Would you like some chlorine with that?

[Rhiannon]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jul/25/brussels-attacks-liam-foxs-ignorant-remarks-chlorinated-chicken-eu-trade-deal-us

Just how bloody ignorant are our politicians? And I don't believe for one minute that Corbyn and his colleagues would manage it any better.

[Nearly Sane]

Much as I hate to defend Liam, I think not surprisingly this story is somewhat one sided. I think he's being manipulative but I don't see this as a result of lack of knowledge here.

Oh and any headline writer that doesn't pun around with Fox and chicken needs a darn good thrashing.

[Rhiannon]

But surely it's ignorant to dismiss this as a 'minor detail' when it is exactly this kind of thing that can bugger up future deals elsewhere. Especially, one assumes, a soft Brexit.

[Nearly Sane]

But surely it's ignorant to dismiss this as a 'minor detail' when it is exactly this kind of thing that can bugger up future deals elsewhere. Especially, one assumes, a soft Brexit.

depends on which meaning you are after. If it is being rude, then I think that is exactly what Liam is doing. But lack of knowledge, not at all. Liam isn't a fan of a soft Brexit and is using what in terms of a whole trade deal will be a minor point, to needle the EU, and those in favour of a softer Brexit in the govt, to try and argue that how we wash chickens is the most important thing about trade.

[Rhiannon]

depends on which meaning you are after. If it is being rude, then I think that is exactly what Liam is doing. But lack of knowledge, not at all. Liam isn't a fan of a soft Brexit and is using what in terms of a whole trade deal will be a minor point, to needle the EU, and those in favour of a softer Brexit in the govt, to try and argue that how we wash chickens is the most important thing about trade.

In which case he isn't just pissing about with soft brexiters and the EU, he's lying to the electorate.

[Nearly Sane]

In which case he isn't just pissing about with soft brexiters and the EU, he's lying to the electorate.

No, I think he does think it is essentially a small point in a greater good. But he is using it to his side's advantage here. It triggers people arguing that the salmonella rate is significantly lower in the US, and wondering about a ban that is used to stop people doing something that would be banned anyway (I.e. selling of chicken outside a legal time).

In some ways it's quite clever, in that I have already seen people 'challenging' Liam to eat a chicken in the US which he then will quite happily do, and say 'Mmmm' in screen. Much as people might hope for a Game of Thrones purple wedding moment when Liam chokes on the chicken in a Joffrey like expiration, it won't happen.

As I stated in my reply, I am defending Liam on the charge of lack of knowledge, not as a shimmering example of the vest of humanity.

[Rhiannon]

No, I think he does think it is essentially a small point in a greater good. But he is using it to his side's advantage here. It triggers people arguing that the salmonella rate is significantly lower in the US, and wondering about a ban that is used to stop people doing something that would be banned anyway (I.e. selling of chicken outside a legal time).

In some ways it's quite clever, in that I have already seen people 'challenging' Liam to eat a chicken in the US which he then will quite happily do, and say 'Mmmm' in screen. Much as people might hope for a Game of Thrones purple wedding moment when Liam chokes on the chicken in a Joffrey like expiration, it won't happen.

As I stated in my reply, I am defending Liam on the charge of lack of knowledge, not as a shimmering example of the vest of humanity.

So is it that he doesn't care that it will in all likelihood make exporting British chicken products (for example - we know this is only one issue, others including use of hormones, antibiotics and GM) to the EU harder, if not impossible?

[Nearly Sane]

So is it that he doesn't care that it will in all likelihood make exporting British chicken products (for example - we know this is only one issue, others including use of hormones, antibiotics and GM) to the EU harder, if not impossible?

I think Liam is borderline messianic about freer trade, and sees this as both an easy way to show the EU as intransigent and in the longer term break the restrictions within the EU as well.

[Rhiannon]

I think Liam is borderline messianic about freer trade, and sees this as both an easy way to show the EU as intransigent and in the longer term break the restrictions within the EU as well.

So does that make him honest with the electorate or not?

[Nearly Sane]

So does that make him honest with the electorate or not?

Does he think that it is a minor detail? Yes
Does he think that by using it politically he can bring about freer trade? Yes
Is he discussing all possible outcomes and considerations in what his approach is? No. but is he obliged to do that? Don't think so.

[Rhiannon]

But if these kinds of 'minor details' rule out the possibility of easy trade with the EU then maybe they aren't so minor? I'm not seeing anything that says this will create freer trade with anyone other than the US, and certainly nothing that suggests that this will be anything other than catastrophic for our agricultural trade relations with the EU.

[Nearly Sane]

But if these kinds of 'minor details' rule out the possibility of easy trade with the EU then maybe they aren't so minor? I'm not seeing anything that says this will create freer trade with anyone other than the US, and certainly nothing that suggests that this will be anything other than catastrophic for our agricultural trade relations with the EU.

That's because you aren't a true believer like Liam. The whole edifice of the restrictive trade policies of the EU needs to be brought down. This, and other similar 'minor' points will be part of showing what the problems of restrictive trade are. (Not all opinions expressed in this post are my own)

[Nearly Sane]

I see it is being referred to as Chlorination Chicken. Superb!



http://m.huffpost.com/uk/entry/uk_597631bde4b0c95f375d54e3?

[SteveH]

I see it is being referred to as Chlorination Chicken. Superb!



http://m.huffpost.com/uk/entry/uk_597631bde4b0c95f375d54e3?

Buggerybollocks! You beat me to it!