This is not what we voted for in the EU referendum
WHEN the British people voted to leave the European Union two years ago, the Government had a golden opportunity to rebuild our national independence. In line with the decisive verdict of the electorate, the absolute priority of the Cabinet and Whitehall should have been the return of control over our own trade, justice, borders, laws and economy.
Yet nothing of the sort has happened. On the contrary, Brexit is being thwarted rather than implemented. With a mixture of institutionalised paralysis and contempt for the public, the supine establishment has squandered the moment. Our politicians and civil servants have run up the white flag of surrender.
That process reached its nadir this week at Westminster, when the Commons debated a series of wrecking amendments by the unelected House of Lords to the EU Withdrawal Bill. On Tuesday Tory ministers narrowly avoided an embarrassing defeat on the issue of political control over the future negotiating strategy with the EU but they did so only through another capitulation to the anti-Brexit lobby.
Backed by the opposition parties, the arch Remainer Dominic Grieve had tabled a proposal which would effectively put MPs and peers in charge, rather than the Government. In practice its terms would enable Parliament not only to have a veto over any deal struck with Brussels but also to dictate the course of ministerial action in the event that no agreement is reached by the late autumn.
AT THE start of the debate the Brexit Secretary David Davis was dismissive of the proposal, describing it as a “constitutional absurdity” that “risks undermining our negotiations with the EU”.
Yet the sheer scale of the potential rebellion by Tory Remoaners forced the Government to cave in. In scenes of high drama and near farce the Conservative Chief Whip Julian Smith could be seen openly bargaining with the rebels on the floor of the chamber, while Theresa May was compelled to hold desperate last-minute talks just before the vote.
The resulting compromise was indicative of both the Government’s weakness and its failure to develop a coherent Brexit policy. The decision to give Parliamentarians command of the future negotiations is a blow to any dwindling hopes of a meaningful British departure from the EU, given that there are overwhelming pro-Remain majorities in both the Commons and the Lords.
Furthermore ministers cannot now threaten to walk away from talks in Brussels since Parliament can just demand that they go back. All leverage that Britain once possessed has been lost. The biggest winner is the EU negotiating team, headed by Michel Barnier, which will be under no pressure to reach swiftly any sort of constructive deal at all.
As one Whitehall official put it: “We have removed every incentive from the EU for doing a deal by the end of November.”
After that, as the Brexit deadline in March 2019 approaches, Brussels bureaucrats and Remainer MPs will set the agenda.
This has cynically been presented by the pro-EU brigade as a kind of triumph for Parliamentary representation. But in reality the Remoaners seek to subvert democracy through their belief that their ideology is superior to the wisdom of most voters.
That disdainful attitude was captured by the Tory MP Phillip Lee who resigned as Justice Minister this week in protest at Brexit.
During the Commons debate he said: “Sometimes, when a majority of our people want something that is against the good of society, the Government and Parliament have a responsibility to protect us.”
The pro-EU elite, in all its insufferable pomposity, really does think that it knows best, regardless of the ballot box.
Tragically the Government is now at the mercy of this crowd. This week’s climbdown is just the latest instalment in a long, mournful saga of betrayal.
Two years ago Britain was in a tremendously strong position, having just inflicted on the EU the first real challenge to its quasi-imperial rule. Our bargaining power lay in the size of our contributions to Brussels, our mutual economic interests with Europe and our capacity as a major global player.
Now all those advantages have been thrown away thanks to the Government’s inertia and fearfulness. Without any concessions by the EU, ministers have accepted a colossal so-called “divorce bill”, embraced an ever lengthening “transition period” and allowed the quibbling issue of the Irish border to be turned into an insurmountable obstacle.
EVEN worse, neither they nor Whitehall have made any real preparations for Brexit, such as plans for effective border controls.
It is incredible that the Government is now going into the next EU summit without any agreed negotiating blueprint. But it is clear where our destination lies. Unless something radically changes we will end up as a “vassal state”, to quote the memorable phrase of Jacob Rees-Mogg. Devoid of any voice in Brussels we could be forced to accept EU governance on everything from customs to immigration. That is definitely not what the public voted for in 2016.
Our quest for self-rule could have been a beacon to the world. Instead we are in danger of becoming an international laughing stock.
‘Scenes of high drama and near farce’