Written by Brian Morris
This article was first published in Briefings for Brexit and we republish with their kind permission
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Another reason advanced for a second referendum, proclaimed on the Whitehall marchers’ placards, was that lies were told by the Brexiteers. The red bus, with its slogan of Brexit meaning £350 a week extra for the NHS, still haunts Remainer nightmares.
But it would be an odd election if no lies or, if we’re more charitable, misrepresentations and gross exaggerations, were not part of the political cut-and-thrust. In a truly democratic process the media and politicians can expose the mendacity of the parties and their opponents. I seem to remember that during the referendum campaign the red bus was the subject of critical reports in the media and was frequently attacked by politicians and commentators.
In the general election the Conservatives have announced 50,000 new nurses for the NHS, but it appears that this includes 19,000 who will be ‘retained’, a rather optimistic assumption. As for the Labour Party, even the BBC reported that claiming the secret papers (from Russia with love?) setting out Tory plans to put the NHS ‘up for sale’ in trade talks was a big step away from the reality. These preliminary talks by officials showed no more than that the US wanted NHS healthcare, including drug patents, on the table, with no evidence that the government had agreed to this.
You might expect me to say that Jeremy Corbyn was lying when he denies he’s antisemitic. Here I must digress and defend the Labour leader. Sort-of.
You could say that Mr Corbyn was born to campaign. For him, fighting racism is all about going on protest marches, taking part in demonstrations and speaking to audiences in draughty village halls. Things he’s been doing for most of his adult life.
With this record, he struggles to see the relevance of the company he keeps or the people he calls ‘friends’.
What’s more, he believes that racism is the product of a ruthless capitalist system which oppresses minorities and the poor. It’s virtually impossible for those of his persuasion to be racist since they favour an economic and political system which transcends borders, races and creeds.
Another condition of a vote to be truly democratic that so many Remainers have failed – or do not want – to grasp is that it needs to be fair. But as I pointed out in an earlier contribution to Briefings for Brexit, “Labour’s surreal referendum policy”, remaining is not the only path if a government deal is rejected. There are other paths to Brexit. We have already reached deal number 2.
At one time the so-called People’s Vote had come to be called a ‘Confirmatory Vote’. But a proper confirmatory vote would be simply to accept or reject the deal in question. Yes or no. I might well not wish to confirm my acceptance of the deal but also not wish to remain. Which may be why it once more became a People’s Vote.
And so, inevitably, we come to Jeremy Corbyn and the implications of his plans for a second referendum. We know what kind of deal Labour would strike with the EU. You won’t need the nose of a bloodhound to detect that it would smell very much like remaining in the EU but without any real say in its rules and regulations. The kind of deal that the EU would be happy to agree to.
For Brexiteers that would mean a choice between Remain and Almost Remain. Neither appealing or fair but one that would simply widen the divisions in our country.
The claims that a second referendum would be democratic are false, as no one has explained convincingly how it can be either justified or fair. The ‘vox pops’ that the news programmes conduct with people in left-behind places of the UK show that many ordinary voters have a better understanding of democracy than some of our gilded politicians. Often these people say they voted Remain, yet now feel that a democratic decision has been taken and we should get on with Brexit.
So now comes the big question. Why do so many ‘top people’ and EU supporters want to subvert the biggest vote in British history? Anger, arrogance and intellectual snobbery seem to be the most visible reasons.
Brexit wasn’t in the referendum script. David Cameron had a smug certainty that he could win his second referendum, after the Scottish one. Remainers believed common folk would listen to their betters, to the warnings of an economic apocalypse from the experts and take the rational and sensible decision. Arrogantly convinced of the soundness of their judgement that Brexit is an act of national self-harm, they’re very angry they were not listened to. How dare we.
For many Remainers, it seems that democracy is all very well but needs to be manipulated and guided bypeople who know best. People who tend to be, on the whole, better educated and more successful in their careers than a majority of those who voted Brexit.
Brexit has given a new shape to British snobbery.
“of course politicians trot out ‘lies’ while campaigning it’s part of the cut and thrust.” Tell me how many people I/you/we know who do NOT tell lies and then he/she who is without guilt can cast the first stone. (John 8 verse 7).
Thrown out ofhigher court too.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/aug/14/johnson-quashes-supreme-court-action-over-350m-brexit-claim
Maybe the complainant (Matthew Ball) should crowdfund a case for Blair’s war crimes. I would throw in a few quid.
Brian morris’ article part 2 is good again. Thanks Debbie for your comment – will that bus EVER go away?
As Brian says of course politicians trot out ‘lies’ while campaigning it’s part of the cut and thrust.
Here’s another one from Corbyn folks – quoted on Brexit Central from another ‘get us out’ site – Corbyn says he will reimburse the WASPI women. Well Jeremy, afraid you can’t. You see the EU insisted on pension age being raised and the EU’s rules prevent any recompense. Now didn’t Corbyn say something about after Brexit we’d lose all that wonderful employment protection?
https://britishjournal.net/judge-rules-brexit-bus-of-350-million-is-correct-as-boris-proves-remainers-wrong/
A judge ruled that the red bus slogan was not wrong.
When it comes to lies during the Referendum the biggest of all were the political promises printed on the £9.3 million booklet that Cameron had mailed to every household – ‘ This is your decision. The Government will implement what you decide.’
Another reference to ‘The red bus, with its slogan of Brexit meaning £350m a week extra for the NHS’. But that’s not what the bus said. If you look at it closely, it says: “We send the EU £350million a week. Let’s give it to the NHS instead.” and that is quite true, although it doesn’t take into account the UK’s rebate.
But it was a suggestion, not a promise. Nowhere did it say we WOULD give the NHS the £350million we currently send to Brussels – although that might be an interesting plan. The bus simply suggested that it might be a good idea to stop sending all this money to the EU and spend it at home instead.
Good point Viv; Remoaners lying again.
And anyway in 2016 it was more like £365 m per week we sent to the EU, so £ 350 was on the low side.