Dyson’s message on Brexit: Just walk away
In the febrile corridors of Westminster, conspiracy theorists have been sent into a new frenzy of nervous excitement by a letter to Theresa may from two of her most senior ministers.
Signed jointly by Boris Johnson and michael gove, it has been variously described as menacing, sinister and even as an attempted coup d’état by the Foreign and Environment Secretaries.
So what’s in this memo that’s so incendiary? It begins with a reassertion of the government’s ambition to honour the referendum result by making Britain ‘ a fully independent, self-governing country’ by the next election.
It goes on to express concern that postBrexit preparations – especially for the possibility of no deal – are not proceeding ‘with anything like sufficient energy’. This is a clear dig at Chancellor Philip Hammond, who refuses to fund any contingency plans until ‘the very last moment’.
The letter also warns that the ‘ ossified Whitehall machine’ should not be allowed to stall our EU departure, exhorts mrs may to insist that all ministers publicly support the government’s Brexit policy, and recommends naming June 30, 2021 as the fixed end of the transition period after Britain leaves the EU in march 2019.
Finally, it urges mrs may to push forward her own Brexit agenda – articulated in her Florence speech – ‘with confidence’. Is that really so explosive, especially coming from two such prominent Leave campaigners? Yes, mr Johnson and mr gove are impatient for change and believe no deal is better than a bad deal. They are also frustrated by mr Hammond’s timidity and Whitehall’s foot- dragging. But they are hardly alone.
only yesterday, Sir James Dyson, one of Britain’s greatest entrepreneurs and businessmen, described demands for a multi-billion-pound divorce settlement as ‘outrageous’ and said we should simply walk away. If we did, he believes Brussels would have to come to us, because it couldn’t afford to lose such a vital customer.
He said Brexit offers ‘ a fantastic opportunity’ for British industry and we are in ‘an incredibly strong position’ globally – with or without an agreement.
This is a man with vast experience of doing business in the real world. Shouldn’t we listen to him, rather than the hysterical scaremongers in the Westminster bubble?