It now transpires that on both the payment of a Brexit divorce bill and on the Irish border the May Government has lied to the people and misled the House of Commons. Both Hammond and May must resign.
It has always been the fundamental position of the British Government that we are under no obligation under international law to pay any divorce bill to the European Union. But then the foolish Prime Minister said that Britain had “obligations” to the EU which she would meet.
Then she contradicted herself again by saying that she would agree to a multi billion pound payment to the EU specifically to facilitate a free trade agreement.
Now we hear from Philip Hammond, addressing the Treasury Select Committee, that that is NOT the case. First of all he said “nothing is agreed until all is agreed” then he completely contradicted himself by saying that if there were no deal then the UK would still pay the massive divorce bill – which May sold to us and her colleagues as being contingent on a free trade deal but which she herself has put in doubt.
Although the Prime Minister’s official spokesman rebuked Hammond saying any payment was “dependent on us forging (a) deep and special future relationship with the EU” May herself has put those words “our obligations” on the table which in the absence of a trade agreement could be used in any Court against the UK to claim our money anyway!
We were also told that leaving the EU single market would give us the freedom from that excessive EU regulation which economists reckon costs us about 4% of GDP (amounting to a theoretical saving of £77bn per annum). But apparently when it comes to the City of London (our most competitive economic force on the world stage) Treasury minister Stephen Barclay has just said that “we are looking to have a close relationship with the EU we are not looking to de-regulate”!!!
So the spineless surrender to the EU has already run the following course:
We said there would be no European Court jurisdiction in the UK – but now we are apparently agreeing to refer matters concerning the 3m EU citizens in the UK to the European Court. Needless to say this would be an unprecedented international interference and the thin end of a very large wedge. Since when did the European Court not take every opportunity to expand its powers once given a chink of legal opportunity!?
We said we were leaving leaving on 29th march 2019 (the Prime Minister even has a Bill before parliament affirming that) – then we offered a “transition/implementation” period of 2 years for much of which all the burdens of EU control, freedom of movement, regulations etc could apply – perhaps even preventing us concluding other trade deals around the world. This is madness.
We said we had no obligation to pay a divorce bill – then offered £20bn. Then £45-50 bn on condition that a free trade deal was concluded – now Hammond has said there is no condition – we pay anyway. so why should the EU negotiate? HAMMOND HAS GIVEN THEM A BLANK CHECK. If for no other reason this is a resignation matter.
We said there was to be no compromise on the position of Northern Ireland within the UK. Then May secretly betrayed the DUP by offering a deal which would keep the North within the regulatory system of the EU so as to help Dublin. This is even though trade with the South is minuscule compared to the north’s trade with the UK. Indeed it is minuscule compared to the South’s trade with the UK!!!
THE BULLYING DEMANDS OF THE DUPLICITOUS EU
On several fronts in different cultural and industrial areas the EU says no deals with the UK can now be made – even though the UK is still in the EU, is paying all its dues and is bound by its regulations and restrictions on trade customs etc.
Now the EU has the gall to demand that while we cannot enjoy advantages while we are inside, they should have payments from us when we are outside.
For instance the 22 nation European Space Agency – which is NOT an EU institution – benefits from three quarters of the UK space budget. ESA Director-General Johann-Dietrich Woerner has said that for ESA programs, Brexit should have little or no impact. But the EU is threatening to exclude UK satellite cos from the Galileo project which uses the ESA.
The European City of Culture programme is under way. Entries have been accepted from UK cities but they have now been told they do not qualify even though the City Culture scheme is also not in the EU!
Episode 1 Ventures is a British tech fund denied funding by the European Investment Bank. Several other British tech companies have been frozen out. But while denying funding to UK companies the EIB has said the UK could not get its investment in the bank back when we leave the EU and must stay in the bank and wait for decades until the loans they made are repaid!
Are these the actions and attitudes of “friends and partners” as the “Remainers” call them? Are these the kind of people any respectable person would do business with? can we rely on these people to be open, honest and fair trading partners?
NO WE CANNOT. A Clean break is now imperative and urgent.
And the UK needs a new PM and Chancellor to secure our future among the other 160 free democratic self governing countries of the world.
