Latest news with #Swiss-style
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Field Notes: The birth of the playoffs, English football's biggest weekend
With the Guardian's unstoppable rise to global dominance** we at Guardian US thought we'd run a series of articles for fans wishing to improve their knowledge of the sport's history and storylines, hopefully in a way that doesn't patronise you to within an inch of your life. A warning: If you're the kind of person that finds The Blizzard too populist this may not be the series for you. ** Actual dominance may not be global. Or dominant Advertisement The English Football League play-offs were introduced at the start of the 1986-87 season. So, having established that fact, let's park the idea completely, and go a further century back, all the way to Victorian times, and the birth of the Football League itself. The Football League was launched in 1888, and while its round-robin system of home and away games seems so glaringly obvious now – so watertight, so perfect – it's easy to forget that at some point in time it didn't exist, and some poor guy had to come up with the idea in the first place. Getting there took a bit of feeling around in the dark, accompanied by some abject failure. For example, a rival competition was set up by clubs not part of the nascent Football League. The Combination involved 20 clubs, but nobody put much thought into what any of them were combining with or for. Each would play eight matches against eight other sides in the division, and, er, that's it. Clubs were told to make their own arrangements, and with no central planning or subsequent guidance, this exercise in cat herding descended into high farce and was dissolved before the first season could be completed. A tough break for Newton Heath, who were looking good as the form team at the point of annulment; whatever happened to them? A total fiasco and an affront to sporting integrity, then, albeit one which bears worrying similarities to the new Swiss-style Champions League. Oh the humanity. Will we ever learn? Advertisement Related: Wrexham's success shows that content is now truly king in football While the Combination was floundering, at least the Football League had their house in order. Even so, when it kicked off, it was thought that the titular table would be ordered by number of wins alone, until someone came up with the bright idea of two points for a win and one for a draw two months later. There wasn't even a trophy for Preston North End to lift when they secured the title in January 1889. Everyone was making it all up while flying by the seat of their pants. So when a second tier of the Football League came along in 1892, what to do? Again, it would seem obvious to the modern eye that automatically relegating the worst x number of teams in the First Division and replacing them with a similar number of the best teams from the Second Division was the logical way forward. But that wasn't sufficiently complex for the hiveminds of the time. Instead, the Test Matches were born. The first promotion-relegation play-off system in English football history! The bottom three clubs in 1892-93's First Division played the top three of the all-new Second Division, with a place in the top division the prize for the winners of each Test. Better luck for Newton Heath this time round, as despite finishing bottom of the First, they won their Test with Second Division champions Small Heath (whatever happened to them, part II) after a rematch, 5-2, and retained their status. Darwen, third in the Second Division, beat Notts County, who went down a division, while Second Division runners-up Sheffield United beat Accrington, who resigned from the league then went out of business altogether. Advertisement You'll notice we didn't say that Sheffield United and Darwen went up, because they didn't. At least, not immediately, not technically, not automatically, as they then had to be elected to the First Division through the committee. To be clear, they were subsequently given the green flag and granted promotion – any black-balling would have rendered the whole thing an entire waste of time – but what a pompous hoo-hah. At least the concept of the winner-takes-all Tests were fair and easy enough to understand. So of course the Football League soon set about tweaking the format, and after three years, the Tests morphed into a mini-league of four teams, the bottom two from the First and the top two from the Second. That's all good and well if it were it a round-robin like the League itself, but it wasn't, not quite. Instead, each team faced the two clubs from the other division, playing twice, but didn't get the chance to play the club from their own division at all. Debacle incoming! Related: Soccer still has the power to leave us in tears. I should know The problem inherent in this scheme revealed itself during the 1898 Tests, and in some style. The play-off mini-league saw First Division failures Blackburn Rovers and Stoke take on the upwardly mobile Second Division pair of Burnley and Newcastle United. The first Tests panned out in such a manner that when Burnley and Stoke met in their final fixture, they knew that a draw would promote Burnley while also maintaining Stoke's first-tier status. And there wouldn't a single thing Blackburn or Newcastle could do about it. Goalless pact ahoy! Advertisement The 0-0 draw that followed wasn't just predictable; it was brazen. There were no shots on goal. Players repeatedly hoofed the ball into touch, occasionally launching 'passes' or 'shots' out of the ground altogether. From their cynical viewpoint, this carry-on ensured everyone in the ground would be going home happy. But times were hard, the crowd had spent cash money to be entertained, and both sets of fans wanted a proper contest. And so, incensed, and by way of protest, they began fetching and returning all of the balls ballooned into touch; at one point, five were pinging around the field of play. And so football beat pinball to the multiball system by a good 58 years. (Bally's 1956 game Balls-a-Poppin was the first to do this, since you're asking.) 'These Test games have proved an utter farce!' hollered an editorial in the Manchester Guardian. 'A change of some kind is absolutely necessary if the contests are in future to be regarded with any seriousness.' To this end, after a month of controversy-fuelled to-ing and fro-ing, Football League bosses decided to expand the First Division, apologetically offering Newcastle and Blackburn sympathy promotions. The Tests were abolished, and a simple system of two up, two down, automatically decided by the final league placings, was introduced. You have to wonder why they didn't just go with this in the first place. The concept of play-offs didn't come around again until 1985, when the threat of a breakaway Super League (some things never change) was staved off by a compromise deal which gave more money and voting rights to the bigger clubs (those immutable things, again) and tweaked the Football League's structure. Play-offs, designed to rejig the size of each division, and to generate a little more dollar with the game struggling pretty much across the board, were the headline-grabber, to be implemented at the start of the 1987-88 season for two years. 'I hope it becomes a permanent feature in all divisions,' said Gordon Taylor, the head of the players union. 'It gives the end of the season more spice.' Business-end spice quickly became the order of the day. The format for the first two years of the new play-offs was particularly delicious, each divisional battle involving the team that had finished one place above the automatic relegation spots in the First Division and the three teams below the automatic promotion places in the Second Division. Two-legged semis were followed by a two-legged final. Replays if necessary. Cue a smorgasbord of stories that sizzled with dramatic heat. Advertisement In 1987, sleeping giant Leeds United (immutable etc.) were seven minutes from promotion to the First Division in their final replay until Peter Shirtliff scored twice in four minutes to retain Charlton Athletic's status. A shock – not least because Shirtliff was a jobbing centre-back who, outside those four minutes, scored 13 goals in a 518-match career. But that was nothing compared to the seismic suffering of Sunderland, who were relegated to the Third Division for the very first time in their history after losing their semi-final with Gillingham 6-6 on away goals. The campaign cost Lawrie McMenemy a reputation hard won at Southampton. Not so great, man. Meanwhile in the battle for a place in the Third, Aldershot won promotion having conquered the Wanderers of both Bolton and Wolverhampton, a couple of David v Goliath slingshots of a magnitude scarcely believable now. Related: New Reading owner Rob Couhig: 'There is a real market for the EFL in the US' A year later, Chelsea were surprisingly condemned to the Second Division by Middlesbrough at Stamford Bridge, at which point the on-pitch throwing of hands commenced between home fans and police. But overall, the play-offs had been an unqualified success, and Gordon Taylor got his wish. The Football League voted for more end-of-season spice, keeping the play-offs albeit tweaking them into a fully promotion-facing affair. The teams finishing one place above the automatic relegation spots could breathe again, with the demise of Chelsea and Sunderland having spooked some bigger clubs into dialling down some of that scary jeopardy. In the end, the play-offs didn't hold off the advent of a Super League for too long, with the Premier League coming into being in 1992. Nevertheless, the 90s also established the play-offs in the national consciousness, thanks to some of the most absurd and memorable rollercoaster rides in English football history: Swindon holding off a three-goal Leicester fightback in 1993; Steve Claridge volleying Leicester's winner 11 seconds from time against Crystal Palace in 1996; the eight goals shared between Charlton and Sunderland in 1998, Clive Mendonca's hat-trick, Michael Gray's chunked penalty, all that. 'I'm gutted,' sighed Charlton's match-winner Mendonca. 'I'm the biggest Sunderland fan in the world. But I'm also a professional footballer and I work for Charlton.' This paper added that it was 'the best game played at Wembley in 30 years,' right up there with the 1966 World Cup final and the 1953 Matthews match. It took a few twists and turns, and no small amount of tweaking and tinkering. But the Football League got there in the end.
USA Today
20-05-2025
- USA Today
These 11 national parks are at their best in summer (and some are almost crowd-free)
These 11 national parks are at their best in summer (and some are almost crowd-free) Show Caption Hide Caption What government layoffs at U.S. national parks mean for your next trip The National Parks Service reported 331.9 million visits in 2024, a record high. But the White House has slashed jobs, which could affect travelers. Thinking about a summer getaway with the kids? You're not alone. National parks are among the most popular family vacation ideas when school's out and the weather's warm. But the summer months, especially late May through early September, are peak season for a reason – and that means peak crowds, too. So, what's a savvy traveler to do? Either head for the lesser-known, under-the-radar parks or embrace the majesty of the big-name parks that are so stunning (and sprawling) they're worth a little hustle and bustle. Truth is, there's no bad time to explore "America's best idea," and some parks are truly at their best in the summertime. Whether you're chasing epic hikes, wildlife sightings, or just some good old-fashioned family bonding, these are the national parks that rise to the top when the temps (and crowds) heat up. Why you can trust these picks: Read FamilyVacationist's methodology for selecting and recommending vacation destinations and hotels. 1. Yellowstone National Park Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho Signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant as America's (and the world's) first national park, Yellowstone was set aside to preserve the area's unique scenery, cultural heritage, and geologic and ecological systems for the benefit of future generations. Yellowstone is one of the most visited national parks in the country, but most visitors never get more than half a mile from their car—meaning the park is not overrun with tourists once you get a little bit off the beaten path. Explore just a little deeper than the congested main corridors and you will find that Yellowstone is actually one of the best national parks to visit in summer. ▶ Where to stay at Yellowstone National Park: Yellowstone National Park offers nine different lodging facilities with a variety of summer packages for all ages and interests, from families to hiking and wildlife viewing. The iconic Old Faithful Inn is considered the world's largest log structure. In addition to the lodges, families can pitch a tent or park an RV at one of the park's various campgrounds. 2. Glacier National Park Montana Located in northern Montana on the border of Canada, Glacier National Park is one of the most popular U.S. national parks to visit in summer. With its glacier-capped peaks, aquamarine lakes, and exciting hiking trails, it's easy to see why. The park was established in 1910 and features seemingly endless acres of rugged and breathtaking landscapes, historic national park lodges and Swiss-style hut-to-hut hiking. Taking a tour in a signature Red Bus, whose drivers are known as "jammers," is a hallmark experience of the park. With year-round outdoor activities, there's something for everyone here, but the hiking, boating, biking, and fishing are unquestionably best during the summer months. If you're driving your own car or RV to Glacier National Park, be aware that there are some vehicle size restrictions for the must-see Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor (which is usually fully open late-June or early July through mid-October). The park also requires a vehicle reservation to reduce congestion in certain areas as well. ▶ Where to stay near Glacier National Park: Located just outside Glacier National Park, Cedar Creek Lodge is inspired by the people, cultures, and landscapes of Montana. Activities at the mountain lodge include fly fishing on Whitefish Lake, backcountry adventures inside Glacier National Park, and championship golf. The complimentary hot breakfast and indoor pool and hot tub make the lodge perfect for families. CAN'T-MISS: America's 10 most stunning national park lodges are every bit as iconic as the parks they represent 3. Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim Arizona Every summer, the South Rim of the Grand Canyon packs in tourists like Disneyland's Main Street U.S.A. But the harder-to-reach North Rim is only open seasonally, mid-May through mid-October, and it's much more manageable in terms of crowds. Only 10 percent of Grand Canyon visitors make their way to the North Rim, which is great news for families looking to visit one of the country's best national parks in the summer. There are a number of scenic drives and hiking trails around the North Rim, including some spectacular views along the short trail from Grand Canyon Lodge North Rim to Bright Angel Point. And if your family has its heart set on an iconic mule ride, you're in luck: Grand Canyon Mule Rides offers an hour-long excursion as well as a few different three-hour journeys. ▶ Where to stay at Grand Canyon North Rim: Make reservations early to stay in one of the cabins at the Grand Canyon Lodge North Rim, which is perched right on the rim. There are also motel rooms located within walking distance to the lodge. Savor the view along with your meal in the lodge's dining room. 4. Kolob Canyons at Zion National Park Utah No doubt about it, Zion National Park is busy in the summer. Parking lots are full by 9:00 a.m., and crowds are extreme around the holidays with queues for the canyon shuttle stretching to multiple-hour waits. However, 40 miles northwest of Zion's narrow slot canyon is the Kolob Canyons district of Zion National Park. Kolob Canyons do not receive near the crowds as Zion Canyon, which makes it one of the great alternative national parks to visit in summer. Kolob sits 2,000 feet higher in elevation, too, making it typically 10 degrees cooler than Zion. Here families will find brightly colored red rock walls with multiple parallel "finger" canyons. Each of these finger canyons is like a miniature Zion Canyon, broad at its mouth and narrowing to a deep slot at the upper end. Hiking in Kolob Canyons offers the kind of peaceful solitude that's difficult to find in Zion. ▶ Where to Stay Near Zion's Kolob Canyons District: The St. George / Hurricane KOA Journey is located 20 miles south on I-15 from the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center. It's also about 30 miles west of the main Zion National Park entrance in Springdale, Utah. This KOA could easily be a home base for both sections of the park, and it has a pool, mini golf course, playground, pickleball court and a trail to archaeological ruins of a settler homestead. 5. Kenai Fjords National Park Alaska If you want to escape the summer heat, witnessing the awesome glaciers of the Harding Icefield at Alaska's Kenai Fjords National Park may be in order. The best way to experience this national park is from the water, and there are plenty of cruise tours available to take in the scenery and wildlife (think seals, sea lions, sea otters, puffins, orca, whales, and eagles). Those interested in hiking can head to Exit Glacier, the only portion of the park accessible by road. A number of trails and guided ranger walks make it accessible for active families. ▶ Where to stay near Kenai Fjords National Park: Just outside the town of Seward along the Resurrection River, the Seward Windsong Lodge operates a collection of small buildings that evokes the feeling of summer camp in the woods. The lodge operator offers packages that include Kenai Fjords Tours, making it convenient to bundle your lodging with a day cruise or shuttle to Exit Glacier. 6. San Juan National Historic Site Puerto Rico Take a trip 500-plus years back in time at Puerto Rico's San Juan National Historic Site, settled by Europeans in the 1500s. The famed Castillo San Felipe del Morro (a.k.a., 'El Morro'), a stone fort built by the Spanish, guards the entrance to the Bay of San Juan from its 140-foot-high perch. Consisting of six-levels, the "unconquerable" El Morro was used by troops up until World War II. In 1983, El Morro was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In addition to exploring the forts and lighthouses, families can enjoy coastal trails, bird watching, and stargazing. The fort's expansive lawn is tailor-made for picnicking and flying kites. ▶ Where to stay near San Juan National Historic Site: A stay at the luxury beachfront La Concha Renaissance San Juan Resort just outside the Old San Juan historic district makes it easy to combine a tropical beach vacation with your summer national park visit. La Concha also offers packages that include food and beverage credits. SAVE MONEY: Travelers recommend these 11 cheap family resorts that make vacations more affordable 7. Mammoth Cave National Park Kentucky It's always a cool 54 degrees Fahrenheit in the underground caves of Mammoth Cave National Park, even in the dog days of summer. At more than 400 miles long, Mammoth Cave is the longest known cave system in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and an International Biosphere Reserve. Admission to the national park is free, but a paid guided tour is required. There are a variety of tours to choose from, including some led exclusively by lantern light. Mammoth Cave National Park encompasses more than 52,000 acres of south central Kentucky, and is essentially two parks in one. Most visitors come for the underground experience of the cave itself, but there's plenty of aboveground adventures to be had, too, including miles of hiking trails, biking, canoeing and kayaking on the Green and Nolin Rivers, and horseback riding. ▶ Where to stay at Mammoth Cave National Park: Nestled in a grove near the visitor's center are the rustic Woodland Cottages of The Lodge at Mammoth Cave. These historic cabins are perfect for families, have two to four bedrooms, and are pet-friendly. 8. Agate Fossil Beds National Monument Nebraska The Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, managed by the National Park Service, provides a glimpse into life on the High Plains 20-plus million years ago. It's a prehistoric fossil hotspot that features two trails for visitors to hike and explore. The one-mile Daemonelix Trail reveals original fossil exhibits of creatures that lived in the Miocene (about 23 million to five million years), and the 2.8-mile wheelchair-accessible paved Fossil Hills Trail takes you to historic dig sites where you walk the same ground that paleontologists walked when they found the Miocene-age bonebed. Several learning experiences are available for families as well. The "Touching Table" in the visitor center is full of things to be held, examined, and identified. Junior Ranger and Peewee Ranger programs are also a great way to turn a vacation or weekend getaway to into an enriching and educational experience. ▶ Where to stay near Agate Fossil Beds National Monument: Agate Fossil Beds does not offer camping or overnight stays within Park Service boundaries. However, there are great options in the surrounding communities. Just an hour north of the monument is Our Heritage Guest Ranch, a working dude ranch and itself a national landmark surrounded by the Oglala National Grasslands. Families can enjoy trail horseback rides, day-to-day ranch experiences, prime stargazing, and even continue their fossil exploration through a guided tour in the White River Badlands of northwest Nebraska. 9. Lassen Volcanic National Park California With geothermal features, mud pots, and lava rocks aplenty, Lassen Volcanic National Park is a West Coast vacation alternative to Yellowstone. This northern California park has acres of hydrothermal attractions with fantastic names like Bumpass Hell, Fart Gulch, and Devils Kitchen. Manzanita Lake offers swimming, hiking, and camping. The Southwest Area of the park has the best-known geothermal areas as well as steep, rugged terrain and beautiful vistas. Butte Lake Area features views of Cinder Cone, the youngest volcano in the park. ▶ Where to stay in Lassen Volcanic National Park: Close to the Loomis Museum and visitors center, Manzanita Lake Campground offers rustic one-room, two-room, and bunkhouse cabins. There are miles of hiking trails around Manzanita Lake, and kayaks are available for rent at the camper store. The nearby museum contains exhibits about the eruption of Lassen Peak, and the visitors center has information about other popular locations in the park. MAKE MEMORIES: The 25 best U.S. family resorts and hotels for a vacation to remember 10. Assateague Island National Seashore Maryland Wind, waves, and wild horses—there's a lot for families to love at Assateague Island National Seashore, a long stretch of beach where untamed horses roam free. A national park that's best visited in summer, this scenic area is the perfect setting for swimming, fishing, crabbing, kayaking, and other kid-friendly beach activities. Assateague Island is only about an hour from the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Park, making it an easy and well-worth-it addition to your family beach vacation. ▶ Where to stay near Assateague Island: Beach camping is especially popular here, but if you're looking for a hotel, head to nearby Ocean City, Maryland, where the Aloft Ocean City offers accommodations just steps from the bustling Ocean City Boardwalk. 11. Virgin Islands National Park U.S. Virgin Islands The U.S. Virgin Islands are an official U.S. territory in the Caribbean consisting of three individual islands: St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas. Virgin Islands National Park makes up two-thirds of St. John, but there are portions of the national park throughout all three islands. Activities in these passport-free vacation spots include relaxing on white sand beaches, swimming, snorkeling, and fishing. Archaeological sites include ancient petroglyphs of the indigenous Taino people. Virgin Islands National Park is known for its biodiverse reefs such as Buck Island Reef National Monument, located in St. Croix. Visiting is hassle-free for parents of young children because no passport is required for U.S. Citizens arriving from the United States to the U.S. Virgin Islands. ▶ Where to stay in the Virgin Islands National Park: Camping is the only option inside the Virgin Islands National Park. Cinnamon Bay Beach and Campground is located within the park overlooking Cinnamon Bay. The campground offers all the amenities of the best family glamping resorts, including tents with electricity, a queen-size bed, cooking kit (with cooler, pot, pan, cooking utensils, plates, bowls, cups, eating utensils, and two burner propane cooktop), fan, light, linens, towels, picnic table, and porch chairs. Eco-Tents sleep two, and Family Eco-Tents include extra space with twin bunks in addition to the queen and sleep four people. These 11 national parks are at their very best during summer vacation (and some are virtually crowd-free) originally appeared on More from FamilyVacationist: The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. and are owned and operated by Vacationist Media LLC. Using the FamilyVacationist travel recommendation methodology, we review and select family vacation ideas, family vacation spots, all-inclusive family resorts, and classic family vacations for all ages. TourScoop covers guided group tours and tour operators, tour operator reviews, tour itinerary reviews and travel gear recommendations. If you buy an item through a link in our content, we may earn a commission.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Brexit deal ‘couldn't have gone better' say French fishermen
French fishermen said they 'couldn't have hoped for better' after Sir Keir Starmer surrendered a 12-year deal on fish to the EU. The Prime Minister gave up access to British waters as part of his reset deal with Brussels, which was unveiled alongside EU chiefs in London on Monday. He made the major concession in a 'fish for food' deal to secure a trade-boosting veterinary agreement with the EU, after being ambushed in late-night talks. 'We couldn't have hoped for better,' said Olivier Lepretre, the president of the Hauts-de-France regional fisheries committee. 'We are very satisfied, and relieved,' he told the France3 television channel: 'This changes a lot of things. If we no longer had access to British waters, we would have suffered a significant loss of revenue.' He added: 'We had a completely blocked horizon and this agreement gives us visibility.' Credit: Reuters The original post-Brexit fishing deal offered the EU five years of access to UK waters. It expires next year. But France, and others, made agreeing a replacement a condition for the Swiss-style veterinary deal and UK-EU defence pact in the reset agreement. As late as Sunday, the UK was insisting any fish deal would have to last four years but that trebled in last-minute negotiations to land the agreement under pressure from Emmanuel Macron. 'This is excellent news for our fishermen,' said Agnes Pannier-Runacher, the French minister for ecological transition, the sea and fisheries. Other European fishermen also reacted with joy and praised Paris and Brussels for their tough negotiations. Spain has 40 vessels fishing in British waters, which are also fished by Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Ivan Lopez van der Veen, the vice-chairman of Spain's Cepesca fishing confederation, said: 'This was the best deal we could get. 'We had no expectation of increasing our quotas. For the sector, I think it is the best possible outcome. It allows for stability and to reinvigorate the fleet.' He said: 'We would have liked it to be a permanent agreement but 12 years is a good basis for joint management of those waters, as we have always done.' Mr López van der Veen added: 'I cheer for all members that pushed for a deal. We have 27 states and they are all playing for the EU.' Svend-Erik Andersen, the chairman of the Danish fisheries association, said: 'We are pleased that the highest level in the EU recognises that fishing is an important industry for all of Europe.' Sir Keir claimed that the deal was good for British fishermen because it offered them long-term stability and did not increase European catch quotas. Steve Reed, the Environment Secretary, also insisted that fishermen had lost 'absolutely nothing' in the EU deal. Alistair Carmichael, a Liberal Democrat MP and chairman of the rural affairs committee, told Mr Reed that the fisheries often 'get traded off against something else'. In response, Mr Reed said: 'I do want to really emphasise this point, because you said fishing was traded out in this deal. It wasn't. 'They've lost absolutely nothing, and they've gained things, particularly access that we did not have before.' But Elspeth Macdonald, the chief executive of the Scottish fishermen's federation, said: 'This deal is a horror show for Scottish fishermen, far worse than Boris Johnson's botched Brexit agreement.' The veterinary deal will remove post-Brexit border checks and red tape in exchange for the UK agreeing to align with EU laws on plant and animal health rules. That will benefit British exports, including fish. More than 70 per cent of the fish caught by British boats is sold to the EU. EU bans on exports of live British shellfish imposed after Brexit will also be lifted. Dimitri Rogoff, the president of the regional committee for maritime fisheries and marine farming of Normandy, said: 'In Normandy, we're very sensitive to the issue of scallops, it's an extremely important fishery for us. 'We know that British products are fished on the French side, and that these products are sent to the French market at very low prices, which brings prices down a little. So in the end we're competing with our British friends on a product.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UK-EU deal tips Britain down path towards Swiss-style arrangement
There's a trick to announcing trade agreements like the one unveiled by the prime minister on Monday: pluck out a big-sounding number and release it to the public with zero context in an effort to make this sound very impressive indeed. That's what did last week when he was in Saudi Arabia and it's what Sir Keir Starmer did on Monday, promising should generate a whopping £9bn in gross domestic product (GDP) for the UK. Naturally, when you squint a little closer, that figure gets considerably less impressive than it first seems. After all, by 2040 - the year the government was referring to - £9bn will equate to roughly 0.2 percent of GDP, only a tiny fraction of the negative impact most economists have estimated will have on the economy (the OBR puts it at -4 percent). Whether those negative estimates are any more reliable than the one the prime minister came up with on Monday is a debate for another day, but anyway, this is one of those cases where the numbers are perhaps somewhat less meaningful than the politics. For one thing, even that seemingly small 0.2 percent of GDP is actually bigger than the calculated impact of the India trade deal unveiled earlier this month (and almost certainly bigger than any other trade deal signed since Brexit). That's because a small percentage of a big number is still a relatively big number, and Britain trades more with its neighbours than any other country in the world. Read more from Sky News: Anyway, more consequential than any numbers is the fact that this government has committed to something its predecessors refused to countenance: aligning certain of its regulations (most notably food standards) with the European Union. Previous Conservative governments all shied away from doing so - for fear, they said, of undermining their ability to seek free trade deals with other countries that would insist on greater access to their food markets. Countries like the US and India. That Starmer has managed to seal agreements with those two countries while still agreeing to align food standards with the EU is certainly a diplomatic coup. But it carries with it certain profound consequences. For one thing, it more or less rules out the prospects of Britain ever sealing a proper comprehensive trade deal with the US (as opposed to the rather limited agreements it has actually signed). It will push Britain over a regulatory Rubicon that was, up until now, seen as politically untenable. If you are one of those people who believe that, like it or not, Britain is fated to edge gradually closer to Europe, ending up decades hence with what one might describe as a "Swiss-style deal" with Europe, then Monday's events will have given you no reason to challenge your assumption. What, after all, is a Swiss-style deal but a constellation of complex bilateral agreements with Europe that fall short of single market or customs union membership, while locking the parties into a sort of uncomfortable regulatory convergence? No one in government will ever describe it this way, of course. But while Monday's agreement doesn't amount to much in statistical terms, it nonetheless tips Britain down a path towards a Swiss-style arrangement - with all that goes with it. That certainly is a big deal.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Macron thwarts UK over fish – and this is only the beginning
Brussels has landed a whopper of a 'Brexit reset deal' on fish, securing 12 years access to British waters. It's a significant victory for the European Union, a humiliating surrender from Sir Keir Starmer, and yet another example of Brexit-voting British fishermen being thrown under the bus. Britain originally pushed for a one-year deal, setting up annual negotiations on fishing rights to replace the five-year pact struck in the Brexit trade negotiations, which expires next year. That was the plan when the UK conceded to EU pressure in the final hours of those painful, high stakes talks that brought a deal signed on Dec 30 2020. But once Brussels has a concession, it never willingly surrenders it. Instead it uses it as a foothold to push for more. It demanded five years, which, after some haggling, brought Britain to make a compromise offer of three years. By Sunday, 24 hours before Monday's UK-EU summit, Britain had moved to four years. European Commission negotiators, under pressure from EU capitals, especially Paris, were turning the screws. If Britain wanted to limit fish to four years, then the Swiss-style veterinary deal to boost trade would be limited to four years as well. Tying the two deals together would make it much harder to claw back more fish for British boats in the future. It's an established Commission tactic; the first Brexit fishing deal expires at the same time as an agreement on continued UK access to the EU electricity market. The British wanted the veterinary deal to be kept permanent. Otherwise its decision to sacrifice Brexit freedoms and align with EU plant and animal health rules would look very weak. It would undermine the Government's claims it will bring economic growth and lower grocery prices if the deal was temporary. Experts believe that the deal will bring a 0.1 per cent boost to GDP, which seems a moderate return for such a concession. But the deal will make it easier to export British fish to the EU, which is the major market for the UK, which exports most of what it catches. With the summit hours away, and Sir Keir hoping for a third deal with a major partner in recent weeks, the UK was in a weak negotiating position. This was the moment the EU was waiting for as the talks entered the endgame. The clock was ticking, as Michel Barnier used to say. The EU could easily walk away with no deal, but that was not an option for a Prime Minister bleeding support to Reform UK. If Britain wanted no deadline on the veterinary deal, it would have to pay big for it in fish, three times as much as it had offered. In the wee small hours of the morning, Britain surrendered and agreed it would last 12 years. At this stage it is unclear whether this will mean fish catches on the same terms as the expiring deal, which would be an EU victory, or potentially allow even more. What is clear is that Sir Keir has surrendered one of the few points of leverage the UK had in its dealings with the EU, where fish is politically very important, until 2038. Experts believe that the veterinary deal will bring a 0.1 per cent boost to GDP, which seems a moderate return for such a major concession. The reset has also secured a defence pact with the EU and paved the way for UK involvement in EU rearmament programmes after Emmanuel Macron's France insisted it was conditional on a deal on fish. The EU's last minute ambush in the dying hours of the reset negotiations has paid off in spades. Brussels was always confident it would. There is precedent. The same thing happened during the last hours of the Brexit trade negotiations. Britain under Boris Johnson also caved on fish to get a trade deal, that prevented an economically devastating no deal and a return to World Trade Organisation terms. Mr Johnson at least had the excuse that he got a trade deal in return, rather than a reset agreement that merely tinkers around the edge of one already weighted in the EU's favour. The negotiations with the EU were always going to be an uphill battle. Brussels knows that Britain needs the deal more than it does and that size matters. Its tough negotiation stance, which has secured a promise for more talks on youth mobility, is based on the belief that the heft of its Single Market with 460 million consumers will always tell in the end. That conviction was strengthened in these new talks because the UK does not have the shelter of a trading bloc at a time when Donald Trump is threatening to trigger a global trade war. The threat of Russia has also weakened Britain's hand, although it made the defence pact easier to do and accelerated the reset. Britain has given away an awful lot for some modest gains. Brussels is ruthless about negotiating in the EU's own interest, and its own interest alone. Sir Keir, a Remainer who once pushed for a second referendum, might have hoped he'd be given an easier ride by the European Commission than the Tories. In the end it was a case of plus ça change – the more things change, the more things stay the same. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
