Where are the Tory mutineers when we need them?
More than 60 hard-right Conservative MPs have written to the Prime Minister demanding a slash-and-burn Brexit, according to The Times.
The secretive group behind it? The European Research Group.
They are led by the Honourable Member for the 18th century, Jacob Rees-Mogg.
ERG has been alleged to use public funds (through ‘subscriptions’ from MPs’ expenses) to carry out research backing hard-Brexit causes. Yet it has no website or social media presence. We have no minutes of its meetings.
In fact, we have very little idea of what they do – except constantly pressure the PM to pursue a reckless Brexit policy that pulls us out of the Single Market and Customs Union. That call, by the way, includes the ‘interim period’ before we have any deal whatsoever. The word ‘reckless’ does not begin to cover it.
The letter apparently states:
The government “must have the ability to change British laws and rules once we leave, rather than being a ‘rule taker’ without any substantive say in whatever Brussels decides”.
As The Times note: “This would make it infeasible for the UK to stay in or be part of a host of industry bodies such as Reach, the chemicals agency, the European food safety authority, European Medicines Agency, and European Aviation Safety.”
Essentially – it would make life a lot more difficult and expensive for whole swathes of British industry – from our science sector to pharmaceuticals. Without a common set of standards, we risk losing the entire European market for a huge number of British goods. And yes, Europe is of course our largest trading partner.
Rees-Mogg has commented, saying: “The letter is designed to be supportive of the PM.”
Supportive in the sense of: a bunch of zombies hammering at your door offering their ‘endorsement’.
Now, few Conservative MPs are speaking out against this rabid-right lobby group – with some speaking out only off the record.
Yet most current Conservative MPs backed Remain during the EU referendum. According to the FT’s analysis, 176 of the 317 Conservative MPs backed Remain.
Surely they do not want to see a slash-and-burn Brexit that tears up our economy?
So – now the challenge. Will the so-called soft-Brexit ‘mutineers’ (as the Telegraph dubbed them) finally stand up to the shady ERG bunch? Rees-Mogg is not the Conservative party.
It’s not the Freemasons who are the clandestine threat within our Parliament – it’s Rees-Mogg’s Brextremists.
There are sensible voices out there – some of whom have already spoken out: figures like Nicky Morgan, Justine Greening, Heidi Allen and Dr Sarah Woollaston.
The Tory hard-right are organised. Perhaps it’s time for some voices of reason to get organised, too?
Josiah Mortimer is Editor of Left Foot Forward. Follow him on Twitter.
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2 Responses to “This secretive Tory group is stepping up its campaign for a slash-and-burn Brexit”
Michael
Voice of reason get organised? I quite agree. These Fuckbrain Tories such as mogg do not understand what it is to be a “Member.”
nigel duffy
I watch with amazement as various people appear on our media telling us what a disaster brexit is and that we did not know what we voted for.
I knew exactly what I voted for, and the only people who seem confused as to what was on the ballot paper are remainers themselves.
It is a good job they actually did tick the remain box and not the leave box thinking we would still be in the EU single market and customs union after leaving the EU.
They would have been very hacked off indeed.
The anti Brexit spokespeople I see on our screens and media include Tony Blair, Alistair Cambell, Lord Adonis, Nick clegg, Anna Soubry, and George Soros.
Of these six people, five of them have no mandate to represent anyone except themselves.
The one who does is Anna Soubry, though she has gone against the wishes of her constituents who voted leave, and elected her to parliament. She should be de-selected.
Tony Blair is considered by many as a war criminal, who should be sitting in the Hague
ICC court.
Alistair Cambell was his right hand man, PR spin doctor responsible for the infamous
“sexed up document” on the non-existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
He should probably be sitting beside Tony.
Nick Clegg. Was he not the guy who shafted the students over tuition fees, sold his own party down the river, all so he could get a seat at the table with David Cameron. Absolutely no credibility whatsoever.
The Liberal Democrats have never recovered from that exercise of Nicks.
Down to 8% of the vote at the last election I believe.
Lord Adonis. Never ever been elected to any public office in his life. Another one of Tony Blairs former acolytes, hence his seat in the house of lords.
George Soros. He bet against sterling on black Wednesday and sent us crashing out of the ERM. In hindsight this did us a favour. That was not his intention though, his intention was to make money. Which he did. One billion dollars.
Last year he donated $18 million to various EU committees and clubs.
He does not have the best interests of the UK at heart.
How anyone can take the views and opinions of any of the above named people seriously on any matter, Beggars belief and is beyond my understanding.
Yours sincerely
Nigel Duffy.