Westward, look, the land is bright!

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.