France threatens to cut power to Jersey amid fishing row

I think the threat by France to cut off the electricity to Jersey will backfire on them.
I’ve read that instead of looking to France for our future electricity needs, we are considering Norway to be perhaps a better option.

It’s all making my head hurt !
People with nasty opinions on the Channel Islands that are actually incorrect.
Always been the same though, a little knowledge is dangerous.

I think everyone hates the French because they hate us but it’s ok for us to hate them but not for them to hate us. Even though they don’t. And we’re still at war with them. And they’ve forgotten that we won WWII single handed and saved them. And Napoleon is probably in there somewhere. It’s all making my head hurt a bit. And is all quite unpleasant.

I just can't believe some of these posts. The French are not our enemies any more. How can anyone say they're lucky to get access to our waters or anything else. We don't live in the days of empire any more and Britannia no longer rules the waves. We're a wee island off the coast of Europe. Knowing the limits of our power and wanting to be friends with our neighbours is not doing the country down. Imagining that anyone is Europe is trying to make us fail is just deluded.

And why did you single me out? I’m not alone in my views on this thread.

Saetana

Wow Suziewoozie - you really have an axe to grind here! Whilst I agree it is unlikely the French will cut off the power to Jersey, it smacks of the unpleasant posturing we have seen from the EU since Brexit. As a UK government spokesman said - there are mechanisms for resolving disputes in the treaty that both us and the EU have signed. Threats to cut off power, and to blockade the port of St Helier, are hardly in the spirit of the agreement. French fishermen knew what they had to do to get licences to fish in Jersey waters, its hardly the fault of Jersey that some failed to do so. French entitlement has to be seen to be believed - they are lucky we will still allow them to fish in our waters at all, given we are no longer part of the EU. People forget the French have been our enemies far more often than they have been our friends over the last few centuries.

And you haven’t? Oh come on - this whole issue is a perfect example of axe grinding and footballification. You think you’re a neutral unbiased commentator? Pull the other one ?

Wow Suziewoozie - you really have an axe to grind here! Whilst I agree it is unlikely the French will cut off the power to Jersey, it smacks of the unpleasant posturing we have seen from the EU since Brexit. As a UK government spokesman said - there are mechanisms for resolving disputes in the treaty that both us and the EU have signed. Threats to cut off power, and to blockade the port of St Helier, are hardly in the spirit of the agreement. French fishermen knew what they had to do to get licences to fish in Jersey waters, its hardly the fault of Jersey that some failed to do so. French entitlement has to be seen to be believed - they are lucky we will still allow them to fish in our waters at all, given we are no longer part of the EU. People forget the French have been our enemies far more often than they have been our friends over the last few centuries.

Lights out! Bedtime ? I’m sunk!

It really was a good time to rally the Brexiteers, the upcoming
elections, and the new Michael Barnier book out on Thursday
laying bare the Brexit negotiation farce, the political infighting of the present Government , all would pale into insignificance
on the Tabloid front pages when you have 'a war with France'!
which too will fade away when its no longer needed.

Maggiemaybe

^But I don't think you're a Johnson supporter are you?^

You're not wrong there, Maizie.

I do still think that the threat (serious or not) was completely unacceptable.

I agree with you. But I found it very difficult to take it seriously.

I was just speculating on how it would have been perceived by Johnson's supporters had it emanated from him, rather than the French.

MaizieD

Alegrias1

This is all a wind up isn't it? Either that or I'm dreaming...

The war?!?

I am really curious as to where the decision to alter the French fishermens' licences at very short notice came from, and why it all happened just in time to send the 'gunboats' in just before an election.

Ooohhh I have absolutely NO idea ???

But I don't think you're a Johnson supporter are you?

You're not wrong there, Maizie.

I do still think that the threat (serious or not) was completely unacceptable.

Alegrias1

This is all a wind up isn't it? Either that or I'm dreaming...

The war?!?

I am really curious as to where the decision to alter the French fishermens' licences at very short notice came from, and why it all happened just in time to send the 'gunboats' in just before an election.

Aepgirl

French fishermen have always been like this. Just think of the number of times they have blocked Calais,

What bullies they are to try to do this to Jersey , when Jersey was so good to them during the war - they reckoned without the strength of Boris.

I am poised between sobbing and laughing hysterically ???

Maggiemaybe

MaizieD

To all those people being nasty about the French..

Had Jolly Johnson threatened to cut off the French electricity supply everyone would have said that he didn't really mean it, it was just said in a moment of frustration... or, as a joke...

Just thought I'd throw that in...

I wouldn't. I'd be appalled. I'd be even more appalled if he threatened a small island of 110,000 people with the same thing.

But I don't think you're a Johnson supporter are you?

They're all getting themselves steamed up on here about the dreadful French but they're quite happy to excuse the most outrageous comments from Johnson. Like bodies piling high...

This is all a wind up isn't it? Either that or I'm dreaming...

The war?!?

French fishermen have always been like this. Just think of the number of times they have blocked Calais,

What bullies they are to try to do this to Jersey , when Jersey was so good to them during the war - they reckoned without the strength of Boris.

Just my opinion, but I think tax havens are immoral.

Whilst the threat to cut electricity was a stupid remark, I see no evidence whatsoever that it was ever anywhere near government policy. Girardin is originally from St Malo so that might explain it a bit.

Channel Islands do generate electricity.
Hospitals which do exist also have back up generators. It would be bad but manageable.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202105/medium-628297-e0xcxf4wuaa-rxq-jpeg.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202105/medium-635284-e0treuwxoaaubs7-jpeg-1.jpg

You do have to laugh a bit at the photo ops yesterday provided though for the politicians. Both Le Pen and Girardin amongst fishermen, but with all their masks on they're not very recognisable!
Maybe Macron would have worn his snazzy mask with the tricolour on it.

French culture is different in that people will stand up for their rights and react much faster than us imo
Too right sazzl a lot if it is bluster, though I do admire their attitude a bit too.
I wouldn't be surprised if they did cut the electric but it would be a disaster for hospital patients, businesses etc.
Don't worry, Jersey has sufficient electricity of its own to cover that eventuality in an emergency.

Just seen this on Twitter:
"You're right about mendacious Mail/ Express/Sun headlines today saying the Navy made the French protest flotilla flee. Pure fantasy. The 100 Fr boats stayed off or in St Helier harbour for as long as they said they would. The blockade was a tabloid invention. So was its defeat."

Who would have thought it?

Nobody took much notice of the Northern Irish boarder at Brexit and Arleen Foster has had to resign and who do we get then an Ian Paisley clone.
Do we sit back and watch the French dominate negotiations about the Channel Islands fishing rights. They are British just like the Falkland Islands and we went to war about them.
The French have always had an ambiguous attitude to Britain when they need us they are friends when they think they are alright they do not like us.
Dean Rusk got it right when he answered De Gaule at Lyndon Johnstons prompting. De Gaulle asked for all American service people to leave France and was asked "What even the dead ones?"

MaizieD

To all those people being nasty about the French..

Had Jolly Johnson threatened to cut off the French electricity supply everyone would have said that he didn't really mean it, it was just said in a moment of frustration... or, as a joke...

Just thought I'd throw that in...

I wouldn't. I'd be appalled. I'd be even more appalled if he threatened a small island of 110,000 people with the same thing.