The battle for the sovereignty of the UK is being taken away from the people. It appears that the Referendum was our finest hour. Now it will be the MPs who will decide. What a difficult time they have had dealing with the legacy of the Referendum result. Now it appears they may have cracked it. At least now the Government doesn’t have to deal with the hearts and minds of the riff-raff.
If they can just bend, coerce, bribe, manipulate and subvert the opinions of those who would stand up for their country then they may get there WA through. Not that many of the MPs need much persuasion, it is, of course, for egoists, a game of political self-interest, not just on a personal level but on a party level — same thing I suppose as many survive in their own bubbles and tribal groups.
It would be wrong to believe that all MPs are going to light up the world with their intellect and so control of their votes may not be as difficult as one thinks.
The reason I am writing this article is my concerns about a report I have recently read and my want to have any subversion exposed.
An email was forwarded to me by my local UKIP Chairman. It was from the local MP and was an update of the Brexit process dated 13th December. Here is a small extract,
If the Withdrawal Agreement does not pass, as things stand, we will leave the EU next March and our relationship with the EU and the rest of the world will default to World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. I’m providing the following link to a helpful briefing about WTO and what it means for the UK. http://ukandeu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/What-would-trading-on-WTO-terms-mean-Long-Guide.pdf
The briefing comes from a group called ‘The UK in a Changing Europe’ which is funded by the ‘Economic and Social Research Council’. In the foreword, it is explained that, ‘This report is written by experts in the field of WTO law but who want to explain WTO rules in terms accessible to non-experts.’
Unfortunately, they begin the Foreword with a quote from a leading Brexiteer talking about using WTO rules and terms. This is clearly setting the scene for the report to prove otherwise. In itself, this does not bode well for what purports to be a professional and independent report.
There were a number of other points I did not like, here are just three of them taken from page 10,
On top of that, the UK would lose the benefit of free trade agreements it now has with countries such as South Korea and Canada as a member of the EU. Therefore, more British imports and exports would face tariffs.
As we will see below, this means import duties and various controls will be imposed on trade between the UK and the EU, with impacts concentrated in agriculture and industries that depend on products which repeatedly cross between the UK and the rest of the EU, such as components to make cars or ingredients for processing food.
And it means UK services, which can now access the whole of the EU’s single market (i.e., currently, the 28 member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway) relatively freely, would only be allowed the much more restricted access of the EU and UK’s commitments in the WTO.
If my suspicions are justified, then this report should be exposed.
A number of issues are raised.
- On this occasion, the target audience is not the electorate but Members of Parliament.
- The report can be viewed as subversion and propaganda.
- The funding agency is the Government organisation ‘The Economic and Social Research Council.’ Therefore it is reasonable to accept that a civil service department is actively involved in undermining democracy.
- Tax payer’s money is being misused.
- The process of leaving the EU is not transparent.
Although some of these issues may already be established as the present reality in British Politics, any new evidence of the lack of transparency and corruption must be exposed.
I would cite two cases relevant to the issues outlined
- The circular to every home in the UK outlining the Government case for the Referendum prior to that vote.
- The initial refusal to publicise the legal advice given to the Government with regard to the Withdrawal Agreement.
I do accept that we have a perspective of wanting to leave the EU, so it may be information that I do not want to hear. On the other hand, it must also be accepted that it is possible to write a report of this type with a biased slant.
Keeping in touch with the Chairman who forwarded me this information and on the basis that I might be guilty of being subjective, I decided to see if there was someone who could help clarify the report. Who better than William Dartmouth MEP ex-UKIP spokesman for International Trade a person who has been brilliant at putting forward the benefits of Free Trade.
His office informed me that my concerns would be put forward to the European Parliament Office but that it is closed for recess until the 7th of January.
My point is that May is reopening the WA debate on the 7th January and a vote is I believe now scheduled for the 14th January.
Could someone tell me I am wrong to be concerned? If not, shouldn’t this taxpayer-funded propaganda be exposed? Shouldn’t we be lobbying every MP in the country, like now! Shouldn’t we be providing MPs with pragmatic and positive information about the common sense of ‘falling back on WTO’ and the benefits of global free trade? The clock is ticking.
OK that’s it Christmas is cancelled!
I’m a bit lost over the technology on this site, being new to it but I totally agree that ‘Remain’ misused taxpayers money during the referendum. And I agree that misuse of taxpayers money has continued. It is indeed Corruption. It should be brought to light and publicised. But how, since the media are part of the corruption. Unfortunately our civil service has also been shown to be FAR FROM NEUTRAL which it should be. Actually, Many Heads Should Roll.
Fingers Crossed. We might just get a no NO DEAL EXIT in spite of it all. Then I think if Ukip can gain in power and influence so that we are no longer a 2 Party State, the U.K.will have a good chance of recovering it’s prosperity and independence.
This isStandard Mrs May..
..Agree , to loud cheers and then hides, Comes back, and she’s done the worst thing in history, then hides, then doesnt change anything, then hides etc etc etc the dithers, and hides again then reappears with her worst deal again. It astonishes me that she is tolerated,
It ‘s pretty cerain she’ll re-appear on 7 th Jan, leave off the backstop, and re-introduce the WA with all its obsceneities again when the fuss has died down and the bunch of lapdogs in the commons has nothing useful to do. Other than impoverishing the nation, again for another 45 years.
Don’t forget the WA has to be approved by all the other 27. If there’s no backstop, will they agree to it?
That might tuen out to be our best hope.
One of the reasons I submitted this article was because I was anxious about the timing. I seem to remember that our illustrious Governments have used National events in the past to sneak through controversial legistration. I would add to death and taxes mistrust of politicians to the list of dependables.
If there hasn’t been an event they have manufactured one, usual to do with the Royals.
The EU and the ‘elites’ will be using the Christmas and New Year period to pressure MPs. Those MPs were selected by their parties and their parties will be presing all the buttons and pulling all the strings to screw the public who voted to leave the ‘evil empire’.
I personally believe it is important to contact every MP in the country, supply unbiased information and remind them who they serve.
If it possible to have ‘standard letter’ composed laying out the nenefits of a ‘no deal’ Brexit on WTO terms then multiple copies can be sent all MPs over the holiday period. This may counter the ideologues and give then a clue as to their future.
Brilliant idea Kim – the letter to MPs I mean.
But there`s a rub – who will do it and organise it?????
Not you, I take it and not me certainly and I`m pretty sure GB`s mob aren`t up to it!
It might be late in the day BUT what if . . . all MPs were told that their contract to work on behalf of their constituents is a one-year contract, subject to annual review by their constituents (not their party), followed by renewal or replacement of the contracted, as appropriate? It would sharpen up some of their ideas and it would certainly identify the career politicians in our midst.
Great idea! When we are through all this the Westminster Bubble needs to be burst and the MPs and any future Government brought down to ground. Our elected representativesshould be reminded that it is the people who own our National Sovereignty, no one else!
A thought . But imagine all the voting going on all over the place. Maybe after one or two lost their jobs. But isn’t this what momentum is trying to do in labour. It’s seems OK except for the actual septic existence of momentum themselves.
MPs must be reminded that they have twice been instructed to leave the EU, by 17.4m voters in the 2016 EU referendum & by 85% of the voters in the 2017 general election who voted mainly for LabCon whose manifestos promised to honour the referendum result including leaving the SM, CU & ECJ. So, we’ve had two ‘people’s votes’. We don’t need another which we all know is a ruse to overturn the first referendum & LibLabCon’s 2017 manifesto promises.
And let’s not forget that charmer Tony Blair. He oversaw the 1997 Welsh Assembly referendum which was won by less than 1% & under 7,000 votes. Did Bliar say the result was so close another referendum was required? Did he say that concessions must be made to those that didn’t want a Welsh Assembly? No & no.
The only was to deliver a clean break from the EU is by going to WTO rules and then from a position of relative strength negotiate an FTA. As the EU’s largest export market, with which it runs a massive trade surplus logic dictates they should want to sign one ASAP.
To add to your list, Tony Blair also promised a referendum on Britain’s acceptance of the Lisbon Treaty in a Labour manifesto pledge. He failed to deliver on this promise, and his successor Gordon Brown signed us up anyway after Tony Blair stepped down.
So Tony Blair is being utterly hypocritical calling for a ‘second referendum’ so we can “change our minds”, considering how he failed to deliver the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty which got us into this mess in the first place.
These are all organisations which benefit from EU and/or our Gov’ts cash. They couldn’t survive without. In particular the Civil Service.
My Remainer Tory MP has threatened that if the Withdrawal Agreement is not accepted, and there is another refendum resulting in a Remain vote, we could well be punished by being sucked into the Euro. As I understand it ,the WA means we will be sucked into the Euro anyway: Since the WA amounts to Not Leaving, which entails full speed ahead by hook or crook to full integration included us being forced into the Euro by 2022. So my MP is bullsxxxxing me is he not? The ONLY way we can avoid the Euro is by making a clean break next March.only
Being sucked into the failing Euro is a great argument for leaving; another fact which needs to be published far and wide.
Sorry Kim; until and unless we get the clean exit from the EU that we voted for you are not wrong to be concerned.
Indeed we must all be concerned.