Imagine that you are the fishing minister for the UK. It's Christmas Eve. You get sent the EU Brexit agreement. This is your one shot at making sure everything is OK for the industry you represent.
Do you:
a) Read the document...esp the parts pertaining to the fishing industry to ensure that all is in order and there is nothing that you need to raise with Cabinet or elsewhere?
b) Wander out during lockdown to set up a Nativity Trail so that lots of other people can wander about during lockdown?
Now which choice do you thing Victoria Prentis the fishing minister made?
This is what she said when questioned:
Asked if her jaw had dropped when she saw the deal with the EU on Christmas Eve, Prentis told the Lords EU environment subcommittee: “No, the agreement came when we were all very busy on Christmas Eve, in my case organising the local nativity trail.
“We had been waiting and waiting, it looked like it was coming for probably four days before it actually arrived.
“I, for one, had gone through, as I’m sure members of this committee had, a gamut of emotions over those four days.”
www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jan/13/fisheries-minister-admits-not-reading-brexit-bill-as-she-was-at-nativity
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Fishing industry being destroyed
(63 Posts)This doesn’t happen often but....words fail me!
I'll say what I've said before. This is not an active government; it's a charade. It has all the right people in the right places but they're not actually doing anything.
It is more than likely that should, by some miracle, Ms Prentis have read the deal, even just the bit pertaining to fisheries, and raised any objections to it she would have been out on her ear.
The whole of the cabinet and all the tory MPs exist solely as a rubber stamping machine. They play no active role...
She lives in an Oxfordshire village, more than 80 miles from the nearest sea. How did she get appointed in the first place?
Did not the vast majority of UK fishermen vote to leave the EU - what did they expect?
What the heck does it matter where she lives?! Ridiculous
Thinking geekesse.
I think on Christmas Eve even the fishing minister has got things to do.... and in any case what was she supposed to do,
The deal had been agreed, and it’s a better deal for UK fishermen than they have had up to now.
It may not have been the perfect deal that they wanted, but it was never going to be, the main thing is that it’s a better one.
The things that Labour supporters manage to get excited and angry about knows no bounds.
A very angry fisherman on the radio just now. Threatening to dump his catch in Westminster because he has been unable to export it due to hold ups caused by Brexit.
I thought Brexiteers were supposed to care about the fishing industry.
Maybe if the minister had actually read the document she may have been able to mitigate some of these problems by pointing them out and finding a work around.
Ms Prentiss has no personal stake in the fishing industry, and nor do the majority of her constituents, which is why where she lives, and the constituency she represents, is relevant, lemongrove.
She is is my MP. I expect her to do her job. She didn’t. She didn’t even bother to read the documentation because she had something more fun to do. In many jobs, skiving like that would be a sackable offence.
As you know Lemon I'm not a Labour supporter. I'm quite angry that a government minister couldn't take the time to understand something that was so vital to her brief.
So, next time you want to slag off Labour supporters, make sure you don't just mean "people who think the Tory government are a bunch of charlatans".
And if you think the deal they have got is better than the one they had, try asking a fisherman. Or a fish processor. Or a fish exporter....
^ I'm quite angry that a government minister couldn't take the time to understand something that was so vital to her brief.^
You really need to understand that none of these ministers are intended to do any work. They are puppets. There to fool the voters into thinking we have a government. It works, doesn't it, as replies on this thread demonstrate? If the ordinary voter really doesn't see that a minister's job is more important than organising a nativity thing, then the con is working beautifully...
P.S. The idea that a government is there to serve the people is really silly, isn't it?
It isn’t relevant to the job geekesse.... and can be done by a minister who lives in York/Oxford/ Manchester just as well.
All a minister needs to do is to understand what their job entails.
Algerias I have no idea what your politics are ( but guessing SNP)?
Am thinking that mainly all who do get angry about this are Labour supporters or those who constantly moan at any real or imagined wrong doing by any government ‘bod’ at all.
A great deal of the fishermen live in Scotland and although they may be complaining about hiccups to do with Brexit, will get a much better deal for the coming years than under EU trade from the past.
It certainly isn't a better deal than the one they had before where they could have seamless trade with their main market. now every box has got to be checked and what took 5 minutes now take hours/days - not good for something so perishable. This minister obviously doesn't know what her job entails otherwise she might have glanced at something so important. As for slagging off every one who criticises this government I think we could say those who defend everything they do and will never admit to any shortcomings of our dear leaders are somewhat blinkered in their adoration.
They certainly wont get a better deal in the years to come, especially if their businesses have gone under.
What do you say about their increased fishing quotas for the future then Seams ??
Fair enough about my politics Lemon, I made an assumption.
But you think people who complain about the government are mainly........people who complain about the government?
Yes that's probably true. Or is it....
www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/tory-mps-from-fishing-areas-criticise-government-over-brexit-red-tape/ar-BB1cKIg6
Increased fishing quotas will mean bobbins if their businesses have gone under which many are in danger of, and if they can't easily sell what they catch.
lemongrove
What do you say about their increased fishing quotas for the future then Seams ??
Increased quotas are completely useless unless you can sell your fish.
Which is the problem facing our fisherpeople at the moment. They can't get it to market in a saleable state.
They will need a side deal that violates the Brexiters desire for separation if this is going to improve.
lemongrove
It isn’t relevant to the job geekesse.... and can be done by a minister who lives in York/Oxford/ Manchester just as well.
All a minister needs to do is to understand what their job entails.
Algerias I have no idea what your politics are ( but guessing SNP)?
Am thinking that mainly all who do get angry about this are Labour supporters or those who constantly moan at any real or imagined wrong doing by any government ‘bod’ at all.
A great deal of the fishermen live in Scotland and although they may be complaining about hiccups to do with Brexit, will get a much better deal for the coming years than under EU trade from the past.
How do you work out that they will get a better deal in the future?
Is this a sensible and measured response by Jacob Reece Mogg? " The fish are happier because they are British"
Or is it uncaring flippency.
Maybe everybody who says its a good deal could tell this guy where he's going wrong?
inews.co.uk/news/brexit/fishermen-worse-off-post-brexit-trade-deal-andrew-locker-national-federation-fishermans-organisation-michael-gove-809681
Oh wait, I know....it's jam tomorrow! Just like always.
Their fishing quotas will be massively increased ( than what they can catch today) and there is time to sort out any problems as from now on ( with the Brexit trade deal agreed in the main) they(government) can fix any difficulties with fishermen getting their catch to the markets.It’s early days.
MP’s have to act for their constituents or they lose their jobs.
Of course Alegrias he (Andrew Locker) wanted too much from the deal ( I have read your link!) far, far too much in fact, but then he is the head of that organisation so no doubt dreamed ‘big’.
What they are getting over the next few years isn’t bad at all, just not every fish in our coastal waters, as he hoped.
I’d like to comment as someone whose family has been involved in fishing for over a hundred years, mostly trawler men.
The deal is not what was hoped for in that the concession to fish in British waters is greater than was wanted and goes on for longer than was wanted. It’s a big disappointment.
BUT our fishing industry when we were in the EU was without hope. That’s why the vast majority of fishermen voted leave.
So if you’re saying fishermen should have got a better deal, I agree.
If you’re saying they were better off in the EU. You couldn’t be further from the truth. Nobody in the fishing industry would want to go back to what was before.
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