In These New Times

The latest news is that Hague is leading the campaign against any backsliding on the Brexit decision.  He has not , therefore, despaired of Brexit and is all for pressing on with it come hell or high water. Adding to that the fact that Hague  claims he voted, remain and we have to admit that these are deep, and troubled, waters. It has now become fashionable for remain supporters to insist on Brexit being carried through despite the dire straits ahead. Also noteworthy is the flurry of excitement in the Brexit camp following the eruption of the Catalan crisis: this, presumably, was to be the catalyst for European disintegration. But, no one, least of all Trump, came to the support of the Catalan nationalists and the whole affair has blown over. Similarly, the post-electoral crisis in Germany seems to be heading to a resolution thanks to the co-operative approach of the SDP. This highlights the strength of consensus in Germany concerning Europe, trumping as it does ideological differences. European integration goes marching on to the despair of the British government.

Cailean Bochanan

31st August, 2017

In 2011 William Hague described the Euro “as a burning building with no exits”. But it appears to still be standing as the pound sinks to parity and , no doubt, beyond. And now he despairs of the Brexit process blaming the British people for their “mistake” in not giving their full backing to the government in the recent general election:

“I think the result was a mistake. Collectively, by the people of this country.”

One cannot help but recall Hague’s denunciation of the then Labour government in 2001:

“We have a Government that has contempt for the views of the people it governs.”

But I suppose we must concede that the electorate can make mistakes- after all they voted for Brexit in 2016, a decision whose catastrophic consequences have since become ever clearer. Indeed, one could argue that two wrongs make a right and that the British people corrected, to some extent, that fateful vote by failing to follow it up with a rounding endorsement of the Brexit Junta.

Would it have made any difference had they given May the thumbs up? According to Hague:

“Britain will get a worse deal as a result of the election.”

But what was the deal anyway given that Britain is totally dependent on inward investment and incoming labour to keep a wasteland created by forty years of Thatcherism afloat and both will be undermined by Brexit? Well, the hope was that the “burning building” could be brought to the ground. Hague’s despair is simply the realization that that is not going to happen.

The election has contributed to that conclusion. Britain needed a united front of the entire political class to apply maximum pressure. They appeared to have it but Labour was waiting to see which way the wind was blowing and have seen that it is still the prevailing westerly, blowing the ship of state back towards Europe where it now belongs if it belongs anywhere. They have adopted a de facto remain position after discussions with the Europeans. Oh, the treachery of it all!

But a more significant factor was the need for a united front with Washington led by a politician with the left-liberal credentials capable of influence in Europe. Someone like Hilary Clinton. Instead they have a man who opportunistically used the Brexit vote to advance his own nationalist credentials in order to win an election but who has since purged his team of ideologues of this hue. What remains is a realist administration based on the military which has no interest in either exporting a nationalist revolution or the neocon obsession with bringing down the EU. Indeed, Trump has, wittingly or unwittingly, advanced the cause of European integration and independence from US tutelage. The disarray in London following his election contributed mightily to discrediting European eurosceptic movements as well as these latter being tarred by association with the Beast in the White House.

And so we come to the “negotiations” with Brussels. As I predicted on the 26th June, 2016:

“The fact that Brexit is only a trigger for “more exciting” perspectives[the destabilization of Europe] explains many of the peculiarities of the Brexit campaign. They have done nothing to elaborate a clear alternative to EU membership, they don’t want to leave any time soon and many of their promises over the NHS and immigration have already been shown to be worthless.These things are beside the point and there will be no attempt to negotiate in good faith.”

I rest on my laurels.

It remains only say that Hague has effectively announced the end of the Brexit neocon project. Europe will not fall but this government, and likely a whole lot else, will.