BREXIT BRIEF – ISSUE 92, 8 November 2019

And the lies have it

UK politics, which has been fraught with bitter division since campaigning in the 2016 EU referendum got underway, regained its dignity this week – albeit briefly. After 49 years in the House of Commons, almost half as a Government Minister, Ken Clarke carried out his final public duty by presiding over the election of new Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle. This was followed by a procession of esteemed Parliamentarians delivering valedictory speeches as they headed for the exit door. They included leading One Nation Conservatives Sir David Lidington, Justine Greening and Alistair Burt, together with Steve Pound, Ann Clwyd and Stephen Twigg from the sensible reaches of the Labour Party.  Parliament was dissolved hours later as Boris Johnson began the General Election campaign with the first of countless lies we can expect over the next five weeks.  He told reporters gathered in Downing Street: “I want you to know of course it that I don’t want an early election!” This despite his three failed attempts to persuade MPs to vote for a poll, before finally succeeding fourth time around after breaking his promise to deliver Brexit on 31 October.  

Minutes earlier, Johnson suffered the first of several early blows to Conservative hopes of securing a Parliamentary majority when the Secretary of State for Wales, Alun Cairns, resigned after being accused of “brazenly lying” about his knowledge of an allegation that a Tory candidate had sabotaged a rape trial. Also this week, Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg was forced to apologise after suggesting that victims of the Grenfell Tower fire lacked the “common sense” to ignore fire service advice to remain in their properties.  The distress to families was compounded shortly afterwards when, referring to Rees-Mogg, Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen commented: “What he's actually saying is that he would have made a better decision than the authority figures who gave that advice." Bridgen added: “We want very clever people running the country, don't we?” 

In other developments, Conservative Campaign HQ was found to have doctored footage of a television interview with Labour’s Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer, before lying about it. And Boris Johnson refused to sanction the publication of a Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee report into Russian interference in UK politics, including during the EU referendum. It was due to be released several days ago amid speculation that it contains details of sizeable Russian donations to Tory campaign coffers. But if there is nothing to hide, why hide it?  

Tactical gains

I’m being invested into the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem tomorrow before flying to Jeddah for a meeting with the Vice-President of the Islamic Development Bank and onwards to Lahore and Karachi. But at no point do I expect to escape the so-called “Brexit Election” and neither would I wish to, given the profound consequences it has for all our futures. I’ve just returned from Brussels where, yesterday, I was interviewed by BBC Radio 5 Live’s Emma Barnett who has already successfully skewered several leading politicians in the campaign’s opening days. The approach was prompted by an article I wrote for Monday’s Yorkshire Post which also made its way on to the front page. 

Regular Brexit Brief readers will know that, after 24 years of service, I resigned as a Conservative Party member on the morning Boris Johnson was appointed UK Prime Minister. I took the opportunity presented by the Yorkshire Post piece to announce that, on 12 December, I will be supporting my local Labour candidate. Living in a marginal seal held by a Tory Brexiteer and with Labour the closest challenger, it was the only credible option open to me. Had the Liberal Democrat candidate been in second place, I would have supported them instead. The only means of blocking Brexit - most likely via a second referendum - is to stop Johnson from winning the majority he craves, followed by the delivery of the most damaging form of Brexit available. Thwarting him will require significant tactical voting against the Tories and I will gladly play my part. I hope that many millions of others will join me.       

Meanwhile in America…

Reality television has a lot to answer for, not least the elevation of Donald Trump to the US Presidency. He presented the American version of the The Apprentice for 11 years before being replaced by that other renowned stable genius, Arnold Schwarzenegger, when Trump joined the race for the White House.  Many have observed that the last three years - since Trump triumphed in the November 2016 election - have felt like one long, reality television nightmare. But the next few weeks are likely to take the psychodrama to an entirely new level, with ratings to match. Until now, the Congressional hearings - to decide if Trump should be impeached for demanding the Ukrainian President investigate Trump’s Democrat rival Joe Biden in return for US military aid – have been held in private.  But from next week, witnesses will give evidence under full public gaze with Americans sure to be crowding around their television sets to watch. One guaranteed viewer is Donald Trump himself who is also likely to provide real time “commentary” on Twitter via his mobile phone. Acting US Ambassador to Ukraine, Bill Taylor, will appear on Wednesday. This week, in a transcript of his recent private testimony, it was revealed that Taylor admitted it was his “clear understanding" that Trump had made almost $400 million in military support conditional on Ukraine investigating Biden. Popcorn at the ready, dear friends.  

Have a splendid weekend!

Jason

Dr Jason Aldiss BEM

Managing Director, Eville & Jones

You can follow me on Twitter @JasonAldiss