"This is a deal that a nation signs only after having been defeated at war."
Sometimes it takes an outsider to perfectly sum up your nation’s politics.
So it was when former Greek finance minister, author and economist Yanis Varoufakis tore into Theresa May’s Brexit deal on BBC Question Time on Thursday.
Varoufakis’ argument that the EU held all the cards in the negotiation is a pertinent one: once Article 50 was triggered – making it almost certain Britain was going to Leave – May had destroyed her key negotiating card.
‘This is a deal that a nation signs only after having been defeated at war’
— BBC Question Time (@bbcquestiontime) March 28, 2019
Economist @yanisvaroufakis criticises Theresa May on Brexit. #bbcqt pic.twitter.com/5JZCoZ5krH
Yet Leavers are already pretending that they didn’t demand Theresa May trigger Article 50 too early in 2016….
Dan Hannan says the bad decision to trigger Article 50 without a plan was not the fault of Leave campaign – Leave campaign promised process wouldn’t start without plan in place – says there wasn’t pressure from eurosceptics.
— Faisal Islam (@faisalislam) March 29, 2019
There certainly was pressure from eurosceptic press…
The re-writing of history comes as MPs prepare to vote – again – on May’s Brexit deal today, or half of it at least. MPs will are likely to crush the Withdrawal Agreement, which has been separated from the (long-term focused) Political Declaration. That was the only way Bercow was going to allow it to be voted on for a third time.
Happy (non) Brexit day, everyone…
Josiah Mortimer is Editor of Left Foot Forward. Follow him on Twitter.
4 Responses to “WATCH: Yanis Varoufakis demolishes Theresa May’s Brexit deal on Question Time”
nhsgp
Varoufakis’ argument that the EU held all the cards in the negotiation is a pertinent one: once Article 50 was triggered – making it almost certain Britain was going to Leave – May had destroyed her key negotiating card.
===========
EU wouldn’t talk until A50 was triggered.
A50 should have been triggered the day after the referendum,
Then when the EU demands were presented the UK should have said, sorry we can’t agree to that as a deal, we will leave immediately.
nshgp
100 bn for EU debts
13.5 bn a year in fees and no services
30 bn a year in subsidies.
Labour MPs voting for May’s deal are voting for Austerity. The electorate won’t forgive them.
To put that in context, the short fall in schools funding according to the Guardian is 1.4 bn a year.
Chris Steiner
Interesting how the papers actually seem more interested in who’s going to succeed May, when the main contenders appear to be the scum who deliberately (judging by their continued plotting) intended to pressurise Cameron into initiating this bogus referendum, misinform the public and go for no deal. They have actually subverted government to the extent they could be called traitors. There’s no justification for anything they’ve done – other than to fulfil personal ambition and self-enrichment. These people aren’t fit to sell used cars yet the Tory press will be right in there – talking about their attributes and suitability to do the job. Yet every step they’ve taken indicates their absolute unsuitability to even be in Parliament. Time the Tory party dismantled itself.
Patrick Newman
Well said, Chris. I would add the complicity of the BBC who has given the ERG and the No Deal supporters an extraordinary proportion of airtime on R4 but have rarely challenged their assertions – like it will be alright on the night with WTO! One exception is Emily Maitlis last Thursday Newsnight gave Rees-Mogg a good going over!