Above, Carolyn Fairbairn the CBI’s director-general and insert, veteran actress Jeanne Mockford – specially made up for her comical portrayal of the old crone, “Senna the Soothsayer” in the 1970 sit-com, “Up Pompeii!”
Older British Gazette readers may well recall with a smile the 1970 sit-com, Up Pompeii in which each episode was a vehicle for a stream of double entendres and risqué gags. The comedian and comic actor Frankie Howerd, OBE had the starring role of Lurcio (pronounced Lurk-io). Set in ancient Pompeii (pre-eruption), Howerd played a slave whose bumbling old master, Senator Ludicrus Sextus was joined by promiscuous wife Ammonia his daughter Erotica and his eternally virginal son Nausius. Each episode would start off with Howerd performing a to camera piece to audience called “The Prologue” which was always interrupted. Howerd would also often jump to camera at certain stages during the performance with comical digressions from the plot demanding his fellow characters delay their performance to enable him to give to give more dramatic effect to his performance – where he was begging for his life or seeking to save himself from another fate.
Jeanne Mockford as “Senna the Soothsayer” would on regular occasions come onto the stage with a Cassandra-esque performance warning of doom – an obvious allusion to Pompeii’s fate.
Thirteen 30-minute episodes were broadcast in two series; between March to May and September to October 1970. “Up Pompeii!” was very much a creation of the time and could not be broadcast today. But enough digression, herewith the meat of today’s article:
Today, Rueters (http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-europe-cbi-idUKKCN0WN0IK) among others are reporting upon the CBI’s latest contribution to the Chameleon’s “Project Fear” warning that Brexit could cost £100 billion and 950,000 jobs by 2020, according to research commissioned by accountants PwC.
What we are seeing here is blatant scaremongering by many large firms who feel they have a vested interest in the status quo. Carolyn Fairbairn is merely doing what she is being paid to do, represent her organisation’s members and their interests.
The problem the long suffering British People have is that there is a whole lot of smoke and mirror stunts being performed – ON BOTH SIDES!
The Chameleon’s strategy is clear: To lie, lie and lie again until 10:00PM on Thursday 23rd June 2016 and “hope for the best” keeping his fingers, toes and anything else crossed!
He started off with a big lie about the validity of his so called “legally binding agreement” and has continued apace from there. This performance will go down in the annals of history as the most dishonest campaign by a British politician since heaven knows when. In pursuing this strategy the Chameleon has embarked upon “no win” strategy as win or loose he is doomed! If he wins the Brexit vote his fig stalk of an agreement will be shown to be completely invalid and unenforceable and the Chameleon will be a proven liar. If he looses he will resign by Midday on Midsummer’s Day. But the Chameleon has already indicated that he is not seeking a third tern as Prime Minister so he – and a certain Mr Boris Johnson – know that this is his exit from the political stage.
The Chameleon’s future however is secured. He will be offered a lucrative and comfortable sinecure somewhere. The European Union has a record of looking after it’s own. They will certainly reward the Chameleon well!
Now let us turn our attention to our own side. This is because there is also a lot of smoke and mirror stunts being performed by many Brexiteers.
One of the dangerous accusations (correctly) made the Chameleon is this: “What is the Brexit plan?”
It is a very good and reasonable question!
So far it has not been properly answered!
There is of course a VERY good reason for this!
It can be summed up in the word: IMMIGRATION and the phrase: FREE MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE.
This of course goes to the very heart of the Brexiteer’s problem!
The ONLY practical, do-able exit strategy is contained in the most excellent and learned Doctor Richard North’s “Flexcit” a 421 page detailed tome on the process of Brexit. This is available FREE OF CHARGE as a .PDF file. If readers want a copy GOTO: http://www.british-gazette.co.uk/contact-us/ There is also a much shorter 48 page pamphlet available, again FOC in .PDF form.
The problem – and it is a VERY BIG PROBLEM – with Flexcit is that the issue of immigration and Free Movement of People is not addressed as Flexcit involves the UK moving seamlessly from the EU to EFTA without leaving the Single Market.
Any attempt to regain control of the UK’s borders and immigration policy will take time and would require the UK to leave the single market. In other words Flexcit – AKA “the Norway option” could be regarded as a temporary or holding measure. A reasonable time-scale for the UK to enjoy ALL the benefits of Brexit would be TEN YEARS.
This is of course why an experienced politician such as Boris Johnson is prattling incomprehensible rubbish out a “Canadian style free trade agreement”!
It is utterly baloney and Mr Johnson knows it!
Why is he then promoting such undiluted cods-wallop?
Because behind that studied buffoon like image, Mr Boris Johnson is in fact a very able and very intelligent man. He is also a very experienced politician. He knows what most other MP’s know: that the British People like their jam today. They can also be persuaded to accept jam tomorrow and with some further persuasion, jam in 10 weeks. These politicians know that it will take an awful lot of persuading to get the British People to accept their jam in 10 months! ALL these politicians know that persuading the British People to accept their jam in TEN YEARS TIME is impossible!
Which is why Flexcit is NOT being promoted!
Therefore at this point your Editor will address Ms Carolyn Fairbairn directly;
Dear Lady,
Let us now be realistic and consider what actually is likely to happen were the British People to vote for Brexit.
We (you and this organ’s Editor) know that the competent Mr Mark Carney is considering options vis-à-vis market instability in the wake of a Brexit vote. You know that this might include closing the London Stock Exchange on Friday 24th and possibly from Wednesday 22nd.
We also know that Mr Cameron will have resigned by Midday if the vote goes against him.
We also know that the new Prime Minister will be Mr Boris Johnson, Mr Gove will be the new Foreign Secretary and Ian Duncan Smith will be the new Chancellor of the Exchequer.
We know that Doctor North’s “Flexcit” will be an option. We also know that this will not cause your members any great difficulty. It will probably turn out to be the only option for much as Frau Doktor Merkel would wish it, concluding a “full on treaty change” compromise first alluded to by Mr Cameron is probably not do-able given the tremendous difficulties besetting the EU at present.
So, Dear Lady, the message is this: there is no need for your members to be in any way concerned as to the outcome of the Brexit vote! On a business person to business person level I would give you this advice: encourage your members NOT to become embroiled in party politics! I ran a business myself and knew that most of my customers did not share my political opinions. I never discussed politics with them. Many of your members deal directly with the public, many of whom support Brexit. They do themselves no good to carry on this way and since there is not going to be any adverse fall out (to them) of a Brexit vote they have nothing to gain from this.
Speaking the Truth unto the Nation
