Putin, Protocol and punitive inflation
@John James:
“We can’t trust the EU. Replace the protocol using Article 16 to ensure UK integrity. If the EU doesn’t like it, tell them to do their best – they did not approach the Brexit deal in good faith and the discord in Northern Ireland is the fruit of their labor.”
@Don Edwards, Lawford, Essex
“SIR – The EU’s takeover of Northern Ireland reminds me of France’s efforts in 1982 to protect its VCR manufacturers from Japanese products. It had only one facility dealing with Japanese imports, occupied by only two officers.
“The EU is doing a similar stunt in Northern Ireland, requiring hundreds of pages of paperwork. It’s Brexit punishment. Electronic documentation would solve the delays with a bang.”
Inflation hits harder
Meanwhile, inflation in the UK has risen to 9%, making it the biggest increase in 40 years. The soaring cost of energy and food has led our readers to discuss the impacts of the cost of living crisis, with many also offering possible causes and solutions.
@AltecLansing:
“There is only one solution – a massive rollback of the state, positive real interest rates to eliminate over-indebtedness and the abandonment of net zero. This will lead to a very deep recession, as it was the case in the early 80s, but the result was a problem solved, not abandoned to get bigger and more painful.”
@Nigel Griffiths, Wareham, Dorset:
“SIR – Government policies have directly contributed to the current inflation crisis.
“They include the pursuit of net zero goals at all costs; an energy policy that has failed to harness our natural resources; a lack of foresight on the security of energy supply and unnecessary and unconditional cash injections into the NHS.”
Putin ‘weapons’ the world’s food supply
Vladimir Putin is “weaponizing” the world’s food supply by stealing grain and destroying farm equipment as part of his war in Ukraine, Western officials have said. This revelation prompted our readers to stress the need for food and energy security.
@Marc Standing:
“The West can build agricultural equipment faster than Vladimir Putin can destroy it, while supplying weapons to Ukraine.
“We realized during the pandemic that having a manufacturing base is essential. The lesson here is that basic food security is also crucial.”
@Roger Boulton:
“A government should aim for energy and food independence. Under our ridiculous green agenda, we fail in both categories. Farmers and oil and gas production have been ignored in our illogical new world order. We are all paying the price for the government’s folly.”