Brexit Re-booted

Good post biba

It’s become like the Passport to Pimlico! What an absolute farce, the Garden of England has become the lorry park of a England

From the Guardian today ''But this is where the real fakery starts. It is clear that Johnson and his most important confreres, Dominic Cummings and Michael Gove, never really saw this as anything other than a clever dodge, a tactical retreat. On his blog in March 2019, when May was in power, Cummings addressed “dear Vote Leave activists”: “don’t worry about the so-called ‘permanent’ commitments this historically abysmal Cabinet are trying to make on our behalf. They are not ‘permanent’ and a serious government — one not cowed by officials and their bullshit ‘legal advice’ with which they have herded ministers like sheep — will dispense with these commitments.”

In May, Steve Baker, former chair of the European Research Group, wrote in The Critic that Cummings “said we should vote for the original withdrawal agreement without reading it, on the basis Michael Gove articulated: we could change it later”. This had indeed been Gove’s line since December 2017: “If the British people dislike the agreement that we have negotiated with the EU, the agreement will allow a future government to diverge.”

This idea that Britain could sign the withdrawal agreement with its fingers crossed behind its back and then just ignore it later on is, in a way, perfectly consistent with the larger mentality of Brexit. At the heart of its theology is the fantasy that there is such a thing as absolute national sovereignty, a complete unilateral freedom of action that had been taken away by EU membership. Once Britain is “unchained” from the EU, Britain can do whatever it damn well pleases. The withdrawal treaty is not a set of permanent obligations, merely a route towards the obligation-free future that starts on 1 January 2021.
Brexit bill criticised as 'eye-watering' breach of international law
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The Brexiters don’t much mind that this trick requires Britain to expose itself openly as a rogue state that treats international agreements as disposable handkerchiefs. In their solipsism, they presumably haven’t bothered to look up, for example, the membership of the House ways and means committee that would control any trade deal Britain might make with the US. (To save them the bother, it’s chaired by Richard Neal, and includes his fellow Irish-American Democrats Brendan Boyle and Brian Higgins, all highly engaged with Northern Ireland.)

The catch is that all of this doesn’t stop at smart-arse duplicity towards other countries. It involves the flagrant deception of English voters. More perhaps than any modern election, Johnson’s campaign in December was reduced to a single issue and three words: Get Brexit Done. This was to be achieved by electing a parliament that was absolutely committed to passing the “oven-ready” and “excellent” withdrawal agreement.

There was always one level of spuriousness in this – the withdrawal agreement was not the end of anything. But it is now clear that there was a much deeper and even more cynical level of fakery. It was not just that Brexit would not be “done” when the withdrawal agreement was duly passed, it was that Cummings and Johnson intended all along to undo it. What was presented to voters as a point of no return was, to them, a temporary arrangement that they would unpick later. “Oven-ready” had a secret addendum, “but we’ll go back and edit the cookbook to change the ingredients”.

Brexit is a promise that was made to be broken because the best of all worlds the voters were offered in 2016 was always a mirage. But that breach has grown and widened over time. It is now an open chasm in British democracy.

Fintan O’Toole is a columnist with the Irish Times,,

The Hauliers had a meeting with Gove. It was apparently a complete wash out as they are still clueless as to what will happen when transition ends .

BBC

Indeed- and journalists should NOT allow them to get away with it - stop them, repeat the question and ask for a direct answer. If they diverge and go on rabitting - turn cameras away. And same for the Speaker- time he really put his foot down. Last week he asked Johnson twice to answer the question ... and then gave up. He must insist- or stop them, and ask to leave the House.

Eloethan and Nana3, I agree with you. I believe ministers are primed to avoid straight answers to questions. They just rabbit on and on. By the time they reach the end of their delivery the interviewer and listeners have forgotten what the question was. Priti Patel has got this down to a fine art.

It's arrogant and disrespectful.

So many politicians do that Eloethan it becomes impossible for me to even listen to them let alone agree or disagree with what they are saying. Imagine if people in your life spoke to you like that.

Greta Yes, I've noticed that some politicians just talk over all the questions, hardly drawing breath. It is only a very determined interviewer who seems to be able to break into the never ending monologue and demand an answer.

Congressmen warn Boris: No free trade deal if you break Good Friday Agreement for Brexit

www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/congressmen-warn-boris-no-free-trade-deal-if-you-break-good-friday-agreement-for-brexit/16/09/

Greta
Thanks for your post, I admire you for being able to listen to her. I hadn't the stomach for it, turned her off.

I was listening to Priti Patel this morning about the testing fiasco. She was full of pre-learnt meaningless excuses: ”We are working extremely hard; we have more capacity than ever, we are testing more than any other country in the world etc, etc.
She speaks fast and is good at avoiding answering the questions. But that is something they have all learnt, isn't it?

Divide and rule - Tories all over.

Dinahmo

Loads of money.

A handful of them will make loadsa money, but most of them won't. The Loadsamoney Mob needed to get the others onside to win votes, which us why they're so keen to stir up a culture war and to sow division. Don't think there's any honour amongst thieves.

Loads of money.

... and all under our noses and with the approval of the Bozo Bong Band, who would appear to have the same values as an amoral liar. It really would be interesting to know what they think they're going to get out of destroying the country.

No, we have sold off the family silver, the EPNS, the stainless steel cutlery and now ewe are selling off the plastic spoons.

“Is this what they meant by "global Britain"?“

Selling off the family silver, do we have any left?.

MaizieD I agree with you he can speak out as much as he likes, till he's blue in the face even, but I for one give him no credibility.

Is this what they meant by "global Britain"?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-54142567

Of course, it's being pointed out that the much lauded deal with Japan (not yet approved by its parliament, so don't hold your breath, the Japanese are rather hot on 'honour') imposes more stringent state aid rules than does the Withdrawal Agreement. And it is the state aid rules that are the tory's ostensible *reason for wanting to break international law.

(*It's not their reason, of course, but any lie will do..)

I think he's entitled to speak out because he is a UK citizen and we are all, as such, entitled to speak out.

His words 'might' be considered to be more authoritative as he is a past PM who had ultimate responsibility for the honour of the UK. The same as all the other past PMs who have spoken out.

We haven't yet reached the stage where the only people allowed to speak out are those who agree with the government.

I heard on the radio that David Cameron has voiced his opinion, the sound of his name made me feel angry, what entitles him to speak out and expect us to be listening ?????

Michel Barnier
@MichelBarnier
Protocol on IE/NI is not a threat to the integrity of the UK. We agreed this delicate compromise with
@BorisJohnson
& his gov in order to protect peace & stability on island of Ireland. We could not have been clearer about the consequences of #Brexit [1/2]
Sticking to facts is also essential. A case in point: European Union is not refusing to list United Kingdom as a third country for food imports (SPS). To be listed, we need to know in full what a country’s rules are, incl. for imports. The same objective process applies to all listed countries [2/2]

This is the news and politics forum so perhaps this is a satirical reference to the brexit emporer having no clothes

PhilJaz

My DH and I became naturists this year during the hot weather and was wondering if any other members of GN are also naturists and if or how you told friends and family.

??????