The JSPrice Perception

Boris Johnson and Emmanuel Macron (Image: Human Rights Watch) I'm not sure if it's a big deal for governments in countries other than the UK and France, but the fact both are stuck in a stubborn diplomatic wrangle at the moment is quite significant, and those nations should probably be concerned. The squabbles are basically over what's happening on the English Channel, circling around two areas; fish and refugees. Fish has been a contentious subject for what has felt like an eternity, and tensions have escalated since the UK left the European Union. Like any other sea, parts are controlled by different countries, and with the English Channel,  applications must be made in order to access certain areas. The process doesn't sound like rocket science but of course, the small print can be interpreted in various ways and while the UK may withdraw licences, France will inevitably claim there were no justifications for those decisions. These finest of margins could always be ...

Lorry driver queues (Image: BBC) It's hard to ignore the Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) driver shortage crisis at the moment. It was widely acknowledged that lorry drivers - particularly those entering and leaving the UK - would suffer a paperwork overload once Britain no longer became a member of the European Union. But some of us (myself included), who are oblivious to the ins and outs of the supply chain industry, thought the main issue for drivers was going to be around the endless M20 queues around Folkestone and Dover. When I recently visited the Channel Tunnel six weeks ago, I saw the opposite. Little did we misinformed folk realise was in fact, there aren't enough lorry drivers around full stop. Because of this, we now have a supposed ' fuel shortage ', in that, due to the lack of delivery drivers, there isn't enough petrol or diesel in our petrol stations. Speaking to a few people living outside of the UK, they'd watched some of the panic buying online with...

Mass shooting in Plymouth sent shockwaves (Image: BBC) It's taken me a while to reflect on what happened in Plymouth back in August. This isn't just because of my busier than normal work and life schedule, but it's also because I needed to find the right words to say. I know, however, as a responsible male, I needed to say something, as the more I read about the terrifying event on that particular evening, the more compelled I feel to try and suggest ways to actually stop more of these avoidable situations from happening. The evening of 12th August 2021 started like any other day in Keyham, located in the beautiful city of Plymouth in Devon; residents coming back from work, cooking their dinner, taking their dogs for a walk. But as the sun set, the quiet area witnessed a bloodshed. 22-year-old Jake Davison had a row with his mother in their home. It intensified to the point that Davison took a gun and shot her to her death. He then ran out of his house and shot dead four o...

Boris Johnson has big decisions ahead on global security (Image: Politicshome.co.uk) I find myself in a moral dilemma. I take pride in my anti-war stance. Until my dying day, I will always argue why sending troops abroad to defend countries that have little, or nothing, to do with the UK, is pointless, expensive and has tragic and criminal consequences. When it comes to the conflict in Afghanistan, my views are skewed. I, of course, often find myself wondering 'why on earth did we ever get involved in the first place?' I was 10 when former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and former US President George W. Bush took the decision to send their respective armies to Afghanistan on a quest to protect its citizens against the threats and barbarity of the extremist group, Taliban. Fast forward to the present day, 20 years later, current UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US President Joe Biden are desperate to bring their troops home and hope to end the dark chapter in both country'...

The government building in Cardiff causing controversy (Image: WalesOnline) I bloody love Wales. I will never tire of talking and hearing about the country I was born and raised in. It will always be my home and I will never stop supporting or defending Cymru in (most of) its pursuits. I'm a proud Welshman and nothing will come in the way of that. What I'm also certain about, however, is Wales's current position. Wales, while has its own government, is still part of the United Kingdom, relying on Westminster on some key issues impacting daily life. Whether we like it or not, we're factually British as much as we are Welsh. Despite this, it doesn't stop a large proportion of the population to say they feel more Welsh than British. In fact, almost half of people polled in a small-scale BBC survey in 2019 about the issue said that statement was true to them. In the 2011 Census , 58% of the total population said they were Welsh while 7% were both Welsh and British. I...

A protest 'woke' people are likely to attend (Image: The Times) I feel the word 'woke' needs to be banned. No, not 'woke' as in 'I woke up at 8am', but as in 'You're woke'. It's currently being used a cheap-shot insult towards those who raise issues they care deeply about, and it's being overused with no substance. Some of you may not be familiar with the new definition of 'woke'. I envy you, but I'll entertain you with an Oxford English Dictionary definition regardless. The Dictionary defines it as "Originally: well-informed, up-to-date. Now, chiefly: alert to racial or social discrimination and injustice." You read that and may easily come up with lots of recent examples - the Black Lives Matter movement, for instance.  The definition itself isn't the issue. My issue is the way some people lazily overuse it, in a way which downgrades the well-intended meaning. A simple Yahoo search of 'criticism of wok...

I've been rather reflective of late. On Thursday 6 May, I turn 30 and have used the past few weeks to look back on the things I've achieved in my twenties, and contemplate what I've learnt in this time period so I can embrace the challenges which lay ahead. I must say, I'm rather excited to enter my thirties and have been so since I was about six. While my peers have dreaded the big three-zero, I'm completely the opposite. But let me trace back my steps. Ten years ago, I was a 20-year-old University student living in North Wales and probably a quarter of weight lighter. Politically, David Cameron had been Prime Minister for a year, and Barack Obama occupied the White House. The UK was very much a member of the European Union and Manchester City was still searching for its first Premier League title. LMFAO reached number one in the UK singles chart with "Party Rock Anthem" and Amy Winehouse (who tragically died two months later) and Adele dominated the UK...