or many, it would have meant a hard border in Ireland - something the EU had said they would NEVER agree to.

The UK response has been to offer cooperation and the UK could export vaccines to the EU. Other countries like Canada and Japan are also pissed with the EU, because the proposed action would have jeoparidised vaccine supplies to them too (and they ordered long before the EU).

 

[CornusKousa]

EU....behaving like Democrats.

Imagine that

 

[Dribble]

The Threat was more than a threat. It was an act the EU commission intended to do. Whether for one item or many, it would have meant a hard border in Ireland - something the EU had said they would NEVER agree to.

The UK response has been to offer cooperation and the UK could export vaccines to the EU. Other countries like Canada and Japan are also pissed with the EU, because the proposed action would have jeoparidised vaccine supplies to them too (and they ordered long before the EU).

The EU recently confiscated paperwork at the Belgium facility of AstraZeneca...a British company that contracted with the EU facility to produce vaccines for the EU...wanna take some bets that the Company was providing preference to where the produced vaccine was going?

I am not saying the EU is immune from being poorly managed. They should have contracted more with both Pfizer and Moderna. Only a fool would have relied on a British company for something as critical as this.

There is enough blame to go around here. Both sides are acting like they are...children. No country is safe, until ALL countries are safe

 

[oggbashan]

The company had contracts with the UK MONTHS before the EU even asked. The EU didn't approve their vaccine until last Friday - 29 January - so even if the company had produced vaccines for the EU, they couldn't have been used.

The company also signed contracts to supply Canada and Japan, months before the EU signed, but the EU were going to stop those being sent too.

The EU fucked up and is now blaming the company when it was all the EU's fault for delaying their orders (and cancelling those from individual EU countries) and the approval.

The Germans are particularly unimpressed. They had placed an order with the company about the same time as the UK, but the EU cancelled it.

I suspect - this is only my view - that they were expecting the French vaccine development to provide first, but that vaccine was a failure.

PS. The UK will shortly approve a new UK produced vaccine that has proven effective against the UK and South African variants. They have alreasdy pre-ordered millions of doses.


PPS: The UK government has been conciliatory, and has offered to export vaccines into the EU. That makes the EU administrators look even more stupid - if that were possible.

 

[Dribble]

I truly think you have no clue what you're talking about

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_20_2467

I actually know more than you.

No one gives a shit about numbers "contracted". What matters is what is said to be delivered...and what is delivered. It doesn't matter if the vaccine had not yet been approved. Doses were being shipped and stored...just like they did here.

AstraZeneca is so good...they fucked up their experimental design. That is why their vaccine has not...and probably never will be approved in the US. Has there been issues with production? Yes. But Pfizer cut numbers to everyone. So did Moderna. If the same is not true with AstraZeneca...people have the right to bitch...especially if the EU put money into a facility that was meant to produce vaccines specifically for the EU.

Has the EU underestimated this? Yes. They should have bought more from companies that have a track record of of success. I am sorry...the design flaws in the experimental method are taught in Stat 101. No company makes those kinds of mistakes UNLESS it was intentional.

I like Ogg. I respect him greatly. But people don't fly off the deep end making threats...that is detrimental to everyone...without motive. We have not heard the full truth here. I am not yet ready to point a finger at just the EU and say how dare you. There is more to this...a lot more.

 

[oggbashan]

I think that the real problem is with the supply chains. All vaccine providers have had difficulty just with the containers. There aren't enough being produced to put the vaccines in.

Both The EU and UK are trying hard to produce the resources that the vaccine producers need but it takes time to set up new production lines.

The stated orders for all vaccines from everybody are fantastic numbers. I can't see those numbers being produced in weeks or even months for whoever.

As for AstraZeneca? I don't believe the UK (and EU) would have approved it if there were problems with their research model. The Germans (and French) have made disproven claims about its effectiveness in older people. - to benefit their own suppliers.

PS. If you can, read what the German and French media are saying about the EU and their own governments. They are furious, and not blaming the UK - jealous perhaps, but seeing the EU and their national governments as incompetent.

 

[JackLuis]

Who would have thought tha a EU would be so confused and ineffective on such an important subject? Anyone who has watched European politics for the last 30 years, I'd guess.