Michael Kennedy, Secretary Wokingham UKIP, has written this Open Letter to Henry Bolton:

 

Dear Henry,

This is the big question: are we going to leave the EU? Sorry to say this but the answer is: no, not while Theresa May is PM.

This conclusion is inevitable if one studies Mrs May’s actions since she was appointed. Look at what she has done, not at what she says:

CABINET APPOINTMENTS:

Out of 23 Cabinet positions there are only seven who believe in Brexit. Even Andrea Leadsom has been moved into a post outside the Cabinet. Surely May should have appointed 50% proven and declared leavers.

ARTICLE 50 LETTER:

Mrs May was so anxious to stress the importance of parallel Trade discussions that it was requested at least eight times. These are extracts illustrating it:

  • “We therefore believe it is necessary to agree the terms of our future partnership alongside those of our withdrawal from the European Union.”
  • “The Government wants to approach our discussions ……giving …. businesses in the United Kingdom …. as much certainty as possible, as early as possible.”
  • “To achieve this, we believe it is necessary to agree the terms of our future partnership alongside those of our withdrawal from the EU.”

She should have stated her requirements once so the position would be clear and the EU would know immediately what it was up against. If the UK had chosen to walk away it would immediately have revealed the level, or lack, of confidence within the EU and may well have resulted in EU retreat allowing the UK to then take control of proceedings. However, Mrs May chose to reveal her utter weakness and absence of resolve and gave in to the EU demands while placing no conditions on the EU. This left the UK at a distinct disadvantage and served to illustrate the incompetence or duplicity of Mrs May.

ONE SUCCESS:

It appears that David Davis was carrying out his task in a manner that would be expected. On the subject of the money, it emerged in media reports that he had asked the EU, quite reasonably, to state what payments the UK should make, the purpose, legal basis and any justification. On receiving no meaningful response it is reported one member of the UK team, a lawyer, gave a presentation that showed once it had left in March 2019 there was no reason for the UK to make any further payments. The EU then appeared to be throwing a tantrum due to the UK side’s unwillingness to submit to their unfounded financial demands.

THAT SPEECH IN FLORENCE:

Her miserable Florence speech and lack of basic management ability illustrate clearly that Mrs May is either utterly incompetent or is trying to deceive and betray the British people. What she should have done was to fully support her negotiating team, make the UK position clear and demand that the EU reconsider. Rather than reaffirm the UK’s strength and confidence she went to great length to make concessions in an embarrassingly submissive way to convert one little moment of success into abysmal failure. One could say she stabbed David Davis and his team in the back.

May offered to continue payments up to the end of the current budgetary period, and to repeat her request for a “transition” period of “about” two years on “current terms”. Is she secretly trying to extend UK commitment, not membership, further and possibly indefinitely?

NEGOTIATING STANCE:

There was no need for the UK to make concessions at this stage. Any sensible business person would, when making such massive and generous offers, expect and ask for something in return, a quid pro quo. The only demands or requests she made of the EU were to ask for ” Co-operation”, “partnership” and “creativity”. How pathetic can it get?    

She could have said something along the lines of:

“The UK will offer to make contributions to the EU until the end of the current budgetary period provided:

  1. the EU commence discussions immediately about the future trade arrangements;
  2. The UK will be free to negotiate and conclude its own trade agreements with other countries during the implementation period;
  3. The UK will not be obliged to make contribution payments during the implementation period.”

May has been heard pleading with the EU to allow the talks to “accelerate”. It seems all she can do is plead, beg, implore and entreat. She doesn’t have a clue how to negotiate, she doesn’t recognise her own advantage when it is put on a plate in front of her. All this “incompetence” may be deliberate, a deception in plain sight in order to deceive the British people.

This is not a negotiation; it is a slow and continuous capitulation!

REMAINER OR LEAVER?

Her body language betrays the truth: she is an unreformed remainer. It is now reported that she asked the EU at dinner in Brussels for a deal that she could “sell” to the British public, as reported by the BBC. It is astonishing that she can be so blatant in her contempt for her own electorate and so blasé about not working to get “the best deal for Britain”. This surely must be the final confirmation that Theresa May is not working in the interests of the UK and is either incompetent or duplicitous.

UKIP:

It is important that the UK wakes up to what May is doing. This is an inviting opportunity for our new leader and the whole leadership team to act with the utmost urgency. UKIP must do whatever it takes to open the eyes of the British public to Theresa May’s incompetence or duplicity.

The truth must be revealed and UKIP must demand that May be removed and replaced with a Proven Brexiteer with the ability and determination to take over and do the job fully and properly. This is our golden opportunity to regain credibility and presence in the public consciousness, and perhaps replenish ourselves and grow again into an established and respected Political Force.

Respectfully, Michael Kennedy, Secretary Wokingham UKIP

 

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