Tim Martin shows Brexiteers want it all their way and Scotland stuck with it

ONLY two things in life are certain: death, and the endless pursuit of profit by rich corporations under capitalism.

So, when it was reported by The Telegraph yesterday that Brexit-loving Wetherspoons owner Tim Martin was calling for more EU migration in response to a hospitality staff shortage, the wild hypocrisy this implied didn’t come as too much of a shock.

And, when Martin rushed to point out today that his support for an Australian-style points system had remained unchanged, and that Wetherspoons is actually in a “very positive situation”, it was equally unsurprising.

Just as Martin says, the truth is self-evident: he always wanted the precise quantity and quality of migrants required to help his own business, while simultaneously ensuring that he wouldn’t be expected to comply with EU regulations that might constrain his profits.

READ MORE: Stephen Paton: We must remember how firms like Wetherspoons acted through Covid

For the super-rich who have spent years decrying the EU and freedom of movement, Brexit (like everything else) has only ever been about how much they could personally gain from it. The consequences for the lives of migrants, their families, and even the wider economy and public services, were all a distant afterthought.

The sad irony is that, despite what Tim Martin might say, the hospitality industry is struggling, and the loss of EU workers as a result of Brexit is only making matters worse.

A recent report by Fitch Ratings (one of the "Big Three" credit rating agencies) said that staff shortages in hospitality were primarily a result of EU nationals, who make up a key part of the service economy, leaving the country after Brexit, and people switching sectors because of the pandemic.

Empty shelves in Northern Ireland after Boris Johnson has admitted to 'teething problems' in the post-Brexit trade relationship

Maybe if more of the wealthiest business owners, or the politicians who sought to win their favour, had given some consideration to the human impact of leaving the EU they wouldn’t have ended up in quite the mess they are now.

Fair warning was given to those who wanted out of the EU that the economy, and not just people, would suffer as a result. Of course, as the pandemic has taught us, the two are not mutually exclusive, but intimately interdependent. If your idea of economics is one which takes no account of the human cost, don’t be surprised when the system you’ve built is a house of cards, ready to fall apart under the slightest pressure.

You could call it karma, but the trouble is that the determination of Brexiteers to ignore the facts in front of them will have far worse repercussions for the people who rely upon their businesses for jobs than it will their own bank balance.

READ MORE: Wetherspoon owner Tim Martin denies facing shortage of EU workers after Brexit

It’s hard to enjoy the schadenfreude when you’re stuck on the sinking ship with the selfish fools who swerved it into the iceberg because they thought that meant they’d get a discount off their tickets.

That’s sort of how it feels being in Scotland right now, knowing that 62% of us voted to remain in the EU – among other things – but that we’re in for the exact same financial and human losses as those who voted for this.

Subject to the whims of a right-wing UK Government and the untold harms of its hard Brexit, the outlook is so bleak that it’s becoming evermore obvious that the only option left is simply to jump ship.

Perhaps the lesson to be drawn from all of this is that we should stop taking people who are only interested in putting money in their own pockets at their word about what’s “best for the country”.

And maybe if more of us remembered that EU nationals living in the UK are worth more than the value of their jobs, we could be on our way to building a more compassionate society — and economy.