15 November 2018
Diary of a Corbynista
Brexit in Perspective
by Don Urquhart
8 November
Dominic Raab is the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union.
Here’s how BBC News reported reaction to his admission yesterday that he hadn’t quite understood how reliant UK trade in goods is on the Dover-Calais crossing.
Shadow Brexit minister Jenny Chapman suggested Mr Raab “doesn’t even understand the very basics of Brexit”.
Conservative pro-Remain MP Nicky Morgan tweeted: “Gulp.”
Full marks for honesty Dominic, but we are entitled to ask ourselves whether you have really mastered the brief. Perhaps, like Amber Rudd, you are being misled by the Civil Servants.
9 November
Question Time included its weekly Brexit snoozefest, enlivened for once by the following exchange:
A lady in the audience:
Even Dominic Raab has said today that he didn’t really fully comprehend how important Dover was to the UK Calais border…
Dimbleby:
Which rather surprised people I think.
Times columnist David Aaronovitch:
It didn’t surprise anyone who knows Dominic Raab.
10 November
Wonderful how just an increase in public spending can solve each and every problem.
It’s the judgement of my friend Stanley on Diary of a Corbynista – one of the kinder comments.
Brazilian Bishop Hélder Pessoa Câmara remarked: When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist.
Stan and I want what’s best for our country. I would contend that my man Corbyn has a route to achieving this while Stan is only concerned to hold back the forces of chaos; hence he is a supporter of stop and search as the best way of stopping knife crime.
Police guidance is that the effects of stop and search are localised, short-lived, and also, ironically, that it is expensive in resources.
Simply increasing stop and search, without using an intelligence-led approach, is unlikely to reduce crime. It needs to be balanced against the cost to police resources and its potentially detrimental effect on police legitimacy. The evidence suggests that stop and search also tends to be less productive the more the power is used.
11 November
Most years we visit Northern France. Sometimes we go to Thiepval, that inspiring memorial and also Arras where a family fusilier is buried. But always we visit the Commonwealth cemeteries in Blargies and Forges-les-Eaux to leave a few inadequate and transient blooms at the familiar graves of Brits, Anzacs, Chinese and Indians.
Today we remember those who died. We should also try to remember why they were slaughtered. On Newsnight the other day Defence Minister Tobias Smallwood talked up the need for increased defence expenditure. We are, he averred, one of the few nations that can project military power. Apprehension turned to disbelief when he went on to note that in a post-Brexit era to foster trade we would need to patrol the South China Sea.
The review has allowed us and The Defence Secretary has been very clear on this – the solutions that we need and place into context what we need to do not only just to defend our shores, our people but also to project a global capability and indeed ensure that we have an ability to increase prosperity as well and that’s particularly important post-Brexit…
Very few nations have the desire and ability to shape the world. I believe that we’re one of them….We did it a hundred years ago. Actually what happened there – few nations stepped forward. We need to continue doing that today…
We have the strongest armed force in Europe, the best military, the best police and intelligence. I believe there is a naivety in what the threats are. Let’s not forget post-Brexit we’ll be looking for new markets; we’ll be looking for new possibilities to improve prosperity. In order to do that as the world gets more dangerous and more complex you need an armed force and navy to make sure we have access through the South China Sea for example.
12 November
It is the quiet before the storm. Many people are waiting to see the Withdrawal Agreement. Some of us are girding loins to read it and sharpening quills to criticise it. Everything else political fades into the background.
13 November
The beauty of Brexit is that you don’t have to waste too much time talking about the problems caused by austerity.
Last night’s Panorama was an exception. Catrin Nye visited Flintshire, a pilot for Universal Credit to see how it was going. Alok Sharma was the junior minister wheeled out to demonstrate his mastery of the show and tell cards he had been given.
Catrin:
Our research shows that rent arrears for people on Universal Credit are twice those of people on the old system.
Alok:
Earlier this year we introduced a package worth £1 ½ billion pounds.
Catrin:
Landlords, councils and tenants say the direct payments system is a big problem.
Alok:
By the end of this year we will have rolled out the Landlord Portal.
Anthony, who will be evicted next week:
The council won’t give me another place. Why should they?
14 November
Like most other days this is a big one for Brexit. The media are all over it apart from The Sun which has The Prince of Wales with family members on its front page.
For many people it’s a big day yet again for avoiding homelessness, finding food for the kids and staying warm.
There’s a website called War on Welfare that records the DWP experiences of ordinary vulnerable people. Here’s one:
I’ve been waiting for an ESA home appointment since February, finally got a letter stating I will be seen at home, during this period I had no housing benefits for 3 months, I brought a tent, was worried I would need it, I finally got someone to help with talking to the DWP.
My assessor was really rude (someone else’s words), but not half as bad as it had been, still having suicidal thoughts (I have physical problems, that’s a new thing).
It’s November and only just got a home appointment.
There are so many things in my home that need changing or fixing, I don’t want to hire someone until I’m sure I can continue to pay them, so everything is a mess.
I need more help than I am getting and getting it is a huge barrier.
Incompetent Brexit negotiation is only a minor reason for getting rid of this government.
