Saturday 28 April 2018

What would Churchill do in our present humiliation by the EU

In the 1930s Churchill was hated by the British establishment who led by Halifax in the \Foreign Office. where else, wanted to cave in to every demand Hitler made.This time its not Hitler but the Belgian Verhofstadt making the demands and he is supported by Robins of our FCO just as Halifax did 80 years ago. Its the same defeatist  siren call to surrender, we can't win coming from the FCO and the smug unelected Lords.

Alastair Heath has written an excellent piece describing how in the past we have been betrayed by our political elite serving their own selfish interests. Click below


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/04/25/britains-elites-have-glorious-history-absorbing-inevitable-change/?utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter&link_time=1524723475#link_time=1524723443


and from the Belgian non entity the FCO support

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/04/27/guy-verhofstadt-brexit-will-delayed-unless-britain-makes-concessions/?li_source=LI&li_medium=li-recommendation-widget

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard proposes the correct solution to May's customs union mess. Tear up her waste of time non negotiating strategy, fall back on WTO rules and have a snap now before it is to late and the Remainers have won.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2018/04/25/let-us-have-snap-brexit-election-decide-poisonous-customs-union/

What choice would Churchill have made?

 



9 comments:

Niall Warry said...

I believe he would work to a plan like Efta/EEA :-)

Edward Spalton said...

" Falling back on WTO rules" is a complete non starter. You need to read the 60 " Notices to Stakeholders" by the EU Commission.
These are not the EU "punishing" us but the simple consequences of the course you suggest and that insisted on by Mrs May - that we should leave both the EU and EEA//EFTA. Failing a comprehensive "deep and spevial" agreement, the notices set out what will happen and in most cases the WTO will be no help at all.

To give just one example, as reported in the Daily Telegraph of 23 April - Rolls Royce is planning to move its department which deals with regulatory compliance to mainland EU. Certification by British agencies will cease to be valid on March 29 2019 and Rolls Royce products would cease to be saleable on March 30 because their compliance with the myriad aviation safety rules would cease.So Rolls Royce is taking very wise precautions to ensure it will still have a business rather than relying on assurances from David Davis. He is the chap who said of his role in DExEU " I don't have to know very much " and it's becoming increasingly clear that he doesn't!

But neither do the hard Brexiteers. I had an email correspondence with one of their leaders on the similar situation with regard to pharmaceuticals. Their international safety and saleability is upheld by a similar EU scheme which extends from the initial safety testing of products, through manufacture and controlled distribution which ( mostly) keeps counterfeits out of the EU and EEA . " of course we will have our own regulations!" He retorted - but that won't carry outside the UK. A friend who had done a great deal of high level research with the British Standards Institution on CE marking of components was brushed off with " it will be all right on the night!"

If HMG should decide to,go the way you suggest, then it should start immediately telling British firms of the consequences of their policy. In that respect, we were very well briefed when we joined the EEC and fully prepared from day one because we had around fifteen months of consultation and information in full detail beforehand.

Eric Edmond said...

Dear Mr Spalton,

Its FDA certification that counts for drug and medicines sales worldwide. I do not rely on 'friends'opinions. I did it.

In 1972/73 I was working in the Civil Service. Common Market entry was a rushed botched job culminating in a last minute giveaway of our fisheries.

Of course the EU rubbishes our using WTO. They stand to lose billions when we leave. Grow up.

Maybe M Barnier can find a spot for you and the Major in his team.

Edward Spalton said...

Having passed my three score years and ten, Dr. Edmonds, I am quite grown up enough already, thank you!

Perhaps you think, Rolls Royce should grow up too?

I have also realised that the world has changed a great deal since 1972 in the way trade is regulated. By and large people everywhere want safe aeroplanes, safe food and safe medicines. It may be rather sissy of them, but they do.

Much EU regulation is now part of a global structure working towards this. Most of the regulations which the EU now applies to goods are not made in Brussels but elsewhere by bodies like UNECE (Motor Cars for one thing), Codex Alimentarius (food) and transcribed into EU regulations, which the EU enforces in its own way within its territory and with those who want to trade with it - our biggest export market.

Having been opposed to our membership of the EEC/EU since 1972, I am very anxious to see a successful Brexit, not ruined by a rather juvenile display of Boys Own Paper or Bullingdon Club boisterousness for biffing Johnny Foreigner. In a globally regulated world (whether we like it or not) , this easily amounts to a perverse act of national self-harm. I wrote up my experiences of the EEC/EU from 1958 to the early Eighties in four episodes which can be Googled at "Edward Spalton The Miller's Tale" .

I am still bloody furious at what happened to us but I don't think that stamping my little foot and shaking my little fist will help us as much as you appear to.

The British approach to the Common Agricultural Policy was organised by the late Sir Emrys Jones, a truly remarkable civil servant from a Welsh hill farming background(see "Miller's Tale"). I did not get to know him personally until after he had resigned and become Principal of the Royal Agricultural College. Then I found he had been deeply opposed to the whole project but he made as sure as he humanly could that it caused the least possible economic disruption - as a good Brexit should also do. Don't you think?

With regards to the FDA - the Americans have come to an agreement with the EU to make their efforts at drug regulation jointly more efficient. This agreement was not concluded until 2017. It specifically acknowledges the different methods of enforcement by the parties. The Janet & John account of the agreement is easily found.

Eric Edmond said...

I repeat its FDA approval that counts with the world outside the EU ie 90$ plus of theworld market.

Stephen Harness said...

If only there was a Churchill on the horizon but there is not. A snap general election to consider a Customs Union would once again be a snap election to consider anything but a Customs Union. It would be to Corbyns advantage and a weakened Conservative Party failing to return the debate back to a mandate to leave the EU. Corbyn would win and Brexit be overturned. May has to learn to show a nasty side and fight dirty. She should now be presenting a plan to reform the House of Lords, this would be a vote winner. The UK can no longer continue with a second chamber that is there to act as the elected chamber. May should be brave enough to repeal the Foreign Aide legislation. May should also be looking to privatise the BBC. I have been a strong supporter of the BBC but no longer, it is time to dispense with the Brussels Broadcasting Corporation. If the Conservatives that I am a member of, continue to act as if they are Liberals, they are finished.
It is time for Farage to offer his support to May, because without her staying in office, the game is up.

Niall Warry said...

Eric are you getting rattled as to tell Edward Spalton, the Chairman of The Campaign for an Independent Britain to 'grow up' is not your normal style?

The world has moved on since 1972 and you sadly have not moved with it.

Eric Edmond said...

He can't even spell my name right.

Niall Warry said...

With a reply like that it seems to prove you are rattled!