A quick fact-check on common deceits and myths propagated by Rejoiners
ruse
/ru:z/
action intended to deceive someone; a trick.
“Michael Heseltine tried very, very hard to come up with a ruse that would convince people Brexit was naughty.”
Similar: ploy / trick / dodge / red herring / subterfuge / wheeze
The very well-funded Rejoiner campaign is not letting up. There is a great activity on social media, much of it coordinated, trying to convince the British public their every woe is caused by Brexit. It is all utter nonsense.
Of course, there are economic challenges — when has it ever been different? But the blaming of Brexit is beyond a joke. I, therefore, thought we would have a bit of a giggle by taking just three of them and quickly putting them to bed. It could have been more — so I may come back to you in due course.
Rejoiner Ruse №1 — Brexit is causing high energy prices
Spot energy prices for MWh for delivery on 25.01.2022, in pounds sterling
- UK £229.10
- Netherlands £231.64
- Belgium £243.52
- France £246.81
- Austria £248.27
- Germany £248.67
[Source: EPEXSPOT.com — Part of the EEX Group ]
There are many EU countries that have higher energy prices. This is due to the different factors that drive energy costs — the type of climate, the current weather in different parts of Europe, the type of systems used to generate electricity, the existence of external sources via interconnectors, the international prices for gas (or coal etc), the amount of storage available (especially gas). These factors have developed over decades through political decisions and are not governed by Brexit.
Good or bad decisions will have been and will be made about energy sourcing but Brexit is not the factor here — only adherence to a one-size-fits-all EU climate policy would be a constraint — and we no longer have that limitation.
Is that a slight smile I see on your face?
Rejoiner Ruse №2 — Brexit is causing price inflation thanks to shortages of foods and other commodities
Annual inflation rates (%) as of December 2021
[Sources: Eurostat / ONS]
The UK sits in the middle of EU inflation rates (average of 5.3%), with thirteen countries below the UK and 14 the same or above it. I think this kind of suggests it is not a relevant factor for causing UK price inflation out of step with EU inflation rates.
Rejoiner Ruse №3 — The UK will be adrift and isolated having no influence on the world stage — the US will go directly to the EU to influence events??
Let’s just take the situation in Ukraine. The UK has supported the cause of Ukrainian sovereignty diplomatically and made available supplies of anti-tank missiles delivered by airlift. These had to fly north of Germany over the Baltic before flying south through Poland to reach Ukraine — rather than directly across and over German airspace — reflecting the difficulties in gaining German ‘consent’ from its NATO ally.
Furthermore, The UK has been given command of NATO’s naval missions in the Baltic, North Sea and the Mediterranean — directly observing and confronting growing hostility from Russia.
- The lead vessel for the mission will be the UK’s latest flagship aircraft carrier, the HMS Queen Elizabeth.”
Meanwhile, the EU was excluded from taking part in NATO talks with Russia, which took place in Brussels this week, something that is an “added bonus” we don’t need amateurs meddling in serious matters.
That they have been excluded demonstrated that “yet again, the EU is not a serious player when it comes to international security and foreign policy” and that the UK is.
What they’re now saying internationally
“I was against Brexit but it’s interesting that some of the same people who predicted Brexit would lead to a Britain less relevant in global affairs are today deriding the Johnson government for playing a muscular role in the Ukraine crisis.”
- Ryan Evans, founder of ‘War on The Rocks’, the influential national security website, tweeting Sun 23 Jan 2022
“As bad as Brexit has been, (sic) I fully admit that a significant upside is that the UK can act swiftly in foreign affairs including Ukraine rather than being dragged into endless EU waffle. No doubt this has been noticed in Washington.”
- Anthony Gardner, former US Ambassador to the EU (under President Obama), quoted in Daily Telegraph, Sun 23 Jan 2022
It is now generally acknowledged that Germany is unwilling to help Ukraine militarily and that the EU position is confused and unclear as a result. Had the UK still been in the EU our foreign policy posture would have had to operate within this EU straight-jacket? Now, in the US, former critics of Brexit who dismissed Britain, as a result, are recognising the UK is the dependable ally — not Germany or the EU.
It does not matter if it’s British influence, the British economy, British education or Britain’s weather — the self-loathing pessimism of those who have still not got over the outcome of the British people’s biggest ever democratic decision will keep looking under a stone to find something to blame Brexit on. It’s really sad that they cannot get over it but they do harm by perpetuating their myths, so we see it as only right to show regularly they are wrong.
So many falsehoods are there that I thought today I would actually cover a hat-trick of the sort of Rejoiner Ruses that are currently being put about — Brexit causing high energy prices, Brexit causing inflation and Brexit weakening Britain’s international influence.
Their appearance is no coincidence. There is a great deal of funding from corporate interests and the EU itself — and I can see the adverts for the recruitment (on healthy salaries) of people to run campaigns to get us back into the EU.
So I explain here how Brexit has nothing to do with the current energy and inflation prices and how British influence is actually already being reassessed in the light of the EU’s failure to have a clear position over Ukraine. I have previously published reports on similar topics such as British influence in university teaching and shown many economic rankings that show the UK punching above its weight. Of course, we shall have problems to solve, but it is my belief we are better able to address them by working in our own interests and making partnerships to deal with those, rather than having a cumbersome undemocratic institution that wishes to become a superstate and phase out such things as British interests. I hope you agree and now have a nice smile on all your faces.
Sources: epexspot.com / Eurostat / ONS / Daily
