EPA photo
By
Hazel Speed
Labour MP and Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, Sir Keir Starmer, has presented a list of six tests which he says are required if Labour are to back any final deal in Parliament regarding Brexit.
Item 2 on the list, ‘Does it deliver the “exact same benefits” as we currently have as members of the Single Market and Customs Union?’ is utterly divisive, some are saying, as of course things will not remain the same, contrary to the remarks therein!
The reasoning being that it is only in this list to enable the issue to be specifically utilised as a point against the Government in Parliamentary debate and voting further down the road, this despite the fact that Labour backed the Bill through Parliament initially. Now, to appease those who criticised their previous soft stance, this harder line is emerging.
Europe itself has hinted that divorce proceedings will come first anyway, which indirectly would solve a lot of Mrs May’s Brexit problems if so.
However, financial settlement may be an issue deferring such declaration of divorce being initiated and/or confirmed, with Europe claiming around an estimated €60bn from the UK, but what monies, if any, are due to the UK – starting from the day Brexit is signed or already owing to Britain?
Mrs May has said repeatedly that the UK will be leaving the Single Market and Customs Union and thereafter she will be fighting for any unique deals for the whole of the UK, so can say in Parliament that in true altruistic terms that ‘this and that’ was sought, achieved or rejected.
Then the Prime Minister has to ascertain her rights under the Henry VIII Clauses to claim back various and diverse Legislative Powers, currently held by the EU to enable their retrieval under UK Law (the Repeal of same into the control of UK Parliament/British Law).
The bottom line is whether Mrs May has the Executive powers to sign off Brexit without the backing of Labour or anyone else – even if a hard Brexit is all that is possible within the deadline, as I am sure she will not want this whole matter to straggle on, neither will the EU or the British people.
She will also be mindful every step of the way with regard to any other legal challenges as before, in order to negate any further High Court or Supreme Court deliberations.
At the weekend, ‘Remains’ protesting in London featured one young person who said they were 15 years of age and wanted their future back, others said they were born with EU Passports. Was nobody proud to be British one wonders? Others have even remarked that those who put the EU first are therefore perhaps living in the wrong country. That does cause concern in that who would their first allegiance be towards if one day in the future there would be a need to choose? Issues such as this are quite dangerous in themselves storing up worse things for years to come.
Counter comments to those protesting have been when others were 15 (and many working at that age in 1972), they did not want to go into the EU but were grown up enough to accept the outcome of democracy despite their view and vote being superseded by those who joined the EU.
Listening to one discussion, person A asked person B what difference would leaving the EU mean to their grandson. The answer was that they would have to obtain a passport to travel between countries (which most people consider an inept comment), but their interaction in all other respects remained the same.
As is always the case, many people are being used for reasons of effect, carried along with the masses and regardless of whatever one voted in the original Brexit Referendum, Mrs May was given her remit by the outcome and will be taking the UK out of Europe.
Therefore, Sir Keir Starmer and others such as Nicola Sturgeon et al are coming across as trying to derail this whole democratic process.
UKIP has issued their own list of six key points. Mr Nuttall is clearly trying to ‘tap in’ to the original Brexit voter, and to that end I think they will be successful, despite having squandered nearly a year due to reported in-fighting, difficulties regarding new Leadership, and Mr Farage’s interests being more high profile in America rather than the UK, so they lost the advantage when they were riding high. That said, if Mr Nuttall and UKIP maintain their claim as being a collective Guard Dog to Mrs May’s commitment of delivering Brexit, then they might well indeed claw back lost ground.
Hazel Speed
Photo (c) Hazel Speed – used by kind permision to Tuck Magazine
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