It is extraordinary that less than three weeks before we are supposed to leave the EU we do not know if we will, and on what terms.
It is perhaps even more extraordinary that whatever deal is being discussed is not known to us.
And nor, come to that, were the actual terms of the proposal most recently made, but now very obviously consigned to history, published in full.
What are we meant to think?
How are we meant to make up our minds?
Let alone, how are we meant to provide informed consent for what might happen to the country we live in?
The one thing that is certain is that whatever we voted upon in June 2016 provides no mandate for what might happen now, for the very obvious reason that we could not have known then what is happening at present.
And when will we be told?
And how?
And in what detail?
The government is spending millions upon millions to tell us that we might be leaving, although that is not certain.
And many more millions are being expended advising business of the new administrative burdens that they will face that might cost £15 billion a year for no net gain to the country.
But on why this is happening, for what purpose, to what end, other than to fulfil the supposed demand of the referendum, almost nothing is said.
And there is, of course, good reason for that. It is that no one knows.
Just as no one knows what the deal might be. Indeed, from moment to moment the government probably has very little idea of what, precisely, is being negotiated, or not, with little better clue as to whether it will ever be endorsed by the Tory party's MPs, the DUP or the House of Commons as a whole.
We are in the dark as to why we are doing Brexit, when it will happen, with what consequence, and for whom. And let's not presume that someone, somewhere actually knows the answers to all these questions. Barring the only available justification, which is that on a day a tiny majority of those who voted gave a majority for negotiation to proceed, no one in any position of authority or influence who seeks to justify this action appears to have any clue as to why we are leaving the EU. And none can with any confidence answer any of the other points I raise in any rational way.
Never, then, has so much been decided by so few in a state of such ignorance with consequence for so many.
In the annals of political history this will be considered to have been an interesting time to be alive. But not a good one.
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As time has gone on and with each passing general election there seems to be a common thread, what ever a politician says it is only ever said to win your vote, because votes mean prizes. Power, money and authority to do whatever you want to. Don’t ever believe and at least you will not be disappointed. Vote if you want just don’t expect to hear the truth, or the facts, we are after all the cannon fodder. The mindless, uneducated society who should never be troubled with difficult choices. Brexit is just another in a long line of being told just enough to get us divided. I only hope that when it done we will all pull together.
‘In the annals of political history this will be considered to have been an interesting time to be alive. But not a good one.’
Couldn’t agree more.
My guess with regard to BREXIT is that there are bungs aplenty being bandied about. I could be wrong – I’d like to be – and I think it most undemocratic the way we are being kept in the dark at this time.
Being alive is a gift that not all possibilities are given so you cannot say it’s not a good time to be alive. Life comes with good and bad experiences. We can’t filter out the bad ones; we make the most of what we’re given and just remember, the big issue is climate change, all the rest is just a sideshow.
It’s funny how we forgot the revelations of the Panama Papers and how the rich elite subvert world systems to avoid tax (£120bn a year from the UK – in other words austerity is a massive hoax-cum-robbery of the poorest sections of society) and foment war when it suits them and their armaments industries! Johnson is controlled by these people and the hedge funds in particular who will make nearly a £trillion from short-selling the pound and the UK stocks when the economy tanks, brokers will be bribed and their small investors crushed. Then the same people can hoover up the massively-devalued stocks and long-sell to profit from any recovery. Try explaining this to Joe Pub and he will never grasp the magnitude of the calumny and regurgitate Mail and Sun headlines adding ‘we gotta send the foreigners home’ then wonders why the NHS collapses and he has no money to afford the medical insurance nightmare that Farage’s chums like Aaron Banks want to introduce as part of a ‘free trade agreement’ for the last great privatisation (theft) of the NHS and council services. When Joe Pub lies in a future shop doorway, homeless and clutching a burst appendix, in the cold and the rain, even then he’ll be blaming Johnny Foreigner – a perfect example of why the human race should quietly die out for sheer stupidity that’s an affront to all sentience in the universe…
I think it fair to say that not all your data feels correct
“I think it fair to say that not all your data feels correct”
You may be right, Richard. I get a distinct impression that Paul D E Mitchell, is viewing the future through rose-tinted spectacles 🙂
Andrew (Andy) Crow says:
October 14 2019 at 8:03 am
“I think it fair to say that not all your data feels correct”
You may be right, Richard. I get a distinct impression that Paul D E Mitchell, is viewing the future through rose-tinted spectacles”
Oh, thankyou for that Andy. I’m just glad I didn’t have a mouthful of coffee when I read it. Just goes to show that even in the grimmest of grim situations one can always find a giggle when it’s needed. Gallows humour 🙂
The new EU withdrawal “deal” is simply Theresa May’s thrice rejected Withdrawal Agreement plus a tinkering with the Irish border trade movements which are based on a vaguely hoped new electronic system of checking. As Richard has pointed out HMRC have abandoned any hope of monitoring/collecting VAT and all the other customs requirements for at least 6 months. Whether boffins and vehicle manufactures can come up with these technological fixes in this time available and get them installed in every vehicle liable to cross the border is pure pie in the sky.
It has that feel, as you say..
Bill Hughes says:
The new EU withdrawal “deal” is simply Theresa May’s […] a tinkering with the Irish border trade movements …..
What about the ‘tunnel’ that was mentioned though ? That’s new thinking. I wonder how long it would need to be….. 🙂
Does the Boris Cummings ‘No Deal’ exit come with a transition period, or does no deal mean a literal (I mean metaphorical, of course) cliff-edge descent on Nov 1st ?
My impression is the that the latter is the case, but is that so ? Does anybody know ?
No one knows as yet…