The small army

There is a small army of people like me on Twitter, writing, investigating, reading and interacting with subject matter experts (SMEs) on the whys and wherefores of Brexit. We can interact, aske questions to and of people who really know about things like international trade, EU law, UK constitutional law, politics and so on, thus knowing, in many cases, what the next big movement is before it happens, or be able to pick through a UK minister's or some Brexiteers lies and bluster in a way, sadly, the BBC journalists seem to have forgotten how to.

If I reach and inform one other person through these posts then it will have been worth it, being able to give understanding to what is the fog of Brexit, cut through the crap ad bullshit to what really are the facts.

And the main fact is where the UK currently finds itself is down to itself and no one else. In reality no one can really blame the EU for using leverage to get what it wants, now that the UK is leaving, soon to become a 3rd country, then the EU has every right, no the duty to look after itself, its economy and citizens. Once the Government sees that and can equate what is being described as vindictiveness or stubbeness is just looking after its own interests. No the reason the UK is to blame is down to Cameron for calling the referendum in the first place, Parliament for not passing the necessary primary and secondary legislation that, in the end, meant that it was legally an advisory result, but politically was mandatory. Which is why those calling for a 2nd (or 3rd) referendum need to realise the mistakes in the last one and not to repeat or make worse ones in the next.

The Conservative Part is and has always been spit on Europe, and so Brexit is just reopening old wounds that have festered for decades. Brexit is an attempt at unifying two warring halves of the party in a way that will create political and economic chaos and will spit the party in two forever. May is trying, but having pushed for a sensible Brexit, well fairly, in order to get the ERG on board she is now steering the country back towards the cliff edge and the ERG and JRM now support her. For the time being.

I say the above because as PM May could not say exactly what he UK wanted, because actually settling on a position would alienate half the party, so fudging and kicking the can down to road became the de-facto Brexit policy. Which is fine until, at some point, there has to be clarity. Legal clarity. And at that point Brexit and her party falls to pieces. So going into negotiations without being able to articulate what in the most basic terms it is we as a country wants means that the other side has to find other ways of finding out; May's red lines and the A50 notification, that then channels talks into something that fits that.

Which is why May, her Government and then Parliament voting to start the A50 process without knowing what they wanted at the end, how they wanted it, if it could be stopped or who could stop it, was the most dereliction of political duty. Those who voted to pass the A50 legislation will be tainted by that forever.

At a basic level, Brexit promised the impossible, the undeliverable. So, looking ahead when it would become clear that the promises would not be met, then there would be reckoning and blame. Although Brexiteers are getting the blame in first, though never their fault of course.

May then appointed leading Brexiteers to positions of responsibility for Brexit. Though most of them are incompetent twats, the failure to negotiate a WA or trade deals will fall on Brexiteers shoulders. Astonishing then to see Brexiteers resign on a matter of policy for the very policies they have been leading through the who Brexit process, and in many cases their entire careers. The picture of DD sitting opposite Barnier, Davies grinning like an idiot with no notes, no papers while Barnier sits on the other side with stacks of both. Euro red tape the red tops quipped. Piss poor preparation was my thought, and bore out through what happened since.

The EU has barely moved it's position since the day after the referendum, all movement has been by the UK. And as warned over 20 months ago, the last part of Brexit the UK was in control of, was when to submit the A50 notification. All events since has shown this to be very true.

UK politics and media see Brexit purely in UK terms, and not that it has two sides, and until that is recognised, we will rush closer tot he cliff edge.

Negotiations demand compromise on both sides, what are real red lines, and what can be moved. You also have to recognise the other side's red lines. For example, the Irish Border and the backstop. No matter what May or the Brexiteers say, the EU and Ireland will want the Iris boarder and its status tied up and legally watertight. That means backstop, and automatic implementation of it too. No time limit, both sides having to agree when, if can be done away with.

What I have learned is that the best education that inherited money can buy just enables the Brexiteers to lie better. Its still lying though, Brexit in all but its weakest forms means a hard border in Ireland. End of.