Three rules of life (in a human society):
#1: It’s not what you say: It’s how you say it.
#2: It’s not what you do: It’s when you do it.
#3: It’s not what you do: It’s what you look as.
In politics as in dealing in the stock market, timing is crucial!
There have been commentators and contributors to this nation’s political debate that have criticised the Tories for their attitude towards migration of the Cross Channel Dinghy People. The mainstream media and many others continuously refer to these people as “asylum seekers” – this may be correct in-so-far and in-as-much as many of these people allege that they are fleeing persecution. Most of these are unaccompanied men of working age. Most people (apart form activists in the Green, Labour and Liberal Democrats) would likely assume that these men are economic migrants whose aim is to gain entry into the UK to secure employment and then to send some of the money they earn back to their families in their homelands. Many may seek to make arrangements to bring their families to the UK.
What these migrants come to is a land where the authorities follow the rules and follow treaty requirements – to the letter. When the UK was a vassal state of the EU the Brussels administrations delighted in this observance.
Ruling over their Empire that stretched from the Algarve to the Peloponnese and from Lapland to Scilly – and is truly Imperial in size (the only thing it lacks is an Emperor and/or Empress) – they would always contrast British observance with the lack of it from some others. Yes Greek politicians! You are included as being members of the non observers!
Those EU administrators who knew their history would not have been surprised by the UK’s approach. This because the UK had form! For instance let us take the example of the five King George V class battleships built in the lead up to WW2 and which served during that conflict. They were designed at the time when treaty requirements stated 14 inch guns. Later this was revised to 16 inch and the USA was able to build the two North Carolina-class battleships and then others with 16 inch guns. The UK was unable to alter as construction was too far advanced and the money had been committed. However these 14 inch guns proved to be excellent weapons and the quadruple turrets after early “teething issues”were reliable. The problem was that the class was designed to mount three such turrets but the designers found out that it was impossible to mount three quad turrets and meet the displacement requirements. As a result the main armament was reduced from twelve to ten with a new twin turret in “B” position super-firing over the quad turret in “A” position.
The FACT of the matter was this: Foreign politicians would have simply ignored the facts and have falsely declared that the ships were 35,000 tons standard displacement and not say, 42,000 tons standard displacement that the Bismarck and Tirpitz were! Such an alteration would have required lengthening and broadening the hull which would have allowed some sheer to be worked in on the bows and maybe even an additional twin 5.25 DP mounting in “X” position super-firing over the after quad main guns in “Y” position aft. Of course, that’s cheating and not complying with treaty requirements!
Something our present politicians (like their predecessors) such as Mr Sunak and Sir Keir will NOT do!
What this means is this: Mr Sunak might possibly have decided to do precisely what many on the right such as Mr Farage seek – legislate to remove the UK from the requirements of the ECHR and other international treaty requirements.
Oh, by the way BBC journalists, Mr Farage is NOT a “far right” politician. As a former Kipper I know Mr Farage and can say this from first hand experience. I have also met political activists that can truly meet the description of being “far right”. Comparing Mr Farage with them is like comparing chalk from cheese.
I think Mr Sunak and his fellow Tories are ploughing a certain furrow. They are pursuing the route of the courts. They are going to exhaust the legal process and then claiming – correctly – that all other routes are closed off – legislate the way Mr Farage wants.
Of course, to say that such a Bill will be a cat among pigeons (the pigeons being the Green, Labour, Liberal Democrat and the two parliamentary nationalist parties) is to understate the matter enormously! There will be the most furious row. The whole of the British left will be in uproar! Sir Ed Davey and Daisy Cooper will be apoplectic with righteous rage. And then of course there will be The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Portal Welby Lord Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of All England!
Oh my!
To say His Grace will not be amused is to ridiculously understate His Grace’s reaction!
The Truly Unfortunate Mr Sunak will be advised by His Grace that he (the Unfortunate Sunak) will meet all manner of Hell-Fire and Damnation should he persist!
I myself, should I be so brazen as to voice my support for such measures will be met with similar excoriation and vituperations from the vicar of the parish in which I live! Should I persist in my support, I will like Mr Sunak be cast into outer darkness. Unfortunately for me this will mean the Trewellard Arms public house. Mr Sunak will be able to enjoy the more salubrious surrounds of the casino at Monte Carlo! Note to Mr Sunak – at Monte it is always black tie – not white – unless you are the Prince!
Of course, if Mr Sunak persists with his legislation it will be a most excellent point of division on which a General Election could be fought. This in actual fact would be the constitutionally proper thing to do as such a fundamental legislative act requires a popular mandate which means inclusion in a party manifesto.
I think that Sir Keir has walked into a bit of a trap as he has seen to follow much of the Tory agenda. His protestations about the economy crashing (it has!) is down to COVID-19 and the government’s reaction to it. Labour was broadly supportive at the time and was actually want more lock-downs not less!
Sir Keir has of course thrown his left wing party members with some read meat in the form of the imposition of VAT on private school fees and the removal of charitable status on same. Unfortunately (for Sir Keir and the children adversely affected) this will end up costing the Treasury money as the increased cost of educating the many children who will be forced into the state sector will outweigh the increased taxation receipts! The same will apply to Sir Keir’s removal of “non dom” status as well.
Doubtless Mr Sunak and his fellow Tories will point these things out!
Therefore it is premature to write off the Tories.
I am not a Tory by the way!