Mediation must prevail, we need fewer conflicts in this world, not more - Carl Les

On the rollercoaster of tariff diplomacy, we now have a first trade deal between the US and the UK. This looks like good news for aluminium, steel and especially automobile manufacturers and their supply chain. It is all relative of course to the world according to Donald Trump who uses tariffs as chess pieces on a board game, but where he maintains the ability, the right in his view, to change the rules.

An ideal world is free trade. Agriculture is part of this first deal with up to 13,000 tonnes of UK and US beef being exported and imported tariff free. This is a small part of the total import of beef into the UK which last year was about 240,000 tonnes, but is tariff free.

The deal appears to exclude the necessity to allow the importation of chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-treated beef. Ministers are at pains to stress there has been no reduction in food standards, an area where though costly our farmers lead the world. Engineering supply chains are hugely important, of course, but so is farming and food supply chains here in North Yorkshire.

However there are more negotiations to come and it is good to see David Skaith, the elected mayor of York and North Yorkshire both welcoming the firm commitments made to protecting our high food standards and demanding that these commitments remain a red line with the Government in any future rounds. With the new way of working in local government, a Labour Mayor has the ear of the Labour government.

The great events of last week were also the nation`s celebration of VE Day. From the most simple, flying of a flag with VE inscribed on it, putting up bunting, lighting beacons, holding street parties and community events, observing a two minute silence in centres of population and workplaces, as we did at County Hall; to the elaborate, a magnificent service in Westminster Abbey and the concert on Horseguards Parade, all took their place in the national consciousness.

These recognised the enormous achievement and many sacrifices made by that wartime generation, at home and abroad, in the armed forces, in other uniformed services and in the civilian population, and of all ages.

Many made the point that there will be few more occasions when those still living will be recognised as age takes its inevitable toll. Many also made the point that although VE Day brought the European conflict to an end, the war in the Far East still had months to run. A very poignant interviewee from that conflict said that they were fearful that the atomic bomb had been used, but grateful that it had brought their war to a sudden and quick conclusion.

Some commentators also made the point that although the European war was over, the conflict had not ended. Russia had invaded Poland at the same time as the Nazis, and having then been invaded themselves by their erstwhile non-aggression pact partners, when the Red Army finally pushed the Germans out of Russia, they entered Poland again and stayed, as they did in partitioned Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, the Baltic states, Ukraine.

The Iron Curtain described by Churchill had descended from the Baltic to the Adriatic. Poland amongst other European nations changed an occupation by a genocidal power for that of a totalitarian power, wanting the state to control everything.

I was privileged this week to be invited to visit the synagogue in Harrogate and reflect on what horrors VE Day brought to an end for that race in particular. Soviet economic totalitarianism did not seek to destroy races although it did destroy ambition.

In the 1970s I met the manager of a Polish fertiliser factory. They had only one customer, the Russian state agriculture body. The fertiliser had to be bagged in sacks provided by another department of the only customer. The bags cost more than they were allowed to charge for the filling. The Polish economic ministry had to make up the difference. It would be another 45 years before all of Europe could be free, and celebrate another victory.

There is some hope for progress in Ukraine this week. Little change in Gaza. Now we have conflict between India and Pakistan. Hopefully mediation will prevail. We need fewer conflicts in this world, not more.

Carl Les is the Leader of North Yorkshire Council.