Sunak ‘risks full-scale trade war’ with Brussels by scrapping EU laws

[Scott]

 

Rishi Sunak’s plan to scrap thousands of EU laws by the end of this year risks triggering a full-scale trade war between the UK and Brussels, senior figures in the European Union have warned.

Letters from leading EU politicians, seen by the Observer, reveal deep concern that the UK is about to lower standards in areas such as environmental protection and workers’ rights – breaching “level playing field” provisions that were at the heart of the post-Brexit trade and cooperation agreement (TCA).

In retaliation, EU leaders in the European Commission, the European parliament and the council of ministers are preparing what they call their own “unilateral rebalancing measures” in secret meetings in Brussels.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/feb/04/sunak-risks-full-scale-trade-war-with-brussels-by-scrapping-eu-laws

 

[hotandsticky]

I suspect that they have had a filing cabinet marked “unilateral rebalancing measures” for several years.

[Chomper Higgot]

The lunacy continues.

 

All on board for deregulating workers rights, consumer rights, environmental protections.

 

It might distract, for a while, from the other stuff the Government are failing to fix.

 

 

 

 

[DaLa]

As the UK is no longer a member of the EU, why should it matter to them what laws are scrapped or indeed implemented in a non member state.

 

I would be interested to know what constitute ‘unilateral rebalancing measures’. Is is like at school where some big mouth tells you, ‘you’ll be sorry’ or is it a bit more serious such as bombing the UK? And are these ‘measures’ going to be applied to all the other countries in the world that don’t adhere to EU regulation.

 

A ‘trade war’, is the warning from ‘senior figures in the EU’. As the meetings were secret didn’t someone remind those ‘senior figures’ not to disclose the ‘measures’.

 

I wait in eager anticipation.

[RayC]

56 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

I suspect that they have had a filing cabinet marked “unilateral rebalancing measures” for several years.

They probably have although only because the full title wouldn't fit on the label: "Unilateral rebalancing measures in the event of UK government failing to implement - or breaking - signed Agreement"

[RayC]

7 minutes ago, DaLa said:

As the UK is no longer a member of the EU, why should it matter to them what laws are scrapped or indeed implemented in a non member state.

It matters because as the article states " (there is) concern that the UK is about to lower standards in areas such as environmental protection and workers’ rights – breaching “level playing field” provisions that were at the heart of the post-Brexit trade and cooperation agreement (TCA)".

 

If the UK government wants a FTA with the EU, it needs to play by the rules. It's as simple as that.

 

7 minutes ago, DaLa said:

 

I would be interested to know what constitute ‘unilateral rebalancing measures’. Is is like at school where some big mouth tells you, ‘you’ll be sorry’ or is it a bit more serious such as bombing the UK?

Amending your analogy slightly, I'd hazard a guess that it will be like a teacher reprimanding a stroppy pupil in times past. It will probably start off  an with a 'Stop doing that'. If that doesn't work then maybe, a clip round the ear. If that fails a sterner warning, 'Stop that now unless you want six of the best'. If the caning fails, detention until you see sense and amend your ways.

 

7 minutes ago, DaLa said:

And are these ‘measures’ going to be applied to all the other countries in the world that don’t adhere to EU regulation.

Possibly. But the EU doesn't appear to have any major problems with any other states with which it has a FTA.

 

7 minutes ago, DaLa said:

 

A ‘trade war’, is the warning from ‘senior figures in the EU’. As the meetings were secret didn’t someone remind those ‘senior figures’ not to disclose the ‘measures’.

It may well have been an "authoritised" leak.

 

7 minutes ago, DaLa said:

 

I wait in eager anticipation.

As we all do.

[eisfeld]

Now that the UK isn't part of the EU they are of course free to change any rules and regulations that were in place due to being a member of the EU.

 

But they also need to be prepared that the EU will then scrap cooperating with them on the same level as before and downgrade them to whatever level appropriate depending on the changes implemented.

 

Will the UK be better off at the end? Not sure but I somehow doubt it, so far it seems to me that things got worse rather than better for them.

 

From being a world superpower and colonizing India to having a lower GDP than India and an Indian Prime Minister. Karma is a B*tch ????

[internationalism]

and see how it would strain NATO internal conflict

[OneMoreFarang]

It is obvious that the UK government needs something, anything, to distract people from their horrible performance.

 

[JonnyF]

9 hours ago, DaLa said:

I would be interested to know what constitute ‘unilateral rebalancing measures’. Is is like at school where some big mouth tells you, ‘you’ll be sorry’ or is it a bit more serious such as bombing the UK? And are these ‘measures’ going to be applied to all the other countries in the world that don’t adhere to EU regulation.

It's the EU so they mean more red tape and more trade restricting regulations. It will be against the UK only, they are still sulking about Brexit so like a dumped teenage girl don't expect logic, only spite and emotion. 

 

The EU are led by the Germans so I don't think they would be prepared to take military action and be defeated for a third time. That would be most embarrassing.

[billd766]

7 hours ago, internationalism said:

and see how it would strain NATO internal conflict

NATO does NOT belong to the EU and quite a few of the NATO countries do not belong in the EU.

 

In fact there are more countries in NATO  than in the EU.

 

https://www.studyiq.com/articles/nato-countries/#:~:text=Currently%2C there are 30 member,%2C Portugal%2C Slovakia%2C Slovenia%2C

 

Currently, there are 30 member countries of NATO namely Albania, Bulgaria, Belgium, Croatia, Canada, Denmark, France, Greece, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Türkiye, USA and UK.

 

https://www.gov.uk/eu-eea#:~:text=Austria%2C Belgium%2C Bulgaria%2C Croatia,%2C Slovenia%2C Spain and Sweden.

 

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

[internationalism]

55 minutes ago, billd766 said:

NATO does NOT belong to the EU and quite a few of the NATO countries do not belong in the EU.

 

In fact there are more countries in NATO  than in the EU.

 

https://www.studyiq.com/articles/nato-countries/#:~:text=Currently%2C there are 30 member,%2C Portugal%2C Slovakia%2C Slovenia%2C

 

Currently, there are 30 member countries of NATO namely Albania, Bulgaria, Belgium, Croatia, Canada, Denmark, France, Greece, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Türkiye, USA and UK.

 

https://www.gov.uk/eu-eea#:~:text=Austria%2C Belgium%2C Bulgaria%2C Croatia,%2C Slovenia%2C Spain and Sweden.

 

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

would UK-EU trade war strenthen NATO or weaken it?

[placeholder]

8 hours ago, JonnyF said:

It's the EU so they mean more red tape and more trade restricting regulations. It will be against the UK only, they are still sulking about Brexit so like a dumped teenage girl don't expect logic, only spite and emotion. 

 

The EU are led by the Germans so I don't think they would be prepared to take military action and be defeated for a third time. That would be most embarrassing.

The only lack of logic I see on display  here is yours. The EU and the UK have signed an agreement. If the UK violates that ingredient, then the EU has every right not to subscribe to their side of the of the bargain. What is so difficult to understand about that?

 

[hotchilli]

19 hours ago, DaLa said:

As the UK is no longer a member of the EU, why should it matter to them what laws are scrapped or indeed implemented in a non member state.

 

I would be interested to know what constitute ‘unilateral rebalancing measures’. Is is like at school where some big mouth tells you, ‘you’ll be sorry’ or is it a bit more serious such as bombing the UK? And are these ‘measures’ going to be applied to all the other countries in the world that don’t adhere to EU regulation.

 

A ‘trade war’, is the warning from ‘senior figures in the EU’. As the meetings were secret didn’t someone remind those ‘senior figures’ not to disclose the ‘measures’.

 

I wait in eager anticipation.

Exactly, rightly or wrongly we are out of the EU... whether people like it or not.

Stuff the EU laws, the UK is now a free nation again, not dictated to by Brussel bureaucrats.

[placeholder]

31 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Exactly, rightly or wrongly we are out of the EU... whether people like it or not.

Stuff the EU laws, the UK is now a free nation again, not dictated to by Brussel bureaucrats.

What don't you understand about the fact that the UK signed an agreement with the EU obligating it to abide by certain rules?

[Purdey]

A lot of focus on a potential trade war here and little about the effects of lowering women's rights, labor rights and putting the environment in danger. Polluting rivers, punishing unions, lowering food standards. I won't be surprised if pensions to those living overseas are affected ("they're practically foreigners, ain't they?"). 

These aren't the sunlit uplands people were promised..

The EU has the right to tell the British its goods and labor conditions do not meet EU standards and insist low quality foods and goods meet its standards. This will hurt exports. 

Bad for Britain. 

The British could then retaliate against the EU with tariffs and raise food prices in the UK as a result of expensive imports. 

Bad for Britain again.

Shooting itself in the foot has become the national pastime of the UK. Lowering rights and standards doesn't make you free because you can't force the EU to do what the uk wants any more. 

[MRToMRT]

Brexit, the gift that keeps on giving.

 

I can only imagine that some very rich people are shaking with excitement at how they can bribe their way to having their own get rich schemes enshrined in the new "replacement" laws. Sleaze and Sleaze.

 

I wish Starmer would just say "we will take the country back into he EU if elected" . That would really put the cat amongst the pigeons and be quite entertaining I suspect. The fact that we have two of the three major parties "pro-brexit" just makes the shambles even worse. Some days I wish I was Scottish.

Edited February 6, 2023 by MRToMRT

[JayClay]

20 hours ago, DaLa said:

As the UK is no longer a member of the EU, why should it matter to them what laws are scrapped or indeed implemented in a non member state

And this lack of understanding at such an extremely basic level is why there should have never been a referendum.

 

Others have already answered your question so I won't repeat those responses here but this is nothing really to do with Brexit, other than the fact that leaving the UK allows the government to do this unchallenged (or so they thought).

 

This is a desperate power grab by a very small minority of Tory MPs on the far right who know that now is thier last chance in at least a generation to get the deregulated society they've always dreamed of.

 

As Phil Moorhouse once pointed out, even as a desperate last-minute act of despair  it doesn't make sense; why spend your last days in government taking power away from the people simply to give it all to the next (labour) government. The only ones who will benefit out of this are those who will inevitably be shorting the pound if it ever comes close to actually being a reality.

Edited February 6, 2023 by JayClay

[Thingamabob]

1 hour ago, placeholder said:

What don't you understand about the fact that the UK signed an agreement with the EU obligating it to abide by certain rules?

Any agreement, of any kind whatsoever, can be amended if goodwill exists between the participants.

Edited February 6, 2023 by Thingamabob
One word altered for clarity.

[JayClay]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Stuff the EU laws, the UK is now a free nation again, not dictated to by Brussel bureaucrats.

Unless, you know, we actually want to sell our products and services into the EU.

 

[placeholder]

21 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

Any agreement, of any kind whatsoever, can be amended if goodwill exists between the participants.

An agreement can be amended if both sides agree that it works to their mutual advantage. Let's keep the touchy-feely stuff out of this.

[placeholder]

9 minutes ago, JayClay said:

Unless, you know, we actually want to sell our products and services into the EU.

 

Why would the UK want to sell stuff to its largest market? Oh...wait a minute...

[JayClay]

1 hour ago, MRToMRT said:

I wish Starmer would just say "we will take the country back into he EU if elected"

He will. In 2028.

 

Right now he can't. While there's now an overwhelming majority of people who understand that leaving the EU was the wrong choice, that's not the same as the amount of people who think we should rejoin which, while over 50%, is still not a "safe" majority. Aside from financial penalties ,people lost friends and family to arguments over brexit, the wounds are still healing and there are still enough people who would rather nurse those wounds and hope we can somehow make it work, rather than open up to another round of emotional trauma.

 

If the UK had a system of proportional representation then we'd be coming close to the stage where Labour could at least open the topic for debate. But right now, there is not enough evidence that voters in the swing seats (the few million voters who actually decide the government) are yet convinces that we need to rejoin.

 

There's no point in promising a return to the EU if by doing so it means you won't get elected.

[MRToMRT]

32 minutes ago, JayClay said:

There's no point in promising a return to the EU if by doing so it means you won't get elected.

But :+) One could say that if the only arrow in your quiver is that you are NOT the Tory party, then it could be worth a go.

[The Old Bull]

1 hour ago, JayClay said:

Unless, you know, we actually want to sell our products and services into the EU.

 

What is freedom? Nobody can do anything they want there will always be rules or limits. The way I see it is you are free when what you wish to do coincides with what you are allowed to do.

BRW90324B17937B_000612.pdf

[ujayujay]

Sunak, dream on little dreamer????????????

[VocalNeal]

Sunak cannot scrap EU laws. They are laws in the EU not in UK. Most UK/EU laws are the same or based on a shared philosophy.

If Sunak did say that, then it is pure hyperbole. 

What he should do is specify which UK laws he wants to scrap.

[JayClay]

2 hours ago, MRToMRT said:

But :+) One could say that if the only arrow in your quiver is that you are NOT the Tory party, then it could be worth a go.

Nobody is in that position at the moment, though. Labour have a clear lead in the polls and the Tories are  (genuinely) doing nothing to try and reverse that trend. Why would you gamble on a controversial policy when it could jeopardize your current situation.

[JayClay]

29 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Sunak cannot scrap EU laws.

And he has never claimed to be doing so. He is scrapping 4000 UK laws that were copy-pasted from EU laws, for no other reason than they originated in the EU.

 

29 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

What he should do is specify which UK laws he wants to scrap.

Yes. Yes, he should!

[Phoenix Rising]

2 hours ago, JayClay said:

Unless, you know, we actually want to sell our products and services into the EU.

 

And just why would the UK care about trade with the EU when they can negotiate wonderful trade agreements with.....Tonga, and.....Djibouti, and.................Somaliland??

Wonderful deals!!