The British public are sick and tired of it, but we need here to turn to the dreaded topic of BREXIT, once again.
Now many of us in the UK will know of Groundhog Day as being a comedy and a fantasy where people are trapped in a time loop where the same day is repeated endlessly, but we never expected it to become a reality in our lives, did we?
No, but it certainly has become both a comedy (though it isn’t funny), and a fantasy (you couldn’t have made-up if you’d tried), and all because of the nightmare chaos created by the Conservative’s crass handling of BREXIT, which has been forced into our brains every single day since early February 2016, eh?
That was when David Cameron returned from Brussels to claim victory, to proclaim to the nation that he had persuaded the EU that it had to change, so had secured ‘a deal’ with the EU, which obtained for the country a “special status” in the 28-nation bloc – whence he started a dastardly campaign to keep Britain in that vile institution.
It didn’t take long though for the British public to suss-out the lies that were being uttered from that guy’s lips because we all knew full well that it wasn’t anything like the ‘deal’ that he had committed in the Tory manifesto and he had promised to the voters – which he certainly didn’t get, did he? No, not in the slightest
WHAT HE REALLY GOT?
On the issue of Sovereignty – while Britain was said to be now going to be exempt, with an unequivocal opt-out, from that EU treaty reference to ‘ever-closer union’, plus him obtaining the prospect of the EU’s ‘possible’ inclusion of a “red-card” mechanism for members to be able to block or veto a commission proposal [but in reality ‘unworkable’], but the so-called deal did not come even close to winning the UK back control of its own affairs [and even afterwards Cameron failed to come up with the further measures which he claimed would put the sovereignty of the Westminster Parliament beyond doubt, didn’t he?]. Furthermore, other key issues had been dropped [like the promised repatriation of EU social and employment law, or changes to the working-hours directive]
Then, on the matter of Migrants and welfare benefits – Cameron basically caved into the EU opposition and the deal was ‘slap in the face for Britain’ as the PM admitted it would NOT cut migration, when even his ‘deemed essential’ four-year emergency brake on ‘In-work benefits’ was watered down, with new arrivals actually GETTING tax credits phased in over four years, while the so-called brake was to be in place for a maximum of 7 years, instead of 13 years he had required. Britain’s original demand to ban migrant workers from sending child benefit money back home was simply rebutted, although the payments would be linked to the cost of living in the countries where the children live but delayed for existing claimants until 4 years after the referendum.
On the issue of Economic governance or safeguarding interests of countries outside the eurozone – while Cameron got his explicit recognition that the EU has ‘more than one currency’ that did NOT go as far mandating multiple currencies, and while any single non-eurozone country would be able to force a debate among EU leaders about any ‘problem’ eurozone laws they would NOT have a veto, so that concession was meaningless. Also, French resistance on financial regulation resulted in the EU deeming that Britain would NOT win any exceptions to the rules of the EU particularly in relation to regulation in the City
Regarding Competitiveness – Britain’s desires weren’t in the least controversial, so the EU made promises about targeting to cut red tape [as they have done before and haven’t, so pie in the sky, eh?]
Nevertheless, Cameron got his Cabinet lackies (mostly Remainers of course) to endorse the deal [though half a dozen subsequently actually joined BREXIT] and so henceforth it would campaign for the UK to stay in the EU – loyally sticking to that naturally included ‘ambitious intent survivor’ and Remainer Theresa May, who subsequently achieve her well signalled greatest ambition in life of being Prime Minister of the UK, but by blatantly lying and as a vicar’s daughter claiming to having had a Saul-like Damascus road version conversion into a BEXITEER, no less?
More recently then, we come to the Conservative’s end-game chaotic crass handling of the BREXIT final (?) negotiations being rammed-down out throats every single day since mid-November 2018, eh?
That was when Theresa May returned from Brussels to claim victory, proclaim to the nation that after nearly two years of tortuous negotiation she had secured ‘a deal’ with the EU, and obtained a draft BREXIT withdrawal agreement to takes us significantly closer to delivering what the British people voted for in the referendum – whence she started a dastardly campaign to keep Britain in that vile institution as good as damn it.
It didn’t take long though for the British public to suss-out the lies that were being uttered from that woman lips because we all knew full well that it wasn’t anything like the ‘BREXIT’ that she had committed in the Tory manifesto and had promised to the voters – which she certainly didn’t get, did she? No, not in the slightest and some ninety percent of us think that
OH YES, GROUNDHOG DAY HAD ARRIVED IN GREAT BRITAIN, hadn’t it?
WHAT SHE NEVER GOT?
Any deal AT ALL – despite what she claims, because in reality the 2 years of negotiation was about getting a TRADE DEAL, wasn’t it? Yes, and the UK are NO NEARER getting one than we were at the outset and to all intents and purposes we are actually further away because May’s negotiating skills have been so crass that the EU see Britain as a pushover with no power or control over events [not least since the damned Remainers here (including our Chancellor Hammond) have spent 2 years undermining our negotiating position to try and stay in the bloody EU, eh?
Her so called ‘DEAL’ is in fact just a ‘legally-binding’ irreversible TREATY that, at enormous expense, KEEPS the UK in the EU for ANOTHER 2 years [so double the time we voted for in the Referendum!], BUT without ANY representation nor a say about the rules, laws or anything else governing us, when Britain has lost its VETO into the bargain. All that coupled-with the potential of a forced break-up of the Union, to gain a totally UNRELIABLE EU promise to agree a trade deal in the next 2 years [fat chance, don’t you think?]
You might well ask “how did the world’s 5th largest economy end-up negotiating such a crock of shit, eh? Well, look no further than May handing-over Britain’s exit planning and negotiations to an unelected CIVIL SERVANT [whose organisation desperately wants to control our politicians and believes that the people can be trusted so is determined to scupper BREXIT], who personally is in favour of a FEDERAL European union [i.e. a single federal state with a central government], no less?
WHAT SHE REALLY GOT?
Payments to EU – May promised to end “vast annual payments”, but in fact will pay the EU more than £50bn by the time the transition period expires on December 31 2020. [even more will be paid if we stay longer – and we LOSE our rebate to boot (£15billion/year)]
Customs and trade – May promised no customs union but instead wanted a customs “partnership” allowing UK-EU frictionless as possible trade, but she delivered instead a Single Customs Territory, which shares an external tariff, so does NOT allow the UK to set its own tariffs on goods [setting tariff rates is a key leverage in trade negotiations]. Applying a common external tariff is a key difference between a customs union and a free trade area. Sharing this tariff leaves the UK closely integrated in terms of trade policy with the EU and significantly limits its ability to have an independent trade policy. Furthermore, the UK has committed to EU cooperation on the World Trade Organisation, which is likely to have significant consequences for UK- US trade. The UK will not be able to benefit from EU trade deals with a third country and will be able to independently negotiate only AFTER the EU has already signed deals with them. IN SHORT THEN – A BLOODY DISASTER ON TRADE, eh?
Irish border – May promised an open border, with no new customs infrastructure on the 310-mile land border and no trade barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, but she got a “backstop” clause which would see Northern Ireland remain in a Customs Union, but additionally applying the full EU customs code and the EU SINGLE MARKET rules for goods, while Great Britain will remain in the same all-UK Customs Union, but it will not follow single market rules, which will create frictions between ‘Dover and Calais’. [This ‘backstop’ will effectively REMOVE NI from the the UK union and will legally remain in place ‘in perpetuity’ unless there is a trade deal – would YOU trust the EU’s “best endeavours” to reach such a deal, eh?]
EU law and the role of the ECJ – May promised to END the European Court of Justice’s rule in the UK, with laws in future drawn up in courts across this country and NOT in Luxembourg [as “we will not have truly left the European Union if we are not in control of our own laws]”, but she didn’t deliver that, did she? No, the UK and EU built an unprecedented legal model, whereby neither the UK’s Supreme Court nor the European Court of Justice has the final say in legal disputes over the interpretation of the withdrawal agreement, but this is achieved via an independent arbitration panel, while disputes involving matters of EU law MUST be referred to the ECJ, and in certain cases the UK MUST take “due regard” of ECJ case law. SO MUCH FOR DITCHING THE ECJ THEN, eh?
Transition – May promised a transition period of approximately two years to allow a smooth exit from the EU, but she got a transition period due to end in December 2020 during which it REMAINS part of the EU’s SINGLE MARKET and CUSTOMS UNION, so the UK MUST follow EU rules such as free movement, send payments to Brussels, must also accept new EU rules without having a say in them [Britain will no longer attend meetings at the European Council and will lose its 73 MEPs in the European parliament]. This will render the country a “vassal state” that is effectively under EU rule for as long as the transition period lasts.
Citizens’ rights – May promised an end to free movement and give legal guarantees on the rights of EU citizens living in the UK as well as British citizens on the continent, but she agreed that the 3m or so EU nationals living in Britain WILL be allowed to claim “settled status” residence in the UK, retaining almost ALL the rights they had before Brexit [they just have to register with the Home Office]. Furthermore, EU nationals arriving in the UK right up until the END of the transition period will be able to claim ‘settled status’ if they reside for a further five years, locking in Free Movement rights until the end of 2020, and longer if transition is extended. EU nationals will RETAIN almost all family reunion rights, though their right to bring foreign spouses to the UK will match those of the UK nationals, and in certain circumstances they will be able to claim benefits for children living abroad. EU nationals will keep their ‘settled status’ for up to five years, even if they move away from the UK. [The UK has agreed a special governance mechanism for this deal which will require UK cases to be referred to the ECJ for eight years after the end of the UK’s transition].
Competition – May promised that regulatory standards would remain as high as those set by the EU, but instead she delivered a legal commitment to actually APPLY EU regulatory standards in the UK. [these are wide ranging and includes tax, state aid rules on industries government backing, and environmental standards].
Fishing – May promised that Britain will become an independent coastal state after Brexit and will regain control over our domestic fisheries management rules and access to our waters, but nevertheless Britain will actually REMAIN in the Common Fisheries Policy during the transition period, with the EU setting and enforcing quota limits on fish ON WHICH THE UK WILL HAVE NO SAY [the EU can exploit the transition period to impose yet more punitive rules and quota limits on the UK fishing industry]. The Withdrawal Agreement determines that fishing rights will be NEGOTIATED as part of a separate agreement to be concluded by July 2020. Moreover, France has announced that it will veto any proposed future trade agreement unless they are allowed to continue forever to steal British fish.
In addition, in another day of national shame and betrayal, May had caved-in once again to get her disastrous ‘deal’ sanctioned in Brussels, so has disgracefully abandoned this Country’s obligations to Gibraltar and has cast its people aside. After the UK leaves the EU, Gibraltar will NOT be included in the territorial scope of the agreements to be concluded – this has left the status of Gibraltar in dire jeopardy with Spain’s leader now again demanding talks on joint sovereignty
Every so-called ‘break-through’ in the EU BREXIT negotiations were in fact not even a compromise, but just another capitulation by the British Prime Minister, and ones that got the UK nowhere fast.
A senior Brussels negotiator has said the proposed agreement (deal) will mean the UK aligns its rules with Europe, while the EU will retain all the controls, eh?
In speeches delivered over the past two years Theresa May has repeatedly vowed to take back control of our borders, our laws and our money, leave the Common Fisheries Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy, whilst protecting jobs, security and the integrity of our United Kingdom, yet she has failed to deliver ANYTHING resembling that. Instead she is running down the clock before the leave deadline of 29 March 2019, just 96 days away, in a hopefully vain attempt to get MPs [it has to be said, mostly Remainers intent on defying the will of the electorate, subvert BREXIT, and stay in the EU] to accept in exasperation her unacceptable naïve and crap Brexit plan with her withdrawal agreement, which is NOT in the British national interest (as she claims), but would indeed set the UK up for failure by surrendering “our voice, our vote and our veto” (Sam Gyimah MP).
[The only way that BREXIT can work is just to just bloody well to walk away from the disastrous European Union – it may be termed ‘no-deal’ by those extreme Remainers, but in reality, it has ALWAYS been the ‘real-deal’, because any deal we strike with Brussels will be ‘EU first’]
ramblings007 