We were indeed gullible fools
Rory Murphy calls us gullible for believing the lies we were told ahead of the 2016 Referendum. He is right.
But he’s far too selective in choosing his single lie to bemoan. I’d like to see him and every other duped Leaver recognise how extensive the lies were and how those same lies are turned out still.
I’m not just talking about messages on buses and silly assertions from Michael
Gove that ‘We’d hold all the cards,’ or that Ian Duncan Smith could do dozens of the easies trade deals in history, but more disastrously, the stuff uncovered by our own Electoral Commission about illegalities, dark money and the manipulation of voters via social media. All are out there to be validated should anyone would like to do the homework.
For me, though, it’s the lie that the EU is full of ‘unelected bureaucrats.’
That’s what sticks most.
For the interested I offer this website which lists some of the myths (mostly proffered in drips via our tabloids). https://blogs. ec.europa.eu/ecintheuk/ euromyths-a-z-index/
For those of you that don’t have time to look it up, I give you the ‘A’ list of these lies.
Abattoirs – EC hygiene rules force closure of abattoirs, Nov 1992
Abattoirs – Local meat products under threat from new EC Health Directives, Jan 1993
Acres – Acres are outlawed by Brussels, Jul 2008
Acrobats, Africa – EU funding for African acrobats and trapeze artists, July 2015
Aga – New EU sulphur rules will cause problems with oilfired Agas, Dec 2009
A-levels – EU to phase out A-levels for EU style diplomas, Jan 2000
Acorns – EU to prevent the sale of English oak seeds, Nov 1994
Advertising, sex discrimination – EU to ban advertising for same-sex flats, Sep 2004
Advertising, sweets and toys – Swedish Presidency will force a ban on sweet and toy ads, Feb 1999
Africa, Circus artists – EU funding for African acrobats and trapeze artists, July 2015
Agriculture, set-aside – Farmers to be encouraged to mow land early resulting in ‘massacre’ of game, May 1993
Agriculture, subsidies and fraud – CAP spending and fraud out of control, Aug 1993
Agriculture, three-crop rule – EU tells British farmers what they can grow, Nov 2014
Aircraft, low flying jets – MOD to be forced to pay compensation for military jet noise pollution, Dec 1995
Alcohol sales – EU ‘bans boozing’, Feb 2005
Ale, name – Light ale to be forced to change its name, May 2005
Allergen rules – UK diners will face £200m for EU allergen rules, Nov 2014
Ambulances – False alarm over 999 calls, Dec 2006
Ambulances – Ambulances turn yellow for Europe, Mar 2002
Ambulances, St Johns – EU to force St Johns Ambulances to replace its entire fleet, Apr 2002
America – Let’s quit the EU and link up with America, Oct 1998
Animals, use of human medicines – Human medicines to be forbidden for use on animals, Feb/mar 1995
Anthem, European – Europeans to find themselves singing about ‘the motherland’, Feb 2004
Anti-drugs, Peru – Taxpayers money used to rehabilitate Peruvian drug addicts, Jul 2014
Apples, Apple orchards – British apple orchards to lose out to over productive continental farms, Mar 1995
Apples, Danish – EC regulations forbid the marketing of Ingrid Marie apple, Nov 1992
Apples, standards – Quality standards ban curved cucumbers and certain apples, Jun 1993
Aristocrats, and wine labels – EC to register aristocrats to check for improper labelling of wine, Oct 1993
Army vehicles – Army to be forced to upgrade trailers in line with EU Directive, Jun 2005
Asylum laws – Misunderstanding between EU and UN asylum laws, Feb 2000
Aviation – ‘Open Skies’ treaty threatens fight agains global warming, Feb 2006
No wonder we British have become so gullible.