In the last 24 hours the EC has reminded me of the panicking passenger in Airplane! Managing to get ever political party in London, Dublin and Belfast so united that they are queuing up to give you a shellacking, takes incompetence to new levels.
Being forced into a retreat, not least by its own member states which it did not even consult shows that the European Commission panicked, but even so it is one thing to get in a row with Astra Zeneca over vaccines, but to be so insensitive as to threaten the border with Northern Ireland is just crass. It has also given Brexiteers an open goal, they can now claim the EU is not a friend of the UK.
In this they are right, the UK is a competitor and rival, the UK left, they don’t have to be nice to London if they don’t want to be. The fact that they cocked up this time doesn’t mean they will be nicer in future.
https://jonty.substack.com/
I did giggle 😂 at the Airplane comparison. Great film!
Jonty they have invoked Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol first so it makes it easier for us in the future if we need to.