There is a rather uncomfortable pattern emerging that suggests the Tory vision for post Brexit UK.
The EU clearly believes that the UK is planning to be a tax haven. They are already threatening sanctions if this is to happen.
Yesterday a minister had to apologise for attacking civil servants. The idea of a de-politicised civil service that has been key to the British way of government is very obviously under threat.
And now we learn that the Chinese media have applauded Theresa May for 'sidestepping' the issue of human rights whilst in China.
What is the link? Tax havens exist to sidestep human rights. Theresa May shows herself willing to ignore the issue of human rights. And one of the bastions that ensures rights are upheld in the UK by the impartial delivery of government services is under attack. That, I suggest is the link.
What it might all suggest is that the vision of post-Brexit Britain that some have is of a place where the rights of the many are forsaken for the few. I suspect that for some at least this is indeed the goal.
In the circumstances I welcome the fact that some from across the political spectrum are joining together to challenge hard Brexit. I have long felt there is no perfect Brexit outcome because like many I share considerable reservations about some aspects of the EU. But given the emerging vision of hard Brexit Britain the prospect of retaining close ties with Europe seems much the better deal.
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Its difficult. One wants good outcomes for the nation and its people. On the other hand there is considerable joy (and purpose) in watching the Tories self-destruct. This “right-wing vision”, to the extent that it exists, would be something that was conceived before 2016 and most certainly before the the 2017 GE.
In broad terms, it seems the emerging mood and trends are not consistent with this vision. The proponents of this vision can’t see that, at least not adequately, and I’m kind of glad that they can’t.
Let’s hope that Labour have a surge over the next few years ( although there seems to be a ‘hard’ 40% for the Tories in the polls) -unfortunately, the EU itself is almost certainly heading for collapse at some point as futile austerity measures get worse and Greece is now flaring up again.
Unfortunately, the neo-liberal Ummana is part of the problem and not providing a narrative of great value. And those Labour M.P’s who recently produced a critique of Left leavers, so-called ‘Lexit’ come up with some awful stuff . The document is called ‘Busting the Myths (of Lexit) yet they come out with atrocious myths such as the following:
‘Austerity in the UK is a political choice, made by the
Government, and has nothing to do with the EU or Single
Market rules. In fact, the reverse is true. Leaving the
Single Market and Customs Union will cause an economic
loss which will reduce tax receipts and therefore risks an
extension or intensification of austerity.’
This is self contradictory nonsense -if austerity is a choice then how can a loss of tax receipts maintain it. Nor do they mention the catastrophes ( there is no other word for it) of EU austerity -these bogus explanations are no help. lack of clarity and mis-information a muddying the waters massively and it’s there fore no surprise that people are led down dangerous channels.
The best future is a Labour government forging links with other genuinely Left groups across Europe. What I still fail to understand is why there is a deafening silence from EU leaders and politicians in general about the destructive cognitive dissonance at the heart of Europe -perhaps the dissonance is so loud they are all deaf?
You cannot ignore ignorance as an explanation of much of this
And the fact that the ignorance may be systemic and so unconscious to many
I’ve always believed the hard core Brexiteers wanted low corporate taxes and, crucially, the capacity to remove whole areas of regulation in our economy.
It wasnt about immigration or sovereignty – it was always about moving us away from the EU’s regulatory framework.
That’s why the Brexit ultras are very keen to sever as many ties as possible. They really don’t want any link to the EU, or to come under any area of regulation imposed by the EU.
I suspect that for some that may be true
Have you noticed the latest Conservative riposte on Brexit now includes “take back control of our money” – seeding the idea to the many that we have not had control whilst a member of the EU. This together with May’s apparently successful trade trip to China – £9 billion deals signed – should show that we have no need to leave the EU, instead it is being used as a signal of how well we can do outside- and the BBC as usual is failing to counter either ludicrous assertion.
Ignorance is the key here.
I was talking to a colleague (whose partner is a Labour councillor) about the cuts to frontline services being taken at our Council and even she said that there was no money and that Corbyn would lead us into more debt. She saw ‘investment’ as debt because she does not understand where real money comes from.
I explained why this was not so (based on what we know on this blog) and she looked at me as if I were from another planet.
When I got home this evening , two firemen were in our local park handing out leaflets concerning the reduced status of our local fire station (as a result reduced budgets).
I tried to talk to them about it but they just saw it as a money distribution problem (who gets what and why) rather than a lack of real money supply problem (money not being printed when it could be by we know who).
This idea that austerity is a money allocation problem of a finite/fixed amount of money is to me the real core of such ignorance. It is also what leads to issues such as who deserves this cash and who doesn’t and then on to issues like being anti-immigration based on the wrong information.
People also think that the £300+ billion to the finance sector and the money for the DUP is debt – just like their car loans.
The more I think about it, the more I conclude that the whole things is, well……………………totally fucked up! That’s it really – fucked up!
(Sorry Richard).
And it’s the belief that doing the right thing is the wrong that is what leaves us, as you say…..
We were reading yesterday, in a French paper, that until very recently the French Government was totally unaware that the Chinese are buying up French farms en masse. There’s growing concern in China that they will be unable to feed their population. The intention is to grow wheat and transport it back to China.
Don’t you just love neo-liberal market economics where a Communist country can come in and buy up the means for France to feed it’s own people, in favor of another people living halfway across the world.