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Brexit

Politicians playing the blame game

7 replies

EdwinH · 05/02/2019 18:38

As we rush headlong towards the rotating knives of Brexit Day, more and more politicians are coming forward to deflect blame for the unfolding fiasco onto the EU and other parties.

Chris Grayling (Telegraph interview, this morning): "We want to work with the EU to reach a deal but if they are not prepared to do that – they will have to take responsibility that we are heading towards a no-deal exit."

Arlene Foster (Today Programme, this morning): "Well, actually, I could reverse that by saying, through the intransigence of the European Union and the Republic of Ireland in their attitude, they are actually more likely to bring about the very thing that they want to avoid."

David Davis (yesterday, writing in the Express): "If no deal is reached any blame will lie with the EU. What the UK is now asking for is not unreasonable. There is a history of the EU making deals at the eleventh hour."

And so on, and so forth.

It's absurd, of course. We decided to Brexit. It was a sovereign decision of the UK, from the referendum to triggering Article 50, through to today. The EU isn't imposing Brexit on us. It wanted us to stay. It still wants us to stay. It would welcome us staying, if we revoke Article 50. This was reconfirmed within the last week.

And yet it's always their fault (if it's not the fault of Remainers, those who don't "believe" enough in Brexit, etc.)

Another absurdity that ties neatly into this theme is the kerfuffle over Nissan and the EU-Japan trade deal. The latter is being presented by certain politicians as something intended to harm UK businesses.

But of course the reality is that the deal took six years to negotiate. Six years. The Brexit referendum wasn't even a twinkle in a Brexiter's eye six years ago, though the notion may have haunted their dreams for all I know.

The EU-Japan trade deal is the largest of its kind ever signed, and it creates the world's largest free trade area. It came into force on 1 February.

That means right now we're also benefitting from it. It is estimated that the net benefit to UK businesses would be £3 billion a year.

Ah, but of course... we'll only profit from it for 51 days more. After Brexit Day, we turn our backs on all that. So it's true that the deal is harmful to the UK, but that's because we've taken the loopy decision to inflict Brexit on ourselves. It's not because the EU had some kind of devious ploy to make us poorer.

What can we do? Individually, not a great deal, but we can at least oppose the false narrative that the consequences of Brexit are some sort of EU punishment regime whenever the notion rears its ugly head.

OP posts:
FingerKFCLicking · 05/02/2019 18:42

Arlene Foster is talking about herself there.

bellinisurge · 05/02/2019 19:27

They don't want to blame themselves for anything bad and want the credit for anything good. I'd say "typical politician" but it's more extreme than that. Useless wankers.
I know who I blame. If that's any help when we are all dealing with shit.

EdwinH · 06/02/2019 15:53

Another one, this time from Andrea Leadsom this afternoon: "It would be the ultimate irony if the EU’s intransigence around the deal that we have should lead to the one thing that they claim to be seeking to avoid, and that is a no-deal which would lead, potentially, to having to have a hard border"

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Juells · 06/02/2019 16:42

It would be the ultimate irony if the EU’s intransigence around the deal that we have should lead

The deal signed up to. It's now intransigence to think that signing a deal with a country means something 🙄

DangermousesSidekick · 06/02/2019 17:19

Donald Tusk's remarks are very welcome and succinct on this subject. No doubt it will shortly be sold by the tabloids as nasty EU.

MillytantForceit · 06/02/2019 19:11

Chris Grayling: The Transport Secretary who couldn't organise a traffic jam.

Juells · 07/02/2019 10:10

Hilarious that the DUP - who employ the most insulting, vile rhetoric themselves - are up in arms.

Sammy Wilson slammed the European Council president as a ‘devilish, trident wielding, euro maniac’

Where the trident comes in, I've no idea Grin

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