Boris Johnson is a busy man. According to British newspapers the Prime Minister is going to “Save Christmas” for the second year in a row. In 2020, Mr Johnson announced he would “Save Christmas” from coronavirus by relaxing restrictions. The result was a big increase in British infections and deaths.
This year, Mr Johnson is “saving Christmas” from his own government’s policies, notably Brexit, although that is not how he puts it. “Brexit” in British government circles is like “Voldemort” in the Harry Potter series, something which must not be named.
Others are not so reticent. A Dutch newspaper cartoon shows Mr Johnson struggling to tow a broken down Brexit “Global Britain” truck. The New York Times summed up a catalogue of Britain’s wounds, some Brexit related: "Long lines outside gas stations. Panicked drivers fighting one another as the pumps run dry. Soldiers deployed to distribute fuel across the country. And in the background, the pandemic stretching on, food rotting in fields and families sinking into poverty.” And Finland’s former prime minister, and friend of Britain, Alexander Stubb tweeted: “Reading news about petrol shortages and other supply problems in the UK. Really sad to see what Brexit is doing to a country that used to be great. Brexit is the biggest mistake a modern nation state has inflicted on itself in recent history. Hope to see an end to this mess.”
It is difficult to explain how the UK, a creative, competent, beautiful country, has descended into such a pit of doom, but I’ll start with my neighbour Colin. He texted me just over a week ago to say that there was no fuel at our local filling station. Then in a local park, a stranger called out to a group of people getting ready to play tennis that there now were so many cars trying to get petrol that the nearby main road was blocked in both directions and police officers were trying to restore order. Newspapers and social media highlighted empty supermarket shelves, while British government ministers announced there really was “no need for panic buying”. As the British satirical magazine Private Eye put it, this was “panic lying.”
Faced with shortages of key resources, millions of people (me included), tried to secure the fuel we need to get to work or take our children to school.
No other European country is experiencing the chaos that post-Brexit Britain is suffering
Truth and common sense are also in short supply. British government ministers insisted there was no shortage of fuel, because there was plenty at the main depots, just not enough where motorists actually could buy it, in filling stations. The fact is there is a shortage of drivers for Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV). Again Mr Johnson’s spokesmen have been less than honest in suggesting this shortage has little or nothing to do with Brexit, especially since their solution to the problem is to offer limited visas for EU drivers to come to the UK.
There is indeed a shortage of HGV drivers across Europe, but post-Brexit Britain is particularly badly hit. There is a tsunami of problems here caused by labour shortages in many industries as a direct result of EU workers leaving Britain. Throughout the summer farmers have complained that crops have rotted in fields because there are not enough foreign workers to pick them. British meat processing factories now report an acute shortage of butchers and others prepared to work in slaughterhouses. Turkey farmers say – rather like an echo of the fuel problems – that there are plenty of turkeys in Britain, but not enough workers who can get them ready for British Christmas dinner tables.
Romanians, Estonians, Poles and others who used to fill many of these generally low paid jobs have felt unwelcome in Britain, unable to get visas and have also seen the value of the pound drop. That means the value of their take home pay in the UK has fallen when they convert it into euros. And for those Britons trying to escape the misery and the post-Brexit shortages, the TV presenter Kay Burley photographed two scenes when she arrived at a Portuguese airport. One was an empty hall for arrivals from the EU who speed through border checks. The other showed hundreds of British passport holders queueing up to be processed as a result of the new post Brexit border controls.
The Johnson government and Brexit-supporting newspapers maintain the pretence that all these long predicted post-Brexit problems have nothing much to do with Brexit. Our own eyes and common sense say something very different. No other European country is experiencing the chaos that post-Brexit Britain is suffering. Northern Ireland, a part of the UK, has not been affected because under the Brexit agreement there is a protocol which treats Northern Ireland in some respects almost as part of the EU. Lucky them. And while Boris Johnson addresses his Conservative party’s annual conference in Manchester this week, the truly damaging shortage is his lack of honesty about why we are in such a mess.
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S24%20ULTRA
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Norway v Spain, Saturday, 10.45pm, UAE
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
BeIN Sports currently has the rights to show
- Champions League
- English Premier League
- Spanish Primera Liga
- Italian, French and Scottish leagues
- Wimbledon and other tennis majors
- Formula One
- Rugby Union - Six Nations and European Cups
Biog:
Age: 34
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite sport: anything extreme
Favourite person: Muhammad Ali
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
THE SPECS
2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE
Engine: 1.8 litre combined with 16-volt electric motors
Transmission: Automatic with manual shifting mode
Power: 121hp
Torque: 142Nm
Price: Dh95,900
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
THE SPECS
Jaguar F-Pace SVR
Engine: 5-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 680Nm
Price: Dh465,071
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry
4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
No.6 Collaborations Project
Ed Sheeran (Atlantic)
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
