The question asked was simple, “Do you want the UK to remain in the European Union or Leave the European Union? Remain or Leave.
We were gifted this question, because a referendum question on EU Defence Union, would have been guaranteed to lose by a landslide. Confused? You should be. EU Defence Union was not even discussed during the referendum campaigns on either side, yet waiting in the wings the following week in a Brussels room…I’ll get back to this meeting further down this article.
Why not mention EU defence Union? Do any dodgy salesmen, (in this case Remainer politicians) point out the “small print” in what they are trying to sell? No.
David Cameron and the rest of the Remain establishment were confident a vote on EU membership was a shoo-in for a Remain win, so the question should be on membership, rather than EU Defence Union.
Years earlier, assurances were given to placate the “eurosceptic” European Research Group (ERG) in the Tory party, that any major changes to EU membership, such as adopting the Euro, EU Justice, EU Defence Union required an Act of parliament and a referendum.
European Union Act 2011 Section 6(2) (copied from UK Government website)
Where the European Council has recommended to the member States the adoption of a decision under Article 42(2) of TEU in relation to a common EU defence, a Minister of the Crown may not notify the European Council that the decision is adopted by the United Kingdom unless—
(a)the decision is approved by Act of Parliament, and
(b)the referendum condition is met.
The EU Act 2011 section 6 (2) –since repealed in the Withdrawal Act 2018, did not stipulate what the question should be, just that “the referendum condition is met”. Any question would qualify.
The trap was now set, for UKIP and other Brexiteers to think they had won a major victory and to take the credit.
Fortunately, the trap backfired spectacularly. After they had lost, the Remainer establishment kept repeating in a condescending way: “you didn’t know what you voted for”. Ironically, they were spot on with that comment.
David Cameron resigned in disgrace on the morning of June 24th, 2016, to then be replaced by Theresa May in a coronation affair. May would then try undeterred, to row back from disaster in their eyes, throughout her reign in No. 10 deploying various delaying tactics, in case the mutinous public changed their minds.
By coincidence, on 28th June 2016 (the next working day) in Brussels, was the launch of the EU’s Global Strategy to centralize sovereign control of security, defence and foreign policy, AKA EU Defence Union.
With a remainstream media who daren’t mention what was waiting in the wings, a compliant Libdems, Labour, SNP and Tories, almost managed to pull off the biggest con and diversionary trick since the 1975 referendum. However, this time, we voted the “wrong” way.
A question remains begging, would Cameron have used a Remain win, to join the UK to EU Defence Union? I think we can safely assume he would have and a Remain Parliament would have legislated accordingly.
Theresa May, undaunted by the Leave result, assembled a pro-remain cell within Downing Street, headed by Olly Robbins to agree to everything the EU asked for in the EU Global Strategy, to negotiate a new treaty that would eventually hand sovereign control of UK defence, security and foreign policy (CSDP & CFSP) in an unconditional “Deep and Special Partnership” as euphemistically mentioned in her Munich speech and then in the Political Declaration section 92 to 107 (never mentioned in the media).
There are many who have suspect for a long time, a conspiracy of silence has existed in Westminster; a 3-line Whip not to mention EU defence union in parliamentary debates or in the media. To paraphrase a famous speech by Hugh Gaitskell, The Tories have been indulging in their usual double talk. When they go to Brussels, they show the greatest enthusiasm for EU Defence Union. When they speak in the House of Commons, they are most anxious to aver that there is no commitment whatsoever to an “EU Army”.
So it was quite a pleasant surprise to hear Lord James of Blackheath break through this wall of silence, raise the alarm in the Lords on 8th September 2019, after he visited a venue hosted by Veterans For Britain.
His questions were:
- Can someone please tell us the truth about EU Defence Union? This is by far the biggest issue being faced by the British public and they know nothing about it, officially.
- Can we have a proper account of what it entails?
- Is it really true that the government has entered into private agreements with the European Community that they will on completion of remain or whatever it is, transfer to the European Union in Brussels the entire control of our fighting forces, including all their equipment” (Yes, it is true)
He was then asked to withdraw his questions, but it was too late; he had spilled the beans on national TV. Years spent deceiving and dodging has really been about – EU Defence Union.
Boris Johnson tends to use Greek mythology in his speeches, perhaps Their secret “Plan” aimed at deceiving the British public had an operational name such as Operation Aniketos after the Greek god of defence strategy.
The Tories were forced to backtrack and redraft the Maybot treaty and Political Declaration. Boris Johnson PM now has a fresh mandate to “Get Brexit Done”.
The question in the public eye and the media should be Will the Conservatives still be plotting “Operation Aniketos” for UK involvement in EU Defence Union… despite their slogan, Get Brexit Done?
“If it’s a Yes, we will say ‘on we go’, and if it’s a No we will say ‘we continue’.” Jean Claude Juncker at the French referendum in 2005
THIS IS SO SIMPLE AS TO BE PATHETIC !
I want a friendly relationship with our European neighbours, and simple Trade with each other ! …..
….. If Tariffs are set too high, world competition wins the buyers order !
I want the EU to understand that we are no longer a member of their ‘Club’, and have become Independent of the EU ! …..
….. We don’t own them, and sure as hell, they don’t own us. – Not now, and not ever !
I want total Brexit upon WTO terms. – Trade in goods or services cover anything that is paid for, either to or from them !
I want an understanding that what is theirs, is theirs. – What is ours, is ours. – So simple as to be pathetic to repeat !
I want basic, mutual cooperation to exist, just like we see with all adults, and grown up Nations !
I want it clearly understood that our Armed Forces are just that. – Ours ! – i.e. Not theirs ! – Got it ?
With cooperation we all win ! ….. Throwing dolly out of the pram will just make a dirty dolly ! ….. This is too pathetic to continue !
Some of the best laid plans are simple. Very little complication to go wrong. LIBLABCONSNPGRNPLAIDCYMRU all wanted to go deeper into the EU., so they had cross party agreement.
This one was a simple bait and switch trick that could easily been carried off by keeping schtum on EU Defence Union in parliamentary debates. Fob public off with fiction about an “EU Army”. They did this with a cross party 3 line Whip. Anyone defying a 3 line Whip risks losing their seat, as was the case last December. The media are a little bit more difficult to control, but a D Notice must have worked a treat.
The Tories have spent the last 3 and half years trying to think of ways to keep the UK tied to the block, so yes in that time they’ve been volunteering UK involvement in EU Defence Union to be in next treaty. It remains to be seen whether Boris does the same.
Said the same about OUR aircraft carriers and the f35s we would pay for them and the eu could In theory take them off us and use them as it wishes
Some of us who contribute to ID having going on about this for literally years. Sadly few seem interested. I can only hope that the normal lads in our military will tell those in command to go to hell and refuse any cooperation.
Well said couldn’t agree more Jack, very little interest anywhere about military matters, probably because there is as yet no conscription so it doesn’t affect Dyson or Holly, it will though. As for the military the top seem to be all common purpose trained or retrained or pro e.u very similar to the ‘top’ in the police service who now seem to inhabit a totally different planet to the rest of us.
Why would Boris be plotting to keep our armed forces in a EU defence union? I fail to see any reason why he would.
The only danger I see is that the crafty EU might find a way to sneak it past us in the Trade Negotiations.
Cameron and May were Remainers, through and through. May then tried to keep us tied to EU as close as possible. Don’t forget it was Eurosceptics in her own Party who foiled her efforts and unseated her. Then those same eurosceptics were largely responsible for electing Boris.
Whether or not the Tories will succeed in becoming a ‘one nation’ party is beside the point. I think the Tories are now genuinely sceptical about, even ‘Anti’, the European Empire. The eurosceptic wing has taken over at last I say.
You seem to be forgetting that many of the Tory eurosceptics must have been involved in the deception to make it work, including Boris Johnson who was Foreign Secretary and witness to the signing of the PESCO treaty in November 2017. Of course he may not have approved of it and was not involved in the initial plan which goes back several years to Cameron, Osborne, May, Hammond etc. and probably Soubry too who was Minister of State for Defence from 2014 til 2015.
OK. So they are politicians and politicians all look out first for number one. That often means toe the party line for as long as possible. Politicians also often break promises or do about turns. Some even claim to have ‘changed their minds’ – that’s the least credible move of the lot! But I stick to my first point. Why would he be plotting now to keep our armed forces in the EU. What would be in it for him?
Remind him that, like our fishing waters, our armed forces need restoring to our control.
Mostly all agreed with’ op in’ to PESCO and E12 Pauline, it will be interesting to see if Boris, with his ‘deep and special relationship’ strategy will change anything, probably not is my feeling.
The words deep and special relationship make me literally want to throw up. Like calling them friends. I suppose that is what passes for ‘diplomacy’ nowadays. Yuk.
Because WA and PD are BRINO and Conservatives since referendum are working on very close relation with the EU. Much too close IMO. After all elites of Tories are no different from all other elites, vast majority globalists. Actions not empty promises and gestures.
Snow Elephant:
”Elite”? What?? Do you REALLY think they still deserve the epithet ”elite”? Can’t you find another word more fitting for these people?
“Traitors”
” Don’t forget it was Eurosceptics in her own party who foiled her efforts and unseated her,”
Are you sure you got that right Pauline? As I remember it, the ERG after a valliant battle, all but caved in and ignominiously top ERG , David Davis, Johnson et al, voted for her third Meaningful Vote on WA&PD. It was the historic Euro election win by TBP in which voters destroyed the Tories leaving them in third place that did for tye Maybot. No one in the Cowardly Conservative Party had the bottle to unseat her. It was left to the voting public.
Once again, it was TBP that changed politics for good, which scared the Tories into making Boris leader against ferocious and bitter opposition from within his party, and laid the ground for the stunning GE re-confirmation of the referendum verdict. Please let us all never forget that we would not be where we are today with Remoaners routed, if it were not for the inspiration of The Brexit Party.
As a matter of interest Tony – Has Nigel Farage ever explained HOW we SHOULD have handled BREXIT? I mean, Gerrard Batten said, avoid the Article 50 trap, Repeal the 1973 Act/Treaty that took us in. Everything since depends on that Act.
My heart sank when Article 50 was enacted.
As I say, has Nigel said at any time HOW to do it? We all know what we want to do, we want every link to EU BROKEN. We want to be completely free of it. One major problem has been HOW.
Nigel is a great guy and he led UKIP when it’s electoral impact was largely responsible for getting the referendum. I happen to think Tories are a different party now to what they were, and Boris is the best man for the job at this moment.
We’ll have to agree to differ methinks.
The HOW is by acknowledging the constitution. Under the constitution, you cannot give away Britain’s sovereignty unless defeated in a war. None of the organisations are willing to use the constitution to leave the EU. My partner, who is English, has asked them all. These organisations don’t even answer his correspondence. Only Gerard Batten eventually did, but apparently that was not enough.
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No Tony. May resigned BEFORE the European Elections. The ERG voting for her WA did not get it through as they very well knew it would not. It COULD NOT PASS. Thank goodness. So Brexit Party got it’s chance at EU elections. Good.