Albeit reluctantly and not entirely unequivocally it has to be said. Farage mentions first certain arguments of the "sudden exit" advocates, I guess in order to try to appease them, but he certainly acknowledges that Article 50 is "the law of the land". (1st question in):
...the one problem is this, that under the current treaties (under the Lisbon Treaty) the only mechanism by which we can withdrawal is Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.
Now A50 can be cited to renegotiate a relationship or to lead through to a divorce that takes 2 years. I have difficulty … recognising the legitimacy of A50 because it’s part of a Treaty that should have been put to a referendum that was actually bullied through Parliament…However I have to accept that it is the law of the land.
And I would say this if legally what we have to do is to enter into full divorce proceedings by using the legal article of that treaty we will do so in an open and amicable spirit…Incidentally what he said is not far removed from the email I received from Tim Aker the contents of which I was not allowed to make public.
hattip: JO on eureferendum forum
Had to laugh at the first minute where the chairman first confidently refuses a question from the floor and then after a moment's thought decides he had better ask the Leader just in case!
ReplyDeleteIf he is the chair then the decision was his alone. Perhaps suggests that others aren't used to being in charge of anything in UKIP?
I hadn't spotted that :-) Good point...
DeleteThat was in regard to the Bloom decision which was made by Steve Crowther, he just wasn't sure whether Nigel wanted to talk about it... I can confirm that Nigel was rather peeved having been grilled for most of the day by the press.
DeleteSo there was some actual news from that conference then.
ReplyDeleteAye, so it appears...
DeleteWell, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. I guess this is good news!?
ReplyDeleteI hope so...
DeleteJust perhaps yourself, Richard, AutonomousMind etc., have finally influenced the UKIP leadership after all.
ReplyDeleteI'm still battling away on the members forum trying to get the message across, but even now in spite of what Farage said, there are so many still advocating UDI
Thanks Sean, you maybe right about influencing the leadership...but obviously it's impossible to say.
ReplyDeleteThe crucial point is, Farage has now basically accepted it...those who oppose it now have to oppose official party policy. Let the fun begin... :-)
Make no mistake, Farage breaking cover to give a definitive answer to the Article 50 question is a major step forward. I know UKIP were taking soundings on this issue from specialist lawyers and now we can see the result of the counsel.
ReplyDeleteThis, as you say TBF, puts the likes of Batten, Mote, Congdon, Dick-Erikson, Atkinson and Francis on the wrong side of party policy.
This is a big shift towards a cohesive approach that can neuter corporate oppositon to Brexit masquerading as concern for trade outcomes. An Article 50 negotiation enables the UK to secure access to markets for businesses. A deal on that strikes out the rationale for opposition to Brexit by BNE, the CBI and other Tory proxies.
Of course they will now resort to FUD on what deal can be achieved, but if market access is unchanged - and Digby Jones reckons a deal would be done in 24 hours (snigger) because the EU members want access to the UK - then business will be unaffected by Brexit. Then many people whose primary concern is economic will stop worrying about leaving the union.
Completely agree AM. For me hearing Farage give a definitive answer rather than a 'sit-on-the-fence' one stunned me to the extent that the significance of it has taken time to sink in.
DeleteTBF. Is Farage's declaration such a big deal?
ReplyDeleteThe whole issue is at this time so remote and hypothetical that Article 50 need not, indeed cannot, register as a real factor in terms of actual policy making for many years to come on current
trends of political thinking at Westminster.
First, if Cameron remains in power at the next GE there has to come the absurd "re-negotiation" of powers back to the member states. This followed by the agreement or rejection by all other member states (on the mistaken assumption that any worth- while powers will be returned).
Then the outcome (if any!) would have to be put to a British electorate at some point before the GE following 2015. Then the possibility of a national referendum based on that outcome, followed by the all important political decision to actually invoke Art. 50 in order to start the process.
The 'imponderables', plus the sheer time scale involved, and the known refusal by successive government to actually allow a real in/Out referendum would I think shove Art 50 into the ' this year, next year, some time never' category.
Nothing to get too excited about is there?
Yes. It's got the makings of a strategy which will disarm the 3 million jobs baloney and make leaving the EU not look like a huge step into the unknown.
DeleteThere will be a referendum to win and public opinion to be brought round and solidified. The desire to leave the EU is nowhere near rock solid yet.
It is a big deal yes. Not only does UKIP now have a coherent policy on exit - despite bizarrely not having one for years - but it's one that largely negates the fear of the unknown particularly in economic terms. It's also a strategy that shows up the duplicity of the thinking of those in Westminster - offering a real solution to repatriating powers.
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