Tuesday 17 July 2018

Does anyone know what "Brexit means Brexit" means anymore?

Much as I sympathise  with the Idea of a People Vote  over Brexit  and I do lean towards one , it is becoming increasingly difficult  to work out just what final deal we are voting for.

Last night aelsh Conservative MP has quit as a minister so he could vote against the government on its Brexit Customs Bill.

But not because  he supports  the line of David Davis and Boris Johnson. Indeed the opposite. 

Guto Bebb resigned as minister for defence procurement ahead of Monday night's vote.

MPs voted by 305 to 302 to support an amendment that critics said would undermine Theresa May's recently-announced negotiating position.


Mr Bebb, MP for Aberconwy, has been highly critical of Brexit-supporting Conservatives recently.

He branded Boris Johnson's resignation as foreign secretary "a selfish act" and attacked former Brexit Minister David Davis for criticising the prime minister's plan for future trade with the EU.

Glyn Davies, Conservative MP for Montgomeryshire, said:

 "I am very upset that Guto has felt the need to resign from the government. He is a good friend and was an outstanding minister.
"Guto is a man of deep principle. He is such a talented politician that I cannot believe he will not find another important role in the future."

The Customs Bill amendment was tabled by Brexiteer Tories and the government's backing of it sparked a backlash from pro-EU Tory MPs, who said the PM had "capitulated".
But Downing Street, which agreed to accept the four amendments, said they were "consistent" with the White Paper where it sets out how it wants to trade with the EU in years to come.
MPs backed the amendment that prevents the UK from collecting taxes on behalf of the EU unless the rest of the EU does the same for the UK.
Applying EU tariffs to products destined for the EU is part of Mrs May's plan to avoid friction at UK borders after Brexit.
Another amendment, to ensure the UK is out of the EU's VAT regime, was backed by 303 to 300.

The BBC's Elliw Gwawr, BBC Wales parliamentary correspondent

Guto Bebb voted remain in the Brexit referendum and it was no secret he had become increasingly frustrated by the actions of some of the Brexiteers in his party.
He accused former Brexit Minister David Jones of sour grapes after he criticised the prime minister's plan for future trade with the EU.
He also attacked senior cabinet ministers for "inflammatory" and "unworthy" comments after then-Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said threats from business over Brexit were "inappropriate".
But after a string of resignations by Brexiteers, Guto Bebb's decision to leave a job he obviously enjoyed has surprised many.
What may seem strange is that he resigned so he could vote for what was the prime minister's own position a few hours earlier.

 So we now have,

Hard Line Brexit ministers,  resigning because they believe that the Prime Minister has softened her approach to a hard Brexit,
Another minister, resigning because the Prime Minister appears to have  given into them,
A Labour opposition which us equally split with its Leader seeming to be for the sort of Brexit thet Davis, Johnson and Ress Moog but for different reasons!
The majority of MP's   probably as confused as the rest of us and relying on the Whips Office to tell them what to vote for or against.

For the rest of us outside the Westminster Bubble, whether we supported Brexit or not we can only sit back and  watch our  masters make a compleat dog Brexit of it.b2

If we are to have "A people vote " maybe we should have some idea what the ballot paper would looK like.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Kangaroo says

Chaos as designed by the elite, for the elite to enable them to escape the EU Tax directives that commence on 1 April 19. It also serves their purposes to impose draconian rules and further develop their wet dream of a fascist state. Henry VIII powers are there to be abused, to subjugate the population under the auspices of "but it's the Law". Their corruption and greed knows no bounds.