The above image of a woman juggling can serve to illustrate some of the many aspects we face in this referendum campaign. If the Reader will permit the Editor a moment of professional judgement of the image; the photograph from which the image was scanned is probably from the period 1955 to 1960 likely to have been taken in the USA and almost certainly (judging from the skin tones, the greens in the grass and the red of the truck body) taken Kodak professional colour negative film.
The subject matter of the photograph is of course the relevant aspect of this article.
We see an attractive young woman juggling. She is clearly a circus performer. This organ has a reputation for being somewhat politically correct at times and today’s article is one of those times. We have not shown you a picture of a scantily clad female for mere titillation but to make a series of points.
Firstly what this young woman is doing is for a woman more of a challenge that for a man. Juggling is a skill which involves a lot of hand to eye coordination and this is something that men can generally do better than women. The converse of this is the famous “multi-tasking ability” of women. These differences result from evolutionary development and the traditional roles occupied by males and females.
Secondly, there is the attire (relative lack of it) as compared to a male juggler. At the time the original photograph was taken it would have been normal for a male juggler when appearing to be dressed in black tie (UK: evening dress/US: wearing a tuxedo). Appearances before such as Royalty would have him dressed in white tie. This difference of course is a subject upon which feminists like to comment upon – the expectation that a woman is expected to wear the equivalent of underwear when performing whilst a man is allowed to be fully clothed.
The reason why of course this young woman appeared before her audience like this was because that is what the audience of the time expected and in similar cases today, feminism notwithstanding, it is still the norm.
And this ladies and gentleman is the nub of this issue. The voter expects and wants certain things. Often they want conflicting things and they want them delivered there and then. Such can and generally is impossible. Trying to meet these impossible demands, the politicians continually promise more than they can possibly deliver and as a result end up not being trusted. It is a vicious circle.
To date, Nigel Farage and Leave.EU have highlighted the issue of immigration and the free movement of peoples in the EU. This is clearly an issue that understandably and justifiably concerns a huge number of voters. The problem is this: that it is a politically practical impossibility to leave the European Union and to regain full control of our immigration policy AT THE SAME TIME!
However much the voter may want this, however desirable it may be, UKIP or any other party CAN NOT DELIVER it. Therefore Leave.EU is promising something that is completely unachievable. Promising something that is unachievable is a guarantee of failure.
Let us now come to what we CAN DELIVER:
Withdrawal from the European Union, re-entry into EFTA and CONTINUED membership of the European Economic Area (the so called “single market”). Much, much simplified, what happens is this:
1. The UK serves formal notice under Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty to quit the EU – something that becomes automatic in two years.
2. Apply to re-join EFTA.
3. Service notice to the EU and EFTA that we retain membership of the European Economic Area.
Now for the MOST IMPORTANT POINT – what in marketing is called “the Unique Selling Point” or “USP” – this process CANNOT be halted by any of the other 27 member states of the EU. The UK DOES NOT NEED THEIR PERMISSION!
Now Dear Reader you can see that by offering and promoting the “Norway Option” UKIP and Leave.EU will be offering something that can definitely be achieved!
And now for the snags!
Membership of the European Economic Area requires compliance and contributions with the requirements of the “Single Market” – also required is acceptance of the free movement of peoples.
What UKIP and Leave.EU can offer is this: that a UK government can after leaving the EU can look at whether or not it is the UK’s interest to be in the EEA/”single market” subsequently. Subsequently however will not mean immediately. This is because of the FACT that since January 1973 the UK has become wholly enmeshed into the EU can this cannot be unravelled quickly. We estimate it will take five years after exit to re-establish the necessary bureaucracy.
This is of course a HUGE problem because we have an electorate who demand quick simple answers to long standing complicated problems!
We will have to tell voters that voting to leave the EU will NOT immediately re-establish UK control over immigration policy and that Nigel’s now famous call for “a point’s based system like they have in Australia” cannot be delivered. Immediately!
The reason why UKIP and Leave.EU have not made this clear is clear: They fear (with much justification) that many potential voters would turn around and say: “Well there’s no point in voting to come out then!”
The answer we must give them is: YES THERE IS!
The way to WIN this referendum is to point out to voters that what we offer in the form of the “Norway Option” is DELIVERABLE AND GUARANTEED! Whereas the Dearly Beloved Mr Chameleon’s (“British Model”) CANNOT BE GUARANTEED!
We must point out the following:
– ALL 27 other member states agreeing and ratifying the relevant treaty.
– that the European Commission will play ball.
– that the European Court of Justice will interpret the wording of the treaty along the lines that the Unfortunate Mr Hammond our Dearly Beloved Foreign Secretary would wish!
This LAST POINT is MOST IMPORTANT! You see, even IF Mr Chameleon manages to persuade the other 27 member states – and some of their electorates as some states such as Ireland have to ratify subject to referenda – THE BRITISH MODEL WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE INTERPRETATION AND JURISDICTION OF THE EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE!
This Dear Reader IS THE NAIL IN THE COFFIN of Mr Chameleon’s “British Model!”
What Nigel has to do in the way he can so impressively can is to HAMMER THIS NAIL INTO THIS COFFIN VERY LOUDLY!
This is the ONE THING we can rely on! We know that the majority of the British People are very wary about the idea that the ECJ will hold up it’s end of the bargain!
This is where Nigel MUST attack!
It is Mr Chameleon’s WEAKEST POINT!
We must also remember that Nigel will at the same time have his own very special “Little Helper!”
She is of course the delightful, the oh so delectable, Ms Nicola Sturgeon!
Thus whilst Nigel will be pummeling his opponent the Unfortunate Chameleon against the ropes, Dearest Nicola will have climbed up onto (not into) the ring and hanging on the ropes outside will be delivering several sharp kicks with those pointed high heeled shoes so loved by the ladies into the back of the Unfortunate Chameleon’s legs!
At this point some of our more sensitive readers will begin to feel sorry for poor Dave!
You see one thing Nigel can be absolutely sure about: Dearest Nicola will be using the referendum campaign for her own purpose of securing Scotland’s secession! Dear Nicola is absolutely desperate for Nigel to succeed in persuading sufficient English voters to vote to leave the EU to ensure that Scottish voters voting to remain will be thwarted.
Nigel can be absolutely sure that Dear Nicola will throughout the campaign demand that Scotland must have a veto and will demand that Scotland be given a second referendum on “independence” ASAP should England vote to leave.
Hopefully, Nigel might also be able to avail himself of the expoundings of the Wally of Westmorland, AKA Foolish Farron, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats.
Hopefully Farron the Fool will pick up on Dear Nicola’s outpourings and suggest to the voter that this would be another good reason to vote to remain in the EU!
The one thing that Nigel knows that Farron the Fool does not is that the average English voter does not like being hectored by an angry Scot and told what to do!
ONE MORE THING:
Back now to the issue of the free movement of people. At the present time, the Norway Option means continuing to accept the free movement of people from the EEA.
We know however that the referendum is going to take place in 529 days or 1 year, 5 months and 12 days time on Thursday 4th May, 2017!. This is because this has already been decided by the German Chancellor Anglea Merkel!
By this time the situation in Europe could be very different!
Speaking the Truth unto the Nation
