Letter to all Conservative Leadership Candidates

The following letter and paper is being sent to all Conservative Party Leadership Candidates.   We will let you know their responses:

                                                                                                     28th May 2019

All candidates for Leadership of

The Conservative Party

Dear Candidate,

Re: Party Reform

It has been speculated in the media that you are considering running for leadership of the Conservative Party (you might have announced already whilst this letter is on its way to you, in which case I apologise).

As you will be aware we are campaigning for greater democracy within the Conservative Party and we have a 5 point agenda, which I have attached.

You will know how divided the Party is at the moment and how we urgently need to repair the damage that has been done and we believe that ours is part of a plan that can start to bring the Party back together.

We would like you to consider adopting these points as part of your leadership bid.

We will at the same time as writing this letter publish it on our web site and in two weeks time we will announce those candidates that have indicated that they are willing to adopt them and we will advise the membership of the Conservative Party that they should consider voting for the candidates that adopt the change that is desperately needed for the Party.

Please if you can consider this and let me know your response as soon as possible.   We will also publish all responses.

Good luck with your candidacy and for the Party’s sake I hope that the best one wins.

                         

With best wishes

John E. Strafford

Conservative Party Reform

Current Position

1)      Party Membership is 125-160,000.   Approx. 10-15% are Activists.   To run a National Ground campaign in a General Election you need approx. 500,000 members or 50,000 Activists.

2)      The last General Election at which we had 500,000 members was in 1992.   Since then we have had 20 Party Chairmen who have presided over a declining membership and done nothing about it.   The last National membership campaign was in 1988.

3)      Per the Feldman Review (2016), 290 Constituency Associations have fewer than 100 members.   Only 50 associations have more than 500 members.

4)      Research has shown that people join political parties for social reasons, and in order to participate in decision making, either by voting on policy or voting for those that make policy.

5)      There is a huge gap between the views of the Parliamentary Party and the Voluntary Party, e.g. 60% of Tory MPs were in favour of remaining in the European Union, whereas 70% of members wished to leave the European Union.

Objectives

1)      To increase Party membership to a minimum of 500,000.

2)      To eliminate the gap between the Parliamentary Party and the voluntary party on policy issues by encouraging debate at the Party Conference/Spring Forum.

3)      To reverse the centralisation of the Party organisation by giving power back to the members on candidate selection.

4)      To bring accountability into how the Party is organised by having elected officials accountable to the membership.

5)      To enable the Constitution of the Party to be changed without going through a lengthy process in what is now a rapidly changing world.

Five Essential Reforms

1)      The National Convention should be replaced by an Annual General Meeting to which all Party members are invited.

2)      The Chairman of the Party Board, Deputy Chairman, Treasurer, Chairman of the Candidates Committee and Chairman of the Policy Forum should be elected by and accountable to Party members and present Annual reports to the Annual General Meeting.

3)      Constituency Associations should have the right to determine who their Parliamentary Candidate should be with due process and minimum interference by CCHQ, with safeguards for Constituencies where the membership is below a certain level.

4)      Motions for debate should be re-instated at the Party Conference and/or at the Spring Forum.

5)      The Party Constitution should be capable of being changed at a General Meeting of the Party by Party members on the basis of One Member One Vote with a 60% majority. The present minor changes to the Constitution have been under discussion for four years and nothing has happened.

Administration

1)      Party members have virtually no rights or means of progressing these essential changes.   It is therefore critical for the Parliamentary Party to get involved. A group of Conservative MPs together with a group of volunteers should meet and agree the best way to pursue these reforms.  

2)      There is now a Leadership election and all the candidates for Leader will be asked to publicly endorse these proposals.

3)      The Executive of the 1922 Committee will be asked for their support.

Communication

1)      By use of the internet communication can be speeded up.

2)      Voting on line can be used for positions and for involvement of the membership in proposed policies.

3)      Social media can be used for instant communication.

Without radical reform the party will cease to exist!

Dominic Grieve MP - Special General Meeting Petition

The following Petition was submitted to the Secretary, Executive Council, Beaconsfield Constituency Conservative Association on 9th May 2019:

Date 8^th May 2019                             

To: Chairman, Beaconsfield Constituency Conservative Association

      Secretary, Executive Council, Beaconsfield Constituency Conservative Association  

      Disraeli House, 12 Aylesbury End, Beaconsfield, HP9 1LW,

Dear Sirs

                                        Special General Meeting

Under Schedule 7, clause 10.1.2 of the Constitution of the Conservative Party

We the undersigned being members of the Beaconsfield Constituency Conservative Association petition you to convene a Special General Meeting of members of the Beaconsfield Constituency Conservative Association in order that the following business shall be conducted:

 “The Beaconsfield Constituency Conservative Association at its Annual General Meeting on 29^th March 2019 did not express full confidence in the Rt. Hon Dominic Grieve MP. We therefore resolve that he should not be the Conservative Parliamentary candidate for the Constituency of Beaconsfield at the next General Election and the Association should immediately start the process of selecting a new candidate.

Name………………………… (signed)…………………………Membership No. …………

Name………………………… (signed)…………………………Membership No. …………
etc.

The Great Betrayal

Watch this!   BBC Politics Live 26th April

Why Dominic Grieve MP Should Go!

We are possibly witnessing the greatest betrayal of democracy in the history of the United Kingdom.

Democracy is the process by which you determine the will of a majority of the people.

The will of a majority of the people was determined in the referendum on the European Union in 2016.   The people voted to leave.

One of the leaders of the greatest betrayal was Dominic Grieve MP.

He stood for election in the General Election of 2017 on a Conservative manifesto that said we would leave the European Union.   That manifesto said we would honour the decision of the people.  

Dominic Grieve voted in favour of Article 50 of the Withdrawal Agreement which gave a date for withdrawal from the European Union of 29^th March 2019.

Ever since, he has obstructed the implementation of the will of the people.

He has called for a second referendum.

He has voted in favour of the revocation of Article 50.

He has colluded with Labour MPs to take on the government of this nation.

And the reason he gives for these broken promises is that he is speaking in the National Interest, but who is Dominic Grieve to determine what is the National Interest?   Does he not accept that the 17.4 million people who voted to leave the European Union were speaking in the National Interest?

In view of his actions I have no faith in Dominic Grieve, I have no trust in him.

In view of his broken promises I cannot ever vote for him again.

I call on Dominic Grieve MP not to stand as the Conservative Parliamentary candidate for the Beaconsfield Constituency Conservative Association at the next General Election and

I call on the Association to immediately start the process of selecting a new parliamentary candidate for the constituency. 

In the words of Oliver Cromwell: “You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing. Depart, I say, and let us have done with you.   In the name of God, go!”

COPOV Forum and Annual General Meeting

Do come to our Forum and Annual General Meeting on 13th April See EVENTS for the Agenda.which includes "The Future of the Conservative Party".

Grieve Faces Backlash From Party Faithful

Press Release:

                                  GRIEVE FACES BACKLASH FROM PARTY FAITHFUL

Tory rebel Dominic Grieve is facing a massive backlash and potential de-selection from angry Conservative members in his "safe" seat in Beaconsfield.

Grieve,  the former attorney general,  left many party supporters outraged by his comments to fellow MP’s that he “ …never felt more ashamed to be a member of the Conservative Party or to be asked to lend her (The Prime Minister) support.”

Now after growing discontent from many of his constituents, enough signatures have been raised to force the local association to call for a vote of confidence in the MP at the annual general meeting – ironically on March 29 when the UK was meant to be leaving the European Community.

Local party member Ernie Cochrane said: “We are ashamed to be represented by someone who we feel has been duplicitous, disloyal and not representing our interests.”

The 100 strong group calls itself the Bccademocracy and their mood is best summed up by former European Healthcare finance director, Richard Jenkins who said: “We respect Grieve’s opinion on Europe, whilst disagreeing vehemently with his unfounded predictions of gloom over leaving.

“It is the fact that he stood on a platform to support the government and respect the referendum result. He then voted to trigger Article 50, but all his subsequent actions have been directed to obstructing Brexit and making things difficult for Theresa May and the Conservative government.”

Bruce Goodwin has been frustrated by Grieve’s constant media appearances, whilst allegedly ignoring and not engaging with his constituents.

Another local constituent Catherine Francoise wants to challenge why he has kept secret the minutes of a taxpayer-funded trip to Brussels to meet the EU’s Brexit chief negotiator Michel Barnier last year, with Chuka Umunna and Anna Soubry. She is also concerned the minutes of last year's Beaconsfield AGM did not reflect the heated opposition to Grieve.

Many believe local chairman Santokh Chhokar is not listening to the groundswell of local opinion and he has been accused of attempting to ignore the discontent and also tried to claim that John Strafford, a former local chairman and member for forty years was not entitled to bring the vote of ‘ confidence’ in the MP.

Grieve believes that 'entryism’ has taken place in the local party, but only former UKIP candidate for Beaconsfield Jon Conway is the sole activist from another party to join the local Tories.

Conway said: “I’m hardly a tidal wave of one ‘entryist’ and it’s ironic he persuaded me to believe his pledges to honour the referendum, but is now ashamed of the party he convinced me to rejoin.

“I am hearing time and again, it is not because of his extreme views on the EU, it is because he has gone back on his word and been disloyal to the party and the Prime Minister, that people don’t want him as their MP. I hope he does the honourable thing and resigns.”

Tory member and businesswoman Beryl Dite feels Theresa May should be respected for trying her best. She says: “Grieve is the rebel, not us, we support our party leader and PM, we represent the 17 million who voted to Leave. No-one voted for him to disrupt and delay the way he has.”

Conservative Party – Dirty Tricks or Cock-Up Update 2

Conservative Party – Dirty Tricks or Cock-Up Update 2

          On 27^th February I submitted a motion to the Chairman of “No Confidence in Dominic Grieve MP” for the Annual General Meeting of Beaconsfield Constituency Conservative Association.

On 2^nd March I raised with the Agent of the Association that I had received no notification of the renewal of my membership subscription from CCHQ.

On 4^th March I was told the motion was rejected because my membership of the Party had lapsed.   On being told this, that day, I and my wife Caroline went to the BCCA office and each of us gave a cheque for £25 in payment of our subscriptions.   I had not received any Notification of Renewal, or Reminder, from the BCCA office, but I had been told in April 2018 that in future CCHQ would be contacting me regarding renewal.

            Today 13^th March 2019 I received a letter from Natalie Crosby-Jones, Head of Membership at CCHQ.     Her letter was dated March 2019.   She writes:

Dear Mr Strafford,

Thank you for the support you’ve provided to the Conservatives in the past year.   As a Member, you are a crucial part of our Party, and we are grateful for all the work that you’ve done for us.

She goes on to say that my membership is now overdue and would I renew it today.   Having received the letter I checked my Bank statements to see whether my cheque for £25 had been banked.   It had not.   It is ironic that when I became Chairman of BCCA, one of the first things I had to do was to dismiss the then Agent for incompetence. Top of the list of incompetence was not banking cheques expeditiously.   How standards fall!

If, as per Ms Natalie Crosby-Jones I am still a Member, then why was my motion rejected and who took that decision?

The question now is: Do I cancel my cheque to BCCA and issue a new cheque to CCHQ as requested, or do I wait and see what happens?   You tell me!   I have never known such a shambolic state of affairs, or could it be “Dirty Tricks” to stop the motion going on the Agenda?

Conservative Party - Dirty Tricks or Cock - Up - Update

Conservative Party – Dirty Tricks or Cock-up – Update  

1)      I am told by a journalist who made inquiries about my status, that both Caroline and I are now “continuous members” and will be able to vote at the Annual General Meeting on March 29^th.   That is the good news.   The bad news is that we have not yet received receipts for our membership subscriptions or any emails either from the Local Association or CCHQ.   Will we be updated with what we have missed?   The following second notice has now gone out to Association members.   Guess what?   I have not received it!

"Second email

From: Beaconsfield Constituency Conservative Association

Sent: 08 March 2019 15:22
Subject: Official notice of the BCCA AGM

Correction:  Members whose subscriptions lapse before 29th March are NOT eligible to vote unless they renew between now and the 29th.  But if they do renew then their eligibility is confirmed.

Philip Dumville
Agent
IMPORTANT
It is obvious that there is a greater than normal interest from members to attend this meeting.
My advice to you is:-
Plan to arrive early  - the car park will fill up
Bring your current membership card.  Those of you who paid Jan-July 2018 will have received a card from Disraeli House. Those who paid August 2018 - March 2019 will have received a card from Party HQ.
There will be lists at the door identifying current members for checking but if there is a late last minute rush of arrivals, then there will be queues.
Philip Dumville
Agent"

It is now clear that the action taken against me was a sordid move to stop me putting a motion to the Constituency AGM.   However, the pressure was such that we have got a motion on the Agenda and I hope all Constituency Party members will oppose it.

2)      Last week the Party Chairman (Brandon Lewis) was quoted in the Daily Mail saying that there had been an increase in the number of members paying £25.00.   He refused to give the total number of members.   I understand that members who were paying their subscription by standing order are now being treated as non members if the standing order was less than £25.00.   Constituency Associations are being asked to contact these members to change their standing orders and increase them.   You can guess what may happen – a further loss of members?

3)      Jackson Ng, one of the Deputy Chairmen of the Beaconsfield Constituency Conservative Association, telephoned me to say that he was not consulted and there was no discussion by the officers of the action to be taken against me (see original report).   He was just told it was happening.   In that case who issued the orders?

4)      I am assured by a procedural expert that the President of the Association could refuse to take my proposed amendments as they negate the motion.   In which case we need to think again as to what amendments to put or just to oppose the motion.   Any comments will be welcome.

Conservative Party - Dirty Tricks or Cock-Up. You Decide?

Conservative Party – Dirty Tricks or Cock-up – You Decide?

At the request of the Chairman of the Beaconsfield Constituency Conservative Association (Santokh Chhokar) I had a meeting with him on Wednesday 27^th February 2019.   At that meeting I gave him the following letter duly signed and dated:

“To: Chairman, Beaconsfield Constituency Conservative Association

      Secretary, Executive Council, Beaconsfield Constituency Conservative Association  

                        Disraeli House, 12 Aylesbury End, Beaconsfield, HP9 1LW,

Dear Sirs

                                  Annual General Meeting 29^th March 2019

Motion for debate: proposed by John E. Strafford and seconded by Jo Sommer:

“The Beaconsfield Constituency Conservative Association has no confidence in the Rt. Hon Dominic Grieve, Q.C., M.P. as the Conservative Member of Parliament for the Constituency of Beaconsfield and should not select him as the Conservative Party Parliamentary Candidate for the next General Election and the Association should immediately start the process of selecting a new Conservative Parliamentary Candidate.

Yours Faithfully

…………………………                                             ………………………

John E. Strafford                                                          Jo Sommer

Could you please acknowledge receipt of the motion, and confirm that it will be put onto the Agenda for the meeting?   Many thanks”.

The following evening, 28^th February, at the Bucks Supper Club I spoke to Santokh and he confirmed to me that the officers had discussed my letter and there would be a motion on the Agenda of the AGM.

On Saturday 2^nd March I met the Agent and Secretary of the Beaconsfield Constituency Conservative Association (Philip Dumville) and expressed my concern that I did not appear to be getting any emails from CCHQ or indeed from the Constituency Association and in particular I had had no renewal notice for my membership subscription.   The Agent promised to look into this.

On Monday 4^th March I received the following email from the Agent Philip Dumville with copies to all the Association Officers:

“Hi John

Further to our conversation on Saturday – you are right – your subscription has not been paid and VoteSource records you as lapsed. 

As a result the motion you sent last week to the Chairman is not valid and is rejected.

 

Please check your email inbox and spam.  Both you and Caroline should have had separate emails from CCHQ Membership department requesting renewal and giving you membership code numbers to access your record.

 

Philip “

Needless to say I have not received any emails from CCHQ and neither has my wife, Caroline.   On a matter so important why did they not use recorded delivery?   Why would I raise the question with the Agent if I had received any emails?

I have been a member of the Conservative Party for 56 years, 46 years with the Beaconsfield Constituency Conservative Association.   I was Chairman of the Association for five years.   Traditionally all membership subscriptions became due on 1^st January each year and we took great pride as an Association in getting the renewal notices out by 2^nd January.    Reminders were sent out on the 1st of February to those who had not paid.   I always waited for the reminder and paid in February.   It was clearly understood that members had three months in which to renew their subscriptions.   I paid my subscription last year on 5^th February to BCCA, although I did not get a receipt for it until 4th April 2018, i.e. just after the three months expired, so they presumably did a mass mailing when they knew which members had renewed.   On 24^th April 2018 I received an email newsletter from BCCA which said “Later this year CCHQ will start to collect all subscriptions centrally” so I was waiting for them to send me a notice telling me what I had to do.   It never came.

On 4^th March 2019 BCCA sent out to its members (not including me) the Notice of Annual General Meeting as follows:

Notice of Annual General Meeting

Members are cordially invited to the Annual General Meeting of Beaconsfield Constituency Conservative Association to be held on Friday 29^th March 2019 in the Bulstrode Suite, The Bull Hotel, Gerrards Cross at 8.00 pm.

AGENDA

1.       President – The Rt Hon The Earl Howe - welcome and opening remarks
2.       Minutes of 2018 AGM
3.       To receive and adopt the statement of Accounts for the year ended 31^st December 2018
4.       To receive and adopt the Chairman’s Annual Report.
5.       Election of Officers for 2019/20
6.       Appointment of Reporting Accountants
7.       Presentations for 2018
8.       Address by Rt Hon Dominic Grieve QC MP
9.       Motion for debate:

“That the Beaconsfield Constituency Conservative Association expresses its full confidence in the Rt. Hon. Dominic Grieve QC MP as the Member of Parliament for Beaconsfield.”

I am told that the motion has been proposed and seconded by two Vice Presidents of the Association.

Incidentally, today I signed in as a Party member to the CCHQ web site and paid for my registration for the Party Conference.   The money was accepted!

Dirty Tricks or Cock-Up.   You Decide?

What Now

1)      Today, March 4^th I went to the offices of BCCA and paid my £25.00 membership subscription as also did my wife Caroline.   However, as a “new” member I am not allowed to vote or to propose or second any motion for three months.   This of course does not prevent me from attending or speaking at the Annual General Meeting.

2)      As there is a motion on the Agenda we can move an amendment to it.   I suggest the motion is amended as follows:

Delete “its full” and insert “no”

Add after “for Beaconsfield” “and should not select him as the Conservative Party Parliamentary Candidate for the next General Election and the Association should immediately start the process of selecting a new Conservative Parliamentary Candidate”.

The amended motion to now read as follows:

“That the Beaconsfield Constituency Conservative Association expresses no confidence in the Rt. Hon. Dominic Grieve QC MP as the Member of Parliament for Beaconsfield and should not select him as the Conservative Party Parliamentary Candidate for the next General Election and the Association should immediately start the process of selecting a new Conservative Parliamentary Candidate”.

Please note: Amendments to a motion have to be taken first, before the motion is put.

3)      Could all members of the Beaconsfield Constituency Conservative Association who agree with the above motion write to me and let me know if they will be attending the Annual General Meeting.   My email address is johnstrafford@btinternet.com  

4)      Write to the Constituency Chairman Santokh Chhokar and Party Chairman, Brandon Lewis and complain at this cavalier treatment of the membership.

If the Conservative Party believes in democracy it must allow the members of the Party to determine who their candidate should be for a General Election.   This is an issue of principle.   It is time for Party members to stand up and fight for it.   If we lose the Party is finished.

Why did it all go so wrong?

FROM THE GRASS ROOTS

(This article is written by a Member of the Conservative party who does not and has never held an official position in a constituency. This is a personal reflection and does not necessarily represent the views of COPOV or of any of its Members)

BREXIT  - Why did it all go so wrong?

Even when the United Kingdom entered the European Economic Community as it then was in January 1973 many people still had doubts as to whether the country was doing the right thing and these doubts were not really assuaged by the subsequent Referendum in 1975 when 33% of the electorate who voted still wanted to leave. The original application by Harold Macmillan’s government in 1961 was given the go ahead by a reluctant Cabinet and only after it was quite clear that the EFTA of seven countries and of which the UK was a member could in no way compete economically with the EEC six particularly as West Germany had been rebuilt through USA financial assistance immediately after the Second World War. If we look at history it is quite clear that the United Kingdom’s development over the centuries was different from that of our European neighbours although it was not until the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century that we broke away from Rome and the dominance of papal authority and even then King Henry viii still considered himself a good Catholic.  And in the subsequent centuries our country was the dominant power in the world with our ever expanding empire based on naval supremacy and conquest.

Even today after nearly fifty years membership of the EEC/EU we still head a Commonwealth of 53 nations meeting every two years. So we have never been really committed to full European integration and if we are honest we must agree that President de Gaulle when he vetoed our first two applications in 1963 and 1968 realised that this country would never be totally enamoured of the Treaty of Rome which even in those early days was proposing full economic, monetary and political union. The refusal to embrace the euro and join the Schengen Agreement only confirmed our semi detachment.

I think it would be fair to say that ever since Black Wednesday in September 1992 the Conservative party has suffered from what I call EU schizophrenia.  The Major government forced through confirmation of the Treaty of Maastricht and the subsequent Labour governments continued the process of the movement of free labour with open borders. Mass migration from other countries in the Near East and Pakistan only added to the problems a sceptical Europe was facing and was made more difficult in 2015 by the ‘open to all strangers’ policy of Angela Merkel’s government in Germany. What happened in continental Europe during 2015 may well have tipped the scales in favour of ‘Leave’ when the June 2016 Referendum was held in the U K.

So what has gone wrong?  Firstly we have to dispel the myth that the 17.4 million who voted ‘Leave’ were elderly white people who longed for a return to Empire and the Raj and who had voted Conservative all their lives. Some, of course, certainly were but a minority for the ‘Leave’ vote according to the statistics released contained no less than 33% of Labour voters and 27% of Liberal Democrat voters. And a relatively large proportion of young and middle aged people voted ‘Leave’

Including many from ethnic minorities.  No: ‘Leave’ voters were from all conditions, colours, and creeds.

It is quite evident that ‘Leave’ did not expect to win. That fact alone meant that from the 24^th June 2016 there was no proper plan for leaving the EU and it would appear that the Civil Service had made no contingency plans for such an outcome. And in the immediate aftermath as a consequence of the result David Cameron stood down as Prime Minister and the party engaged in an election process in which two of the senior Leave campaigners were at war with each other (resulting in Boris Johnson standing aside) and three ‘Leave’ candidates (Liam Fox, Michael, Gove and Andrea Leadsom) vying with each other as to who should stand against Theresa May, a Remainer. And a few uncharacteristic remarks from Mrs. Leadsom handed the crown to Theresa May much to the delight of the Pro Remain Conservative Members of Parliament who were overjoyed that it would not have to go the party membership whom they regarded in many cases as ‘swivel eyed loons’.  From the very beginning the Cabinet and government should have been preparing for a ‘no deal’ outcome. It was quite evident given the EU Commission’s propensity for asking voters to vote a second time to get the desired result that those leading the EU negotiations were going to play hardball. After all they were losing the second biggest contributor to the budget and that alone would be a big problem. At the time of the Referendum it was made quite clear that leaving the EU meant leaving the Single Market, Customs Union and European Court of Justice. It would be a completely clean break and the government (according to David Cameron) would implement the decision of the British people. Parliament began the process of triggering Article 50 and voting on the necessary legislation even though a majority of those members did not really believe in what they were doing. And that has been the problem all along. And a ‘botched’ General Election together with a ‘hung’ Parliament has not made things any easier for, as has been seen by recent voting patterns, Remain Members of Parliament are still in the majority.  The ERG number about 100 less than a third of the parliamentary party. And real leadership has been lacking. There seems to be neither vision nor desire to explore what the wider world might have to offer in terms of trade etc.  We are seen to be weak and pathetic not knowing what we really want. But then that is not quite true.17.4 million voters wanted to leave the EU for many different reasons – restoration of complete sovereignty, U K laws made in a U K Parliament, courts with U K judges and so on. They wanted a clean break but Parliament is not willing to give them that. So we now have the absurd spectacle of Parliament trying to control the Executive and total chaos.  We have amendment after amendment- the Brady Amendment ,the Cooper-Boles Amendment, the Malthouse Amendment, - so many amendments and options (Norway ,Canada ,Canada ++ etc.) that a bemused general public looks on in sheer amazement at the total incompetence of our governing masters.  Ordinary voters are at a loss to understand what the Irish ‘backstop’ really means but are rightly asking:  ‘Why was this not pointed out at the time of the Referendum? Why is it such a problem? Why is there no solution?’

And why would the Prime Minister be willing to sign an agreement which would result in the country being beholden indefinitely to the EU with no exit clause?

The Referendum in June 2016 supposedly held to bring a final end to twenty five years of party wrangling over the EU has only served to exacerbate our divisions. It has placed constituency party against their elected Member of Parliament and as I write three members of the Cabinet have indicated that they would rather resign than accept a ‘no deal’ outcome. This would not set a precedent although the number of Cabinet ministers that have had to leave the Cabinet for one reason or another over the last eighteen months is probably a record. No: going back to 1975 there was of course the split in Harold Wilson’s cabinet when one third of its members were allowed to campaign against staying in the EEC.

One of the few economists supporting Brexit is Dr. Gerard Lyons who regards the Prime Minister’s so called deal as a ‘slow strangulation’ in which the EU slowly drains the United Kingdom of its life blood. Dr. Lyons, while admitting there would be initial problems in a ‘no deal’ would prefer what he calls ‘a kick in the groin’ to what is on offer. He deplores what he regards as a great opportunity being missed simply because the will is not there and those in authority would rather continue the status quo than attempt any change of direction. Dr. Lyons confirms that any common currency would also require complete political union something which a significant majority of the U K electorate do not want. He regards the euro as a failed currency simply because it cannot accommodate the needs of all the member states with their differing and diverse economies. And he is of course correct in saying that the U K government has played its hand badly. We are a leading member of NATO, have a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, London is a leading financial centre, of the top 100 Universities in the world, the USA has the most but the U K has fourteen as opposed to one in France and one in Germany. English is the second most spoken language in the world and for many countries which have their own language English is taught as a second language.

Yet no leading Brexiteer politician seems to be able to communicate this to a wider audience. The Remainer fight back began on the 24^th June 2016 and still continues with the Leader of the Liberal Democrats openly saying today in an interview: ‘We must get rid of this ‘no deal’ nonsense’. It is evident that in this ‘hung Parliament’ with a Remain majority there will be some sort of exit whether it is on 29^th March or later but there is still no clear picture of what might happen in the next two to three years.  What is quite clear though is the ‘glad confident morning’ the Brexiteers hoped for on 24^th June 2016 has turned to ashes and that their wishes will not be respected by those in authority who regard them as deplorable and have no wish for what Dr. Lyons calls a ‘Clean Brexit’.

23 February 2019