I don’t know much about Jo Swinson other than the Liberal Democrat
party have just elected her as their leader. I have no idea how she will
perform in this role and, as a member of the Conservative Party, it does not
seem proper me to comment on whether she is fit for the job or not. However,
she has made a robust start to her tenure by making clear her outright
opposition to Britain leaving the EU and, we may suppose, her wholehearted
support for Britain remaining in.
Bollocks to the referendum then?
Just like the Conservatives were accused of banging on about
Brexit, so Ms Swinson seems intent on re-fighting the leave or remain debate of
2016. It reminds me of when our children
were small and my friend Norman was staying at our house in Kings Lynn. It was Grand
National day and, prior to the race on television, each of us had chosen our
favourite to win. The result of the race brought disappointment with none of
the horses and riders chosen making the frame, let alone mentioned in the
commentary. To cheer the mood Norman advanced a brilliant suggestion, “why
don’t we watch the replay and see if your horses do any better next time?” Swinson must be hoping for a similar fairy-tale? My children duly watched the race again but, unfortunaletly, the result did not change, a slautory lesson in the fairness of life, perhaps? Undeterred by fairness, the “energetic and passionate” Swinson has
promised to “do whatever it takes,” to stop Brexit. However, even by the banal
standards of debate that pass for politics these days, her reasoning lacked
depth. In fairness, she correctly identified that the issue is about the
fundamental direction of our country for generations but then failed to
capitalise on her moment of media attention by explaining just what was so
bloody marvellous about being a member of the EU for future generations. She
cannot have been thinking about jobs and employment, particularly amongst young
people in Spain and Italy, for example. Neither could she have given much
thought to immigration policy and how our public services, schools and
hospitals would cope with the sort of influx that Germany has experienced. And
whilst talking about Germany she really ought to mention their growth rate,
teetering on the edge of recession (so much for Kamal Ahmed and the BBC propaganda).
With the election of an overtly federalist hierarchy in Brussels, how will she
sell the advertised drive to budgetary integration and the usurpation of
national parliamentary authority for taxing and spending? Whilst on the subject
of further integration, the old apology of staying in the heart of Europe so
that we can reform the EU from within looks somewhat hollow, given the
federalist direction of travel. Does she
really think that Marron’s European army would provide better security than
NATO, our steadfast guardian since the aftermath of WWII? Will she ignore the
opportunities that freedom from political and economic shackles will expose? Is
it not possible that, without the millstone of the common external tariff,
there are likely to be a myriad of business opportunities in markets hitherto ignored
uneconomic? Does she really think the British business is so moribund,
EU-dependent, and generally useless, that it cannot go out and make a success
of these opportunities?
In sum, she has a hard sell on her hands, as they say. Perhaps
she is hoping that the debate does not sink to such inconvenient detail and,
led by the ever-trustworthy BBC, she will have plenty of allies in the media to
keep banging on about cliff edges and catastrophe, without actually exposing why
and how. I very much look forward to seeing how she gets on.
That said, it never does to relish the misfortune of others
so we should focus on the positive. Today,
having listened to Boris make his acceptance speech, there should be a new
spring in the steps of Conservatives. I do not feel despondent. I am energised.
I believe in delivering and making a success of Brexit, of being part of a
united party and, above all, defeating Jeremy Corbyn or whoever may succeed him
as head of the extreme left. Boris is
poised at the starting gate – lets back him to win.
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