Monday 1 October 2018

HUNT, RAAB & BAKER - WHAT HAVE WE COME TO?

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt got a standing ovation (HERE) at the Conservative party conference yesterday for insulting the EU. The man known as an "affable lummox" by his colleagues without any "convictions" or "brilliant intellect" (HERE) is revealed as a convert to the Nigel Farage style of International diplomacy. Perhaps Hunt doesn't describe Jean-Claude Juncker as having the charisma of a damp rag and the appearance of a low grade civil servant, as Farage once described Juncker's predecessor, Herman Von Rumpuy, but he sees the EU as the Soviet Union and a prison.

Hunt told the EU: "At the moment you seem to think the way to keep the club together is to punish a member who leaves. Not just with economic disruption. But even by breaking up the United Kingdom with a border down the Irish Sea,” 

“What happened to the confidence and ideals of the European dream? The EU was set up to protect freedom. It was the Soviet Union that stopped people leaving. The lesson from history is clear: if you turn the EU club into a prison, the desire to get out won’t diminish, it will grow, and we won’t be the only prisoner that will want to escape.” 

I imagine the Foreign Office and our chief negotiator Ollie Robbins looking on in horror. Comparing the EU to the Soviet Union will not go down well in Brussels or in any of the capitals of former members of the USSR, who were subjugated by force for almost half a century. His comments have sparked what is being described as a furious backlash (see tweets below).

Liam Fox claimed last week that Mrs May was "taunted" by Donald Tusk for simply and reasonably saying "the suggested framework for economic cooperation will not work, not least because it risks undermining the single market". Fox will no doubt defend Hunt's hurtful words as reasonable and fair comment.

All nations occasionally pick a wrong 'un. BoJo was probably the worst Foreign Secretary we have ever had - by a long chalk - but Jeremy Hunt is now trying to steal Johnson's crown.

He describes the EU as a "prison" but anyone reading article 50 can see it is only necessary to send a simple letter to be free. There is a two year delay to tidy things up but a bit of paper is all you need. Some prison. You don't need explosives, or a file you can simply walk out of the club - no problem. Getting OUT is not the issue as Hunt should know. Every single one (every single one) of the UK government position papers released last year focuses on how we can get back IN to many EU institutions and agencies after we have left. And the Chequers plan, which he supports, is designed to give us frictionless access to the EU single market. So, if the EU is a prison we are trying to break IN rather than getting OUT. This is where the argument is at the moment. On March 29th next year we are OUT, no ifs or buts, something the government has not yet come to terms with.

Our current crop of politicians are woeful and dangerous. They do not appear to have the slightest grasp of Brexit issues. As well as the Foreign Secretary we also had the Brexit Secretary making a grossly insulting speech about the EU, both probably more intended to appeal to the faithful as leadership bids, but nonetheless they will not impress Brussels.

Dominic Raab (HERE) and (HERE) continued the prison metaphor and talked about the EU trying to "lock us in":

"The EU's theological approach allows no room for serious compromise," he said. "If the EU want a deal, they need to get serious."

 "The UK could be left with "no choice" but a no-deal Brexit if the EU tries to 'lock us in' to a customs union, according to Dominic Raab. The Brexit secretary will tell his party's conference later that any attempt 'via the back door' will be met with the UK walking away. He will say the UK's willingness to compromise is 'not without limits'".

No. They are not trying to lock us in. They simply say if you want access to the market you have to obey the rules. Threats to walk away with nothing unless we can have everything make us look childish and petulant. As for being "theological" the EU is a legal construct and cannot offer flexibility outside the treaties it has entered into.

Finally, to demonstrate the appalling state of our public life at the moment, Steve Baker, the former DEXEU minister before he resigned along with David Davis in July, is attacking the CBI as, "a grave menace to the political stability and economic prospects of the UK" (HERE). It seems dangerously close to an enemies of the people call. This is in the pages of The Telegraph which begins to sound more like the Völkischer Beobachter, every day.

The CBI (The Confederation of British Industry), the trade body which represents British business, the engine of the economy and the source of nearly all our wealth, is dismissed as a menace for warning about Brexit. What have we come to?

How pathetic the Brexit mantra about taking back control sounds now. All the talk is of the UK being punished in one way or another. The Tory party can't seem to understand what it's done. This is what Brexit means. As someone said if you're not at the table then you're on the menu. Having voted to leave the table we should get used to being on the menu and railing against things we have no influence over.

We may have taken control back from Brussels but we have inadvertently given it to a small bunch of ideologically driven, right wing think tanks and politicians with extreme nationalistic views. I am a lifelong Conservative voter (until 2016) on the centre right but I don't recognise the party any more.

Some tweets in response to Jeremy Hunt. Baiba Braže, is Latvia’s ambassador to the UK. Michael Roth is a German minister. Lord Ricketts is an Ex-Foreign Office permanent secretary and Sir Simon Fraser is his successor.





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