Brexit: Far from the Madding Crowd – in Torquay!

The “Metro” (http://metro.co.uk/2017/09/22/nigel-farage-says-theresa-mays-brexit-speech-stuck-two-fingers-up-at-leave-voters-6949029/) reports that, quote, “Nigel Farage has claimed Theresa May’s United Nations speech on Brexit stuck ‘two fingers up’ to Brits who voted Leave in last year’s EU referendum.”
Today’s Daily Express (http://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/857687/brexit-news-theresa-may-speech-eu-nigel-farage-ukip) reports as an exclusive that Nigel Farage is, quote, “thinking hard” over the next few days about whether to make a comeback as UKIP leader on the back of fears that the historic referendum vote has been betrayed by Mrs May and the Conservatives.”
David Maddox, the journalist who wrote the report went on: [QUOTE] UKIP’s former donor, billionaire businessman Arron Banks last night led calls for the party’s leadership contest to be scrapped and for Mr Farage to be reinstated as leader.
He Tweeted: “The UKIP leadership election has to be stopped, Farage needs to be back.”
And a senior Ukip figure told the Daily Express, that “high level conversations have been had” about Mr Farage returning.
He said: “The country is facing a crisis, Brexit has been betrayed and we need Nigel back to lead us in the this fight. He is the only person for the job in these circumstances.
“After discussions Nigel is having a hard think about what to do and will decide in the next few days.”[END QUOTE]
British Gazette readers will know that I rejoined UKIP after selling my house in Leeds at the end of 2013 and moving to Cornwall at the start of 2014 in order to assist with making new friends and social contacts in what was to be my new home.
IF the UKIP Leadership election is scrapped – the ballot papers have all be sent out fairly recently and many will have been returned – this makes a complete joke of any semblance of internal party democracy! Of course were UKIP a major political party with members in the Commons it would be a very serious issue. But as this is not the case, it isn’t!
I had, before hearing this news decided that I was not going to spend the time or money going to the so-called “conference” – it is not, it is a political rally, no more, no less – and IF the election is scrapped it more than confirms that I have done the right thing!
I do not think Mr Maddox and the Express would have run with this story if their source was in any way unreliable. Thus, I will not be at all surprised if Mr Farage makes a return as leader and is duly hailed by an adulatory audience.
I will NOT be among it!
Mr Farage describes UKIP as “the guard dog” and Ukippers as “the guard dogs” of Brexit.
Given his latest comment on Madame Mayhem’s speech and his other utterances, it is an unfortunate metaphor!
You see what Mr Farage and the majority of Ukippers want is a Brexit with no continuing financial contributions to the EU and complete control over the UK’s borders. This necessarily precludes membership of the Single Market whether it is within a transition period or as part of the EEA.
Mr Farage wants to start on WTO and make trade deals from there. And he wants to do it starting from Saturday 30th April 2019.
This is what is known as a “Hard Brexit”.
Mr Farage and many of his fellow Ukippers – AKA “the guard dogs” of Brexit – will be shouting, not from roof tops but from market squares and other public places across the UK for a “Hard Brexit”.
He has himself stated that in a negotiation one must be prepared to walk away without a deal.
Ordinarily, this is most certainly the case.
However, it most certainly NOT the case with Brexit!
This is because, 1. Article 50 was designed to disadvantage ANY EU member which had the temerity to leave the EU! And, 2. The UK’s membership of the “Single Market”.
A “No Deal” Brexit will be a complete economic and political disaster! This cannot be emphasised enough!
IF, as is likely, Mr Farage returns to his role as UKIP’s Leader, then he and his colleagues will have a powerful effect in encouraging others in the Tory party, the so-called “Ultras” such as The Honourable Jacob Rees-Mogg MP, to pursue a Hard Brexit.
Mr Rees-Mogg’s late father, William Lord Rees-Mogg invested in his son’s education as he was educated at Eton College and went up to Trinity College, Oxford (not the better known college of Cambridge).
This shows because Mr Rees-Mogg has stated that the UK [meaning the present government] should be preparing for a “Hard Brexit” by putting the necessary infrastructure into place. UNFORTUNATELY, the EU similarly putting the necessary infrastructure into place in terms of additional Border Inspection Posts!
To do this before 29th March 2019 is quite simply, IMPOSSIBLE!
The excellent Dr. Richard North in his EU Referendum blog has commented upon this several times. For instance he writes in (http://www.eureferendum.com/blogview.aspx?blogno=86250):
“And here’s the rub. Had he checked with the official list, he would have found that the major port for UK goods into France – the post of Calais – is not a registered BIP. The nearest is Dunkirk, and that only has the capacity for inspecting 5,000 consignments a year – and average of less than 15 per day.
Failing Dunkirk – which invested €2 million in its facilities – the nearest French alternatives are Le Havre or Brest, but it is unlikely that they will have much spare capacity. And to develop the capacity is going to take time and a great deal in capital investment. For a very long time, therefore, it will not be possible to export some types of food product to France.”
He comments again in his blog posts (http://www.eureferendum.com/blogview.aspx?blogno=86392) and (http://www.eureferendum.com/blogview.aspx?blogno=86420).
Far from being “the guard dogs” of Brexit, Mr Farage and fellow Ukippers can more accurately be regarded as “the Hardy rouge sheep dogs of Brexit!”
British Gazette readers will recall how in Thomas Hardy’s first major literary success, “Far from the Madding Crowd”, shepherd Gabriel Oak’s rouge sheepdog drives his flock over a cliff, ruining him. After selling off everything of value, Oak manages to settle all his debts but emerges penniless.