A few days ago, it was reported that the Government is planning to sell the Port of Dover – and the iconic port is expected to be snapped up by the French. Hot on the heels of that announcement came the news that the Air Sea Rescue Service, currently operated by Royal Air Force and Royal Navy Sea King helicopters, is to be contracted out to the French!
The same nation who are responsible for the much-praised but now-disgraced Eurostar train! It comes as no surprise that the recent report into the Eurostar fiasco during the pre-Christmas getaway blamed poor maintenance for the problem which saw snow short-circuiting the train’s systems, trains breaking down in the Channel Tunnel, the cancellation of services and serious disruption to the travel plans of thousands (including me!!) If the Eurostar fiasco taught me one thing, it was that I will never patronise French-operated public transport again.
I cannot join those who sing the praises of this nation I’m afraid. We had the BSE crisis, which saw British beef banned and British beef farmers facing bankruptcy, whilst French beef was freely sold despite the disease being present across the Channel. We have British fishermen operating to restricting quotas whilst the French have greater catch quotas off the British coast than our own people have. Their history is given precedence over our own history, the language we learn first in schools is their language (there are many other languages, why should so much importance be placed on the French one?)
And, to add insult to injury, we are told that we will,in future, see greater military co-operation with this most arrogant and incompetent of nations!
Will there be anything left in British ownership in our once-great country soon?
Recently, the American processed cheese specialist Kraft bought Cadbury, one of Britain’s best-loved brands. This bodes ill for the staff of Cadbury – Kraft also bought out York-based Terry’s, makers of the Chocolate Orange, closing down the York factory, causing the loss of British jobs, and moving production to Poland, where it is cheaper. Will this also be the fate of Cadbury? Will our Creme Eggs and Dairy Milk now be produced in Poznan, Wroclaw, Warsaw or anywhere else with an unpronounceable name?
