We are planning a film to feature truck drivers and their supply chains, to focus on the plight of people caught within Operation Brock, TAP, 256 TAP and associated lorry queues within Kent as a result of Brexit.
Please send your pictures from the crime scene to me at reboot@academy-of-rock.co.uk
In this Irish special we focus on the U2 question posed by Liz Truss “With or Without EU”. It becomes clear that she still hasn’t found what she’s looking for with Brexit.
As things continue to become more bizarre by the day in Brexit Britain, we focus on the Irish question in this fake version of The Mail on Sunday.
FACT: Liz Truss is prepared to risk the breakdown of the Good Friday Agreement and 30 years of peace on the island of Ireland to improve her chances of becoming PM. In 2019 the Conservatives said that peace in Northern Ireland and independence for Scotland were prices worth paying to “Get Brexit Done”. One of the few truths they told.
FACT : It was the BRITISH government that signed the Brexit deal which required the border in the sea between Britain and the island of Ireland. Blaming the EU is simply gaslighting. We are a third country and, to quote the Brexiteers we should “Get over it”
FACT : ‘Sir’ David Frost read the deal and then ignored it in order to “Get Brexit Done”. This problem is ENTIRELY of our own Government’s making and Frost’s squirming is pathetic. He’s not even elected.
FACT : Boris Johnson said that a border between Ireland and Britain would only happen over his dead body. We note that he is still alive.
FACT : The majority of people and politicians in Northern Ireland want to keep the Northern Ireland Protocol. Some 70% of people voted for parties that support peace on the island or Ireland.
FACT : ‘Sir’ David Frost is now pretending he was railroaded into signing the deal. The word scum is not bad enough for someone who refuses to own his Brexshit.
FACT : Johnson needs this distraction to ensure people don’t think about unnecessary COVID deaths, Leadership failures via Partygate, the cost of living crisis, Brexit carnage, Levelling down, NI rises, Pension unlocking, killing bees, killing kids by encouraging them to eat more junk food, the list goes on.
FICTION : Whereas Coleen Rooney has not shagged Johnson, Arlene would do anything to restore the troubles to Northern Ireland, including a performance with Dolly Parton if one could be arranged.
It’s Europe Day … a brief reminder, lest we forget.
It cost each of us 37 pence a day (or half a Mars bar) to belong to the World’s greatest peace project. I can think of nothing one could buy with 37 pence that would amount to what we got by being part of the EU, faults and all.
Now we left via Brexit, Putin’s plan to create war in Europe continues and our Government plan to restart the troubles in Northern Ireland.
What did we leave for? I’m still waiting for answers beyond mythical notions of freedom. Answers on a postcard.
Footnote : I watched The Killing Fields yesterday afternoon for a reminder of how far we have travelled and just how easy it is to return to a world of violence inspired by ideology.
Priti Patel plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. A modern form of concentration. In case you are unsure as to what is fact and faction in this edition of The Maul, here’s some help:
FACT: 2/3 of people seeking asylum are legal asylum seekers … but
FACT: Priti Patel’s concentration arrangement is a one-way ticket to Rwanda. So all asylum seekers are sent to Rwanda, regardless of their status. If they are found to be legitimate, they cannot return.
FACT: The concentration scheme will cost far more than housing migrants in The Ritz hotel in London.
FACT: The Home Office objected to the scheme but Patel forced the process through using a special order.
FACT: Priti Patel has united several religions of the world. God has found her bang out of order as have the Sikhs.
FACT: There are better alternatives identified by Yvette Cooper and others. Cooper pointed out that Australian Refugee Council offshoring figuress show 3127 people were sent to Papua New Guinea/ Nauru since 2013 at cost to Australian taxpayer of AUS$10bn. That’s £1.7m per person. We can expect a similar order of costs here.
FACT: Israel introduced a similar system. All those expelled fled the country and re-entered the countries they left. There is no sense in which the British system will lead to a different outcome.
FICTION: There is no proof that Larry the cat deliberately attended lockdown parties. After all, cats retain freedom of movement, unlike human beings after Brexit.
FICTION: Butlins are not hosting refugees in Rwanda, nor are they hoping to host holiday homes there. Instead they prefer to host true Brits at Clacton, Greet Yarmouth, Bridlington and Camber. Book your staycation and avoid 5 hour airport queues or even longer at the Brexit ports.
FACT: Priti Patel is subhuman scum in the Harry Enfield / Reginald Perrin sense of the word. An immigrant who has forgotten how she came to be here.
FACT: Find out more on asylum seekers here.
Leave means Leave – by Ian Collard.
Companies continue to leave these shores for Europe. At the outset, the government’s standard response was to deny this had anything to do with Brexit – it was just a coincidence that so many had taken the same decision. Over time, even by their own standards of truth and accuracy, that argument was becoming difficult to defend. In April 2022, a company in the seat represented by former government housing minister Robert ‘It was pure chance that a change I made benefitted a Tory donor’ Jenrick joined the throng an upped sticks for the continent. Brexit-supporting Newark in shock as largest employer shuts up shop and heads for mainland Europe (cityam.com)
Face with a problem that the public were noticing ‘levelling up’ was just a slogan and that Brexit was turning out to be the disaster predicted, a government minister had a flash of inspiration:
A senior minister has highlighted that the UK is well on its way to overcoming the shortage of fruit and vegetable pickers that has been such a problem since the UK left the EU.
Highlighting specifically the freeing up of 110 potential labourers from the Goodlife factory in Newark, the minister for Brexit Excuses Jackie Dix-Sprogs said:
“Whingeing Remainers said that after Brexit there would be a shortage of people to harvest our food. This proves they were wrong – there was no shortage, the workers were just in the wrong place. We simply needed a way to level up and allow our highly-skilled workforce to get out there and do some back-breaking work. Now, thanks to Brexit, firms like Goodlife are moving their operations to Europe and freeing up workers to pick crops. This certainly doesn’t bode well for Europe as if more companies relocate, they will likely end up with a shortage of workers themselves. Leave means Leave.”
Banged up Bojo. A fine is not enough. Jail Johnson !! Satire alert.
I want to know if my MP broke the law. If these people were members of the public, their names would be in the papers. They are no different.
P&O is one of the finest names in British maritime history, dating back to 1837 when the name was chosen to mean Peninsula & Orient; where Peninsula refers to the Iberian Peninsula, and Orient refers to the Eastern Mediterranean. Not much is written about the early years including its service to supply troop ships during WWII, but its current structure dates back to 2002 when P&O Ferries was formed as a Company in its own right, followed by its purchase by DP World in 2019.
In common with the Maritime Industry in general, it has always faced challenges and opportunities (none more so than at present); as it is forced to adapt to a changing world. Firstly, the very concept of a RORO ferry, was thought up when the cost of capital was high, meaning the turn-around time at port, and travel time was at a premium; and Carbon (and Sulfur) emissions where hardly on the agenda. Now, fuel costs and environmental legislation (e.g. the Sulfur Cap of 2020) are of prime importance, while the cost of capital is rock-bottom. Sea travel can however still be the cheapest and most environmentally friendly, but only if the ships can enjoy economies of scale, are packed to capacity, and can travel at a speed (sometimes as low as 2 knots) to optimize engine efficiency, tide, and berthing time table. This suits the container ship but is an anathema to the sea passenger. The RORO ferry however still has the edge for perishable goods.
Ferry services on the Dover Calais route have faced other competitive challenges, firstly from the over-priced but even speedier Channel Tunnel, secondly from Irish Ferries being allowed to ply the same route from March 2021, using third country contract seafarers. Brexit and Coronavirus must certainly have had their impact on ticket sales, staff shortages, and boarding delays. All together, these have cost the company £100 Million per year. One response has been in restructuring; another could be outsourcing ship’s construction to the Far East.
P&O Ferries is a British Company, owned by Dubai based DP World. The ships are flagged in Malta, and the staff paid out of Jersey. It is important to note that at sea, the Captain is the Sovereign Authority under the jurisdiction of the flag, and nobody pays tax anywhere. This may change once the ship enters territorial waters, and certainly will change once a crew member steps ashore. Tax arrangements are exceedingly complicated, as they depend on how much time one spends in each zone; with each jurisdiction measuring time differently! A seafarer can find that just one short delay, a change in shift patterns, or an extended shore leave can change his tax liability completely. Jersey is outside the UK and outside the EU. It is therefore an ideal jurisdiction for withholding tax till the year’s returns are completed (it’s very easy to forget or miss a rule). – In the light of seafarers working arrangements, I don’t think it was unreasonable for the CEO of P&O Ferries, Peter Hebblethwaite, to announce the mass sacking of staff by recoded video message. It was the only way to reach everyone fairly and simultaneously.
Malta is an EU Member State, well known as an off-shore tax-haven and easy centre for ships registration. As a new Member State, I have found them very lax in converging to EU Legislation. Because of their special sacrifices in supporting the allies during WWII, Britain is disinclined to find fault with them. And because of their smallness within the big EU picture, Brussels is hardly likely to take notice. But they will converge, eventually.
Dubai, as an Arab State probably has access to the best deals in bunker fuel. But more ominously, DP World has been advising the government on free-ports. DP World also has a majority stake in the container port of Yuzhny about 20 miles East of Odessa in Ukraine (acquired in 2020). Ukraine is the prosperous breadbasket of Europe and the World, and this is likely to be a very profitable asset once the war is over.
Now, what about the new outsourced third party crew, and what is life going to be like for them? Most young men take to sea to see the world, with full board and lodgings paid, and a little bit of pocket-money to boot; but when they come to the UK, they’re going to be very sorry indeed. They’ll be forced to stay on-board without a proper Visa, like any other tourist. (Or will they need the very expensive UK working visa, if they’re deemed to be employed in the UK?) – The EU has been working on this problem for years, trying to ensure that any legitimate seafarer can have shore leave based on his ship’s papers. This is now fairly well harmonized, including the right of transit from airport to duty ship, or between duty ships. The latest EU legislation however, restricts the rights of seafarers taking shore leave to cross Sovereign State boundaries. It is not a Schengen Visa. The UK is no longer party to this agreement, and as a result, third party seafarers may suffer. – The UK Government does have the right to detain a ship once it is in port, and prevent it leaving again; for instance, if debts have not been paid, if the ship has been found to be unseaworthy, or if the crew do not live up to the necessary standard of competence. This is very much the limit of the UK’s authority. Even the right to run a service can only be granted in agreement with the EU counter-party. Parochial British Trade Unions have very little purchase on the problem.
How could this sorry state of affairs have been avoided? In the USA, they have something called the Jones Act, which says that any service run between USA ports must be on ships that have been constructed, owned, and crewed by Americans. A federal Europe could do something similar; sure it is protectionism, but I think we need a bit of protectionism. And if we consider: wages, shipbuilding, and financing skills across Europe, I think there is plenty of scope for reasonable competition. In reviewing the above, it strikes me that we spend too much time and effort on: gaming the system, the tax system, and the shipping regulations. – It would surely be far better if those in the business where given a level playing field so that they could concentrate on what they know best: running a ferry service, or a shipping line. There are plenty of changes that are still needed in the industry.
Read our related article on P&O Ferries and Brexit.
We want to explain a long term project to send a potent message to Brexit supporting MPs that Brexit Doesn’t Pay. We will do this by damaging the majorities held by Brexit supporting MPs in Parliament by systematically engaging their constituents in conversation about their record nationally and locally, through information leaflets and on social media. We plan to do this as ‘non party campaigners’ and will offer no guidance as to how people vote. We will just ask them not to vote Tory. By doing this we will leaven their majorities and allow other political parties to do their best.
We have a database that identifies a number of MPs who have:
Find the database at Google Drive. Add your name and mail your details to peter@academy-of-rock.co.uk to help lead the project in your local area.
| COUNTY | Constituency | MP first name | MP surname |
| SOUTH | |||
| Hertfordshire | Hitchin and Harpenden | Bim | Afolami |
| Welwyn Hatfield | Grant | Shapps | |
| Stevenage | Stephen | McPartland | |
| East Sussex | Lewes | Maria | Caulfield |
| Hampshire | Aldershot | Leo | Docherty |
| Fareham | Suella | Braverman | |
| New Forest West | Desmond | Swayne | |
| North East Hampshire | Ranil | Jayawardena | |
| North West Hampshire | Kit | Malthouse | |
| Portsmouth North | Penny | Mordaunt | |
| Southampton, Itchen | Royston | Smith | |
| Kent | Dartford | Gareth | Johnson |
| Dover | Natalie | Elphicke | |
| Gravesham | Adam | Holloway | |
| Sittingbourne and Sheppey | Gordon | Henderson | |
| South Thanet | Craig | Mackinlay | |
| Gillingham and Rainham | Rehman | Chishti | |
| Oxfordshire | Witney | Robert | Courts |
| Surrey | Carshalton and Wallington | Elliot | Colburn |
| Epsom and Ewell | Chris | Grayling | |
| Reigate | Crispin | Blunt | |
| Esher and Walton | Dominic | Raab | |
| Surrey Heath | Michael | Gove | |
| Berkshire | Wokingham | John | Redwood |
| Buckinghamshire | Wycombe | Steve | Baker |
| Isle of Wight | Isle Of Wight | Bob | Seely |
| West Sussex | Crawley | Henry | Smith |
| East Worthing and Shoreham | Tim | Loughton | |
| Horsham | Jeremy | Quin | |
| Bedfordshire | Mid Bedfordshire | Nadine | Dorries |
| WEST | |||
| Avon | North East Somerset | Jacob | Rees-Mogg |
| North Somerset | Liam | Fox | |
| Weston-Super-Mare | John | Penrose | |
| Cornwall | North Cornwall | Scott | Mann |
| South East Cornwall | Sheryll | Murray | |
| St Austell and Newquay | Steve | Double | |
| Devon | Newton Abbot | Anne Marie | Morris |
| Dorset | Christchurch | Christopher | Chope |
| Mid Dorset and North Poole | Michael | Tomlinson | |
| Somerset | Somerton and Frome | David | Warburton |
| Yeovil | Marcus | Fysh | |
| NORTH | |||
| Northumberland | Blyth Valley | Ian | Levy |
| Berwick-Upon-Tweed | Anne-Marie | Trevelyan | |
| Humberside | Cleethorpes | Martin | Vickers |
| Haltemprice and Howden | David | Davis | |
| North Yorkshire | Thirsk and Malton | Kevin | Hollinrake |
| West Yorkshire | Morley and Outwood | Andrea | Jenkyns |
| Shipley | Philip | Davies | |
| South Yorkshire | Penistone and Stocksbridge | Miriam | Cates |
| SCOTLAND | |||
| Scotland | Moray | Douglas | Ross |
| West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine | Andrew | Bowie | |
| LONDON | |||
| Greater London | Chipping Barnet | Theresa | Villiers |
| Kensington | Felicity | Buchan | |
| Islington North | Jeremy | Corbyn | |
| Hornchurch and Upminster | Julia | Lopez | |
| Uxbridge and South Ruislip | Boris | Johnson | |
| Sutton and Cheam | Paul | Scully | |
| EAST | |||
| Norfolk | Great Yarmouth | Brandon | Lewis |
| South Norfolk | Richard | Bacon | |
| Suffolk | Suffolk Coastal | Thérèse | Coffey |
| Cambridgeshire | Huntingdon | Jonathan | Djanogly |
| Essex | Braintree | James | Cleverly |
| Epping Forest | Eleanor | Laing | |
| Harwich and North Essex | Bernard | Jenkin | |
| Maldon | John | Whittingdale | |
| Rayleigh and Wickford | Mark | Francois | |
| Rochford and Southend East | James | Duddridge | |
| Saffron Walden | Kemi | Badenoch | |
| Thurrock | Jacqueline | Doyle-Price | |
| Chingford and Woodford Green | Iain | Duncan Smith | |
| Witham | Priti | Patel | |
| WALES / NORTH WEST | |||
| Clwyd | Clwyd West | David | Jones |
| South Glamorgan | Vale of Glamorgan | Alun | Cairns |
| Mid Glamorgan | Bridgend | Jamie | Wallis |
| Lancashire | Fylde | Mark | Menzies |
| Merseyside | Southport | Damien | Moore |
| Cheshire | Macclesfield | David | Rutley |
| Greater Manchester | Bolton West | Chris | Green |
| Bury North | James | Daly | |
| Bury South | Christian | Wakeford | |
| Bolton North East | Mark | Logan | |
| Heywood and Middleton | Chris | Clarkson | |
| Blackley and Broughton | Graham | Stringer | |
| Hazel Grove | William | Wragg | |
| MIDLANDS | |||
| Northamptonshire | Corby | Tom | Pursglove |
| Daventry | Chris | Heaton-Harris | |
| Northampton South | Andrew | Lewer | |
| South Northamptonshire | Andrea | Leadsom | |
| Wellingborough | Peter | Bone | |
| Mansfield | Ben | Bradley | |
| Nottinghamshire | Gedling | Tom | Randall |
| Staffordshire | Lichfield | Michael | Fabricant |
| South Staffordshire | Gavin | Williamson | |
| Stone | William | Cash | |
| Tamworth | Christopher | Pincher | |
| Stoke-On-Trent North | Jonathan | Gullis | |
| Warwickshire | North Warwickshire | Craig | Tracey |
| West Midlands | Dudley South | Mike | Wood |
| Halesowen and Rowley Regis | James | Morris | |
| Solihull | Julian | Knight | |
| Hereford and Worcester | Bromsgrove | Sajid | Javid |
| North Herefordshire | Bill | Wiggin | |
| Redditch | Rachel | Maclean | |
| Shropshire | Shrewsbury and Atcham | Daniel | Kawczynski |
| NORTHERN IRELAND – DUP | |||
| County Antrim | Lagan Valley | Jeffrey | Donaldson(Sir) |
| South Antrim | Paul | Girvan | |
| North Antrim | Ian | Paisley(Jr) | |
| East Antrim | Sammy | Wilson | |
| County Down | Upper Bann | Carla | Lockhart |
| Belfast East | Gavin | Robinson | |
| Strangford | Jim | Shannon | |
| County Londonderry | East Londonderry | Gregory | Campbell |
In turn, we will supply support through bringing the team leaders together, supplying leaflets at various points and providing training in the gentle art of Brexorcism. We have just completed our our second book on the subject:
Study the list of locations and find people who will be willing and support to lead the campaign in the different areas. Both in terms of your real life contacts and via social media. When you get someone who is interested, pl send their details over to me via e-mail reboot@academy-of-rock.co.uk
From Adrian Ekins-Daukes.
One of the key Brexit texts is “Change, or Go: How Britain would gain influence and prosper outside an unreformed EU.” written in 2015. Highlights summarised below by Jennifer Rankin (Guardian):
Taken together, Gove’s speech and the Change or Go report make it clear that Brexiteers believed:
Incredibly, Leave Voters still seem to believe much of this nonsense in the face of all the evidence and the passage of time. In particular they cling to the to the idea that Merkel will come to the rescue of the negotiations at the last moment and that the obstructive Barnier will be sacked (editor’s note, we have seen the Cummings and goings of many UK trade negotiators and whipping boys whereas Barnier has remained in place all through this process). Our Government believe that all that we have to do is to continue to allow David Frost, our negotiator, to continue repeating idiotically “we are now an independent country”, and the EU will finally concede.
Michael Gove’s lies and various other lies are captured in this piece of music which is prophetic in terms of our sleepwalk into a banana republic and a fascist state.
