Remove the threat! UK furiously cancels all French fishing permits, panics Macron "asks" for EU help

Frighten! Macron begged the EU for help as the UK announced it would cancel all French "fishing" permits.

EMMANUEL MACRON was embarrassed by his plea to Brussels to put pressure on the UK over post-Brexit fishing rights.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Tuesday he was ready to ask EU partners to stand with France against Brexit Britain's reluctance to issue fishing licenses.

Paris was furious at London's refusal to issue the full number of permits for French fishing boats to operate in British territorial waters and threatened retaliatory measures.

Mr Castex told parliament on Tuesday: "Britain does not respect its own signature.

"Month after month, the UK introduces new conditions and delays in the issuance of permanent permits.

Mr Castex said France would bring the matter before a panel of UK and European representatives that oversees implementation of the Brexit trade deal and, if there is still no progress, refer to arbitration.

The move was criticized by Frexiteer and Les Patrio`tes leader Florian Philippot.

He said bluntly: "France is forced to beg the European Commission to be 'tougher' on fishing against a UK that is completely free to do what it wants!

“Sadly, ineffectively, humiliating to have no sovereignty!

"Quickly independent!"

Britain said it had issued fishing permits to ships with a record of operating in its waters in the years before the country withdrew from the EU on January 31, 2020. We are willing to discuss further licensing if the fishermen can prove their fishing history.

French confidence was further undermined when Britain joined the US and Australia in an Indo-Pacific security pact, leading to Canberra canceling a major deal for French submarines.

"We just ask them to respect their word," Mr Castex told Congress.

His speech came after France's Minister of European Affairs Clement Beaune also hinted that energy supplies could be disrupted in retaliation for the kingdom's lack of access to seas. Britain, while fishing industry representatives have threatened to blockade Calais to disrupt cross-Channel trade.

Asked about possible retaliatory measures, Mr Beaune pointed to both British exports to France and European energy exports to Britain.
But Boris did not appear to be afraid of Beaune's threat, on the contrary, the UK also threatened to stop importing French wine, if France was deliberately aggressive.

In response to Beaune, the UK's Brexit Secretary, Lord David Frost, reminded France of the need for "proportion".

Lord Frost accused France of not respecting the UK's stance on fishing access. Don't let us Britons get angry, then the result will be really unpredictable. If you make the shipping problem too stressful, we can cancel all the fishing licenses of French fishermen. Stop threatening us or asking for help immediately.