The above title is also the headline in the Observer/Guardian today 27th Dec 2020..see https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/dec/27/the-observer-view-on-the-brexit-deal

So a lousy deal has arrived that will definitely impoverish that small island of UK.  The buffoons and tricksters have 'won' again but they now live in a country that doesnt stand for anything anymore.  It has forsaken its friends and angered the Union with Scotland and Northern Ireland who are now poised to set out on their own but certainly as EU members.

Gosh even the UK fishermen aren't happy and the whole deal discussions were mainly about them. Fishing is Point Zero Three percent of Britain GDP.  Sadly the service sector bigwigs have already moved from Belgravia to the Champs-Élysées and nearby. Amazing that the total dummy Johnson ignored in discussions with the EU British services.  He thinks 80% of the economy, which are services, is only a little bigger than 0.03%!  Even my time at Oxford showed me that many understood statistics and economics but clearly not future Prime Ministers.  Looks like the famous PPE that produced most of our Prime Ministers needs either  to be totally ignored or totally revamped to come at least into the 20th century!!  Maybe even the 21st..do we dare to hope?

Breaking News:  Just in from The Guardian as I write: 'Boris Johnson admits Brexit deal falls short for financial services'.  Some visionary he is three days from the implementation of the lousy deal.  Did no-one ever brief him on services?  What a complete dummy.

What we dare to hope is another referendum in 2021 as the pain starts to eat at the UK levels of living and its economy.  Remember Boris' red bus that was to save the NHS...he didnt mention that more than £100m will be spent on the post-Brexit replacement of the Erasmus exchange programme for UK students next year.  The government’s decision to end involvement in the European Union scheme has proved controversial, particularly as Boris Johnson had previously said Brexit did not threaten participation.

And as The Observer article stated The hope will be that this deal might at least herald the beginning of a more responsible politics in the UK ... that it might form the basis for a return to government in the national interest, and the repair of relationships that have been damaged by the petty, childish diplomacy of the past few years. But the reality is ...  Johnson is a weak leader lacking in principles and vision. There is now likely to be an almighty struggle between those on the right of his party who always saw Brexit as the route to slashing taxes, regulatory standards and consumer protections, and those who recognise the human costs this would involve.

The Observer ends by stating that 'one day, our children and grandchildren will look back in astonishment that Britain’s governing class managed to fail the country so comprehensively. One day, politicians will feel embarrassed to admit their association with the tawdry politics of Brexit...but in the wake of the eventual defeat of the charlatans there surely lies a better, brighter future for Britain that will one day come to pass.'

Dear friends who have signed and followed my petition the past few years, I shall not give up and shall continue this petition to save the UK.  I'll change the title but in the meantime stay safe, wear masks, social distance and take the vaccine dear friends.  I NEED you and so does BRITAIN!!

Dr Michael Hopkins FRSA, Dec 27th 2020 writing marooned in Kenya but at least in a warm place!  I hope to be back in UK in late spring to deliver my long postponed RSA lecture.