Yesterday HMS Severn and HMS Tamar were deployed in response to fears the French boats could blockade St Helier, while the French maritime authority for the Channel sent two police vessels to the area “to ensure the protection of human life at sea”.
The authorities in Jersey have now promised further talks to help resolve the row, but the French government hit out at a “British failure” to abide by the terms of the UK-EU trade deal and warned it would “use all the leverage at our disposal” to protect the fishing industry.
The European Union also accused Jersey of breaching the deal signed by the UK and Brussels.
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said efforts would be made to resolve the dispute with Emmanuel Macron’s government and the EU.
“What we have done is make very clear to the French ministers who said some very unwise and disproportionate comments that we will stand with the people of Jersey,” the Cabinet minister said.
On Question Time last night Former Commons Speaker John Bercow says No. 10’s actions were “juvenile and down market” after the UK sent the navy vessels to Jersey.
He said: “It’s an absurd act of gunboat diplomacy. It’s a bit of jingoistic sabre-rattling. And if you tell me that the despatch of those ships and the fact of election day are unrelated, I can say only that you will believe anything.”
But he wasn’t going to stop there, he then laid into Robert Jenrick, who had tried to paint Bercow’s parliamentary interjections as meddling in the process of Government.
Well Bercow didn’t like that comment, at all.
He said: “It’s called standing up for the rights of the democratic legislature. I’ll introduce you to the concept. A tutorial would be of great advantage to the Government.”
As ever people took to Twitter to comment on Bercow’s comments.
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Related: ‘You’re a fascist and a racist’: Nicola Sturgeon confronts former deputy leader of Britain First
