Daily Archives: January 19, 2021

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson calls them the awesome foursome.

These days, two of the four nations that make up the United Kingdom are less keen on Britains prime minister than he is on them. The result could be a big threat to one of his objectives for Brexit: stronger internal relations within the UK.

Kellner is a visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe, where his research focuses on Brexit, populism, and electoral democracy.

Historically, the UK has never been a fixed entity. Relations between England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales have fluctuated. Less than one hundred years ago, the UK comprised all of the British isles, before a bitter civil war led to the secession of twenty-six of Irelands thirty-two counties in 1922.

Tensions have never disappeared. For three decades between the late 1960s and the late 1990s, Northern Irelandand occasionally English citiessuffered from the Troubles, the Irish Republican Armys (IRAs) violent campaign to reunite Ireland by force. The IRA killed more than 2,000 people, their loyalist, pro-UK opponents more than 1,000, and the British army more than 300.

In Scotland and Wales, nationalist parties have made their mark more peacefully. Both countries now have their own national parliaments with substantial powers, but while the appetite for full independence is limited in Wales, it has grown in Scotland.

Brexit has now added a new dimension to these historical tensions. It may well contribute over time to the breaking up of the United Kingdom; only a brave gambler would bet on both Scotland and Northern Ireland still belonging to the UK in 2040.

Let us take the two in turn.

When Scotlands new parliament first met in 1999, one of its members was applauded for declaring: The Scottish Parliament, adjourned on March 25 in the year 1707, is hereby reconvened.

That statement is long on nationalist nostalgia but short on accuracy. Scotlands currency, and hence its overall economic powers, is controlled by Londonas are its defense and foreign policy.

When the UK voted for Brexit in 2016, Scots divided by almost two to one in favor of staying in the EU. But Scotland was bound by the UK-wide result: it was forced to leave the EU along with England, Northern Ireland, and Wales.

This reopened a debate that seemed to have been settled in 2014, when a Scottish independence referendum resulted in Scots voting by 55 to 45 percent to remain in the UK. It was supposed to be a once-in-a-generation decision that offered Scots continuing membership of both the UK and the EU.

Many Scots now feel that their only way to rejoin the EU is to break away from the UK. More than ever before, the nationalist and European causes in Scotland have come togetherand have been gaining support.

For the first time, polls conducted in 2020 report that a majority of Scots now favor independence from the UK. The rise in support is a direct response to Scotland being forced against its will to leave the EU.

In 2021, Scotland will elect a new parliament. The Scottish National Party (SNP) is set for its best-ever result and will remain in power in Edinburgh. Together with the Greens, also pro-independence and pro-EU, the SNP will be sure of a majorityand possibly a large majorityfor a fresh referendum on independence.

Legally, however, Scotlands politicians do not have the power to call a referendum. They can ask for one, but the decision rests with Westminster. Here, the Conservatives enjoy a large majority, and they oppose a fresh referendum. Johnson, the Conservative Party leader, says the Scots should wait forty years before another independence vote.

In the short run, Londons veto will prevail. The long run is another matter. If the Conservatives remain in power in Westminster, and the SNP in Edinburgh, the stage will be set for a constitutional crisis. Reluctantly, the Conservatives may have to give way.

Alternatively, the Conservatives may be voted out of office at the next UK general election. However, the main opposition party, Labour, will find it extremely hard to win outright. A far more likely outcome, if the Conservatives do lose, is a minority Labour government dependent on SNP support. And the price of that support will be agreement on a new vote on Scottish independence.

One way or another, a referendum is likely before 2030. Scotlands departure from the UK is a distinct possibility.

Northern Irelands politics are very different; but its destination may be the same as Scotlands. Its political tribes are driven by religion: the Protestant majority is overwhelmingly pro-British, while the Catholic minority wants a reunited Ireland. For the time being, therefore, most of Northern Irelands voters want to stay within the UK.

But three factors are changing that simple political arithmetic.

First, demographicsdriven by birth rates and migrationare edging Northern Ireland slowly but remorselessly toward a Catholic majority.

Second, a small but growing minority of voters reject the sectarian divide and no longer vote according to their religion.

Thirdand this is the one respect in which Northern Ireland resembles ScotlandBrexit is making a difference. Under the new UK-EU agreement on future relations, concluded on December 24, 2020, the island of Ireland remains politically divided but is economically more united than at any time since 1922.

There are no border posts, rules, or tariffs to impede trade across the 500-kilometer border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic; but trade between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain is now subject to significant checks, resulting in empty shelves in Northern Irish supermarkets.

The demographic and economic logic of Northern Ireland points to Irish reunification in the next 1020 years.

Already, polls indicate a shift in views toward a 50-50 division on whether to leave the UK. Meanwhile, the prospect of rejoining the EUwhich 56 percent of Northern Irish voters in 2016 did not want to leaveis attractive, not just to Catholic nationalists, but also to the growing minority of anti-sectarian Protestants.

Only in Wales do nationalists remain in a clear minority.

By 2040, Johnsons awesome foursome may be a thing of the past. Brexit could end up dividing the United Kingdom more comprehensively than it divides Europe.

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Brexit and the Gradual Disintegration of the United Kingdom - Carnegie Europe

The Irish construction industry is expected to grow by 15 per cent in 2021 despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit-related delays, according to a new report by infrastructure consultancy firm Aecom.

In an annual construction industry review, to be published on Thursday, the group says that while construction output is unlikely to reach pre-Covid 19 levels, it is expected that development in 2021 will significantly exceed 2020 levels.

While 2021 has got off to a bad start for the industry, the report anticipates a strong year for the sector based on a presumption that normal activity will resume shortly as the vaccine roll-out continues.

The report indicates that, in general terms, demand has not been impacted but rather activity has been delayed.

Last year, Aecom estimated the cost of construction increased by about 1 per cent. In 2021, it is estimating a conservative further increase of 2 per cent.

On Brexit, the report suggests access to materials and other equipment has been unaffected to date.

Aecom Ireland director John ORegan said on Tuesday the sector was better prepared than last year to deal with challenges.

Despite the challenges associated with the dual impact of the Covid-19 and Brexit, the projected growth rate of 15 per cent for 2021 highlights the industrys resilience at the moment, he said.

While the first lockdown was very difficult, as an unanticipated event, the sector is now more prepared to effectively manage the associated challenges related to materials, cost, and logistics.

That being said, hospitality and retail has been put on hold and, while significant commercial office developments are proceeding on site, the uncertainty around the shape of the future office workplace will slow demand in this sector.

Mr ORegan said it would be important for the industry that promised rail projects such as the Dart expansion and Metrolink progress as planned.

Our report also suggests that, while we are dealing with two very real threats to our supply chains, the price inflation for 2021 will only be marginally higher than 2020, reporting at 2 per cent, he said.

This is very positive news for the industry and for consumers as there was considerable anticipation that the cost of building would climb sharply in 2021.

Looking ahead, our report highlights that a key element of promoting sustainable growth for the construction industry is ensuring that promised rail projects such as the Dart expansion and Metrolink progress as planned.

While it may not seem priority now, we must double down our commitment to rail development as it will enhance our work life balance, support housing and development outside of our cities and go a long way towards our carbon emission targets.

Mr ORegan also called for the establishment of a national housing task force consisting of industry and public sector players, which could aid the fast and cost-effective delivery of housing across the country.

Along with the benefits of such a taskforce, the economic restart after the coronavirus means there is a chance to improve and speed up the planning and delivery process, which is delaying many pipeline projects, he added.

Original post:

Construction to grow by 15% in 2021 despite Covid and Brexit - The Irish Times

Politicians from Labour and the Liberal Democrats have hit out at the Conservative governments handling on the Brexit touring negotiations with the EU.

AfterPrime Minister Boris Johnsons Brexit trade deal failed to secure visa-free travel for artists wishing to tour Europe(addinghuge costs to future live music tours of the continent will be incurredandpreventing rising and developing UK artists from being able to afford it), a row erupted over who was responsible.

Last week,Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden put the blame for this at the foot of the EUfollowingreports that a standard proposal that would exempt performers from needing a visa to enter countries in the EU for trips under 90 days was actually turned down by the UK government. The EU then hit back,denying claims that they had rejected the UKs ambitious proposals, and that in fact they offered the UK 90 days of visa-free travel but the UK responded with their own proposal of just 30 days. See more info on the different dealshere.

Now, opposition MPs have added to the chorus from artists and music industry bosses calling on the government to take this seriously and fix it, as fans continue to sign the 250,000-strong petition and write to their MPs calling for visa-free travel for musicians and crew to be established.

Tory attempts to shift the blame onto the EU are just not good enough, Labours Shadow Minister for Culture Alison McGovern told NME. Ministers promised time and again that UK musicians would not face barriers to touring in Europe as a result of Brexit.

They have let our music community down and need to fix this as soon as possible. The EU have said they are open to an arrangement so the Tories need to get on with it.

She added: Its been a terrible nine months for musicians and those who work alongside them compounded by an inflexible Tory chancellor unwilling to help those whose employment does not fit his rigid mould.

This problem isnt insurmountable, but it takes a political will that sadly seems to be lacking.

Protestors demonstrate against Brexit CREDIT: Getty Images

Meanwhile, Jane Bonham Carter, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in the House of Lords, told NME that she has been meeting with the Incorporated Society of Musicians to try and move the situation beyond the blame game.

The government has made a right mess of this for artists, she said. Having promised them that there would be no problem touring in Europe, the deal theyve struck will hammer musicians and performers with costly permits and a mountain of paperwork. This will hit artists at an especially tough time with the COVID-19 related ban on live music but especially young and emerging artists, who may now find touring in Europe unviable.

Carter also described the EU offer that the UK government rejected as reasonable and said that negotiations needed to resume to fix this problem urgently.

The EU made an offer specifically for artists which quite reasonably wanted reciprocity for their own artists; the UK instead made a counteroffer for all business travellers which was more difficult to agree on, she continued. By the way, reciprocity is good for Britain because it means no disruption to seeing our favourite foreign acts here in the UK. Just think of the damage this will do to festival line-ups and so on. The government blaming the EU is predictable but it does nothing to help our creative industries.

She added: The government, quite simply, needs to get back around the negotiating table and secure a better deal specifically for creative industries with paperwork-free travel in Europe for British artists and their equipment.

I believe there is a willingness on all sides to get this done and so the quicker the blame game ends and the sooner the details are thrashed out the better. Some form of reciprocity is going to be key and the government must understand that will be good for Britain.

CREDIT: Getty Images

At the height of the row last week, Dowden had said that it was the EU letting down music on both sides of the Channel not us, before EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said that he regretted that the British didnt display any greater ambition.

In a response to the recent petition, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport wrote: During our negotiations with the EU, we sought a mutually beneficial agreement that would have allowed performers to continue performing across the continent without the need for work permits. Specifically, we proposed to capture the work done by musicians, artists and entertainers, and their accompanying staff through the list of permitted activities for short-term business visitors. This was a straightforward solution for our creative industries which would have benefited all sides.

The EU turned down our proposals on the basis that musicians were providing a service which they viewed as necessitating a work permit and/or visa.

They also added that they were taking all steps we can to make the new processes as straightforward as possible for UK artists performing across the continent.

Last week also saw music industry insiders amplify their fears thatthe current Brexit deal could also prevent UK artists from being able to play in the US, claiming that if talent is unable to acquire international recognition through the usual channel of playing neighbouring European countries with ease, then this could make them ineligible for a visa.

The rest is here:

Opposition parties hit out at government's handling of Brexit touring row - NME

Tens of thousands of Edinburgh residents have come from different EU countries to make an outstanding contribution to the city, its economy, society and national life. It voted by one of the biggest margins in the country to remain in the European Union.

As the Brexit disaster unfolds with the fishing industry facing multi-million-pound losses and transportation and border problems beginning to bite for other sectors, UK opposition leaders have sadly walked away from defending links with European Union.

Sir Keir Starmer, who was elected as Labour leader with a key commitment to retain freedom of movement has now ditched his promise. Less than 10 months after making this one of his top ten pledges, Sir Keir told the Andrew Marr programme on BBC television that he would not campaign to restore free movement as it would require extensive renegotiation of the Brexit treaty.

He was followed on the political programme by Sir Ed Davey, of the Liberal Democrats, who has announced that his party will not be campaigning to rejoin the European Union.

This is in direct contradiction to the promises made by the Scottish Liberal Democrats that they would. Edinburgh Western Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton previously pledged: We have a party policy on this, both at a Scottish level and at a federal level. If we leave the European Union then this party will automatically pivot from the party of remain to the party of re-entry. I think we have to say that loud and clear and not be afraid of saying that. We will be the party of re-entry. Just as the Lib Dems betrayed their commitment on university tuition fees, they are now walking away from their promises on the European Union.

For thousands of Labour and Liberal Democrat voters, the shocking Brexit conversion of their parties will make them question their continuing support. This helps explain the soaring support for the Scottish National Party and Scottish independence.

In recent days, the 18th poll in a row showed a majority for independence and the SNP was polling at 53 per cent support. In Edinburgh, the pro-Brexit Conservatives face losing Edinburgh Central, the Brexit U-turning Labour Party would lose Edinburgh South and Brexit sell-out Liberal Democrats would lose Edinburgh Western.

None of this is, of course, automatic. If Edinburghs pro-European electorate wants to elect pro-European candidates in the Scottish Parliament elections they will have to turnout and vote for them.

Opinion polls are no guarantee of success. Residents should make sure they are registered and given coronavirus restrictions should apply for a postal vote too. Not only should domestic voters who have been deprived of their EU citizenship against their will cast their ballots. So too should European and international residents who are entitled to vote and have been denied continuing residency in a European Union country.

Now that Labour and the Liberal Democrats have given up on the European Union there is only one major mainstream European option for Scotland: electing an SNP government, holding an independence referendum and rejoining the EU. Edinburgh is a European city and could soon become the capital of an EU member state.

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Brexit: Scotland only has one way to rejoin the EU and that's independence Angus Robertson - Edinburgh News

Feet up, mug of tea in hand and breathe. Time to tick Brexit off your worries list? Dont you believe it, because among the devilish details (most of which present more difficulties than impossibilities, thereby still eating time and expense) lurks a ticking time bomb that threatens to destabilise the UK car industry unless urgent action is taken.

It relates to a requirement for the UK or EU content of cars to ramp up between now and 2027, with a particular emphasis on the entire battery in any EV being sourced from either of the regions by that date. Failure to meet these rules of origin will result in 10% tariffs being added that would threaten the value of assembling cars in the UK.

If you judge on EVs UK market share of 6.6% last year, you might well see it as an issue gladly kicked down the road, but the trajectory of uptake is heading only one way to 2030 and beyond.

Some 200,000 today work in vehicle manufacturing and its supply chain, many in jobs, most notably engine-related, that are on a path to no longer existing.

The choice is between encouraging battery makers to invest here (gigafactories cost billions, take around two years to build and need very complex supply chains) or giving away the skills and employment opportunities and importing from the EU, as Mini does on a relatively small scale for the Electric (proving that the objections over complexity and cost are surmountable, at least).

At present, the latter looks more likely than the former. Today we have one battery facility in Sunderland, built by Nissan to support Leaf EV production, now sold but still supplying the factory and a second at the late planning stage, being set up by Britishvolt, a start-up thats set to launch in 2024 to supply a currently unknown customer base.

Sunderland makes about 2GW of batteries per year, and Britishvolt will take that figure to 15GW, or enough to make around 250,000 EVs. In normal times, the UK makes around 1.3 million cars annually, so the need to scale up again if we want homegrown production beyond 2030 is clear.

Yet for now, theres no visible queue of willing investors or government encouragement to make the UK look more enticing to investors. Meanwhile, EU nations are fast-tracking their plans and getting a headstart on developing the infrastructure that will be at the heart of the industry in the future.

Our place in the car-making hierarchy right now drives huge amounts of employment, revenue and investment. But without long-term planning, a large slice of its competitiveness is going to come back into the spotlight in just a few years.

READ MORE

Nissan satisfied with Brexit deal outcome, says UK boss

Inside the industry: How long will Brexit blight the car world?

Analysis: 'British' cars matter more than ever for the UK post-Brexit

Read more:

Inside the industry: Why rule of origin is a Brexit time bomb - Autocar

Scam artists are exploiting a surge in messages from delivery companies seeking Brexit-related taxes and charges by sending out bogus alerts looking for financial details from unsuspecting consumers.

Gardai have warned that with online shopping and parcel deliveries increasing due to the Covid -19 pandemic the potential risk to peoples personal and payment data has increased.

In a statement the Garda said was aware of a scam operating that sees emails and texts circulated under the branding of various courier companies.

In such messages recipients are asked to pay additional costs for customs clearance prior to delivery of parcels. In some instances these emails texts have been circulated in Irish.

Det Supt Michael Cryan of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau said anyone who gets messages like this should not provide any payment details and instead take a screenshot of the text or email and delete it. Anyone who believes they have been the victim of fraud is asked to report the matter to their local Garda station.

Det Supt Cryan said scammers were taking advantage of the confusion around Brexit and criminals would be using uncertainty to defraud people.

Anyone who receives unsolicited correspondence and is awaiting a package should first independently verify the status of the package with the relevant postal service or courier.

People are being warned not to click links in unsolicited texts or emails and to never provide payment details or give away personal data like PIN, card numbers or passwords.

People should also not open attachments in unsolicited emails and make sure computerhave the most up-to-date anti-virus software installed. Similarly people are being told to be wary of unsolicited phone calls.

Be careful, do your research, dont rush in, ask yourself why me? Why am I getting this great offer, and if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is, Det Sup Cryan said.

Read the rest here:

Scammers exploit Brexit taxes and charges for packages - The Irish Times

(Bloomberg) -- The new rules for the bankers who made London financial capital of Europe are still uncertain after Brexit, but one outcome is already clear: a stream of dealmakers across the English Channel.

While thousands of traders and salespeople have already made the move, the next wave is likely to include the high-flyers who advise on strategy, mergers and capital raising, say more than a dozen officials at global institutions. Goldman Sachs Group Inc., for one, is moving senior investment bankers out of London to the continent.

I would expect that 3,000 to 4,000 more investment bankers, especially industry-focused specialists and debt and equity issuance advisers, will have to leave London and come back to Europe, said Andreas Halin, founder of Global Mind Executive Search Consultants GmbH, a Frankfurt-based firm that specializes in the sector.

The prospect of losing a highly paid cadre of taxpayers is particularly bad news for the U.K., since it relies so much on financial services for revenue. The industry employs more than one million people, makes up about 7% of the economy, and accounts for more than a 10th of all tax revenue.

While a U.K.-EU trade deal was sealed in late December, talks on financial services are only just beginning -- with no deadline for completion. EU officials must rule separately that British financial regulations and oversight are strong enough to create a level playing field. Thousands of jobs and more than $1 trillion of assets are already moving to Europe.

Chaperones

For the dealmakers who will be on the move, the issue is one of access. Bankers in London can no longer directly pitch transactions or capital-raising operations to corporate clients on the continent. They require the involvement of a so-called chaperone -- a colleague within the EU to make the first move to contact the client with a business idea.

To manage in the new world, Goldman Sachs is expanding its investment-banking footprint in Europe, moving bankers from London to outposts such as Frankfurt and Madrid.

Story continues

Macario Prieto, head of technology, media and telecom in the region, is relocating to Germanys finance hub, according to spokesman Sebastian Howell. Hell be followed by three other bankers including Konrad Krallmann, who advises financial institutions on deals. At the same time, its doubling its presence in the Spanish capital to 60 bankers by the end of this year, say people familiar with the matter.

Differing Policies

To be sure, rules are far from straightforward and policies hardly uniform. At UBS Group AG, London-based bankers can still initiate business with clients in Germany thanks to a bilateral Swiss-German accord, but cant do so in Spain, said people familiar with the situation.

At Credit Suisse Group AG, all investment bankers in London now have to go through EU-based middlemen when proposing business to a client, according to a person familiar with the matter. That includes even bankers who advise on mergers and acquisitions, though officials at other lenders said they arent applying the chaperone system for their merger advisers.

Spokespeople at UBS and Credit Suisse declined to comment.

Others may also just be trying to finesse the system. Less than two weeks after Brexit fully kicked in, European regulators raised a red flag. U.K. financiers are resorting to questionable practices to improperly preserve the status quo, the Paris-based European Securities and Markets Authority said in a statement Wednesday.

Some firms are trying to circumvent regulations by using online pop-up I agree boxes that claim transactions are made at a clients exclusive initiative, known as reverse soliciation, ESMA said.

We explicitly warn clients against making wide use of reverse solicitation, said Manuel Lorenz, who heads the German financial-services regulatory practice at law firm Baker McKenzie. That does not rule out the involvement of British investment bankers on a deal, if properly structured and as long as the business is not booked in the U.K.

The European Central Bank has signaled its determination to keep an eye on the situation. Activities and services involving EU clients are to be carried out predominantly within the EU, an ECB spokesperson said. Where national regimes allow the provision of cross-border services from a third country, the ECB expects banks not to use such set-ups as a usual means to carry out large volumes of activities in the EU. The ECB is closely monitoring developments to avoid fragmentation or regulatory arbitrage.

Tough Talk

National regulators are also talking tough. Germanys watchdog Bafin in late December reminded financial institutions that U.K. entities and their European branches would no longer have the freedom to provide financial services to clients in Germany and that it will enforce the new rules.

The warning may have surprised some banks because its tone implies Bafin is serious about it and will be strict, said Christian Schmies, an expert on regulation at the law firm Hengeler Mueller in Frankfurt.

Senior investment bankers said in interviews that the first few days of the year were marked by compliance classes, getting drilled on the changes faced by a sovereign Britain that could further erode Londons significance.

(Adds ECB comment in 15th paragraph.)

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Brexit Driving Top Dealmakers Out of London and Into the EU - Yahoo Finance

Manufacturing production has likely fallen

The ONS Business Impact survey from mid-December indicated that half of manufacturers were only somewhat prepared, or not at all. And across the economy, a high proportion of firms reported the changes werent relevant to their business - which in some cases may have been because they weren't fully aware of the forthcoming changes.The chart above showed this tended to be more common among smaller businesses.

One thing that looks inevitable is a fall in manufacturing production in January - perhaps in the region of 3-4%, and things may become worse in the short-term

That said, its a mistake to assume this is only hitting smaller firms.While in general larger firms are likely to have been better prepared, many rely on SMEs as part of their supply chain. That was demonstrated in December when some of the major carmakers had to pause production amid a lack of supplies coming across the Channel.

In short, the situation is fairly bleak, but working out the magnitude of the impact on the wider economy is less straight forward.

One thing that looks inevitable is a fall in manufacturing production in January - perhaps in the region of 3-4%. Thats partly because the situation is unlikely to resolve itself quickly - and in fact may become worse in the short-term as border traffic builds up once again. Net trade is also likely to weigh on GDP through this year, assuming imports recover as lockdowns are unwound but exports take much longer to recover.

Of course it goes without saying that theCovid-19 crisis will dominate the GDP figures for the next few months. But assuming the economy starts to get back on its feet through the middle of 2021, the more interesting question is how Brexit will affect the recovery - and here are threefactors to bear in mind.

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Brexit and the impact of new trade ties on the UK outlook - ING Think

Feet up, mug of tea in hand and breathe. Time to tick Brexit off your worries list? Dont you believe it, because among the devilish details (most of which present more difficulties than impossibilities, thereby still eating time and expense) lurks a ticking time bomb that threatens to destabilisethe UK car industryunless urgent action is taken.

It relates to a requirement for the UK or EU content of cars to ramp up between now and 2027, with aparticular emphasis on the entire battery in any EV being sourcedfrom either of the regions by that date. Failure to meet these rules of origin will result in 10% tariffs being added that would threaten the value of assembling cars in the UK.

If you judge on EVs UK market share of 6.6% last year, you might well see it as an issue gladly kicked down the road, but the trajectory of uptake is heading only one way to 2030 and beyond.

Some 200,000 today work in vehicle manufacturing and its supply chain, many in jobs, most notably engine-related, that are on a path to no longer existing.

The choice is between encouraging battery makers to invest in the UK (gigafactories cost billions, take around two years to build and need very complex supply chains) or giving away the skills and employment opportunities and importing from the EU, asMinidoes on a relatively small scale forthe Electric(proving that the objections over complexity and cost are surmountable, at least).

At present, the latter looks more likely than the former. Today we have one battery facility in Sunderland, built byNissanto supportLeaf EV production, now sold but still supplying the factory and a second at the late planning stage, being set up by Britishvolt, a start-up thats set to launch in 2024 to supply a currently unknown customer base.

Sunderland makes about 2GW of batteries per year, andBritishvoltwill take that figure to 15GW, or enough to make around 250,000 EVs. In normal times, the UK makes around 1.3 million cars annually, so the need to scale up again if we want homegrown production beyond 2030 is clear.

Yet for now, theres no visible queue of willing investors or government encouragement to make the UK look more enticing to investors. Meanwhile, EU nations are fast-tracking their plans and getting a headstart on developing the infrastructure that will be at the heart of the industry in the future.

Our place in the car-making hierarchy right now drives huge amounts of employment, revenue and investment. But without long-term planning, a large slice of its competitiveness is going to come back into the spotlight in just a few years.

/news-international/why-rule-of-origin-is-a-brexit-time-bomb-78279 Why rule of origin is a Brexit time bomb Failure to meet these rules of origin will result in 10% tariffs being added that would threaten the value of assembling cars in the UK. https://www.autocarpro.in/Utils/ImageResizer.ashx?n=http://img.haymarketsac.in/autocarpro/6329563f-d6dc-4d13-8a5d-571b28141915.jpg

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Why rule of origin is a Brexit time bomb - Autocar Professional

There are several sources of help if you are struggling to complete the online formalities for a new Brexit deal card.

All Britons who were living in France in 2020 and want to stay must now apply for one of the new Withdrawal Agreement (WA) residency cards via a dedicated websiteand many readers have found the process straightforward.

However if you are unsure about aspects of your application, are not confident with using computers or have any other difficulties, a number of bodies can advise and in some cases meet you personally.

Some of these are approved and funded by the British government under the UK Nationals Support Scheme, however there are geographical restrictions as to who these can help.

This is a UN partner agency helping migrants and refugees.

Its section helping Britons with Brexit is based in Saint-Brieuc, Brittany with two full-time staff there and will focus on Normandy, Brittany and Paris and Ile-de-France, Hauts-de-France and Pays-de-la-Loire.

It intends to hold outreach meetings to raise awareness; share information on residency requirements and provide direct help for those in difficult situations. The latter could include people with chronic illnesses, or language, literacy or IT difficulties.

The focus is the new cards but they are also able to advise on issues such as driving licences, healthcare or pensions.

Contact details: By email at UKnationalsFR@iom.int or by telephone on 08 09 54 98 32, Monday to Tuesday 14:00-16:00 and Wednesday to Thursday 10:30-12:30.

Meetings at the office are possible by appointment.It has a website at france.iom.int/en/uk-nationals-support-fund-uknsf.

This charity for British military veterans and their families helps military veterans in France. The British Embassy said they expected those applying to the charity to include disabled and pensioner veterans, and veterans living in remote areas or needing help with translating paperwork.

Contact details:08 05 11 96 17 Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:30, or by email atukvie.support@ssafa.org.uk.It was a website at ssafa.org.uk/get-help/veterans-in-europe.It also has a UK-based number on 0044 (0)800 193 0474.

A non-profit body that helps Britons move to France and set up businesses. It is focused on the Dordogne, Aubergne-Rhne-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Cte dAzur.

Its team consists of three bilingual professionals from the area who were already part of the network, plus two new paid part-time workers.

Contact details:Questions may be sent viatinyurl.com/y29bfxbk.It also has a telephone helpline on 05 19 88 01 09 (Monday to Wednesday 9:00-13:00 and Thursday and Friday 13:00-17:00) and a Facebook page: facebook.com/francobritishnetwork.Its website is: francobritishnetwork.fr.

The diocese is offering assistance to those in Nouvelle-Aquitaine apart from Dordogne, as well as Occitanie, Bourgogne-Franche-Comt, Centre-Val de Loire, Corsica and Grand Est.

Contact details:It has a website relating to its Brexit help atfrenchresidencysupport.org. Its hotline is on 05 32 80 00 05, Monday to Friday 09:30 to 12:00 and 13:30 to 16:00; Tuesday 17.30-20.00 and Saturday 09:30-12:00.

Two English-speaking bodies that are not part of the official funded network have told The Connexion they are able to help: English-speaking charity Cancer Support France(email brexit@cancersupportfrance.org, telephone 0800 240 200) and The Old School, Dordogne.

The Old School (oldschoolfrance.com), which has received some funding from the British Community Committee of France for this work, has a helpline on 05 53 40 60 54 from 09:00 to 16:00 on Thursdays and can also arrange one-to-one meetings.

All local prefectures should be able to assist to some extent with making the application online, using free public computer terminals.

Paper applications are not possible.

Another option would be to visit one of the Maisons de Services au Public at: maisondeservicesaupublic.fr. These are local centres that can help people with administrative tasks.

No Brexit cards denied so far to Britons in Dordogne

Britons French Brexit residency cards: How to apply

More here:

Who to contact in France for help with Brexit residency card - The Connexion