It is remarkable that, with the UK Government facing a choice between humiliation and disaster within the next 48 hours, there is still a refusal within the Pundit Establishment, and indeed, among our free and fearless press more generally, to face reality. Instead, Europhobic hatred has been stoked just that little bit more today with claims of gunboat diplomacy and German intransigence. And it is totally pointless.
Worse, the real culprit continues to get a free pass from his fellow journalists: alleged Prime Minister Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, by all accounts, messed up his one-on-one meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last Wednesday, insulting chief negotiator Michel Barnier and failing to bring any new proposals for breaking the talks deadlock. But in Brexit la-la land, it is still the Rotten Foreigners™ at fault.
So it is that the increasingly desperate and downmarket
Telegraph has told readers “
Boris Johnson’s attempts to negotiate directly with Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron have been rebuffed three times in a week, prompting him to warn a no-deal outcome to Brexit talks is now ‘very, very likely’ … After the approach from Mr Johnson, the two leaders told him that Ms von der Leyen was his sole point of contact”. The EU negotiates as a bloc.
And the EU27 has demonstrated a solidarity previously unimaginable in the face of Bozo’s blandishments. Which may have contributed to the barrel-scraping antics of the
Mail and
Express titles this morning, one thundering “
WE’LL SEND IN GUNBOATS” and the other blustering “
GUNSHIPS TO GUARD OUR FISH”. They have truly lost the plot.
Because the EU has already moved on. The train has left the station and we are not aboard. Consider this one comment from Alex Andreou on this week’s meeting of EU leaders: “
The summit went all day and all night. All was agreed: budget, environmental goals, Covid19 response. Brexit was discussed for ten minutes. All agreed the mandate is unchanged”. Bozo has been offered a deal. It’s on him to sign it, or not (thread
HERE).
Andreou added “
The current offer to the UK is a deal in which IF we align, we get full access. IF, in future, we diverge they limit access or put up (some) tariffs. The UK choosing to go to NO access and FULL tariffs NOW, is incomprehensible”. That is the reality behind all the gung-ho headlines. The EU leaders are finished with Bozo’s games and tantrums.
The UK is being sold an image of Bozo as some great Churchillian figure, a statesman able to untangle the Gordian knot of stalled negotiations and salvage a wonderful trade deal for his country. The reality is that, as Andreou puts it, he is perceived as either clueless, or a bad faith actor. So the other EU leaders want nothing to do with him.
(c) Martin Rowson 2016
But he has achieved one thing: uniting the EU27 against the UK. Moreover, the EU27 has plans in place for a No Deal Brexit. What appears increasingly likely is that the UK does not. Worse, we should not expect the EU to bail us out when the shit show hits. That is what the Media Establishment is unable, or unwilling, to tell us.
Bozo was so busy haggling over the cost of a ticket that he missed the train. For some reason, he remains a popular figure in the UK.
Until the voters realise they’ve been had.
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Gunboat diplomacy. A Brexiter wet dream.
ReplyDeleteImpound a single French fishing boat and trench fishermen will blockade all their Channel ports. French truckers and/or Customs bring the Tunnel to a halt.
I would recommend reading Terry Pratchett's novel Jingo (1997) as a far clearer explanation of what is going on than you'll find in the Mule, the Toryglyph or the Boris Bosster Club.
ReplyDeleteDear Zelo ,
ReplyDeleteI don’t accept your view that the UK faces humiliation or disaster in the next 48 hours and actually I think that this simply an implementation of Brino . The EU has announced effectively six month’s ‘probation’ periods for the UK to be monitored as to it’s compliance with EU rules . To the extent that ‘smuggling’ or whatever is widespread the EU will ‘rachet up’ measures for non-compliance . Fishing is apparently given another 12 month’s ‘transition’ . So haggling/transitions will continue notionally for another six months or whatever . It’d be interesting if we were told honestly our continued contribution to the various EU budgets . I voted remain and see this continued nonsense as absurd and a costly ‘pain in the neck’ , but the UK has voted neo liberal bigots in for getting on a couple of generations now and appear satisfied with them . The widespead acceptance of the necessity of foodbanks reveals the UK electorate’s state of mind . Brexit itself is not and never has been that important ,
Derek
It's not only the idiotic right-wing press that's been making angry gestures.
ReplyDeleteShrewsbury's Tory MP Daniel Kawczynski has been rattling his sabre on Twitter, at great risk of causing himself injury.
But then again, he's not a very bright boy.
Putin must be rubbing his hands with glee at the prospect of 2 European countries facing up to each other on the high seas over something as trivial as fucking fish, an insignificant industry in the scheme of things. His useful idiots, amongst whom I include EVERY Leave voter, every Brexiter, every Tory MP, every Right Wing journalist and the rags they write for, the entire Cabinet, and everybody else who got us into this criminally stupid mess, are certainly giving him a Christmas present beyond his wildest dreams. Celebrations in the Kremlin this year.
ReplyDeleteI"d be surprised if Putin gives a fuck about a nation eviscerating itself. Especially when citizens of said nation seem to give even less of a fuck.... about anything.
DeleteFucking Fish ?? Is that what they mean by Bass Relief ?
DeleteSo what are the RN going to do ? Force Johnny European to eat our fish and molluscs ? Because UK boats can catch as much as they like – but its the selling on in the European market that is the key to their survival. Mind I suppose it can be done. We did, after all, send in gun boats to force the Chinese to buy Union Jack branded opium once. And speaking of Molluscs- does the Mail and Express know that they are Trans and therefore by definition, dodgy cosmopolitan lefties ? The Brit Oyster, I gather changes sex every six months or so as part of its breeding regimen.
ReplyDeleteDerek
ReplyDelete"The EU has announced effectively six month’s ‘probation’ periods for the UK to be monitored"
Only in return for UK concessions.
I genuinely don't think some of these zealots will be happy unless we actually declare war on the EU.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, given that fatbollok was only ever back by the ERG As a contender for the role of PM to waste time and more time and do as his wealthy backers desire, I’m surprised 5hat the EC were ever prepare to give him such grace. Can me dumb if you like, but I have seen all this from the off. And why should the media hold to account the fat piece of lard that they have wanted to spearhead no deal through from the very off?
ReplyDeleteDear Arnold @14:14 ,
ReplyDeleteYou’re right , the acceptance of ‘Customs Monitoring’ from the isle of Ireland has been accepted by the UK and the ‘lawbreaking’ threat quickly removed immediately following Biden’s election . Surely all we are left waiting for is the actuality of a continued ‘on probation’ period for trade , no UK announcement will be forthcoming to puncture the absurd bombast , which jingo-ism is all that’s left for diehard Brexiteers in the complete Brino climbdown . It was pretty obvious the day after the Referendum vote
Derek