Our new future trading agreement with the EU

Since the announcement of the new UK-EU trade agreement on Christmas Eve, businesses have been busy trying to understand what this might mean for their business and their EU customers

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) details the future trading arrangements between the UK and the EU and whilst it is good news that a deal has been done, so that there can be trade with no tariffs or quotas, it is important to remember that this will not be the final position. There will be further negotiations, compromises, and latenight negotiations on many topics. For example, the current deal does little for the service industry and this is a topic that will be subject to further discussions in the future.

One of the difficulties that faces businesses is that many government web pages are being re-written and/or removed following the late agreement of the deal. Furthermore, some web pages contain incorrect information (such as saying that you may need to pay duty on imports of goods from the EU to the

UK). This can make it difficult to find the necessary information.

Another challenge for business is to understand how these new rules impact their business. There is lots of talk about no tariffs or quotas but when you read between the lines, you find that goods must meet qualifying criteria and the origin rules stated within the TCA. In essence, anything from a third country that does not undergo a substantial transformation in the UK/EU is liable for duties and taxes.

It is important that businesses still consults the gov.uk website (https:// www.gov.uk/transition) to use the Brexit Checker, for the latest information and to sign up to the regular updates for areas that concern their business, but below are some useful links should you need them

A summary about the trade agreement between the UK and EU can be found here – https://assets.publishing.service. gov.uk/government/uploads/system/ uploads/attachment_data/file/948093/ TCA_SUMMARY_PDF.pdf

The list of countries agreements have been made with including links to the agreements can be found here – www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-tradeagreements-with-non-eu-countries

There is also an update on the Rules of Origin that needs to be applied to these FTAs including the UK-EU Trade agreement. Details can be found here www.gov.uk/government/publications/ rules-of-origin-for-goods-movingbetween-the-uk-and-eu-from-1january-2021 If you need to contact HMRC for clarification on the guidance you can do so by email or chat via the links below:

The helpline/webchat www.gov.uk/ government/organisations/hmrevenue-customs/contact/customsinternational-trade-and-excise-enquiries which has huge numbers of HMRC people manning it. Or the Online forums HMRC https://community.hmrc.gov.uk/ forums/customerforums/tp or Cross Departmental https://transition-forum. service.cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Marks & Spencer has announced that it has bought the Jaeger fashion brand, which fell into administration last November. M&S is taking on the brand, but not Jaeger’s scores of shops and concessions. It is now in the process of finalising a deal to buy its products and “supporting marketing assets”.

M&S announced in May 2020 that it planned to stock other complementary brands to boost sales.

Since then, it has started to sell products online from the Early Learning Centre, as well as from two designers, Nobody’s Child and Ghost London. Jaeger had 244 staff and some 63 stores and concessions. In addition, 13 stores closed after administrators were appointed, with the loss of more than 120 posts across stores, head office and distribution.

The government has launched a legal bid to ban former Carillion directors from holding senior boardroom positions in the UK.

Action brought by the new business secretary could see eight ex-directors banned from taking up senior management roles for up to 15 years. Kwasi Kwarteng launched the legal proceedings “in the public interest”, the Insolvency Service said. The move comes three years after Carillion crashed into administration. Carillion was wound up in January 2018, and the Official Receiver submitted a report about the conduct of each director.

Thousands of jobs were lost following the collapse of the construction giant, which was one of the biggest corporate failures in the UK. The court proceedings name eight individuals, including former chairman Philip Green, former chief executive Richard Howson and excompany director Keith Cochrane, who led the firm in the final months before its collapse.

Albert Schweitzer

We’ve all been there – brain fog makes us forget our password and after eight frantic attempts, we have just two left.That’s the situation for programmer Stefan Thomas but the stakes are higher than most – the forgotten password will let him unlock a hard drive containing $240m (£175m) worth of Bitcoin.

His plight, reported in the New York Times, has gone viral.

Ex-Facebook security head Alex Stamos has offered to help – for a 10% cut.

On January 18th, Sussex Cricket became the first bespoke mental health and wellbeing platform for its community. At its heart is a searchable library of thousands of short videos featuring people from the Sussex Cricket community and beyond sharing their experiences from an A to Z of topics that impact or can help with our mental health and wellbeing. Every video viewed also provides links to relevant trusted local resources and further help. The Sussex Cricket Mental Health & Wellbeing Hub is backed by the NHS, is completely free, requires no registration and is available to everyone with an internet connection.

LinkedIn has launched a new service aimed at freelancers and small businesses, seeking to capitalise on its burgeoning membership. The social media giant recently reached 660 million users worldwide. Co-founder Allen Blue said the new set of features allows SMEs and freelancers to represent the services they offer on their profiles and allows other people to find them easily. He said: “We were thinking about where we would launch it worldwide. And we decided that Dubai, where we had talked to these professionals, and where the entire city is focused on the development of small and medium enterprise, would be a great place to go.”

Brighton-based City Cabs has once again stepped up to the plate and are offering free taxi rides to all over 80s who cannot make their own way to the vaccination centre.

The vax centre for the city is at Brighton Racecourse and as that can be quite a journey from much of the city, cab boss Andrew Cheesman has put his fleet at the disposal of all vulnerable over 80s.

The pandemic has been a nightmare but it is actions like this that remind us that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Brett Mendoza, landlord of the Caxton Arms pub has set up a gofundme page to raise funds to increase the coverage of this scheme. Bravo Andy Cheesman and Steve Darby for this brilliant initiative.

n www.gofundme.com /f/citycabs4jabs

John le Carré, author

US private equity firm Silver Lake is in talks to acquire a stake in New Zealand’s All Blacks, according to reports.

The transaction would be for a stake of up to 15% in the three-time winners of the Rugby World Cup. New Zealand’s national treasure burned through nearly half of its cash reserves last year during Covid-19 lockdowns. New Zealand Rugby has since been looking at other sources of funding.

The All Blacks are New Zealand’s most recognisable sporting team and are one of the best-known brands in international Rugby. The talks with Silver Lake were first reported by Sky News, which said the deal for a 15% stake would value the team at about $2bn (£1.5bn).

The former vice-president, now the 46th President of the United States, says he can build on the Obama legacy and unite the country in a challenging time. Biden has tried to become president for three decades. That dream is now a reality. He had what it takes to win – but does he have the stamina for four years in the White House? By Maarten Hoffmann

Biden with his first wife Neilia and family

He is America’s oldest president, aged 78 and his life has been dogged by personal tragedy.

In 1972, shortly after he won his first Senate race, he lost his first wife, Neilia, and baby daughter, Naomi, in a car accident. He famously took the oath of office for his first Senate term from the hospital room of his toddler sons Beau and Hunter, who both survived the accident. In 2015, Beau died of brain cancer at the age of 46. The younger Biden was seen as a rising star of US politics and had intended to run for Delaware state governor in 2016.

Beau, Naomi and Hunter Biden

The elder Biden has credited Beau with encouraging him to run again, and during the campaign has used both tragedies to explain why healthcare – one of his signature policy goals – is “personal” to him. Biden garnered considerable goodwill following Beau’s death, which served to highlight his central strengths: a reputation as a kind and relatable family man.

His ability to rise above that tragedy is well known by Americans. He was determined to see his boys every night, taking the hour and a half train journey from Delaware to Washington at the start and end of each day to say goodnight to them. When others might have fallen apart, Mr Biden found the strength to carry on both then and when ill health and more tragedy struck later in his troubled life. He suffered multiple aneurysms in 1988, surviving one nine-hour operation to save his life. He has said how his father frequently said: “Champ, the measure of a man is not how often he is knocked down, but how quickly he gets up.” But there is also a sense of fatalism about him. He is quoted as saying he believes that life balances out people’s suffering and fortune – “the bigger the highs, the deeper the troughs”.

He had seemed to be heading for another trough at the start of 2020 as his campaign to become the Democratic presidential contender began to flounder. He had entered it the front-runner as a former vice-president, but by February the campaign’s wheels were spinning and the candidate was sometimes lost for words and almost doddery on the trail. But then his fortunes turned again. Having looked in serious trouble in Iowa, he seized victory a month later in South Carolina, setting himself on the path to victory.

Biden advising Jimmy Carter Biden advising Bill Clinton

The fiercely-contested primary season has tested Biden. He has been accused of “handsiness” or a tendency to invade women’s personal space and there is plenty of awkward footage making the point. His friends and supporters say his tactility springs from his warmth and empathy. But during the campaign he was forced to admit his behaviour was no longer appropriate. In a video statement he told voters, “I get it, the boundaries of personal space have been changed”. He has also denied accusations by former Senate staffer Tara Reade that he sexually assaulted her in 1993.

The woman who is now his vice-president, Kamala Harris, criticised his support for segregationists early in his career when he joined them opposing school bussing to racially integrate schools. And his drafting of the 1994 crime bill that led to mass incarcerations, lengthy jail sentences and the proliferation of more and more prisons has dogged his political career ever since.

Mr Biden can have a clumsiness with words while at the same time being an accomplished debater. His gaffes or

In the Senate with Teddy Kennedy With Hunter Biden

Sharing a laugh with Obama

His second wife, Jill Biden

“Bidenisms” are legendary and he has appeared at times decidedly out of touch. The jury is out as to whether they have weakened him among voters or endeared him in this election.

He has borrowed words, too. Most notoriously in 1988 when he plagiarised a speech by Neil Kinnock word for word. To be fair he had credited the former British Labour leader on previous occasions but at least once seemed to present the words as his own.

But he was able to play on the strengths of a lifetime in public service to rout his Democrat rivals and present himself as the competent alternative to Trump, a seasoned steady hand on the wheel in a time of plague and chaos.

Eight years as vice-president allows him to claim Barack Obama’s successes as his own both at home and abroad.

Those who know him from those years say it’s his length of service and what he’s gained from it that makes him stand out as a president. Sir Peter Westmacott, who was British ambassador to the US during the Obama years, said: “He’s old for a presidential candidate, that’s for sure. But he’s hugely experienced. He’s got an extraordinary wide range of contacts around the world. He does know a great deal and cares a lot about different countries that he’s got to know. He will be a man who understands that in many areas he needs to have young capable people to whom he can delegate rather than try to do it all himself. I don’t think he’ll have any illusion about that.”

The length of Mr Biden’s career has won him support in demographics that were the key to victory in this election. His close relationship with America’s first black president has further cemented

his support among African Americans. He sees himself as the champion of the blue-collar white voter and hopes that will give him an edge. He will need to maintain the support of ardent Democrats and engage the backing of others who have drifted away from his party or even moderate Republicans disaffected by the Trump presidency. His pitch is to restore and build on Mr Obama’s legacy and unite a divided country after the turmoil of the Trump years.

At least he is used to the trappings of office

His first priority will be dealing with the pandemic. He has been sharply critical of Mr Trump’s handling of the virus.

A Biden presidency will need to sort out the testing debacle and control the virus sufficiently to allow the US economy to break free from lockdown.

His supporters warn against assuming his presidency will be simply a restoration to the Obama era, just a correction from the Trumpian aberration. Those advising him on economic policy say it will be radical, almost Rooseveltian in terms of spending and investment both to overcome the impact of the pandemic and deal with climate change. He wants to spend $2trn putting America on the path to eliminating carbon emissions by mid-century.

Given his family’s tragic history and his own brush with death, it is no surprise that he is placing a lot of emphasis on health.

As he put it in an early TV ad, healthcare is “personal” to him. He hopes to reinforce Mr Obama’s reforms to healthcare but stops short of the “healthcare for all” proposals advocated by his former Democrat rival Bernie Sanders and others on the more progressive wing of his party.

On the world stage a President Biden is likely to try and restore America’s place at the centre of the multilateral rulesbased world order that the US has led since World War II after the years of President Trump’s more isolationist economic nationalism.

As a former vice-president and chair of the Senate foreign relations committee, he is a firm believer in the Pax Americana and has spoken out against the damage Trump has done to America’s standing in the world.

His challenges on that world stage will be considerable. The world has moved on since he was vice-president. China has grown in power and tensions have increased between the two super powers. Europe is not the same since Brexit and the rise of populist parties.

Vladimir Putin has become increasingly meddlesome not least with regards to American democracy.

And the Middle East has changed under Trump. Trump has moved the US embassy to Jerusalem, discarded the Iranian nuclear deal and brokered a deal normalising relations between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain. How much of that will Mr Biden try and reverse?

Mr Biden harks back to a possibly lost age at home too. He has talked of restoring the spirit of bipartisanship in American politics.

The founding fathers designed a system of government that works only when there is some sense of compromise. That has been lost in the bitterly adversarial politics of both the Obama and Trump years.

Biden says he wants a return to co-operation across the aisle on Capitol Hill to solve America’s pressing problems. If anyone has the experience, charm and friends in both parties to dispel some of the bitter antagonisms of the last two presidencies it may be him.

But while Trump was born into wealth, Mr Biden started life in the blue-collar town of Scranton, northeast Pennsylvania, the son of a used car salesman. His low key beginnings and the challenges of a tragic life have given him a tough strength of character and sense of decency say those who know him well.

He may not be known for soaring oratory but words to comfort and console a grieving nation will come to him more easily than most.

His rival calls him sleepy and slow. His friends decent and full of humanity. There is none of the excitement offered by Mr Trump or the hope and change inspiration promised by Mr Obama.

At the age of 78 President Biden will need all the strength of character he can muster if he wants to fulfil his dream.

And in the eventuality that he does not or cannot complete his term in office, we will then have the first female president of the United States in Kamala Harris, and that will be a fascinating turn of events in world history.

Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale, Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.