And in our neighbours

[9goals2hattricks3pen]

Anti lockdown protestors riot in city centre looting,setting fire to businesses and cars. Police respond with tear gas and water cannon.

Riots in the capital also. Fireworks thrown at the police and barricades built.

Up north Covid testing centre burned to the ground. Unbelievable.

All this from my favourite Europeans the Dutch.

Once again I thank my lucky stars to be English and in England.

[DaveP67 is back!]

Inept Excessive EU bureaucracy shown up for what it is!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55771223

[wbaliquidator]

The other day I pointed out just how impotent the EU was when dealing with the real issues. Like failing totally to act when a war broke out in the Balkans. Also how I see the EU’s expansion towards Putin as a real threat to European if not world peace.

So let’s take another pressing situation the Pandemic and Vaccines. How are they reacting?
At the start of the Year when most of the world was gearing up for Vaccinations that had been approved the EU organised a meeting for 23 January to discuss its strategy !!!

The EMA ( European Medicines Agency ) have still NOT approved the Oxford Vaccine Why? Maybe because it’s English because I really cannot see any or logical reason.

EU is supposed to have a joint Vaccine strategy across the 480 Million citizens.
Eu’s EMA Stella Kyriakides “ We are all in this together and united “ . Just like Ursula von de leyen … also said when she was jabbed “ This is a touching moment of international unity”

Jabs in Germany, Poland and Italy are now suspended due to supply issues
.
Hungary has broken ranks and ordered the Russia Vaccine disobeying the EMA rules.

Germany despite peddling their idealistic a unified European approach actually earlier in the pandemic did private deal with Pfizer looking after the interests of its own citizens.

France, who’s own vaccine the Sanofi ( part of Glaxo Smith Kline group ) has just failed its phase 3 trial and is back at phase 2 now expected end of the Year maybe next Year . BUT they apparently asked Germany to delay their vaccines and wait for the Sanofi ! The French have of course denied this. It’s all about the national pride of the French.

Meanwhile the new variants are starting to rip through the populations.

This situation is a scandal and an indictment if just there needed to be just how the UE really works.

[9goals2hattricks3pen]

The other day I pointed out just how impotent the EU was when dealing with the real issues. Like failing totally to act when a war broke out in the Balkans. Also how I see the EU’s expansion towards Putin as a real threat to European if not world peace.

So let’s take another pressing situation the Pandemic and Vaccines. How are they reacting?
At the start of the Year when most of the world was gearing up for Vaccinations that had been approved the EU organised a meeting for 23 January to discuss its strategy !!!

The EMA ( European Medicines Agency ) have still NOT approved the Oxford Vaccine Why? Maybe because it’s English because I really cannot see any or logical reason.

EU is supposed to have a joint Vaccine strategy across the 480 Million citizens.
Eu’s EMA Stella Kyriakides “ We are all in this together and united “ . Just like Ursula von de leyen … also said when she was jabbed “ This is a touching moment of international unity”

Jabs in Germany, Poland and Italy are now suspended due to supply issues
.
Hungary has broken ranks and ordered the Russia Vaccine disobeying the EMA rules.

Germany despite peddling their idealistic a unified European approach actually earlier in the pandemic did private deal with Pfizer looking after the interests of its own citizens.

France, who’s own vaccine the Sanofi ( part of Glaxo Smith Kline group ) has just failed its phase 3 trial and is back at phase 2 now expected end of the Year maybe next Year . BUT they apparently asked Germany to delay their vaccines and wait for the Sanofi ! The French have of course denied this. It’s all about the national pride of the French.

Meanwhile the new variants are starting to rip through the populations.

This situation is a scandal and an indictment if just there needed to be just how the UE really works.

I too remember how the Serbs laughed at the threats of 'action' from the EU.

A few weeks ago a Remain supporting poster couldn't wait to post on how he had seen a piece on how much more efficient the EU were at procuring the vaccine than we were. Reckon he just repeated something he read that was anti Brexit and chucked it out there without much thought for its veracity. Oh wait! That's something only Brexiteers do after reading The Mail.

Meanwhile just checking who has administered most doses. The EU or my village hall.

Someone remind me who it might of been. And does the poster feel inclined to give us his update on how the UK has done v The EU on what is probably the most important issue right now.

[WBA123]

I too remember how the Serbs laughed at the threats of 'action' from the EU.

A few weeks ago a Remain supporting poster couldn't wait to post on how he had seen a piece on how much more efficient the EU were at procuring the vaccine than we were. Reckon he just repeated something he read that was anti Brexit and chucked it out there without much thought for its veracity. Oh wait! That's something only Brexiteers do after reading The Mail.

Meanwhile just checking who has administered most doses. The EU or my village hall.

Someone remind me who it might of been. And does the poster feel inclined to give us his update on how the UK has done v The EU on what is probably the most important issue right now.

Maybe we have a bit of missed communication here. My point was and still is the EU's buying power is far greater than ours. They have an economy 10x larger than ours and 8x the population. Do you refute that?

I'm also constantly perplexed by this 'us v them' attitude. You do understand that it is in our interests for our largest trading partner to have a population that is also be vaccinated as well, right?

Finally, as for efficiency it's clear throughout the whole pandemic the EU have been more efficient than us. Otherwise we wouldn't have the highest death toll in Europe or one of the highest death rates in the world. Our Government have got almost EVERYTHING wrong. From not taking it seriously to begin with, to late lockdowns, to not checking arrivals into the country, to mixed public messaging, to wearing face masks in public, to sending kids back to school for one day, to PPE, to track and trace and many others. Seriously, I wouldn't be banging the drum about our 'efficiency'.

But lets hope they have got it right with the vaccine, again I wouldn't shout too loudly until the end is in sight. Our Government have decided to vaccinate against the manufacturers advice of 2 weeks after the first jab - instead it has been 12 weeks afterwards, now reducing to 6. Why? I would imagine as I have said all along - they care more about PR and polls than they do about saving lives. So everyday when they tell you 5m or 6m or however many have been vaccinated against and it gives us all hope - great. I hope that's true. But from what I have read, there hasn't been much research into the efficacy of a delayed 2nd jab. Which means they are taking a bit of a gamble. Correct me if I am wrong, as I know you seem to enjoy..

[9goals2hattricks3pen]

Maybe we have a bit of missed communication here. My point was and still is the EU's buying power is far greater than ours. They have an economy 10x larger than ours and 8x the population. Do you refute that?

I'm also constantly perplexed by this 'us v them' attitude. You do understand that it is in our interests for our largest trading partner to have a population that is also be vaccinated as well, right?

Finally, as for efficiency it's clear throughout the whole pandemic the EU have been more efficient than us. Otherwise we wouldn't have the highest death toll in Europe or one of the highest death rates in the world. Our Government have got almost EVERYTHING wrong. From not taking it seriously to begin with, to late lockdowns, to not checking arrivals into the country, to mixed public messaging, to wearing face masks in public, to sending kids back to school for one day, to PPE, to track and trace and many others. Seriously, I wouldn't be banging the drum about our 'efficiency'.

But lets hope they have got it right with the vaccine, again I wouldn't shout too loudly until the end is in sight. Our Government have decided to vaccinate against the manufacturers advice of 2 weeks after the first jab - instead it has been 12 weeks afterwards, now reducing to 6. Why? I would imagine as I have said all along - they care more about PR and polls than they do about saving lives. So everyday when they tell you 5m or 6m or however many have been vaccinated against and it gives us all hope - great. I hope that's true. But from what I have read, there hasn't been much research into the efficacy of a delayed 2nd jab. Which means they are taking a bit of a gamble. Correct me if I am wrong, as I know you seem to enjoy..

Oh dear 123 you do leave yourself wide open with such wildly incorrect figures. So yes I do refute your opening statement. Where do you get your figures from a European, 2 Europeans or perhaps one of them had a dog because yours is certainly is a shaggy dog post.

The EU economy is NOT 10 times the UK it's about 7 times. Just a small matter of $7.7 million wrong.

The EU population is NOT 8 times the UK its about 6.1/2 times bigger. That's all but 100 million wrong.

When you get such simple stuff so horribly wrong (always on your side of the argument) you make it very difficult for me to take anything you say seriously. Are you sure the figures in your user name are correct?

I thought we had already debunked the 'EU bought better because of its buying power myth' The EU bought Moderna cheaper because it invested heavily in its research. Turns out they chose the expensive option we chose Oxford the cheaper one.

Irrespective of the accuracy of the figures if you believe just because an organisation is big makes it an efficient buyer you are a fool. Three of the biggest procurement teams in the UK must be the NHS, MOD, and Goverment all of them amongst the very worst. Give me a small motivated buying team against these huge outfits any time.

As regards the EU I'm not sure what they purchase as a whole except for 5* hotel rooms, 5* meals, paper, office space and first class return rail tickets from Brussels to Strasbourg.

The EU have not been more efficient handling Covid than us because they haven't done anything (except badly buy the vaccine.) The individual states have all gone their own very different ways.

Just thought of something else the EU buy. They are The World's largest consumer of red tape 46 times the UK. Hope they have a good deal on it!

[WBA123]

Oh dear 123 you do leave yourself wide open with such wildly incorrect figures. So yes I do refute your opening statement. Where do you get your figures from a European, 2 Europeans or perhaps one of them had a dog because yours is certainly is a shaggy dog post.

The EU economy is NOT 10 times the UK it's about 7 times. Just a small matter of $7.7 million wrong.

The EU population is NOT 8 times the UK its about 6.1/2 times bigger. That's all but 100 million wrong.

When you get such simple stuff so horribly wrong (always on your side of the argument) you make it very difficult for me to take anything you say seriously. Are you sure the figures in your user name are correct?

I thought we had already debunked the 'EU bought better because of its buying power myth' The EU bought Moderna cheaper because it invested heavily in its research. Turns out they chose the expensive option we chose Oxford the cheaper one.

Irrespective of the accuracy of the figures if you believe just because an organisation is big makes it an efficient buyer you are a fool. Three of the biggest procurement teams in the UK must be the NHS, MOD, and Goverment all of them amongst the very worst. Give me a small motivated buying team against these huge outfits any time.

As regards the EU I'm not sure what they purchase as a whole except for 5* hotel rooms, 5* meals, paper, office space and first class return rail tickets from Brussels to Strasbourg.

The EU have not been more efficient handling Covid than us because they haven't done anything (except badly buy the vaccine.) The individual states have all gone their own very different ways.

Just thought of something else the EU buy. They are The World's largest consumer of red tape 46 times the UK. Hope they have a good deal on it!

A bit pedantic this isn't it?

And only because the figures I was looking at included the UK in the EU.

Either way, the original point still remains. You can point at individual examples if it makes you feel better about yourself. But the fact is, the EU will always have better negotiating power than we will because their economy and population is much larger than ours.

As for your final statement, ask any business owner (and there are some who regularly post on here) about the red tape they have now in comparison to when we were an EU member.

The EU isn't perfect, but we were an influential cog within it and we had the best deal for trade we could have when we were a member compared to now.

[boingy]

It doesn't work. It CANT work because like it or not each country IS DIFFERENT and has a different identity. None of this is a problem as long as you are just trading bananas. When you start to control other aspects of life it becomes personal. Square pegs in round holes. Its just basic common sense. When push comes to shove, their own interests come first unless they are doormats.

[Albionic68]

It doesn't work. It CANT work because like it or not each country IS DIFFERENT and has a different identity. None of this is a problem as long as you are just trading bananas. When you start to control other aspects of life it becomes personal. Square pegs in round holes. Its just basic common sense. When push comes to shove, their own interests come first unless they are doormats.

There's got to be a joke about not comparing apples with pears in here somewhere......

[boingy]

There's got to be a joke about not comparing apples with pears in here somewhere......