Back to business

Having had a break over Christmas the very last thing I want to do is start up the blog again. I've been blogging almost daily for two years without a break and now that I have finally taken some time out I find there is little that motivates me to continue. I have just got in from a four hour drive where I was thinking all the way down what I could possibly write that I have not now said a dozen times. Not much it seems.

But there's the rub. That which I have said must continue to be said and continually rubbed in the faces of those determined to evade the facts of life. I resent doing it and I resent the necessity. I would really rather not. But then I have invested way too much to quit now. Efforts must continue at least until Article 50 is triggered.

Word is that Mrs May will make a speech later in the week elaborating further on her plans. I am not expecting much beyond the usual non-committal rehtoric but there is a possibility she may rule out certain avenues and there will need to be a robust debate.

Her new year message had it that she intends to seek a Brexit that will satisfy those who voted to remain which could be taken as a hint that she seeks a middle way. If we take that to mean continued temporary membership of the single market then we can breathe a sigh of relief. If not, she is about to commit the entire effort toward a wholly futile pursuit that will lead to a messy and protracted negotiation where she and her miscreant brexiteers will most definitely come unstuck.

Until such time as Mrs May gives us a further outline there is no point in indulging in speculation and little original to be said. My view is much the same as before Christmas; that we have a government set upon negotiating a final deal when what is actually required is a framework for ongoing cooperation with the EU. For as long as the EU exists we will have to deal with it as an entity and there will be a continual dialogue and constant negotiation regardless of the final settlement. That necessarily requires something more sophisticated than the government apparently envisages.

For the moment it rather looks like the government is still entrenched in simplistic notions and flawed concepts which will cost us dearly in the near future. Most people who have examined the issue in any great detail now recognise that the EEA is the most appropriate tool for the job and it is a testament to the strength of the firewall between the government and reality that this fact has not yet sunk in. If ever you were grasping for a definition of the establishment, it is the bubble which is fiercely defended by ideological gatekeepers who are resolutely determined to police the flow of information directed at politicians.

And this is why we should despise MPs. Very few of them look beyond the mainstream press or party briefing notes. Their ignorance is self-enforced. It is a choice to remain ignorant - especially in the age of information.

Traditionally this time of year is a time for forgiveness and fresh starts. You will find neither from me. I will be saying much the same things for as long as is necessary and I have no forgiveness for the wilfully ignorant people who continue impede progress for entirely selfish and corrupt reasons. I may yet be surprised but it still looks like we are on course for a dog's Brexit. If Mrs May is hoping to gain a reputation for political courage and competence then she is running out of time to make her move.