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Denying full diplomatic status to EU representatives in the UK is petty and shameful

<p>Michel Barnier has issued a warning to the UK to be 'very careful’ over diplomatic status row</p> (AFP)

Michel Barnier has issued a warning to the UK to be 'very careful’ over diplomatic status row

(AFP)

Does the spitefulness of this government know no bounds? Is the pettiness of denying full diplomatic status to the new EU representatives in the UK what the 52 per cent who voted for Brexit really want? Shameful actions like this, far from making Britain great again, further diminish us in the eyes of the world and reduce our power and influence. What does our country gain by persistently sticking two fingers up to the EU?

As for Robert Jenrick’s proposal to legislate to protect historic statues, it is disgraceful. It is a deliberate V sign to millions of our own citizens, who for generations have suffered offence, discrimination and racial injustice.

The statues themselves are only a symbol, but what the government is effectively saying is that it has no intention of supporting any re-examination of our history, particularly the murkier aspects of our colonial past, to meet the understandings and sensitivities of a more enlightened age.

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Has no one in government watched Steve McQueen’s films, or David Olusoga’s TV documentaries? Or considered the mass of other evidence that we now have to enable us to reassess these issues in a way that will enhance respect for our nation rather than diminish it?

Gavin Turner

Norfolk

Fishing fiasco

Unlike some of your readers, I do actually have sympathy for the fishermen and women. They may have voted for Brexit, but they were given the same assurances by the Leave campaign as all of us – that trading with the EU would continue “as before”. For Johnson to offer £23m compensation for “temporary hiccups” shows how little he understands about the impact of his Brexit model; there’s nothing temporary about this status unless he is about to renegotiate his deal.

It should be no surprise to anyone that import and export flows from and to the EU are being disrupted, because the government chose to leave both the single market and customs union. The trade deal was agreed as the Christmas holiday started, and only one week before the cut-off date. There was no chance for proper preparation until the terms were known.

As we are now all realising, trading and dealing with our biggest market will neither be the same nor nearly as easy as it was. And that’s for all of us, not just the fishermen whose export business is now critically compromised. The saddest part is that this is simply the result of deliberate government policy. The need for detailed review and scrutiny by parliamentary committee, therefore, cannot be greater.

Charles Wood

Birmingham

Retailers must adapt

I noted with interest today’s article by Ben Chapman titled “UK retail sales in 2020 fall at fastest pace on record” around the ONS December retail sales statistics.

There’s no doubt that 2020 had major repercussions for retailers, as they surrendered their store fronts and swapped in-store for online experiences. Usually, retailers are rushed off their feet in December, but with last-minute restrictions spanning the country in the run up to Christmas, the fall in retail sales isn’t surprising.

One thing is clear as we move forward: retail may never return to pre-Covid normality. Retailers should all be looking to the future and asking, “how can we boost our online experience to attract and retain new customers?” This year, choice and convenience will be crucial. Home shopping for many is just too convenient to pull back from, and customers will want simple, intuitive online experiences from the comfort of their sofas.

What’s more, embracing eCommerce and the huge range of choice that it opens up has been a lifeline for some brands – think Oasis, Warehouse and Cath Kidston, each resurrected thanks to online success.

The next three months could be brutal for our retail sector – but we must look ahead and resolve any trade challenges expected, as a result of the EU exit. Conversations with customers and our own research has uncovered that retailers are selling across borders more than ever – but with supply chain problems already grabbing headlines, shoppers are now anxious about buying from international sellers online.

Building back trust and making eCommerce experiences as smooth as possible will be critical to survival for many retail brands this year – and will help build solid foundations for a post-Covid economy.

Matthew Furneaux

eCommerce expert and Director at GBG

Tougher restrictions

The UK government has done too little, too late to control the Coronavirus pandemic spike. The UK has the highest mortality rate in Europe and rates fifth in the world. It is shocking when you consider that Britain has the NHS available to everyone, whereas for most people around the world medical care is not freely available.

Members of the public have to take responsibility for their actions contributing to the rise in Covid-19 cases. Those who abuse the restrictions and overwhelm the NHS to the brink of collapse are ignorant, arrogant and continue to live in denial.

NHS frustration and anger to people’s attitudes is understandable as they are being strained psychologically to the limits by inadequate government policies. The virus is now claiming the lives of young and fit people.

NHS staff are not the only ones to suffer. Patients with life-threatening conditions will become casualties of the pandemic as surgeons and doctors are having to cancel procedures and operations to help save Covid-19 patients.

Will tougher restrictions finally come into place when patients start to be turned away by hospitals?

Jeannette Schael

Hampshire

Little lasting damage

The remarkable thing about Donald Trump’s presidency is how little lasting damage he did.

In hours, at the stroke of a pen, Biden undid many of the things Trump did. Overseas, Trump’s pacifism stopped him from causing lasting damage in the way Bush did in the Middle East. Trump’s lack of interest and competence limited his actions to self-promotion. He did exploit and deepen the political divide in the US but he did not cause it.

There is a danger that a focus on vilifying Trump will stop the Democrats addressing the most pressing problem: the need to resolve the political divide in the US. Just how difficult this will be can be seen from the massive canvassing effort in Georgia. Although the Democrats won those crucial elections they garnered very few extra votes, a very small dent in the divide.

Seventy-four million people voted for Trump last November and could well vote for a similar leader in 2024, who is neither a pacifist nor incompetent. They felt Trump understood them and was on their side. It is their emotions, not reason, that the Democrats must woo, by understanding them and involving them in actions, not words, that address the issues that have made them disaffected.

Jon Hawksley

London

Nature hitting back

At last, politicians are beginning to appreciate the reality of the pandemic. No quick fix, no magic bullet, no return to “normality”.

The natural world is a generous friend, but a fearsome adversary. For generations, humankind has taken nature for granted, plundered its larder and ignored its warnings. Now it's hitting back, yet the majority of the human race continues to insist on business as usual.

It's taken just one virus, crossing into the human species, to bring our fragile “civilisation” to its knees. The warning signs have been there to see for decades.

The sleeping dog has woken up.

Steve Edmondson

Cambridge

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