Way too many have kept busier defeating Brexit than saving Britain, come what may.

Sir, Philip Stafford writes “City executives describe the EU’s no-deal plans as a ‘nakedly political’ grab for London’s business” “Tail risk” April 9.

Alex Barker in “Barnier vs the Brits” FT already in November 2011, wrote about the fears of Sir Mervin King held about that some Brussels reforms would reshape a vital British industry, banking, to the benefit of eurozone rivals. 

Specifically Barker mentioned: “Underlying the alarm in London is a more visceral fear: that Mr Barnier’s backers on the mainland are using this regulatory marathon to sap London’s strength as Europe’s pre-eminent financial centre.”

And that was when Michel Barnier was only the “European internal market commissioner – a perch giving him oversight of the continent’s financial industry. Arguably, no European Union job is of more consequence for the UK.”

Well yes, there was. Now Michel Barnier, since December 2016, is the European Chief Negotiator for the United Kingdom Exiting the European Union, a job with even more consequence for the UK.

Given the previous rough relationship between Britain and Monsieur Barnier, one could have made a very well argued case that his appointment served no one well. And I am sure many EU nations would have understood that.

As a friend of Britain, I have one way or other argued the previous on several occasions, but with no luck. I believe that is because way too many were kept too interested in just defeating Brexit and so, to try for a better Brexit, did not fit their plans.

https://teawithft.blogspot.com/2017/03/is-michel-barnier-really-sure-about.html

https://teawithft.blogspot.com/2017/07/european-citizens-must-solve-brexit.html

https://teawithft.blogspot.com/2017/07/should-not-mr-michel-barnier-negotiator.html

https://teawithft.blogspot.com/2018/04/what-kind-of-tariffs-is-protectionist.html

@PerKurowski

It behooves EU technocrats to find out what Europeans want and do not want to come out of Brexit.

Sir, Karin Kneissl, even by daring to explain some historical reasons for why Britain might not really belong in EU, makes a firm and clear call, to all the parties directly involved in the Brexit negotiations, to come back to their common senses. “A pragmatic approach to Brexit will pay off for both sides” August 10.

Hopefully it will give those many in Britain (including some in FT) who seem to want Brexit to fail, big, so that they can say their “We told you so”, some reason to recapacitate. Of course many of them, just like many Trump enemies in the US, are beyond the point where they would be able to do so.

If Karin Kneissl wants to help even more she should give Mr. Negotiator Barnier a call, and remind him that it behooves him, and all other EU technocrats, to find out what Europeans want and do not want to come out of Brexit. That this has not been done is sincerely amazing and only points to way too much besserwisser arrogance playing a role.

And Sir, if Brexit fails big, it is not certain at all that the loudest protesters would be British. Among Europeans, Britain counts with much more sympathy than what all commissioners, whose egos were hurt with Brexit, think it has. A French finding it harder to visit London is just as likely to be upset than a Brit finding it harder to visit Paris… perhaps even more “Mon Dieu, que dirait de Gaulle?”

@PerKurowski

Perhaps Paris should have a little tête-à-tête with Volkswagen about what to do about embarrassing pollution ratings.

Sir, Adam Thomson discusses the embarrassment to Paris its lousy environmental readings could cause when, for a UN conference in November, “some 40,000 politicians, delegates, scientists and environment experts will descend on Paris to discuss what is billed by many as humanity’s last hope of saving the planet from irreversible climate change”. “Dark and dirty days in the city of light” September 23.

Perhaps Paris should have a little tête-à-tête with Volkswagen to see if it has any ideas about what could be done.

Or, in these days when Volkswagen has so utterly destroyed the credibility of emission controllers, Paris could perhaps just discreetly let out something like: “Our emission readings are sincere”

Oops… should those who have responsibility for supporting tourism in big cities also need to have tête-à-têtes with App developers like Plume?

http://ourpiedaterre.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-vw-volkswagen-emission-control.html

@PerKurowski

Sir, do you know of any plans of the Englishmen reclaiming London?

Sir, since we see London being sold out to foreigners looking for refuge, let me ask your opinion. Should the Englishmen design a long term plan to reclaim London, or should they just move their capital and Queen elsewhere?

For instance, since you have a lot of antiques from Greece´s Athens in the British Museum, but now also many wealthy Greeks own much in London, do you see any bartering possibilities?

Yes, what a crazy world we live in… for instance its bank regulations, designed for our banks to avoid like pest “The Risky”, when we all know that it is “The Infallible” that constitutes by far the biggest threat to our banking system.

http://subprimeregulations.blogspot.com/2013/07/my-opinion-in-journal-of-regulation-and.html