The ERG, the Eurosceptic group of hard line Conservative MPs, always appeared slightly ridiculous even as they seemed to have extraordinary influence over government policy, but they are starting to look like Fred Karno's army on a bad day. Having threatened to publish a detailed alternative to May's Chequers plan this weekend, they chickened out at the last moment when they were unable to agree what should be in the plan (HERE). The Times first revealed the news but The Sunday Times now has more details.
The Sunday Times claim that Eurosceptics who have seen the 140 page report say it's "riddled with legal and factual errors". In an article which is more about BoJo's colourful private life than anything else, they report:
[Boris Johnson's] refusal last week to support a 140-page document drawn up by Jacob Rees-Mogg’s European Research Group (ERG) contributed to a decision to abandon plans to publish it this weekend. The document, parts of which have been leaked to The Sunday Times, outlined plans to “give everyone a Brexit bonus” by cutting income tax rates, business taxes, capital gains tax and stamp duty rates.
Some of the chapters, which have been studied by a wide range of Eurosceptics, are said to be riddled with factual and legal errors, however, and include niche issues that would have been likely to attract ridicule. One chapter calls for Britain to set up a permanent “expeditionary force” to defend the Falkland Islands and suggests billions should be invested in a “Star Wars” missile defence programme.
“Above all the UK needs a strong defence to protect these islands, which includes the insurance of a nuclear missile shield to deter aggression,” it reads.
David Davis, the former Brexit secretary, will make a speech on Wednesday attacking May’s plans for the Irish border, but a close ally of Johnson said he would make his own case nearer to conference. “The view is that we want to be advancing ERG messages but without being a spokesman for the ERG,” the aide said.
If even BoJo, a man known for his comedy value rather than attention to detail or even rational thinking, refuses to support a serious document on the grounds that it was likely to "attract ridicule" I think we can probably assume it was pretty bad. Apart from factual and legal errors the idea that we could afford tax cuts and a star wars style missile defence shield smacks of people who have left reality far behind and have perhaps got a serious problem with an addiction to mind altering compounds.
Talking about Jacob Rees-Mogg, I note (HERE) an article in The iNews where he is claiming an £80 billion Brexit dividend although it's not clear whether this is per week or per day or perhaps per hour. From the headline, I suspected this came from Economists for Brexit and reading the details I can see I was right. No doubt this was intended to be published as part of the ERG's now abandoned report. I half suspect it was dropped because it had too close a resemblance to a Monty Python script.
The problem that Economists for Brexit and the ERG have is the increasing disconnect between what they are forecasting and the daily reports of what the authorities are planning for. As far as I can see, nobody appears to be anticipating a windfall of extra spending on infrastructure, or worrying what the populace will do with all the new found wealth and extra leisure time after Brexit. This sort of planning is entirely absent. Instead, the police are cancelling leave amid warnings of civil disorder three months either side of March 29th and likely food and medicine shortages.
As fantasy and reality drift slowly apart and a gulf opens up between them, the electorate will finally see the truth. And they will be very angry indeed.
