There’s nothing wrong with changing one’s mind, is there? Before the EU referendum I was undecided, then I became a Remainer, then I thought we could fudge some deal whereby the UK remained in the EEA or something similar. Now I have changed my mind again.
Yesterday’s Evening Standard leads with a story about Jean-Claude Juncker, that awfully easy to dislike Eurocrat, the Stalin of Brussels. He spoke for an hour and only a small part was about the UK, most was his vision for Europe, or at least the twenty-seven countries in the EU. He wants to strip the rights of member countries to set their own taxes. He wants all the EU members to join the euro and Schengen. If the UK were part of the EU these catastrophes could have been prevented. Well we aren’t and we shouldn’t go back. I really think that the EU will turn into something not dissimilar to the Soviet Union. Mutualisation of taxes is extremely dangerous. The next step is to mutualise liabilities.
We are going to have a rough ride for at least a decade and goodness knows what will happen to those Unionist Leavers in Ulster who took leave of their senses. My guess is that their fate is to be like the Republic of Ireland for much of the 20th century. The workforce will emigrate and they will be subsidised from London like the Welsh. Or they can put their sashes under the bed and join the republic – some chance.
It was an appalling mistake to leave the EU but it seems to me, now that we have, we have to go through with it, suffer the short-term consequences and then get out on those sunny uplands that Boris rhapsodied about. The sad thing about all this is that politicians of all parties in the UK want to serve their country and to make it a better place. They care about the NHS, education, public services and are prepared to work as MPs for, frankly, chicken-feed. (Because of the weakness of Sterling, chickenfeed has got more expensive.) Most of them, sensibly, want to Remain and now have sore bums sitting on the fence.
Meanwhile, as I am on a rant, that total tosser Trump has been hamstrung by the American Constitution. He can tweet but – thank the Lord – he cannot carry out his dangerous, loony plans.
If you think these remarks are intemperate put it down to my new blood pressure pills which are making me rather excitable.
https://youtu.be/nvzGAW4BB34
Bravo
I second Pam’s comment. I’m glad you’re seeing the light. By the way, nothing wrong with changing your mind. I started off as a mild Europhile, became a reluctant Remainer; then reluctant Leaver, now an unashamed, fully paid up, committed Brexiteer.
You were absolutely right to focus in on Junckers and the Super State issue. Nobody ever seems to mention it. So many confusing red herrings to muddy the waters: immigration, scientific research, economics, fishing rights, the fall in the pound, blah, blah, blah. The Times is the worst culprit, a daily dose of manipulative remainer gloom. I’m constantly amazed how so many commentators (with the notable exception of David Owen) seem to be missing the one crucial point. Do you want to live in a European Super State? Yes or No?
Every Christmas I used to get a calendar sent to me by the German ambassador (God knows why), which made it very clear- and this was well over ten years ago- that the ultimate European destination was ‘an ever closer political union’. This has always been their goal. Right from the very beginning. And with the terrible recent history of Europe, it’s understandable. With hindsight, de Gaulle was absolutely right- those pesky, maritime, internationalist, free-trade Brits were going to muck things up, which is why, quite reasonably, he showed us the black ball.
We all want a nice, sensible, free-trade Common Market (it’s what my parents voted for), but who wants an authoritarian European Super State?
Where we’re going to have to disagree is that I don’t think Britain could, ultimately, have stopped the inevitable slide towards a United States of Europe. Brexit has sped the process up, but hasn’t caused it. It was going to happen. Whatever. We could have delayed it, sure, (in our, irritating, difficult, bolshy British way) but ten years down the line, we would have had to have made the same decision we’ve just come to. Do we stay in our out? And my God, if it’s hard to get out of now, just imagine what a nightmare it would be trying to leave in ten years time?
I’m glad to live in a country that’s got the guts to say ‘no, it’s time to call a stop to this nonsense’. We’ve a history of being subversive: wasn’t it this very English belief in ‘Liberty’ and the ‘Rights of Man’ that, ironically, caused the 18th century American colonists to rebel against London in the first place? And that was no bad thing. I just wish the remainers (especially those on the Soft Left) would understand the wider historical picture.
There’s also another argument, perhaps valid, that if the rest of Europe wants to move towards integration, who are we to stop them? What I do know is that I believe in the nation state-for all its faults- and the EU doesn’t. But then if you were Germany or Italy, both created in the mid to late 19th century, there’s far less to lose, isn’t there-especially with their recent history? Historically, we’re just too different.
Rant over and I’ve gone on far too long. Great blog by the way; stimulating- and I’ve been enjoying your posts.