Jeremy Hunt has been talking about Britain adopting Singapore as a model for our post Brexit future. Hunt - a remainer who now sounds like an ultra with more than a hint of BoJo's ambition about him - says (HERE) in an article in The Mail on Sunday, that, "there could be few better instructions for us [than Singapore] as we make our post-Brexit future." This is seen as a pitch to grab a few hard Brexit supporters in any future leadership bid.
Yes, he seriously sees himself as a potential prime minister. The man once known as an 'affable lummox' by his former colleagues actually sees his future at No 10. Of all the delusions over the past couple of years, this may be the greatest.
But when you've stopped laughing, have a look at this piece from The Guardian (HERE) with the title, "Brexiteers want Britain to ‘look east’. But their idea of Asia is a fantasy" which responds to Hunt's article, pointing out that Singapore's economic success was built partly on a massive influx of foreign workers with their fraction of the labour force rising from 3.2% in 1970 to 34.7% in 2010. That might take a bit of effort to get the average leave voter to accept.
There is also a lengthy article HERE in Prospect Magazine by George Magnus explaining that a high welfare country of 67 million with an ageing population is not the place where you could get away with the low tax, low regulation economy of a small city state like Singapore with 5 million people.
Hunt is not really serious and is trying to face both ways at once. The government is negotiating a deal with the EU with treaty commitments on non-regression and alignment of regulations, while he, a cabinet minister in the same government, is writing articles hinting at ditching a lot of the regulations and slashing tax rates. This is not likely to impress Brussels or the EU 27. They are not going to enter into any deal with a Singapore-on-Thames that can only be a detriment to their own market.
It is just another fantasy. In fact it's difficult to know what is the biggest fantasy. His prime ministerial dreams or the plan to turn us into an authoritarian Asian sweatshop.
Yesterday, the Foreign Secretary, made a speech in Singapore that had an almost Triumpian chutzpah about it, Hunt, who is now as keen on Brexit as Jacob Rees-Mogg, told local businessmen that one of Britain's big advantages is "our friendship with our neighbours in Europe." (HERE) - or perhaps he means former friendship and ex neighbours.
If you're interested, you might want to find out what our Foreign Secretary and putative future prime minister, has in store for us by visiting the Wikipedia page on Singaporean politics (HERE). It doesn't quite sound like the liberal democracy we're used to but what the heck, in for a penny in for a pound. Why not? Once we get to a one party state our worries about Brexit will fade into nothing.
Listen to this:
Yesterday, the Foreign Secretary, made a speech in Singapore that had an almost Triumpian chutzpah about it, Hunt, who is now as keen on Brexit as Jacob Rees-Mogg, told local businessmen that one of Britain's big advantages is "our friendship with our neighbours in Europe." (HERE) - or perhaps he means former friendship and ex neighbours.
If you're interested, you might want to find out what our Foreign Secretary and putative future prime minister, has in store for us by visiting the Wikipedia page on Singaporean politics (HERE). It doesn't quite sound like the liberal democracy we're used to but what the heck, in for a penny in for a pound. Why not? Once we get to a one party state our worries about Brexit will fade into nothing.
Listen to this:
"The Workers' Party (WP) is the main opposition party [to the governing PAP, in power since 1959]. WP took 6 of the 89 parliamentary seats in the 2015 election, while the PAP won the other 83. Another major opposition party, the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), obtained no seats in the 2015 election.
"One commonly cited reason for a lack of opposition in Singapore is the use defamation lawsuits by the PAP to bankrupt political opponents and disqualify them from running for office. Cases include former leader of the WP J. B. Jeyaretnam and leader of the SDP Chee Soon Juan, who were bankrupted in 2001 and 2011.
"Another reason given is the pursuit of legal action against journalists and bloggers critical of the PAP and its policies. Reporters Without Borders cites such lawsuits, along with attempts at making critical journalists unemployable, among its concerns when ranking the country 151st in the world for press freedom in 2017.
The PAP has in the past threatened voters by saying that constituencies voting for opposition MPs would be put at the bottom of the list for public housing programs. In 1998, then PAP secretary-general, Goh Chok Tong said, "By linking the priority of upgrading to electoral support, we focus the minds of voters on the link between upgrading and the people whose policies make it possible. This has the desired result."
"The boundaries of electoral constituencies in Singapore are decided by the Elections Department, which is under the control of the Prime Minister's Office. Electoral boundaries are redrawn just a few days before the general election. There have been accusations of gerrymandering via dissolving of constituencies with relatively stronger opposition support, such as the Cheng San Group Representation Constituency (GRC).
"One commonly cited reason for a lack of opposition in Singapore is the use defamation lawsuits by the PAP to bankrupt political opponents and disqualify them from running for office. Cases include former leader of the WP J. B. Jeyaretnam and leader of the SDP Chee Soon Juan, who were bankrupted in 2001 and 2011.
"Another reason given is the pursuit of legal action against journalists and bloggers critical of the PAP and its policies. Reporters Without Borders cites such lawsuits, along with attempts at making critical journalists unemployable, among its concerns when ranking the country 151st in the world for press freedom in 2017.
The PAP has in the past threatened voters by saying that constituencies voting for opposition MPs would be put at the bottom of the list for public housing programs. In 1998, then PAP secretary-general, Goh Chok Tong said, "By linking the priority of upgrading to electoral support, we focus the minds of voters on the link between upgrading and the people whose policies make it possible. This has the desired result."
"The boundaries of electoral constituencies in Singapore are decided by the Elections Department, which is under the control of the Prime Minister's Office. Electoral boundaries are redrawn just a few days before the general election. There have been accusations of gerrymandering via dissolving of constituencies with relatively stronger opposition support, such as the Cheng San Group Representation Constituency (GRC).
Human rights condition
"Although Singapore's laws are inherited from British and British Indian laws, including many elements of English common law, the PAP has also consistently rejected liberal democratic values, which it typifies as Western and states that there should not be a 'one-size-fits-all' solution to a democracy. Laws restricting the freedom of speech exist to prohibit speech that may breed ill will or cause disharmony within Singapore's multiracial, multi-religious society. For example, in September 2005, three bloggers were convicted of sedition for posting racist remarks targeting minorities.
"Some offences can lead to heavy fines or caning and there are laws which allow capital punishment in Singapore for first-degree murder and drug trafficking".
"Although Singapore's laws are inherited from British and British Indian laws, including many elements of English common law, the PAP has also consistently rejected liberal democratic values, which it typifies as Western and states that there should not be a 'one-size-fits-all' solution to a democracy. Laws restricting the freedom of speech exist to prohibit speech that may breed ill will or cause disharmony within Singapore's multiracial, multi-religious society. For example, in September 2005, three bloggers were convicted of sedition for posting racist remarks targeting minorities.
"Some offences can lead to heavy fines or caning and there are laws which allow capital punishment in Singapore for first-degree murder and drug trafficking".
This is perhaps what Hunt has in mind. Where the Tory party is in power for the next 60 years through a combination of gerrymandering, a gagged press, lawsuits against journalists, the return of rotten-boroughs and caning opponents - presumably in public. All good right wing stuff, eh? Not bad for a lummox, but not very affable.
