Dear All
During the Conservative leadership contest,
I didn’t really comment, to me the winner was already crowned, Boris Johnson
with a landslide. Why was he the only option to win as the field was constantly
slimmed down?
Was it his debating skill?
Was it his record as London Mayor?
Or was it simply that he fronted the Brexit
Campaign?
The correct answer was that Johnson fronted
the Brexit Campaign. Having had a remainer Prime Minister in Theresa May, the
Conservative membership knew that to save their party, save the country and
save future election prospects, they have to make leave happen.
The question however is what type of leave
we eventually get? I have right from the start favoured no deal Brexit, the
reason is the lack of good will from the EU in its attempts to thwart our
democracy from outside and within. The UK supplies 20% of the entire EU budget;
it is however treated not in the same manner as Germany, but as a ‘cash cow’ to
be milked.
And milked hard on all four tits, we are
paying to rebuild poorer European countries while here in the UK, we struggle
to pay for our health services, council services and upgrade our
infrastructure. It is quite legitimate that British people want to have control
of their own country and see it rebuilt, but for 40 plus years, we have had our
money siphoned off to rebuild Europe.
The ‘thanks’ we got is well written in the
annuals of history.
Through-out the leadership contest, it was
interesting to see Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson appear to back every
candidate until they got eliminated except Boris Johnson. I found it odd, every
time she publicly backed someone; I just wondered what she was doing. It isn’t
unusual to get a choice wrong, but everyone is an eye opener. When David
Mundell was sacked by Boris Johnson as Scottish Sec, he hadn’t done a bad job,
his sacking to me was wrong, but it signaled that a new relationship between
Westminster and Holyrood was coming down the line.
As the meeting between Johnson and Sturgeon
showed, less cordial is the new phase of the relationship. In the seated
picture of Johnson and Sturgeon in Bute House; did you notice that there was
not any National flag behind the leaders? This is in contrast with other
politicians from other countries, who visit Bute House; Sturgeon was sending a
message, other than the po-faced look she gave on the steps as Johnson first
arrived.
The SNP is all about fostering division,
and to that end, they want Ruth Davidson to give a “cast-iron guarantee” that
Scottish Tory MPs will vote to block a no-deal Brexit. Given that Ruth Davidson
seeks to be the next First Minister, which will require considerably ehlp for
that challenge, she should just ignore the SNP. The fact she is fundamentally
opposed to leaving the European Union without a deal isn’t a sustainable
position, not for someone seeking to be FM in 2021. The problem with being
swept in on a tide of voters has a drawback, yes, swept back out on a tide of
voters, as always timing is important. Tagging along in the wake of the SNP
will not see any opportunities emerge for Ruth Davidson.
In what must be a laugh; SNP Westminster
leader Ian Blackford wrote to the Scottish party leader demanding she ensures
her MPs vote “as a bloc to protect Scotland’s interests” when the Commons returns
after recess.
As the Germans say…. Nein!
Blackford maybe seen by many as a buffoon,
but he isn’t someone who has occasional sparks of genius, as his speeches in
the House of Commons show, he is a poor man’s Alex Salmond. I doubt even media
training can improve him other than delivering waffle in a more BBC way with
godly hand gestures and pauses.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is said to
have reassured Ruth Davidson by claiming that it was his aim to “leave the
European Union with a deal”.
If they weren’t giving Theresa May a deal,
how much ground will the EU shift for Boris?
Johnson has also re-affirmed that he is
stepping up preparations to leave on October 31 without one. Is this a bluff,
is it strategy, is it wishful thinking, or could it be more to do with the
electoral survival for the Conservative Party? 31st October remains the
significant date to watch because if we are still in the EU, Boris Johnson has
a problem both inside and outside his party. The call for an early general
election would be a roar in the UK, and who wants to go into that with a record
of failing to deliver.
And then get re-elected?
Blackford said Scottish Tory MPs had voted
in the past for a no-deal Brexit on every occasion it had been put to the
Commons, which at least means they are on the right track. The SNP at every
vote has attempted to scupper Brexit hoping their old policy if they ever win
independence is to transfer into the EU without going through the proper
membership requirements. That will not happen; basically EU members must be
allowed the opportunity to veto. There is no way round the veto, plainly, you
have to come out to go in.
Blackford added:
“Ruth Davidson must give a cast-iron
guarantee that Scottish Tory MPs will vote to block a no deal Brexit – or it
will be clear her words are just empty rhetoric. Tory plans to drag Scotland
out of the EU against our will, “come what may”, would be devastating for
Scotland – threatening to cause a recession, destroy 100,000 Scottish jobs and
cost every person in the country £2,300 a year. Ms Davidson once claimed
Scottish Tory MPs would vote as a bloc to protect Scotland’s interests – but
nothing could be further from the truth. Every time they have had the chance to
prevent a no-deal disaster they have instead voted for it”.
All the SNP can do is scaremongering
without facts, have you noticed that the SNP appear to think they have the
answer to everyone else’s problem but their track record is that they can’t
solve their own!
Blackford continued:
“Given all the flip-flops and U-turns Ruth
Davidson has performed on Brexit, people are understandably sceptical that her
opposition to a no-deal is just another cynical PR exercise – and she will
continue to accept whatever form of Brexit is imposed on Scotland”
The SNP fear Brexit because it makes their
case for Scottish independence all the more of a farce than it already is.
Nicola Sturgeon is peddling fake independence wanting Scotland signed up to be
shackled to the EU.
We would be worse off.
If you take fishing as an example, our
fishing industry has suffered under the EU. The scale of the SNP betrayal of
Scotland can’t be any better put by the SNP’s Derek Mackay. He told
the BBC that an independent Scotland could give back control of its fisheries
to Brussels in exchange for EU membership. Mackay admitted that the
Scottish fisheries were an acceptable trade-off. Nicola Sturgeon would happily
sell out Scottish people and put EU membership above Scotland’s own fishing
industry and communities.
Finally, Ruth Davidson would dearly love to
be the one to put Nicola Sturgeon out on the street and swan into Bute House,
but as with everything, there is a cost. The Scottish Conservatives need to get
themselves on track for what is coming post Brexit. The country is pro Brexit
and hardening, and it is helpful to be on the right side of history. I saw a
PMQs where Boris Johnson tore into Jeremy Corbyn, his face spoke volumes when
Johnson attacked his remainer stance. Eventually it may click for Ruth Davidson
that a successful Brexit increases her chances for a set of keys for Bute
House.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow
University
6 comments:
Hi just wanted to give you a brief heads up and let you know a
few of the images aren't loading properly.
I'm not sure why but I think its a linking issue. I've tried it in two different internet
browsers and both show the same outcome.
maybe a cookies issue?
working on google and edge.
George
Great blog George. I was wondering why you never conmented during the Tory leadership contrast. It makes perfect sense now. Do you think Ruth Davidson knows what's expected of her to get the keys to Bute house
What a joke
The Scottish Tories would be better off getting rid of Ruth Davidson. She's now a liability. Clear the swamp. Tell her to join the Libdums "that's if they will have her" Just get rid of her.
Dear anon
"Great blog George. I was wondering why you never conmented during the Tory leadership contrast. It makes perfect sense now. Do you think Ruth Davidson knows what's expected of her to get the keys to Bute house".
Ruth Davidson if she is smart needs to go see Boris and mend fences. And then deliver better devolution plan and a socially conservative agenda which includes plenty of help for people. This way she can just take Sturgeon's floating voters away from her.
George
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