BREXIT is a shambles. Now, that is not news, in fact, it has been clear that Brexit is a shambles from the get go. From the lousy, short-sighted decision to hold a referendum on EU membership in the first place, to the lousy, short-sighted and short campaign that followed, to the Brexiteers washing their hands of the issue after winning that same referendum, to the months of “Brexit means Brexit”, and onwards – the entire thing has been a shambles.
At a stretch, it is not too difficult to forgive the Tories for not having a plan ready in June 2016 for what will happen if the UK voted to leave the EU. The Government officially endorsed remaining in the EU and clearly thought there was no chance that they would lose, so they didn’t have a plan. But it’s now February 2017 and the Tories still cannot agree on what they want Brexit to look like. In fact, last year they held an entire election, with a brand-new manifesto, and after that they were even more divided on what they want to do about Brexit.
Earlier this week, in response to a question regarding four Scottish Tory MPs who signed a letter endorsing the hardest of hard Brexits, the Secretary of State for Scotland David Mundell MP said: “I don’t characterise debate and discussion as a split. What’s happening is that we’re going through a process at the moment where the UK Government position is being determined, and it’s perfectly legitimate for people to express their views as that process unfolds.”
That is an understandable position for the Government. However, surely after some 20 months since the referendum took place they should know their position. It is utterly incredulous to me that the UK Government are so comfortable essentially trying to weasel their way out of admitting to the electorate, “Yeah, we’re making it up as we go”.
And then to add yet more confusion to this whole thing Mundell went on to say, in answer to a different question: “The Prime Minister has been very clear and will set out further the nature of that agreement, but it is one that will allow us access with the minimum of barriers and tariffs to the single market, which is what businesses in Scotland say they want.”
Firstly, from his first quote he is clear that Brexit policy isn’t yet set, so how can the Prime Minister possibly be “very clear”? And I can’t be alone in thinking that not a single thing about the Tory government position on Brexit is “very clear”, other than one side wants a hard Brexit and the other does not. Even when they do seem to have scraped an agreement together, some member of the Cabinet runs to the press and says whatever was just announced is not good enough and will not be happening, so how can anybody trust anything the Government announce?
Never mind the sheer farce that has been the Government’s dealings with the DUP and Brexit policy for Northern Ireland.
The Government’s complete inability to get their act together on the overall Brexit policy is what makes it so shocking that they actually are decidedly set on what they want to do with powers than are returning from Brussels that should be handed directly to the Scottish Government. The Government first wanted to keep those powers and dole them out to the Scottish Parliament at will and we were to be grateful for what we got. Now they have settled on wanting to pass them directly to the Scottish Parliament, but also want to hold a veto over the use of some until “common frameworks” can be set up. Essentially “use these powers exactly how we want you to or else”.
Those effects of Brexit are already being felt. The ONS published statistics showing that migration from the EU has dropped once again. If it is a sign of things to come, we have a lot to be worried about. The Scottish economy relies on immigration as do our public services and it is deeply concerning that our EU neighbours are deciding against coming here before we have even actually left.
Brexit at it’s inception was poorly thought out and poorly planned, and the fact that this much time has passed and it is still poorly thought out and poorly planned is ridiculous.
We all deserve better.
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