Stop playing the doormat to the EU
LAST weekend was consumed by a tsunami of media euphoria bordering on hysteria. Mrs May had returned from yet another marathon bout with EU supremo Jean-Claude Juncker to announce that at long last, following months of deliberate obstruction by EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier, we had eventually “an agreement”.
This self-delusion will evaporate when it sinks in that we have at last extracted a concession, and paid a stonking price for it: £39billion guaranteed – and counting. What we got was permission – yes, permission – to discuss trade between the UK and the EU after full separation in 16 months’ time – maybe.
Until then we will remain subordinate to the EU in the three areas that define national sovereignty, the reclamation of which we were told was the entire point of our referendum and vote. Our elected government will remain subordinate and obedient to the non-elected Brussels Commission on all issues the Commission designates. Our borders will remain wide open save to countries that stood by us shoulder-to-shoulder when we liberated Europe from Nazism. They will need visas. And the European Court will override the British Supreme Court in all matters concerning the three million EU-born citizens who have chosen to come here to live.
This is to ensure that they are treated fairly. Thus the British legal system whose innate fairness has caused it to be emulated worldwide is deemed inferior to the EU system based on the harsh Code Napoleon, which was imposed on the nations he conquered and their subsequent empires. So what exactly has changed? We are allowed to discuss trade. And supposing we meet the same supreme arrogance that Monsieur Barnier has demonstrated so far? Let’s keep it simple.
WE WANT and need security, a fair legal code and prosperity. The first comes from our forces – armed and secret. The second from our courts and judges. The third from worldwide trade. It is time for what Nelson called “a whiff of grapeshot”. We should send exploratory trade missions to discuss – only theoretically, mind, new free-trade agreements (FTAs) with China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, India, Canada, USA, Mexico and Brazil.
Collectively they are economically 10 times bigger than the EU, eager to do more trade with us and do not order us about. We only have to play the doormat if we choose to.