Brexit Bulletin: Turkeys do vote for Christmas

 

‘Asylums with doors open wide,

Where people had paid to see inside,

For entertainment they watch his body twist

Behind his eyes he says, ‘I still exist.‘ ¹

 

And so, it comes to pass this festive season that the country has stepped to the right; will this be the election where the many voted for the benefit of the few?

Being right about the outcome is, for this column, no consolation, but to the victor, Dominic Cummings, goes the spoils.

We applaud his total understanding of modern-day politics and the militaristic style of the campaign.

Once again, a simple slogan, with ‘Getting it Done’ replacing ‘Taking Back Control’ was decisive.

A manifesto short on detail left little to criticise, and the effective gagging of everyone, including the PM, meant there were minimal gaffes. The liability that could have been Farage and his mob was shut-out and became a side-show.

‘A manifesto short on detail left little to criticise, and the effective gagging of everyone, including the PM, meant there were minimal gaffes’

Despite the genius displayed by Cummings, I can’t help but think the opposition played into his hands. Labour never had a coherent policy on Brexit, and in the “Brexit election” it was always going to cost them.

However, the biggest culprit is, without doubt, Jo Swinson, who always reminded me of a character from the “Famous Five” novels, lots of jolly japes and lemonade.

She showed a total lack of understanding of so many things, but the biggest was supporting Johnson in his call for an election.

There was no need to do so, and she failed to understand that for the life of that parliament they controlled the Brexit process. Now Johnson has a mandate to wreak havoc.

My deepest sympathy and respect go to those former Tories who put their political careers on the line to stop a hard-Brexit only to see it all undone by a rather naïve schoolgirl.

And so, what might the future hold after one of the nastiest election campaigns in memory.

‘put their political careers on the line to stop a hard-Brexit only to see it all undone by a rather naïve schoolgirl’

For this column’s perspective, the most fascinating point is that Corby and Labour never lost the taint of anti-Semitism, whereas Johnsons past of calling gays ‘bumboys in tank-tops’, Muslim woman ‘post-boxes’, and black people ‘picaninnies with water melon smiles’ seemed not to matter.

Maybe we are still, deep down, racist and homophobic? Perhaps the rise in racism we are seeing in football crowds is a guide to the future.

Many working people fell for the traditional hard-right message that the  10 yrs of lost public jobs, investment and services wasn’t the fault of Tory austerity but Jeremy Corbyn’s ‘great betrayal orchestrated from Islington by politicians who sneer at your values and ignore your votes’. Brexit will obviously right these wrongs!

‘Maybe we are still, deep down, racist and homophobic?’

As this column has written previously, this is the politics of the 1930’s, centred on nationalism and the fear of foreigners, in this instance the EU, as Johnson said: ‘End uncontrolled and unlimited immigration from the EU, take back control from an unelected elite in Brussels.’

He tells Sky News he will no longer let EU migrants ‘treat the UK as if it’s part of their country’. Could Mussolini have put it better?

All of this has parallels with Enoch Powell and his speeches of the late-1960s, he was kicked-out of the Tory party for his comments, now they appear to be positively welcomed.

And the establishment will be made to pay; P.48 of the Tory manifesto, Protect our Democracy: ‘One of the strengths of the UK’s constitution is its ability to evolve – as times have changed, so have parliament, government and the judiciary.’

‘Don’t forget this is the man who illegally shut down parliament for five weeks’

What kind of ‘evolution’? Well, there could be the usual redrawing on constituency boundaries, no proportional representation, and perhaps more darker arts restricting peoples’ right to vote, e.g. renters and students on the move, people without passports or driving licences, will they be deterred by needing ID at polling stations?

Expats will get the vote, but long-resident tax-paying EU citizens are denied

And these are the very same EU citizens that make an active contribution to the public coffers; Research by Oxford Economics shows that EU migrants living in the UK contribute £2,300 more to the public purse each year than the average adult and make a £78,000 net contribution to the exchequer over their period in the country.

And the Judiciary, can they expect to be forgiven for finding his proroguing of parliament illegal?

The media have, except for the Guardian, seen no wrong in anything that Johnson has said or done. Two stand-out dissenters have been Channel 4 and the BBC; Johnsons’ people have already threatened to ‘review’ Channel 4’s licence, and the BBC expects the worst after Johnson’s assault last week on the licence fee.

All farfetched? Don’t forget this is the man who illegally shut down parliament for five weeks.

 

‘Now, who is that knocking?

Who’s knocking at my chamber door?

Now could it be the police?

They come and take me for a ride-ride’ ²

 

Finally, we must end as this column began, with Brexit; we must now accept that this will be on Tory terms.

This election wasn’t called because Johnson lacked a parliamentary majority for Brexit, that was won on the 22nd October.

The election was about the unconditional Brexit that Johnson and his mob demands. He now has MPs that are bound to a manifesto that asserts ‘we will get Brexit done in January’, and ‘we will not extend the implementation period beyond December 2020’.

‘MPs that are bound to a manifesto that asserts ‘we will get Brexit done in January”

Most, if not all, commentators feel that the December 2020 deadline is not attainable, as there is so much complexity to agree.

Conservative naysayers point to the miracle he achieved with his revised withdrawal deal, but that was Johnson simply surrendering to EU demands and throwing Northern Ireland overboard.

And, he clearly doesn’t understand what he agreed as continues in his belief that there will be no checks or tariffs in either direction on goods travelling between Britain and Northern Ireland.

Whereas, the facts are that around 75% of goods making that journey will be liable to pay tariffs and checks on rules of origin.

If the UK crashes out with no trade deal in a year’s time, those tariffs and checks will become more intense, not less.

The reality is this; to secure a new trading relationship with the EU within his timeframe will require compromise from us, the EU don’t care, time is on their side.

Unless the Tory party is prepared to accept this and keep negotiations simple, then the only option is a hard-Brexit. That is where, I fear, we are heading.

 

‘Seems I’m a victim of natural selection

Meet me on the other side, another direction’ ³

 

And so, we come to the end of our journey, the need for a weekly commentary no longer exists; it will return periodically, for example the 31^st January deadline.

‘Irrespective of whether you agree or disagreed, I wanted, more than anything, to make people stop and think’

This journey began in March of 2016 when my editor asked me to pen my thoughts on the forthcoming referendum. Neither he nor I ever envisaged so many correct calls in the column, or that it would last so long.

I extend my gratitude to him for allowing me this platform, and for showing so much tolerance with my increasingly inflammatory comments.

To all of you that read it, I extend both my thanks and deepest sympathy!

My hope is that the articles provoked a reaction, and emotion in each of you? Irrespective of whether you agree or disagreed, I wanted, more than anything, to make people stop and think.

Last, and by no means least, the use of lyrics. I grew up with a love for ‘alternative’ music and wanted to take this opportunity to introduce bands that might be new to many of you.

Also, I have tried to highlight the relevance that artists can have on us with their platform of choice.

I wish each of you and your families a wonderful Christmas, and a happy, healthy, an prosperous New Year.

In signing off I can think of no more fitting way to finish that by saying, this was…..

 

‘My own creation

My grand finale

My goodbye’ ⁴

 

OK lyric spotters, before we get to grips with one of the pithiest and most apposite challenges to date, it is with real sadness that we announce the end of Philip’s regular weekly column; triskaidekaphobics unite in grief.

What started out as a commentary piece leading up to the 2016 EU referendum became something very much more elemental as the political landscape ebbed and flowed, promises were made and dashed, and hopes and fears appeared in equal measure.

Writing under a range of noms de plumes Philip has been an expert and respected contributor to DIY investor and its sisters over a number of years, and a highly regarded and valued friend to this old hack.

‘Showing (me) so much tolerance with my increasingly inflammatory comments’ was never in question; whilst I would never claim that we agree on everything, I have absolute trust that any point Philip makes will be meticulously researched and based on either empiric evidence or very well informed opinion.

His pieces have soared in optimism, they have been mired in gloom; they have nodded in grudging admiration and they have spat in disgust.

They have been thought provoking, they have been entertaining, they have been challenging – and more often than not they have been proven correct.

Unlike, of course, my answers to his increasingly fiendish sodding lyric challenge; and however misty eyed we may be feeling just now, Philip’s not exactly dishing points out this week.

So eyes down; first off the rank ¹ ‘a gloomy song for a gloomy moment, but a masterpiece nonetheless’. If I could wring nothing else out of all the hours of brain wracking and research in trying to break Philip’s code, I’d settle for an appreciation of Ian Curtis and Joy Division. OK, so I didn’t get there, but take a (pretty stingy) two points if you got to ‘Atrocity Exhibition’.

Just to be clear, despite the finality of the challenge, entries will still be accepted in the usual way up until the 12-noon deadline, those received later may not be considered despite having incurred standard network or carrier charges.

Next up, and working us hard – ² ‘it started when it started, and finished when it finished’. There is a story to the song, albeit a slightly odd one, really it’s just genius’. And genius it is. I had trouble getting Jonathan Richman’s Roadrunner out of my head, and I’m sure Philip would tut at that, but immerse yourself in the Velvet Underground’s ‘Sister Ray’ and just try to imagine just what on earth was going on back then – three points.

Track ³  is just another example of why Philip’s challenge works on so many levels – there was nothing there that rang a bell for me, so a familiar nul points. However, Dr Google suggests ‘Final Solution’ by Per Ubu; all of a sudden we’re joining dots with one of the ugliest aspects of party politics I can recall in recent years and somehow three points feels totally irrelevant. Great track, and when searching for the bonus point, which I hope I correctly identified as being by the Rocket From the Tombs, I found that there was a link to a band called the Dead Boys who I recall seeing in Camden in the late 70s. Which was nice.

Last but not least track ⁴, how on earth can Philip sign off?

Those of you that have been paying attention will know that it was never going to be Sinatra. Just the one point, but crank it up, and enjoy the only way that it could possibly have ended – PiL with ‘Public Image’

Philip, you have our heartfelt thanks and admiration; one thing we know you’ll never lack is opinions, and please be assured that we welcome you to share your unexpected delight/worst fears confirmed/cause for excitement/deepest despair at any time. Salute.  

 

 

Philip Gilbert is a city-based corporate financier, and former investment banker.

Philip is a great believer in meritocracy, and in the belief that if you want something enough you can make it happen. These beliefs were formed in his formative years, of the late 1970s and 80s

 

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