In These New Times

Cailean Bochanan

30th June, 2016

This is all becoming quite surreal. The fall of Boris Johnson seems to be a result of his attempt to present the Brexit vote as a mandate to renegotiate our membership of the EU. The theory must have been that the Europeans heartbroken to lose us, would do anything to ingratiate themselves to us.

The opposite seems to be the case: the Projet Ayrault-Steinmeier de Nouvelle Europe has just been published. It is almost as if they were only waiting to get rid of us in order to take this immense step towards Eurozone integration. Although Brexit is certain disaster to Britain it could be a godsend to Europeans tired of our continual foot-dragging and obstruction. Many of the worst features of the EU such as the rapid expansion to the East towards Russia’s borders have got a lot to do with our influence. We have conducted an ongoing propaganda campaign against the EU for decades and London based hedge funds were to the fore in the ultimately unsuccessful speculative attacks against the Euro just a few years ago.

Whatever the case, Johnson’s Monday article in the Telegraph was a bit of quite ridiculous wishful thinking about how we could go on just as before except without having to go along with European rules. But Johnson wasn’t the only one taking that approach. Everyone is now putting forward their own version of how it will be for us in Europe now, and it is all pure fantasy.

This is the cue for the entry of the Teresa May, the “Brexit means Brexit” candidate. The real Brexit candidate. Or is she? According to the Independent May said:

“she wanted British companies to be able to “trade with the single market in goods and services”. The ‘services’ bit is important, as it includes the banking sector, the engine room of our economy. “

Anyone can trade with the single market subject to WTO rules or a negotiated deal approved by all EU members. So she can’t mean that. She must mean that we continue to be members of the single market. But that entails, amongst other things, free movement, a red line for May.

So it appears we’re snookered since no one can countenance leaving the single market.

It would therefore appear that Brexit is an impossibility and is simply not going to happen.