Conservative political dishonesty over Brexit
As I made clear in a previous
article I think that many members of the Parliamentary Conservative Party are
making the error of thinking that their dishonesty over Brexit is going to be
quickly forgotten just like all their previous lies to the electorate. I think that they are making an order of
magnitude error in thinking that this is the case. Brexit is the first time
that the public had really focussed on a political issue for many decades.
It is perhaps worth recalling that
David Cameron of the Conservative Government promised repeatedly to implement
the outcome of the referendum. This was
not least in the booklet which Cameron used £9m of taxpayers money to print and
distribute to every elector in the UK promising to implement the outcome of the
referendum. Instead almost immediately
after the referendum he and Osborne resigned.
The Conservative Parliamentary
Party, after a period of unprecedented backstabbing and careerist manoeuvring
managed to choose two candidates for leadership, Andrea Leadsom and Theresa
May, both of whom it seems lacked any personal leadership qualities
whatsoever.
The forgettable Andrea Leadsom when
subjected to some nasty criticism over her comments about having children
giving her motivation to do the best for the country, apparently spent the
weekend in tears before giving up her leadership challenge (and was ironically
rewarded by being made the Minister in charge of waterworks and floods!).
Theresa May was then anointed as
Leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister on the back of promising to
implement Brexit with her opaque slogan of “Brexit means Brexit”. Since then we have been treated to a series
of broken promises on top of her longstanding track record of claiming to
support reducing immigration to the tens of thousands, when in fact allowing
the largest influx of immigrants since Blair swamped us with millions of
Eastern Europeans!
Here are just some of Theresa’s
whoppers (with acknowledgment to Guido Fawkes):-
“She broke
her promises on calling an election and not triggering Article 50 until the UK
had an agreed strategy – two decisions that the history books will not look
upon kindly. She promised to put Dexeu in charge of the negotiation and make
sure a Brexiteer was doing Brexit – that didn’t happen. She promised not to
raise taxes – tax rises are coming in the autumn to fund her NHS splurge.
“There
should be no general election until 2020.” General election: 8 May 2017.
“There
should be no decision to invoke Article 50 until the British negotiating
strategy is agreed and clear.” Article
50 triggered: 29 March 2017. Cabinet Brexit strategy agreed: 7 July 2018.
“If
before 2020 there is a choice between further spending cuts, more borrowing and
tax rises, the priority must be to avoid tax increases since they would disrupt
consumption, employment and investment.” NHS spending increase, funded by “us as a country contributing a bit
more [tax]” 17 June 2018.
In her 2017
party conference speech May made the promise again: “With our economic
foundation strong – and economic confidence restored – the time has come to
focus on Britain’s next big economic challenge: to foster growth that works for
everyone, right across our country. That means keeping taxes low.”
“I
will therefore create a new government department responsible for conducting
Britain’s negotiation with the EU and for supporting the rest of Whitehall in
its European work. That department will be led by a senior Secretary of State –
and I will make sure that the position is taken by a Member of Parliament who
campaigned for Britain to leave the EU.” Theresa May takes personal charge of Brexit talks: 24th July 2018.
“Now
is not the time for me to set out my full negotiating principles – that will
come later.” Not sure people would
have inferred two years later.
“I
will dedicate my premiership to fixing this problem [housing]…
as Prime
Minister I am going to make it my mission to solve this problem. I will take
personal charge of the government’s response, and make the British Dream a
reality by reigniting home ownership in Britain once again.” We’re on our second Housing Secretary this
year, a damp squib of a housing policy and silence from May…
“The
Conservative Party can come together – and under my leadership it will.” (sic!)
You can see
why Tory members might have quite liked her promises to stay true to Brexit and
not raise taxes are disillusioned
now! Who isn’t?
The tory party will be dead in the water,unelectable for many decades,this doesn't mean the labour or liberal parties will take over the mantle of running the country either nod nod wink wink.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't we join the Tory Party and wreck it from within. Labour had no problems letting SNP activists in and actually used them to push for devolution.
ReplyDeletefrancis
You can always spoil your paper - better to do that than abstain from voting and have your silence be treated as consent.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/jewish-families-ready-to-quit-uk-if-corbyn-wins-next-election-a3919406.html