An article in The Guardian by Nick Cohen (HERE) yesterday about those on the right pursuing Brexit regardless of the damage being done was perfectly illustrated by another Guardian story in the same edition about the DUP being at loggerheads with farmers and the agricultural industry in Northern Ireland (HERE). We are in the strange position at the moment where the main supposedly pro-business party is actively (and some of them enthusiastically) pursuing a policy that will damage business.
Cohen's article is titled: Compromise on Brexit? The right would sooner drive us to destruction. He writes:
"If you didn’t know it already, Brexit should have taught you that nationalists always doubt their own people, always worry that they are too soft for the macho roles they wish to thrust on them. They see a no-deal Brexit as character building, whatever its cost. This is why the anti-EU commentator Iain Martin wrote last week: 'The disruption would hurt like hell for a lot of people, but the British have been through much worse. This is a resilient country. If it’s this or caving into the EU’s unreasonable demands, I know which I would choose.'
Cohen adds, "If you think the uncertainty is a good reason for stopping Brexit, or that sensible countries avoid unnecessary pain, you misunderstand the right. In their hearts, even its greatest propagandists cannot wholly believe in the utopias they promise to the public. If they want a “global Britain” to trade with the world, they would not pull the UK out of its biggest market and maintain, contrary to all evidence, that protectionist America and China would grant the UK favours. If they believe Brexit will “hurt like hell for a lot of people” in 2019, they must know that in all likelihood it will carry on hurting like hell for years to come".
Iain Martin would have been well suited to an officer role in the Flanders trenches circa 1916. Obviously not too squeamish about inflicting a bit of misery on others, he is frequently seen on TV pontificating about Brexit. I assume he's well paid for his misguided opinions, and Brexit won't affect him very much at all, he might have to pay a bit more for his BMW and his wine but that's about as far as it will go.
I suppose Martin would include social and labour standards, consumer and environmental protection measures among those "unreasonable demands" that he doesn't want to cave into.
But for a very immediate and real life example of what Cohen is talking about let's look at the other story appearing in The Guardian (HERE). This one's about a developing row in Northern Ireland where the farming community and the agricultural industry are at logger heads with the DUP. Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) chief executive, Wesley Aston, told BBC Radio Ulster: “We want to make sure we avoid a no-deal situation. No deal for Northern Ireland agri-food and farming in particular would be absolutely disastrous and we have made that patently clear over this last while.”
The DUP are deaf to his pleas, threatening to vote against Theresa May and edging us towards precisely the scenario the UFU warn will be "disastrous". And listen to this for arrogance:
Cohen adds, "If you think the uncertainty is a good reason for stopping Brexit, or that sensible countries avoid unnecessary pain, you misunderstand the right. In their hearts, even its greatest propagandists cannot wholly believe in the utopias they promise to the public. If they want a “global Britain” to trade with the world, they would not pull the UK out of its biggest market and maintain, contrary to all evidence, that protectionist America and China would grant the UK favours. If they believe Brexit will “hurt like hell for a lot of people” in 2019, they must know that in all likelihood it will carry on hurting like hell for years to come".
Iain Martin would have been well suited to an officer role in the Flanders trenches circa 1916. Obviously not too squeamish about inflicting a bit of misery on others, he is frequently seen on TV pontificating about Brexit. I assume he's well paid for his misguided opinions, and Brexit won't affect him very much at all, he might have to pay a bit more for his BMW and his wine but that's about as far as it will go.
I suppose Martin would include social and labour standards, consumer and environmental protection measures among those "unreasonable demands" that he doesn't want to cave into.
But for a very immediate and real life example of what Cohen is talking about let's look at the other story appearing in The Guardian (HERE). This one's about a developing row in Northern Ireland where the farming community and the agricultural industry are at logger heads with the DUP. Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) chief executive, Wesley Aston, told BBC Radio Ulster: “We want to make sure we avoid a no-deal situation. No deal for Northern Ireland agri-food and farming in particular would be absolutely disastrous and we have made that patently clear over this last while.”
The DUP are deaf to his pleas, threatening to vote against Theresa May and edging us towards precisely the scenario the UFU warn will be "disastrous". And listen to this for arrogance:
"DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson told the BBC that those supporting the deal
were wrong. “I don’t believe they have read the detail of this. They
have not read the 500 pages. There are serious constitutional and
economic implications of this deal for Northern Ireland,” he said.
"The Irish Times reported on Saturday that Foster had expressed irritation with the attitude of businesses towards Brexit at a private meeting and argued they did not understand the threat the agreement posed to the union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland".
Of course Ulster farmers haven't read the 500 pages of the draft withdrawal agreement, and perhaps they don't understand the threat to the union, but they sure as hell understand the threat to their own businesses, livelihoods, families and communities. And they expect the MPs whose salaries they pay to read the details and not to betray their interests in pursuit of totally nebulous political stuff. These are the people who will "hurt like hell" but do the politicians care? Not a bit.
Although many in government condemned Boris Johnson's recent comments about "f*** business," behind the scenes this is exactly what they're doing.
Cohen is right, they don't worry about us. But sovereignty doesn't pay the bills and you can't eat it. Sooner or later the people are going to realise what is being done to business, to the wealth generating trade that their towns and cities rely on to pay the wages and provide the services and infrastructure we desperately need. And when they do, they will be very angry indeed.
"The Irish Times reported on Saturday that Foster had expressed irritation with the attitude of businesses towards Brexit at a private meeting and argued they did not understand the threat the agreement posed to the union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland".
Of course Ulster farmers haven't read the 500 pages of the draft withdrawal agreement, and perhaps they don't understand the threat to the union, but they sure as hell understand the threat to their own businesses, livelihoods, families and communities. And they expect the MPs whose salaries they pay to read the details and not to betray their interests in pursuit of totally nebulous political stuff. These are the people who will "hurt like hell" but do the politicians care? Not a bit.
Although many in government condemned Boris Johnson's recent comments about "f*** business," behind the scenes this is exactly what they're doing.
Cohen is right, they don't worry about us. But sovereignty doesn't pay the bills and you can't eat it. Sooner or later the people are going to realise what is being done to business, to the wealth generating trade that their towns and cities rely on to pay the wages and provide the services and infrastructure we desperately need. And when they do, they will be very angry indeed.
