Most of what I have to say Brexit today has been said for me by James Forsyth here.
He is right that Theresa May has sold the pass and made an acceptable deal immeasurably harder to obtain. He is right that Boris's
I'd add that I think that if the Theresa May withdrawal agreement had passed the House the Irish Republic would never have let the UK get rid of the backstop. Why would they? They could have forever held the old enemy captive and secured a pan-Irish economy.
We'd have been in a permanent customs union, something Theresa May secretly accepted.
He is right that Theresa May has sold the pass and made an acceptable deal immeasurably harder to obtain. He is right that Boris's
new Brexit proposal is a big move, but it still isn’t enough for the EU and Dublin. They still object to anything that leads to checks on the island of Ireland, as the UK scheme would do.
I'd add that I think that if the Theresa May withdrawal agreement had passed the House the Irish Republic would never have let the UK get rid of the backstop. Why would they? They could have forever held the old enemy captive and secured a pan-Irish economy.
We'd have been in a permanent customs union, something Theresa May secretly accepted.
Jeremy Corbyn should have accepted her deal with left-wing tweaks about conforming to EU employment, equality and environmental legislation, had he really wanted to honour the referendum result and prevent leaving with no deal. But he cared nothing about either and, naturally, did not want to lose half his voters to save Theresa May.
Harold Wilson in 1972 and John Smith in 1993 similarly suppressed their own views and tried to sink the Tories. This is life.
It came to me, as I saw the Government pledge to the Court of Session in Edinburgh that they would obey the Benn Act and at the same time repeat that we would leave the EU on 31 October, that the only way to square the circle is to ask Viktor Orban of Hungary to veto Brexit.
He would rightly demand a very steep monetary price indeed to make up for any EU subsidies he would lose by incurring Western Europe's displeasure, but Boris might think any price cheap, assuming he does want to leave with no deal and immediately call an election.
Harold Wilson in 1972 and John Smith in 1993 similarly suppressed their own views and tried to sink the Tories. This is life.
It came to me, as I saw the Government pledge to the Court of Session in Edinburgh that they would obey the Benn Act and at the same time repeat that we would leave the EU on 31 October, that the only way to square the circle is to ask Viktor Orban of Hungary to veto Brexit.
He would rightly demand a very steep monetary price indeed to make up for any EU subsidies he would lose by incurring Western Europe's displeasure, but Boris might think any price cheap, assuming he does want to leave with no deal and immediately call an election.
I intend to write and think much less about Brexit, if I can pull myself away. It is the fundamental principle of Toryism or conservatism that politics is much less important than other things. Lord Hailsham said that the foolish Tory thought hunting more important and the wise one Christianity.
Hunting was made illegal in England by Tony Blair and Christianity will cease to be the biggest religion in England in around 30 years' time, but let's leave it there.
We certainly could not pay the Hungarians to veto an extension - suggesting that we pay them "compensation" is a nonstarter.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it is possible that the Prime Minister of Hungary is so disgusted by the campaign of vicious lies told about his country (and him personally) by the "liberal" establishment (such as the vile Economist magazine), that he will veto an extension anyway.
Mr Orban has been a good Prime Minister - reducing regulation, cutting taxes, and protecting the Hungarians against a flood of invaders who seek to destroy European civilisation (the European Union HATES and despises European civilisation). The "liberal" establishment (including the American bureaucrats who want to restart "Radio Free Europe" broadcasting to Hungary - with the purpose of undermining Hungarian democracy, and getting the Hungarians to vote for their own destruction) are correct, from their perspective, to hate him. So let us hope that the Prime Minister of Hungary helps us - without any "payment".