Greetings.

EU Mythbusters

Whilst the EU is far from perfect, our politicians’ continued misdirection and blaming of the EU for things our own government(s) were responsible for is, to my mind, criminally negligent. From illegal immigration to human rights laws, to fishing quotas to corporation tax enforcement - our own government could have - and should have - taken responsibility.I’d forgotten how many people have been misled about the EU, so here’s a few things I’ve put together from the various facts I’ve had knocking around my head over the past couple of years, and typed out last night in a discussion with some pro-Brexit friends on Facebook:

1. We were party to the construction of the rules and options that were reinforced and laid out for simpletons by the EU last year for the UK’s benefit to allow a more rapid process. All the government had to do was to model the options and pick the one that worked best. I can understand why the EU leaders were frustrated. This is what was presented in Dec 2017 as an encapsulation and reminder of what the options are:

I don’t think that the EU is perfect by any means. But our government (including the opposition) have behaved with a dangerous combination of arrogance and ignorance, despite having know this for years.

2. It’s disingenuous of JRM, Davis & co to talk about WTO like it’s a done deal.

We’ll end up with imposition of tariffs on trade with the EU that would increase costs for both UK importers/exporters and therefore affect consumers. The average EU tariff rate is low – around 1.5%.

At a sectoral level, the impacts would be much larger - for cars and car parts the tariff rate is 10%.

As most UK-based car production is exported, and uses imported parts, the impacts would be magnified - higher costs all round with impacts on not just prices, but hubs thought the value-chain.

The impacts would also be large on agriculture, where EU tariffs and quotas remain high; this would result in significant food price inflation for British consumers.

But it’s the Will of the People, right? And damn the opinions of those who understand economics. 

3. The world won’t end. But we’ll be worse off for no good reason.

• We already had control of the borders. We weren’t part of the Shengen Area. Our main Border was IN FRANCE. We just had inept governments.
• We had our own laws. ECJ is an escalation-point. 
• We had elected MEPs representing our interests. (Mostly poorly.)
• We got more out of the EU than we put in.
• We had the best deal of all the countries in the EU.
• Immigrant labour was allowed by successive governments to undercut indigenous labour – zero reinforcement of minimum wages.

But the nation was seduced by (what is now proven to be illegal) campaigning unsung misdirection and lies, compounded by a ridiculous inability of the Remain camp to spell out the facts, a Conservative Party’s desire for party unity over the interests of the country, and a Labour Party run by clowns.

But it is telling that the architects and supporters of Brexit are moving assets into the EU already – e.g. Rees Mogg’s investment company relocating to Ireland, Dyson moving manufacturing to Asia, Lawson becoming a French citizen, Aaron Banks offshore assets… And not forgetting the proprietors of the most rabidly anti-EU press’s financial arrangements… The list goes on…

So. Optimism… I AM optimistic that there are some smart people in the UK who can find new opportunities to do something good in sub-optimal circumstances. But it’ll be a long time fefore those folk will be able to share the wealth.

4. On ‘unelected officials’ (the biggest myth touted by the pro-Brexiteers): The European Parliament consists of about 750 elected MEPs, each country having a proportionally elected number. (Unfortunately, we kept electing lazy idiots who may have failed to represent our best interests - like Farage, who couldn’t be arsed to vote on things like fishing quotas. I think we have over 70 elected MEPs.) 

There are 28 unelected European Commissioners - one for each member - who are civil servants - and just like in the UK, are unelected. This is why my hackles rise when folk say that the EP is made of unelected officials.

That said, with the rise of populism from Italy to Sweden, I suspect the EU will eventually come apart over the next ten years. 

One man’s idiocracy is perhaps another man’s democracy. Our collective inability to be informed’ or take interest (across all of Europe) has led to this. (Do you remember voting for your MEPs? Do you know who they are? Did you ever write to them about your concerns about immigration, CAP or fishing quotas?)

The European Commission can only propose EU laws in areas where the UK government and the House of Commons has allowed it to do so.

5. Schengen: we’re NOT in the Schengen Area. See above re. European Commission can only propose EU laws in areas where the UK government and the House of Commons has allowed it to do so.

Whilst the EU is far from perfect, our politicians’ continued misdirection and blaming of the EU for things our own government(s) were responsible for is, to my mind, criminally negligent. From illegal immigration to human rights laws, to fishing quotas to corporation tax enforcement - our own government could have - and should have - taken responsibility.

Those other bikes I test-rode:

Ducati Monster 851: (I had an original Monster when they first came out.) Felt like a Monster to sit on. After that, it didn’t have any character like the old ones. Too smooth, too sophisticated. Felt Japanese. Probably lovely if you’re new to bikes.

Triumph Street Triple: Lithe. Quick. Slick. Really liked it. Would’ve bought it if I hadn’t ridden the KTM as well; and with lots less in the way of computer trickery than the KTM. Might be a benefit in the long run.

Yamaha MT07: The best expression of the Transformers aesthetic. And it rides really nicely, too. But not as nice or characterful (suited to hooliganism) as the Street Triple.

BMW K1300R: A wild-card. It was the only second-hand bike I test-rode, but I had to give it a go, even if it didn’t meet my downsizing criteria. Because it’s bonkers in a disciplined BMW way. Brilliantly built and ergonomically lovely (apart from weirdo switch-gear). But she’s a big girl, and I’ve had plenty of ‘em in recent years. Gave it serious consideration for five minutes. Which is four minutes and thirty seconds longer than I should have.