It Never Ends Does It?
Just because the country is in a crisis with COVID19 don't think for one moment I have forgotten about the EU and the transition period we are in because I have not.
Today I will show even though we have left the EU we are forced by EU law to go to Brussels and ask permission to put in place place the Government measures to give help to British businesses during the COVID19 outbreak.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak’s is forced to ask EU for permission to give Coronavirus aid to SMEs
Yesterday in Brussels not reported on by any television network or newspaper in the entire British isle that I can find it was announced that the Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, has now been allowed by the EU Commission to help British businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak, provided his measures continue to meet new EU rules.
However the EU Commission made it perfectly clear to the UK government that it is the EU which is still in charge of large swathes of law in the United Kingdom. This will continue to the end of the year provided our government does not crumble and ask for an extension to the transition period. Then we will find that the EU will continue to rule all our lives for more months.
This what the EU Comision said when giving our government permission to implement the measures to help British businesses and ultimately the people who work in all of them.
“According to the UK Withdrawal Agreement, during the transition period, the entire body of EU law continues to apply to, and in, the UK as if it were a Member State. This includes all EU rules relating to State aid.”
- EU Commission statement, Brussels, 25 Mar 2020
Can you imagine President Trump having to ask Canada or Mexico for permission to implement the US measures or indeed Justin Trudeau PM of Canada asking Trump for permission to put his countrys measure in place, same with the Mexican President López Obrador? They would look at you with amazement in their eyes yet the UK had to ask permission and no one bats an eye and it does not even get reported. Shame on us all for being such weaklings.
Boris and Rishi had to ask Brussels for permission to govern the country
It is now clear that the UK Government was forced to request permission from the unelected bureaucrats of the EU Commission, in order to help small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK to survive during the current Coronavirus crisis.
The UK Treasury was required to notify the EU Commission of two separate aid schemes to support SMEs affected by the Coronavirus outbreak. These two aid schemes had to meet new EU criteria.
Rishi Sunak’s two financial aid schemes are:
1. The ‘Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme’ (CBILS)
This provides guarantees for 80% of loan facilities for SMEs with a turnover of up to £45 million, to cover their working and investment capital needs.
2. Direct grants to support SMEs
The overall budget for this scheme is currently £600 million and it is designed to support any SMEs affected by the Coronavirus outbreak.
And let me make this starkly plain for one and all
The EU Commission has only granted temporary permission.
The EU will allow these two schemes to run only until 30 Sep 2020. After that, Rishi Sunak must ask Brussels for permission to extend until 31 Dec 2020.
In the case of the direct grants, the EU’s new rules insist that these be limited to €800,000 (around £734,000 GBP) per company. Furthermore, the grant amount per company is linked to the market sector in which the company is active.
It is the EU Commission that has decided these rules and the British Government must comply or face fines. The British Government had no say whatsoever in the decisions made by the EU.
The beneficiaries of the schemes are SMEs active in all market sectors having temporary financial difficulties due to the economic impact of the Coronavirus outbreak.
You WILL obey’
Despite the UK having formally ceased to be a member of the EU on 31 January 2020, it has not left the European Union in practice. Yet another example of this was in full evidence in Brussels yesterday, as the unelected bureaucrats of the EU Commission continued to flaunt their power over the elected United Kingdom Government.
The national disgrace that is the EU Withdrawal Agreement allows the EU to create new rules, regulations, laws and directives. The United Kingdom has absolutely no say in the drafting of these and no veto over their entry into force.
A classic example of this is the EU’s new “Temporary Framework” which replaces existing financial regulations. After the UK had “left” the EU on 31 Jan 2020, the new regulations were produced by the EU Commission bureaucrats and nodded through by the EU27. The UK had no say and no veto but is now subject to these new laws. This the price we are having to pay for having the audacity to leave the EU. For many of us, 31 December can't come quick enough. It is a timely reminder also to all Remainers pushing for an extension to the transition period that the help that is being given by our government could have been a lot more but for your beloved EU and its laws. How sickening is that?
Sources: EU Commission
