๐Ÿšจ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿšš๐Ÿšš๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿšจ

As #brexit talks drift towards the rocks, trade groups say plans for Irish Sea trade border after Brexit are โ€˜in a messโ€™ via, my latest via @FT ...this is an issue coming deal or no deal. Stay with me 1/

@FT So to recap, under Northern Ireland protocol negotiated in the Withdrawal Agreement all goods going from Great Britain to NI must confirm with EU customs code. To avoid new border in Ireland, that means trade border in Irish Sea - new paperwork, new systems. Operational Jan 1/2
@FT The problem is that because the FTA negotiations are stuck, the negotiations in the Joint Committee on how to implement the Protoocl (and @michaelgove is with @MarosSefcovic talking today) haven't yet born fruit. That means a LOT of uncertainty. /3
@FT @michaelgove @MarosSefcovic How much uncertainty? Well, as @MichaelAodhan tells me, a lot. Research by the Northern Ireland Business Brexit Working Group (NIBBWG) found only 20% of members were ready. And its not their fault: need info on tarifs, computer systems etc. And are not getting answers /3
@FT @michaelgove @MarosSefcovic @MichaelAodhan Now. The Government has earmarked ยฃ200m for the Trade Support Service run by Fujitsu and the Customs Clearance Consortium with @ShankerASingham @RobHardyFR8 to help business process new paperwork...BUT even it cannot answer lots of Qs, and won't help with animal/SPS issues. /4
@FT @michaelgove @MarosSefcovic @MichaelAodhan @ShankerASingham @RobHardyFR8 So. Take a look a this presentation by @ShankerASingham and TSS to @ManufacturingNI members last week....as M'fing NI boss Stephen Kelly tells me, his members just aren't clear what they need to do. This isn't necessarily anyone's fault... /5

https://t.co/vSgU5LlZ31
@FT @michaelgove @MarosSefcovic @MichaelAodhan @ShankerASingham @RobHardyFR8 @ManufacturingNI The problem is a lack of information because of constraints noted above...and which biz groups have been screaming at the government about. Take this letter from the NI Meat Exporters Association last week...which says they can't ready - deal or no deal. /6
@FT @michaelgove @MarosSefcovic @MichaelAodhan @ShankerASingham @RobHardyFR8 @ManufacturingNI Because this is about real-world processes. Companies registering with the TSS, creating cleanses 'master data' sets and then interfacing with the govts CDS customs systems - which they have to do via TSS because it seems software interfaces aren't ready for others /7
@FT @michaelgove @MarosSefcovic @MichaelAodhan @ShankerASingham @RobHardyFR8 @ManufacturingNI If you look at the timelines on this NIMEA letter you can see how constrained the situation is - and why there is going to have to be some flexibility on both sides come January 1. Some form of phasing in or implementation period /8
@FT @michaelgove @MarosSefcovic @MichaelAodhan @ShankerASingham @RobHardyFR8 @ManufacturingNI The government has indicated it will take a "light touch" approach to the new enforcements...but for hauliers and shippers a 'nod and a wink' approach is a very difficult way to do business. Do you just take your chances at the border? /9
@FT @michaelgove @MarosSefcovic @MichaelAodhan @ShankerASingham @RobHardyFR8 @ManufacturingNI Because as @RHARichardB explains, supply chains work (particularly in food/supermarkets) on the basis that you DO catch that boat, because if you don't your perishable goods aren't going to be on the supermarket shelves on time. /10
@FT @michaelgove @MarosSefcovic @MichaelAodhan @ShankerASingham @RobHardyFR8 @ManufacturingNI @RHARichardB Hauliers I'm talking to are shocked by the level of detail they are being asked for as part of the TSS service (basically everything about a customs code) which a lot are not equipped to provide.

At the same time Defra is unable to answer basic questions..../11
@FT @michaelgove @MarosSefcovic @MichaelAodhan @ShankerASingham @RobHardyFR8 @ManufacturingNI @RHARichardB So for example "groupage". Simply. I go pick up a load of lamb, beef and chicken from three distro point. I get an export health cert for the lamb. Arrive at second stop. Then seal is 'broken', so how do I certify the lamb again - make sure it wasn't tampered with etc. /12
@FT @michaelgove @MarosSefcovic @MichaelAodhan @ShankerASingham @RobHardyFR8 @ManufacturingNI @RHARichardB And then the same process with the chicken...

Leaving aside how chicken currently in cold storage will get a health certificate which it will need after Jan 1 if going to NI...but didn't when it was delivered?

It can be make to work, but its complex and needs time /13
@FT @michaelgove @MarosSefcovic @MichaelAodhan @ShankerASingham @RobHardyFR8 @ManufacturingNI @RHARichardB The gov is trying best to negotiation a Retail Movement System simplification that will push checks to warehouse and create, for example a month-long validity 'conformity certificate' for meat products...but that wont help wholesalers or anyone shipping inputs/14
@FT @michaelgove @MarosSefcovic @MichaelAodhan @ShankerASingham @RobHardyFR8 @ManufacturingNI @RHARichardB The point is that even as we do get clarity of which goods are 'at risk' of going into EU single market, business will need time to adjust.

Negotiatiors on both sides say a one-year 'implementation' period won't happen...but there will need to be flexibility /15
@FT @michaelgove @MarosSefcovic @MichaelAodhan @ShankerASingham @RobHardyFR8 @ManufacturingNI @RHARichardB The TSS - which is offering inflated customs intermediary salaries of ยฃ40k+, compared to ยฃ25k - is also going to be put to the test in the coming months as it tries to process the movements of operators who are highly inexperienced in doing all this /16
@FT @michaelgove @MarosSefcovic @MichaelAodhan @ShankerASingham @RobHardyFR8 @ManufacturingNI @RHARichardB And whatever happens with the deal, BOTH sides have a responsibility to the Good Friday Agreement and Northern Ireland to make this work in a way that doesn't make NI consumers & businesses pay too high a price for an "English" #Brexit - which is how some will present it /17
@FT @michaelgove @MarosSefcovic @MichaelAodhan @ShankerASingham @RobHardyFR8 @ManufacturingNI @RHARichardB There is a LOT of frustration and finger-waving going on out there at the moment (totally understandably) but there is a huge mutual interest - for the UK's Union and the EU's Union, which of course includes Ireland, to get this right. ENDS

More from Peter Foster

Good to see @Marthakearney on @BBCr4today taking @pritipatel to task over the numbers of lorries in Dover - now 1,500 in Stack (M20) and Manston airfield combined - rather more than 170 that @BorisJohnson said yesterday, baffling haulage groups /1

@BBCr4today @pritipatel @BorisJohnson She won't say whether lorry drivers will have to take a PCR test (long-winded, requires RNA extraction etc. 24-48hrs) rather than much faster (and less sensitive) lateral flow test. Short Strait will struggle to operates with PCR tests. You'd need one yesterday for tomorrow! /2

@BBCr4today @pritipatel @BorisJohnson Because of the delays that have empty lorries already stuck in the queues, in an earlier interview British Retail Consortium @the_brc Andrew Opie said fresh food shortages would occur within days because lorries couldn't get back to Spain etc to reload /3

@BBCr4today @pritipatel @BorisJohnson @the_brc Haulage experts like @RHADuncanB are always at pains to explain that the lorries at Dover (and GB-IE, for that matter) are flowing in a continuous cycle. More than 85% are from EU countries. So if you block one side, or artery the whole system starts to grind to a halt/4

@BBCr4today @pritipatel @BorisJohnson @the_brc @RHADuncanB This episode has been a bit of a teaching moment, exposing the canard that the UK can unilaterally "take back control of its borders". It can't. Borders are membranes. Traffic flows in both directions. Actions by one side impact the other - as French move has demonstrated. /5

More from Brexit

A further thread on the EU/UK musicians/visa for paid work issue (the issue is paid work: travelling to sing or play at eg a charity event for free can be done without a visa).


The position that we now have now (no relevant provisions under the TCA) is complicated. For EU musicians visiting the UK see


In essence the UK permits foreign (including EU) nationals to stay up to 30 days to carry out paid engagements, but they must (a) prove they are a professional musician and (b) be invited by an established UK business.

Either condition could be tricky for a young musician starting out and wanting to play gigs. And 30 days isnโ€™t long enough for a part in a show with a run.

Longer stays require a T5 visa - which generally requires you to be in a shortage occupation (play an instrument not played in the UK?) or to have an established international reputation.

You May Also Like

A brief analysis and comparison of the CSS for Twitter's PWA vs Twitter's legacy desktop website. The difference is dramatic and I'll touch on some reasons why.

Legacy site *downloads* ~630 KB CSS per theme and writing direction.

6,769 rules
9,252 selectors
16.7k declarations
3,370 unique declarations
44 media queries
36 unique colors
50 unique background colors
46 unique font sizes
39 unique z-indices

https://t.co/qyl4Bt1i5x


PWA *incrementally generates* ~30 KB CSS that handles all themes and writing directions.

735 rules
740 selectors
757 declarations
730 unique declarations
0 media queries
11 unique colors
32 unique background colors
15 unique font sizes
7 unique z-indices

https://t.co/w7oNG5KUkJ


The legacy site's CSS is what happens when hundreds of people directly write CSS over many years. Specificity wars, redundancy, a house of cards that can't be fixed. The result is extremely inefficient and error-prone styling that punishes users and developers.

The PWA's CSS is generated on-demand by a JS framework that manages styles and outputs "atomic CSS". The framework can enforce strict constraints and perform optimisations, which is why the CSS is so much smaller and safer. Style conflicts and unbounded CSS growth are avoided.