Truss Trigger Article 16, Brexiteers Leave Tories & Crazy French Demands

Next PM to quickly trigger Article 16?

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Truss To Trigger?

Much talk of course about the need for the new Prime Minister to hit the ground running on a whole series of issues.

One of which relates to dealing with the European Union of course and the problems being caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Chatter about the Government triggering Article 16 has lingered for a while now. To the point that I know the constant talk and lack of action has actually annoyed many Brexiteers.

Article 16 allows unilateral safeguarding measures to be taken when the Protocol is causing “serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties that are liable to persist, or to diversion of trade”.

The latest madness that shows the need for urgent and radical action is the prospect of British steel to Northern Ireland being hit with a 25% tariff.

As Gareth Stace of UK Steel has said:

“It is beyond farcical that UK producers are now prevented by these tariffs from selling goods to customers in their own country.

“To add insult to injury EU steel producers can continue to export these goods tariff free throughout the UK, but we can no longer do so in the opposite direction.”

Clearly this insanity cannot be allowed to go on. The rumours are that within days of becoming PM, Liz Truss could take firm action.

That would centre on finally triggering Article 16, suspending the Protocol and setting the tone of a Truss premiership.

This is exactly what many Brexiteers have been urging the Government to hurry up and do for a while now.

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Leavers Leaving Tories

And the Conservative Government must really start listening to the Leavers who voted in a big pro-Brexit Tory majority.

People Polling now have Labour leading the Tories by some 14 points (40% to 26%).

As ever when you dig into these figures as I like to do, there are some really interesting findings.

Most remarkably I think is the continuing decline in Leaver support for the Tories. This latest poll finds just 45% of Leave voters now backing the Tories, along with 12% of Remainers.

Boris Johnson led his party to an emphatic General Election victory because around 75% of Leavers voted Conservative to ‘get Brexit done’.

For that level of Leaver support to have dropped so dramatically should send some serious alarm bells ringing for the next Tory PM.

Reform UK’s threat is clear as well: even on just 5% of the vote in the same poll, it means 10% of Brexiteers currently intend to Reform.

The next PM has to get a grip or the number of Leave switchers is likely to grow.

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French Demand British Funding

The strategy adopted in Government of the UK handing France millions of pounds in the hope they will stop the boat crossings has been a total failure.

Thursday saw a further 804 people cross on 16 boats in a single day. What are British taxpayers funding the French for exactly?

It means the number of crossings in 2022 has now surpassed 24,000 people. The appalling 2021 record of 28,000 people crossing via this route looks set to be comfortably smashed.

Incredibly it seems the French authorities are seeking a further €110Million payment from British taxpayers to continue this failed strategy.

My suggestion? The Government should agree to commit significant resources and manpower helping to police the French coast, for which France will pay the UK rather than the other way round.

If the French authorities are sincere about wanting to stop the crossings, surely they would be thankful for the UK’s kind offer of help?