I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone, but I'll give it a go one last time.
Lets make our country great again, lets control our own future.
Sentimental bombast is all well and good... but where's your
costed plan for the Brexit scenario? I'll take a draft!
Let's assume you got everything you wanted out of the referendum;
how would you actually achieve any of the things that you seem to either take for granted or ramble on about, without consideration of any possible knock-on effects?
Like broken records you keep banging on about the Kipper Trinity: 'immigration, sovereignty, control borders'; but the nearer we're getting to the actual voting, the more I believe you just haven't got a clue about any of the things you bring up, let alone a plan!
For laughs, let's further assume you're the leader of the official Leave camp (if it ever forms) on air during the campaign, and are facing Neil, Paxman or debating Cameron head-to-head:
'Look, people know your stance, and we grant you your rough figure of extra £20 billion a year to start with; what will you spend it on?'
'Immigration, sovereignty, control borders!'
'You're a passionate chap, and that's great, but let's get back to the meat of the question: how will you prevent the country's GDP from falling during and past transition to being outside the EU, and markets from punishing us?'
'How will you safeguard jobs, build more houses, security arrangements, and prevent public services from being short-staffed and underfunded (these are our top concerns connected to almost all types of elections)?'
'Well, £20 billion is a lot of money! It'll surely do some good in our pocket!'
'It really isn't -- within the margin of error on our GDP figures, in fact -- how would you replace all of the EU's former benefits and mitigate all of its purported shortcomings on this much extra cash?'
'If you need more, where would that cash come from: more taxes, extra borrowing or further cuts?'
'Well, really, whoever's in government then will have to make that decision.'
'So, you're asking the British people to take it completely
on faith that things will remain the same, or get better, if we leave the EU at any cost and without a solid plan? Can you share some statistics underpinning your confidence?'
'Let's make our country great again, let's control our own future!'
'Even if it threatens our economic recovery and costs people jobs?'
'What would you say to our regions and constituent nations which will lose out on EU funding?'
'Erm... We'll have to take some pain, but we'll trade our way out of it...'
'With whom? The partners' you've just waved goodbye to, and who may impose trade tariffs shortly, or the USA and China who are repositioning their investments to Ireland, France and Germany as we speak?'
'Erm...well..Commonwealth!'
'Really now! And how much that would cost? And how much that would bring in? Are you sure you won't end up with an even larger net trade deficit and higher prices that way?'
'Nah, it's all good. I believe in Britain!'
'I don't feel you're fully cognizant of the distances and trade difficulties involved.'
'Don't be negative! Be proud!'
'So, you don't have the details of your planned trade deals either... Just going to wing it, are you?'
'Look, we'll sort it out somehow! More importantly: Immigration, sovereignty, control borders!'
'Okay... so you want to leave at all costs for the aforementioned reasons, without a credible plan of action to show voters, and saddle whoever is in government with all the difficult decisions and responsibilities following an exit?'
'Now, can I be entirely honest with you...'
[Cue typical pundit/debate slaughter of people who turn up unprepared!]
People of the strong Leave persuasion sorely underestimate how much common bread-and-butter issues matter to the undecided, moderate voters; zealotry just won't swing them. Cameron will do much better in that grilling regardless of what you think of his competencies.
----------------------------------
As for Cameron's announced draft of a deal: he did alright given the pace of talks and the deadline he set for himself. Could've done better, could've got nothing; but at the very least he has something that can be scrutinised and costed! The Leave camp hasn't got much past empty rhetoric!
Again, our current standing in Europe has much to do with over two decades of neglecting its diplomatic channels and losing valuable allies to dithering and occasional stunts for the amusement of the peanut gallery at home!
There's no great conspiracy against us, or unwillingness to compromise, just lost years which make it difficult to move as rapidly as people seem to imagine is really possible, taking into account what the world's gone through after 2008.
