Thursday 14 January 2016

The nihilism of Vicky Ford


I often criticise Ukip for being moaning, lazy, ill-informed. nihilistic losers - which, if we're being entirely honest, is a fair assessment. That, however, still puts them in a positive light when contrasted with europhiles the likes of Vicky Ford, Wes Streeting and Stephen Kinnock - all of whom are hyperventilating on Twitter over what they think Article 50 means.

Course, as we get so very tired of explaining, it doesn't mean what they think it means. The bleating that we are excluded from the negotiations ie "the UK won't even be in the room" just means a withdrawing state can't negotiate with itself. And why would would it be any other way?

Vicky Ford however, gets her pants in a twist that any settlement requires unanimity. If she's done her homework, she knows full well that nobody will be minded to sacrifice continuity of single market access and we would, for a time, adopt an EEA based solution. It's the most politically expedient method available.

Politically, it seems hardly likely that Member States will refuse to allow the UK to rejoin an agreement to which it is already party, but if we are blocked, we've already taken this possibility into account in the Flexcit plan. There are multiple fallback positions - and if absolutely necessary there are means of leaving unilaterally. Such a scenario is implausible since that has consequences that nobody wants.

But it's clear what the message is here. "This looks a bit complicated so let's just resign ourselves to being overruled and gradually erased on the global stage with all that this entails". Ford is saying that the denial of British democratic will is a reason to to just roll over. This makes the kippers look like shining beacons of optimism.

Nobody but for a tiny minority of Brexit headbangers has argued that the process will be simple - only that it is necessary. This would be the moment when our well pampered civil service would have to earn their keep. If it is the view of Vicky Ford that we should not attempt things because they are bit tricky then she is not well placed to be representing her constituents in this or any other body.

It comes down to a point of principle. Do we want a future as bit-part of a federalised, supranational entity or do we want to be a self-governing nation leading at the global top tables? If it is the former for Ms Ford, how does she have the nerve to call herself a conservative? It if it's the latter, put the crayons away, stop whining and do your job. 

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