Anyone can change his mind, of course.
But there is something downright charming about the idea that David Davis is the great hope of the Brexiteers because he was Minister for Europe under, of all people, John Major.
That was a Minister of State position, at the Foreign Office. Until this week, Davis had never been in the Cabinet. The streets are lined with former Ministers of State.
As they are with 10-a-penny former members of Shadow Cabinets. To this day, even the Lib Dems purport to have a Shadow Cabinet.
Minister for Europe under John Major. Keep saying that until it sinks in.
There is not a shred of evidence that any member of the present Cabinet truly wishes to leave the European Union, except perhaps Andrea Leadsom and Priti Patel.
Of those, only Leadsom has any policy connection to it, and can look forward to many an eventful meeting with the farmers.
Like so many of her colleagues, Leadsom has been set up in order to be brought down. That is Theresa May for you.
Like so many of her colleagues, Leadsom has been set up in order to be brought down. That is Theresa May for you.
But Brexit, or the lack of it, is a sideshow to May.
Her focus is on such things as workers' representation on boards, enforced restrictions on excessive differences in pay, the prevention of foreign takeovers, and the prioritisation of companies that are deemed to be "national champions".
All via a Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Industrial Strategy!), the very name of which sounds as if it had been coined by Harold Wilson. As, indeed, do its policies.
Sacked Cabinet Ministers alone are now so numerous as to provide the Government's majority, or not. There will be trouble from May's own side.
Meaning that the very last thing for which any of this calls is a right-wing Leader of the Labour Party.
But there is something downright charming about the idea that David Davis is the great hope of the Brexiteers because he was Minister for Europe under, of all people, John Major.
ReplyDeleteWhat's your point? It was Major's Government that won our opt-out from the European single currency.
And Major's Government that secured the opt-out from the European Social Chapter, (against fierce opposition from John Smith).
Yes, I know Blair eventually gave away that opt-out, and wanted to give away the first.
But David Davis was a very tough Europe Minister, so fierce a negotiator that he was known to his EU colleagues by the nickname 'Monsieur Non'.
Davis oversaw our 'empty chair' policy of non- co-operation with the EU over its outrageous ban on our beef exports.
Davis's was the first use of the 'empty chair' policy.
He is by far the most competent and credible Brexiteer in Parliament to lead our negotiations for withdrawal.
Maastricht.
DeleteNo one who voted against that is still in the Cabinet. The last one has just been sacked.
The Leader of the Opposition, on the other hand, did vote against Maatricht.