What can a Leave voter do to expedite our departure from the EU?

Many who write into this site are keen to leave the EU. They often write in condemning  most of the current elected politicians, and either make no positive suggestions on what to do or ask Parliament or the Conservative party  to do things for which there is no majority. Today I would like to make a suggestion. In a Parliamentary democracy it is of course the prime duty of elected people to lead the debate and to make the  decisions only Parliament and Councils can make, but it is also crucial to a successful democracy that the public are engaged and public opinion is  an important part of the democratic process.

The first thing all Conservative supporters can do is to reply to the letter they have received from the Prime Minister. They could make clear to her that the draft Withdrawal Agreement and the Chequers style Future Partnership do not give us back control of our laws, our borders and our money as required by the majority in the referendum vote, as they tell me on this site. They should urge her to move on from the Chequers proposal, which the EU does not accept anyway. She should now table a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement and complete preparations for leaving on WTO terms with no Withdrawal Agreement. She should make this clear to the EU that that is now the UK’s intention.

Anyone with a vote in the UK can also write to their own MP and stress to them they find the Chequers proposals and draft Withdrawal Agreement unacceptable, and urge them to oppose them. If the MP has already stated their opposition you could even write to them and offer  support for the stance they have taken.

Anyone can also let the media know by ringing phone ins, writing letters to papers and putting out messages on social media that they oppose Chequers and oppose the draft Withdrawal Agreement. The people made this wise decision to leave. The people now have to help deliver it in the face of opposition from some in  big business, Parliament and the civil service. The opponents of Brexit  need to be reminded the people meant their decision and intend it to happen in a timely and positive way.

188 Comments

  1. Fedupsoutherner
    August 12, 2018

    I only said this to my husband last night John. Our MP is Conservative and we will certainly be writing in light of your post today. It is often a good idea to set a certain day for people to bombard the newspapers with letters too. I think letters are better than emails to your MP but maybe both and see if we can flood their in boxes.

    1. G Wilson
      August 12, 2018

      Writing to MPs would be a great idea if they were acting in good faith.

      It’s now obvious the majority are not doing so.

      Most have just been elected on manifestos promising to get us out of the EU. Yet, as the post above makes clear, there is “no majority” for doing so. Current MPs have no interest in representing us.

      1. Richard Elsy
        August 12, 2018

        My MP, Conservative in a marginal seat, is an erstwhile Remainer who now advocates the EFTA route. I’ve offered him the gist of David Davis’ paper which is the corpus of EU FTAs, including those with Canada, Japan and South Korea, with which, under WTO MFN terms the UK is not facing the much feared ‘cliff-edge’. I suspect he’s moving off the fence after some years as back-bench lobby fodder, but I’m not sure that I trust him to defy Mme May. Given the remarkably stupid attack on Boris Johnson, I doubt if any MP could be allowed to feel safe.

        1. Denis Cooper
          August 13, 2018

          In case he assumes that EFTA is still based on the 1960 Stockholm Convention to which we were a founding party you could send him this summary of the changes made by the 2001 Vaduz Convention, my CAPITALS for emphasis:

          http://www.efta.int/legal-texts/efta-convention/detailed-overview-of-the-efta-convention

          “THE UPDATED EFTA CONVENTION, THE VADUZ CONVENTION, was signed on 21 June 2001 and entered into force on 1 June 2002, in parallel with the EU-Swiss Bilateral Agreements. It included several significant changes, of which the most important was the INTEGRATION OF THE PRINCIPLES AND RULES ESTABLISHED BETWEEN THE EU AND THE EEA EFTA STATES IN THE EEA AGREEMENT, and between the EU and Switzerland in the EU-Swiss Bilateral Agreements. Important new provisions included the FREE MOVEMENT OF PERSONS, trade in services, movement of capital and protection of intellectual property.”

          Sometimes people talk about “rejoining” EFTA, but EFTA now is not the same as the EFTA we left in 1973.

    2. Peter
      August 12, 2018

      It is certainly an important topic and one that should have been addressed earlier. My local MP is now Liberal Democrat thanks to May’s disastrous snap election. The previous Conservative was Remain, but a decent man who listened to constituents. Writing to newspapers etc does help increase the presence and volume of the Leave argument. Whether it will be ignored remains to be seen. Better to keep on fighting than simply moan and do nothing though.

    3. Hope
      August 12, 2018

      JR, I have already written to mine twice I nowwanted intend to visit him as he is advocating EEA in his reply.

      Your advice absolves the responsibility of MPs in this matter. You should all submit letters to force a leadership challenge. May said she will stay as long as she is wanted. Show her she is not wanted. The public from every political affiliation will support you. Make complaints about May and Raab to the Tory party for misconduct in public office and breach of ministerial code for being untruthful and making false statements. Force May to admit she gave and sought permission from Merkel on her white paper before cabinet and parliament. Make a complaint she failed collegiate cabinet and undermined Davis and his department contrary to what she promised. The same applies to the civil service dishonest KitKat policy. Out May and the service on this matter. It is contrary to the Nolan standards in public life.

      Distribute Lawyers for abritain advice about May’s White paper and Withdrawal Agreement.

      MPs like you JRM, Nadine Dorries, David Davis, Steve Baker etc write as many articles in newspapers to criticize and make comaplaints against May and Hammond. Apply pressure for Fox, Leadsom, Maudant, McVey and Raab to resign from government. You might get lucky careerist like Javid might see the writing on the wall, he always puts his career first.

      1. All 70,000 members of the Tory party need to resign as a matter of national conscience- contrary to JRM advising to join.
      2. Everyone write to the local Tory association chairman as you indicate and inform them how you will campaign for the party that will oust its Tory MP or councillor.
      3. Join UKIP to show the strength of feeling.
      4. A high profile Tory crowd fund for Brexit means Brexit to make legal challenges against May’s proposals.

      When you, JRM, Johnson, Dorries and others show leadership within your own party then others will follow.

      When you write ‘there’s gratitude for you’ like a petutlent child. You must also accept your failure to act against May and prevent her getting into office in the first place. You failed to act against her aflorence speech when she got help from the EU to edit/ write it, her capitualtion Mansion House speech her underhand action in December. How many warning signs did you need? Did you think the lack of censure against Hammond, Hunt, Grieve, Clarke, Soubry and HoL was a coincidence? FFS Grieve made a veiled threat to collapse the govt and Soubry hailed him as a hero! Not a murmur from May yet we were told and read May made private assurance to them. We even read the S Hammond email in Guido which should have seen him and those concerned lose the whip at least or discipline action.

    4. Marjorie Baylis
      August 12, 2018

      I have been contacted by many members of my own county about this and I have recommended that they all write back to her, which I did care of 10 Downing Street, London, SW1A 2AA.

      Whilst we are it, JRM gave out a number in the Daily Telegraph yesterday to report hate crimes “Conservative Party’s “hotline”, which anyone may call on (020) 7984 8050 ”

      Which I suggest we could all do to give concern about the way Boris is being treated.

    5. Leslie Singleton
      August 12, 2018

      Dear Fedup–Super letter in pole position in the S. Tel. today from President of a Conservative Assocn. Embarrassing and humiliating are very good descriptions of what Mrs May has done to us–along with her personally being unconvincing, uninspiring, deceitful, and lacking a scintilla of charisma not to mention being just plain wrong on everything–including cosying up to Brussels on Iran. Verily she has to go –the sooner the better and by fair means or foul.

    6. Peter
      August 12, 2018

      Contacting the local Conservative Association could also be worthwhile. Find out if they cover National politics and, if so, whether they have taken a branch view on how Brexit is being handled.

      New subscriptions are usually welcome. If they tow the official line then don’t bother joining and let them know why.

    7. Deanne Santini
      August 13, 2018

      This is my letter to my MP

      Dear Nicholas Soames,

      Over two years ago, 52 per cent of people voted to leave the EU and take back control of our money and our borders. It is very clear that the Prime Minister’s Chequers deal does not deliver this.

      The deal would result in us having no real control over who comes into our country, unable to make our own trade arrangements and still subject to European laws.

      I ask that you respect the referendum result and tell the Prime Minister to bin the Chequers deal before it’s too late.

      I look forward to reading about the action you take to deliver full Brexit.

      Yours sincerely,

      Kind Regards

      Deanne

  2. eeyore
    August 12, 2018

    Excellent advice from our host. In our democracy victory goes to those who shout the loudest. Remain has very loud voices on its side, in Parliament, broadcasting, education and so on. They must be outshouted.

    Now here (for the third time) is my suggestion for JR, Boris and their colleagues. Set up a mass Leave organisation. Crowd-fund it via the internet. Aim for a membership of millions. And do it now. There’s not a moment to waste.

    1. Tenko
      August 12, 2018

      A mass Leave organisation? Didn’t,t you even notice, Leave WON! Parliament is already your mass Leave organisation! It,s not going well because all Leave,s promises were totally unrealistic – as we are now seeing, on a daily basis

      1. Colin
        August 12, 2018

        Unfortunately Tenko, Parliament is NOT our mass Leave organisation. The country voted for Leave but our representatives in Parliament are not all singing from the same hymn sheet.

        Our good host JR is, I am pleased to say, 100% for Brexit but due to a lack of proportional representation confounded by constituency border anomalies and a number of obstinate MPs who refuse to follow their members voting we seem to have a minority in Parliament for support of Brexit.

        Unless Mrs May plays our cards right there is likely to be a very messy outcome before next spring is over.

        I still feel that after any referendum, particularly one as clearly defined as the 2016 one was, Parliament should pursue the outcome in total obeyance of the vote, and YES of course we KNEW what we were voting for!

    2. Denis Cooper
      August 12, 2018

      Remain still has many voices in government and the civil service. Given that there are so few and generally feeble attempts to defend the official government policy against the flood of black propaganda one could wonder what is its real policy.

    3. Adam
      August 12, 2018

      It would be an efficient way of generating a large sum of money, which could itself be used on communicating key messages. However, some Remainer businesses might counter with higher expenditure against.

      Joining a Eurosceptic party would also be effective yet doing so might attract fewer people & the joining fee admin would consume some of the value.

  3. Denis Cooper
    August 12, 2018

    I am not a Conservative member, my MP is Theresa May herself, thanks to her perfidy I have been obliged to resume writing letters to newspapers but now with very little success outside our own local paper; however the other move which you have neglected to recommend, JR, is that I have rejoined UKIP. I do not expect that she will stand at the next election – she will be found some cushy number, perhaps some international role – and so she personally may be invulnerable to threats of electoral defeat, however her local party members have something to lose insofar as they would like to keep the Maidenhead seat after she has gone. If the Tories are going to behave like the Liberal Democrats but with even more treachery and deceit and hypocrisy then we might as well let the real Liberal Democrats have this seat, they came within 3000 votes of winning it in 2001 and UKIP could do a lot to make sure that they won it at the next general election.

    1. Ian wragg
      August 12, 2018

      Denis I too have rejoined UKIP as have many friends.
      I have read various bits of the withdrawal agreement is and Chequers paper to realise that in not a single area do we actually leave the EU.
      Every competences defers in one way or another back to EU regulations.
      Even the CFP and CAP are ultimately ruled by EU regs.
      May is a downright lier and Lawyers for Britain are demolishing her claims wholesale.

    2. fedupsoutherner
      August 12, 2018

      Denis. I’ve rejoined UKIP too. I only voted Conservative last time because Mrs May promised to deliver Brexit. That was a lie. I am not prepared to vote for Labour, Conservative or Libs as that would be a pat on the back for them and signal that we were happy with their stance on Brexit. Well, I’m not. I’m not happy with any of them. Why vote for them? I’m voting UKIP next time as I feel things could not be any worse than they are now and they want to get us out of the EU. Voting for them might just make us feel that we voted Conservative as their policies are similar to old style Conservative policies which the current government have left behind.

      1. Bob
        August 12, 2018

        As a bonus, ukip’s manifesto will include abolition of the BBC Licence Fee.
        Many people don’t realise what a profound impact that will have on the Deep State, so expect the BBC & chums to lash out against us.

        1. JoolsB
          August 13, 2018

          And a cut in the arbitrary budget giving our hard earned cash to only those truly in need. And the icing on the cake as far I’m concerned is they will also give England equality with the rest of the UK, ie. an English Parliament and end the skewed Barnett Formula, something to their eternal shame the Tories refuse to do.

          1. JoolsB
            August 13, 2018

            That should have said arbitrary aid budget.

      2. graham1946
        August 13, 2018

        Just shows what the parties are like. Time was when we voted for things to get better. Now we vote because things could not be any worse. What a shower!

    3. Lifelogic
      August 12, 2018

      Indeed but they are behaving far worse than the Libdems. At least the Libdems admit that they are wrong on every issue. They are Pro remain, anti-democratic, fully of green crap, want higher taxes, more regulation of everything, an even bigger government and the dire monopoly NHS/ state education/BBC to continue as is. The current conservatives (and Cameron/Osborne before May/Hammond) pretend to be Real Conservatives at elections when they are really Libdims (at best) once elected.

    4. Anonymous
      August 12, 2018

      She has allowed herself to become involved in a push to disqualify a leading Leave politician from leadership.

      The use of robust language has never been a disqualifier when it comes to calling us fruitcakes and loons (Cameron) or joking about a certain sex act (Soubry) but both were in the cause of Remain so that’s OK then.

      What has been highlighted is that one culture is taken more seriously than others and that Remain will support female oppression when it helps their cause.

    5. Adam
      August 12, 2018

      Eurosceptic MPs favour Brexit. Extreme Europhile MPs are probably rigid beyond sensible reach.

      The main target audience is, therefore:

      – MPs who are open-minded & more likely to be convinced to switch their allegiance to favour Brexit.

      – MPs in a marginal constituency. (who risk seat loss)

      – MPs who tend to vote in favour of Remain, but whose constituency voted higher in favour of Brexit. (who can be exposed for opposing their own supporters)

  4. Mike Stallard
    August 12, 2018

    Mr Redwood – personal question: Have you read the Advice to Stakeholders produced by the EU?
    I think you should.

    If anyone would like a shortened copy (reading through the original cost me 10 hours’ work) of just 20 pages, then please e mail me on stallardmike59@gmail.com

    If anyone would also like to see what the EEA agreement looks like from another shortened form (11 pages – this one was just 5 hours’ work) just ask.

    Both (obviously) are free. Be nice, I am trying to help.

    1. Tim Morris
      August 12, 2018

      Mike, we are leaving. Why should anyone in Britain care what the EU has to say in its precious Advice? And the EEA is just the EU, but with no say

    2. Know-Dice
      August 12, 2018

      Being nice 🙂

      Would the other current EEA members allow the UK to join?

      Has anyone asked them?

    3. Denis Cooper
      August 12, 2018

      And here’s some help for you, even if we were foolish enough to want it:

      http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2018/08/06/more-lies-about-second-referendums/#comment-952927

      “… we have no unilateral right either to join EFTA, or to stay in the EEA by any other means … On the other hand, we are already a party to the WTO treaties and neither the EU nor any of the EU member states can take that away from us, we do not have to plead and supplicate and beg for their agreement.”

    4. Leslie Singleton
      August 12, 2018

      Dear Mike–One doesn’t get marks for trying, one gets marks for succeeding

    5. acorn
      August 12, 2018

      I assume you mean “Notice to Stakeholders” that are published on the EU’s “Preparedness Notices” website? If you read all those, you would never ever leave the EU!

      BTW. I reckon Mrs May is being very well advised. I am convinced she is manoeuvring to get the populace to demand a second referendum. She will use the noise from the Brexiteers in her Party, to declare there is an “overwhelming” desire from the citizens to have the final say and that she, as Pm, has to respect that.

      You will have seen today, that the populace are getting fed up with the Brexit saga and pollsters are claiming there is now a remain majority out there. Mrs May can have a few bevies tonight and say to hubby; don’t you just love it when a plan comes together.

      I want the next (3rd) EU referendum to be conducted on Westminster MP Constituencies, NOT local government Districts. That way, MPs can be directly held to account by their voters. They got away with it last time, didn’t they JR.

      1. Anonymous
        August 12, 2018

        Operation Fear is moving quickly to Operation Make the Public think Brexit Reversal was Their Idea.

      2. Edward2
        August 12, 2018

        Presumably acorn, the question you want in this next referendum is :-
        A) Do you want to leave the EU as decided in the last referendum, with the deal which has been accepted by both the UK and the EU or
        B) Do you want to leave the EU as decided in the last referendum, without a deal.

        1. acorn
          August 13, 2018

          Winston Churchill once said to a woman berating him for changing his position, “When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, madam?”

          The voters have lately discovered that there was a load more deceit and duping inside the big red bus than the one bit on the outside.

          1. Edward2
            August 13, 2018

            The facts have not changed.
            We voted to leave the EU.
            The Prime Minister told me “The decision is yours, we will carry out that decision”

            The bus is a remainer red herring.

            I note no actual reply to my post.

          2. hans christian ivers
            August 13, 2018

            Edward”,

            In mot instances it is not worth while answering your e-mails I am afraid

          3. Edward2
            August 13, 2018

            hans
            Unnecessary comment.

  5. Student
    August 12, 2018

    This is a good post. I think conservatives often are too mute in voicing their opinions relative to their opponents, but especially leave voting conservatives. Particularly amongst students there is a militant opposition to anyone that voted leave and a no-platforming/racist-calling of anyone that did.

    I myself will try to follow the thoughts laid out in this post better. All I can say in return is that, somehow, May needs to be removed as a matter of urgency. Her present prime goal is to negotiate Brexit, and I think we can all agree that she cannot do a good job of that. We can’t assume a renegotiation at some later point is possible. It should be now or never. Remove May, appoint a visionary and let’s make the most of this situation and see where it takes us while we still can.

  6. TedC
    August 12, 2018

    No- I’m afraid I can’t agree- when I voted, I voted to leave, there was nothing on the ballot paper about taking back control of anything, or about going with WTO rules? if it was implied in the pre-referendum debates and information then that is not good enough..too many of us voted for our own reasons like immigration, 350 on the side of a bus? and so the result was not clear- and is still not clear.

    Problem is that even after two years serious debate not even one of our conservative political leaders has come up with a credible alternative plan for moving ahead, not Liam Fox, not DD, not IDS, not Rees Mogg, not yourself, nobody- only sloganeering? – and Corbyn Labour types are going around with their heads stuck in the sand.. it’s not good enough

    1. Red Miller
      August 12, 2018

      I voted to leave, I did not vote to replace the EUburocrats with the WTO burocrats. Mr Redwood, would you kindly stop saying we should trade on WTO terms. That is NOT what we voted for. We should trade on BRITISH TERMS

      1. Denis Cooper
        August 13, 2018

        I don’t suppose that was what you voted for, even if you had a vote to cast.

    2. Jagman84
      August 12, 2018

      Lord Lawson, when asked what the alternative to being in the EU was, said “NOT being in the EU!” None of the plans put forward, so far, have come close to accepting this. Mr Stallard’s obsession with the EEA would take us back to a pre-Maastricht scenario but still with freedom of movement for “workers” and interference from the EU, via the ECJ. Extensively, still in the EU!

      1. Denis Cooper
        August 13, 2018

        Freedom of movement for “persons” in general, not just “workers”, according to Article 3 of the 1957 Treaty of Rome.

    3. X
      August 12, 2018

      You have made quite a good Devil’s Advocate case as a Right -Wing Labour supporter yet somehow a Leaver, who slowly but slowly has convinced himself that top Leavers were in fact telling lies and the best thing to do now, without stating the conclusion is to stay in the EU. Bravo! A good effort!
      Now, what is and was your true position? I’m asking rhetorically of course because your writing is as transparent as a freshly cleaned window pane embossed with Remoaner…

  7. stred
    August 12, 2018

    In other words, May should do what David Davis and Steve Baker were doing, while she was sending Robbins around to find out what his opposite numbers in the Commission would like and prepare the worst deal possible, as suggested by the ‘insurgents’ such as Clegg and others, when being entertained by Herr Junker and M.Barnier.

    Perhaps local Conservative Associations could arrange a meeting with members and let them know what will be awaiting them at the conference and at a general election if they keep lying on behalf of their leader.

  8. stred
    August 12, 2018

    member= MPs

  9. Tenko
    August 12, 2018

    You keep saying the UK should table a comprehensive free trade agreement. But you never produce one, not even one paragraph. But you don’t do detail do you. You only do airy-fairy posturing, of no relevance to the real world of integrated cross border production lines. You have no real plan. And that is why Brexit is failing.

    Reply Table the Canada deal, inserting UK in place of Canada

    1. Timon of Athens
      August 12, 2018

      Oops, you obviously never read the Canada deal. It doesn’t cover services, the backbone of the UK economy. There is nothing comprehensive about the Canada deal. But thank you for your reply Mr Redwood – when you TRY to provide detail, you fall flat on your face. That is Brexit in a nutshell!

      Reply Nor does the so called single market provide a free market in many services!

      1. David Price
        August 13, 2018

        @Timon – Wrong, CETA has specific provision for Financial Services although not necessarily adequate given the pre-eminence of finacial service in the UK currently as discussed by David Bannerman in his SuperCanada proposals and his handy dandy comparison guide of February this year.

        Sections 5 and 6 of the unpublished DexEU Canada ++ proposal specifically addresses services.

        I find it very hard to believe you, and Tenko for that matter, not aware of these and other brexit proposals from a range of groups.

    2. Denis Cooper
      August 12, 2018

      JR, I would seriously question whether it is worth even bothering with the Canada deal, or indeed any similar deal such as TTIP, at least for the moment.

      How much will Canada actually gain from that special or preferential trade deal with the EU, compared to its present trading relationship founded on the WTO treaties, albeit no doubt with various ancillary administrative agreements?

      http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2017/11/26/the-irish-border-with-northern-ireland/#comment-903362

      “According to the EU reference given above, “Canada is estimated to see increases ranging from 0.18% to 0.36%”, that is in its GDP, while according to this:

      https://globalnews.ca/news/3420662/ceta-modest-gains-canadian-economy/

      “The parliamentary budget officer released a study Tuesday that estimates the trade deal would have lifted Canada’s overall economic output in 2015 by 0.4 per cent or $7.9 billion, had it been implemented at the time.”

      As with the UK, that small one-off 0.4% enhancement of GDP would be equivalent to the natural growth of the Canadian economy over a matter of some months.”

      While the major disadvantage of seeking a deal like CETA is that we put ourselves at the mercy of the EU: “Please can we have this kind of deal, it will be good for you too, pretty please, look we’ll pay you for it “. In contrast we are not at the mercy of the EU with respect to the WTO treaties because they already exist and are in force, and the EU does not have the power to arbitrarily deprive us of the benefit of those legal provisions. Of course they could still be spiteful and unnecessarily disrupt the administrative and practical arrangements, but not the treaties.

      Moreover CETA itself would not solve the largely fabricated problem of the Irish land border. If Canada had a land border with the Irish Republic then CETA would not obviate the supposed need for checks on goods, any more than it will obviate the need for checks on Canadian imports at EU points of entry.

    3. Lifelogic
      August 12, 2018

      Indeed the Canada deal is fine initially but can then be improved later to mutual benefit.

      1. Gary C
        August 12, 2018

        @ Lifelogic

        This ‘mutual benefit’ you speak of is an interesting concept, unfortunately it would appear to be something the EU fail to understand.

      2. Denis Cooper
        August 13, 2018

        On the official numbers, as shown in my as yet unpublished comment, it is very questionable whether the economic benefits of CETA were worth the time and trouble involved in getting it negotiated let alone ratified. What we need now is a deal which does not involve supplicating the EU for a new treaty, and that deal would be one based on the already existing WTO treaties. Then we can say that we are asking for nothing new, and nor will we be giving the EU anything new just to continue with our existing treaty rights.

    4. Andy
      August 12, 2018

      Canada = hard border in Northern Ireland. This is what you are advocating Mr Redwood?

      1. Denis Cooper
        August 13, 2018

        Canada does not necessarily = hard border in Northern Ireland, but as stated in my as yet unpublished comment “CETA itself would not solve the largely fabricated problem of the Irish land border”. However if the UK government had any common sense it would have declared in late 2017 that it would make no changes at all on our side of the border and pushed the problem back to the EU to solve on its side of the border. Instead we have an unreformed pro-EU Prime Minister who quite gratuitously accepted responsibility for providing a solution, and what a damn stupid solution that turned out to be.

      2. Caterpillar
        August 13, 2018

        Andy,

        A good example of the tail being used to way the dog. On leaving the UK can choose to do what it wants to on its side of the border, it is the Republic that cannot choose due to membership of the EU.

  10. Ahem
    August 12, 2018

    It’s a little late now for mounting political campaigns, am afraid the tide is ebbing away..the sands are shifting..it is written in the stars we will end up with a half in half out deal.like Norway or Switzerland..has to be..we are in the orbit of this huge economic bloc that cannot be ignored and there is much too much at stake, too much uncertainty out there so we’ll just have to park ourselves somewhere for a while.

  11. oldtimer
    August 12, 2018

    Good suggestions. However my MP is Dominic Grieve. Enough said?

    That said I do promote the Leave cause whenever possible.

    1. eeyore
      August 12, 2018

      oldtimer- All the more reason then to write to your MP.

      Others of us have a different problem. Our MPs are Conservative Leave supporters and some (mine among them) have honourably quit their government roles in protest at the Chequers proposals. They certainly deserve our support, but a vote for them would also be a vote for a PM one deplores and policies one detests.

      Any advice?

    2. Nig l
      August 12, 2018

      In an article in the D.T yesterday in which Charles Moore shredded Mrs May ‘the least conversible prime minister of the TV age, the poverty of the language she uses on social cohesion is shocking, as with her approach to Brexit, everything is wrapped officialese’

      He says ‘ that offering a temptation that Conservative members will find irresistible, arch Remainer, Dominic Grieve declared that if Boris became leader of the party, he would leave it.

      Boris, when can you start?

    3. Lifelogic
      August 12, 2018

      Dominic Grieve is, I think, basically quite sensible, intelligent and honourable, alas he is totally deluded over the EU. This despite being a lawyer!

      I see he has a part French mother and attended the Lycée Français.

      1. mancunius
        August 12, 2018

        Sensible? Honourable? A British Member of Parliament clandestinely visiting the London HQ of the Brussels Commission in order to conspire with the Commission to keep Britain chained to the EU with UK taxpayers forced to continue to pay into its coffers – against the decision of the democratic majority in the referendum for which he himself voted.

        As for ‘intelligent’: if self-belief were a proof of ‘intelligence’, his IQ would be stratospheric.

      2. Denis Cooper
        August 13, 2018

        He is not “deluded”, he is a eurofederalist and despite the oaths of allegiance to the Queen that he has taken his primary loyalty is to the EU.

    4. Andy
      August 12, 2018

      My MP is Mr Grieve too! We’re neighbours. Lucky you.

      1. Anonymous
        August 12, 2018

        Beaconsfield. A prosperous and unaffected area.

        1. Anonymous
          August 12, 2018

          …lucky you !

    5. Zoe Carrick
      August 12, 2018

      Yes old-timer, my MP is SNP so he won’t even read or care about my letter. There are only a few Scottish MPs worth voting for in Scotland, including Ross Thomson the Conservative MP for South Aberdeen. I hope their constituents continue to support them despite Ruth Davidson.

    6. mancunius
      August 12, 2018

      Why not tell him exactly what you think of his attitude and behaviour?

      The problem with the Dominic Grieves of this world is their unreflected, impermeable sense of entitlement from cosseted childhood on.

      So as many voters as possible should give him something to think about. Don’t let him get away with murder.

    7. Original Richard
      August 13, 2018

      Mr. Grieve was awarded the Legion d’honneur in 2016 at a ceremony at the French embassy.

  12. Man of Kent
    August 12, 2018

    At referendum time I contributed a four figure sum to Vote Leave .

    I felt I had to do all I could to reverse the direction of the country and become independent again .

    Had Remain won then clearly my donation would have been lost .
    But wonder of wonders Leave won .
    I looked forward to Government carrying out the wishes of the majority .

    The tragedy is that as Boris has pointed out Government hasn’ t even tried.

    I want my money back .
    How do I do it ?

    1. Andy
      August 12, 2018

      The Tory pensioners are investing your Vote Leave contribution turning the M20 into a lorry park. Brexit means traffic chaos in England’s garden – your back garden in fact! And you paid for it. Every time you are stuck in the resulting traffic jams I hope that you enjoy your investment Man of Kent.

      1. Anonymous
        August 12, 2018

        Operation Stack happened whilst in the EU.

      2. Man of Kent
        August 13, 2018

        There will be no holdups on our account .
        Just when there are French port strikes or blockades by fishermen .
        Why should there be any holdups this side ?
        Just come with the right documents.
        If the EU side want to play games by holding up loads on technicalities at say Calais then we will be in a war of tit for tat – who knows how that will end save for the fact the EU has the big trade balance with us !

        You are right about traffic in Kent all the back roads are thick with cars and the odd truck bound for Poland . The result of letting in far too many migrants ,and our pathetic road improvement ‘programme ‘.

    2. Dennis Zoff
      August 13, 2018

      Man of Kent

      Keep your chin up and dare to believe a full Brexit will eventually happen. We can count on the EU ruining the Remainers plan with their abominable intransigence, and of course with such puerile fools as hapless Remoaner Andy in the Remain camp, it is a guarantee the Leavers will succeed.

  13. Steve
    August 12, 2018

    JR

    As you would appreciate the political situation in this country is unprecedented. We have a government in which the majority are dishonouring a referendum and clearly wish to abolish the nation’s independence and sovereignty.

    We have a civil service politically infiltrated and biased in favour of the great sell out.

    For want of better analysis the situation we find ourselves in can really only be compared to a coup.

    Now as you say the will of the people must be included in the democratic ? process.

    My point is this; everyone in government is fully aware that the people want rid of Theresa May. They are fully aware that those who voted leave did not vote for any negotiation / capitulation in the process of leaving. Government knows the people are on brink of snapping and it knows there is potential for anarchy across the country.

    Things could get very nasty.

    Therefore I ask the question; what part of the process you mention ensures the will of the people to have a PM removed from office ?

    As I see it there isn’t one.

    We can write as many letters as we like, talk as much as we like. But ultimately government we elect will just do the hell it likes anyway, which with this corrupt lot is sure to be scrapping our independence.

    They thought we would vote to remain, they were wrong. So plan B was to get their man in No 10, and conduct a campaign of sabotage. It’s blatantly obvious.

    I think the Queen must recognise that there has been a coup via the back door of British government, and have the culprits forcibly removed, or there must be a general election now.

    1. Anonymous
      August 12, 2018

      We’ve moved on to Operation Make the People Think It’s Their Idea to Reverse the Referendum.

      I wish they’d just openly defy it. Not because I’d riot but because I’d respect that more.

    2. Original Richard
      August 13, 2018

      As Mr. Tony Benn said about the joining of the Common Market (later the EU)

      “A coup d’etat by a political class who didn’t believe in popular sovereignty. The power was seized by Parliamentarians, they seized power that didn’t belong to them and used it to take away the rights from those they represented.

      There was no referendum before the signing of subsequent treaties to get our agreement to give away more of our sovereignty.

      Mrs. May is leading another coup d’etat.

  14. Oggy
    August 12, 2018

    Hmm – My constituency voted quite heavily to leave the EU. I have written to my ardent remainer Labour MP several times on this issue – it is obvious from the replies she doesn’t read them fully and I am sent a ‘standard reply’ which probably gets sent to all correspondents writing in about Brexit. Basically the letter quotes the Labour Party stance of ‘a Brexit for jobs’ – in other words staying in the CU. Also at the same time maintaining she accepts the referendum result !

    I wrote to Sir Kier Starmer about Labour respecting the EU referendum result and never got a reply.

    I wrote to the Prime Minister at No. 10 and guess what ? – I never got a reply.

    What’s the point – they are not interested in Joe Publics views.

    1. Tad Davison
      August 12, 2018

      Oggy,

      It is that kind of behaviour that convinces me a lot of members of parliament treat their constituents with contempt. MPs are there to look after their constituents, not see them as fodder to be conned and placated in order to win for themselves lofty positions and pecuniary advancement.

      I give our local Labour (albeit remain) MP one thing, he gets back to me pretty promptly, and that’s because he knows I don’t let matters rest. I have even been able thus far to get him to concede some very significant points on Brexit. Yet in spite of that, I find it impossible to get him to change his voting intention.

      That’s how mad this situation is. We even see it on a regular basis on these pages where remainers are solidly beaten, yet it doesn’t change their obstinacy. But the worst offenders are those who say they absolutely agree with a certain line or principle, then go and do something else entirely.

      Does the name Theresa May ring any bells?

      Tad

  15. David Price
    August 12, 2018

    You are my MP and have my support, I understand that there are constraints involved in the pursuing the art of the possible. Meanwhile I have been looking at other ways to support the process.

    I originally joined the CP after Cameron was elected leader in the hope of having some say in his replacement but was overcome by the smothering effect or raffle ticket requests and not much else so lapsed. The referendum however got me interested in politics and I took a small active part in that process. The subsequent behaviour and revealed attitude of this government and establishment disgusts me so it took a while but I recently rejoined the CP in the hope of having some say in the replacement.

    As a consequence I received the PMs letter on Friday and I am in the processing of replying.

    I have complained to the BBC in the past and it was an utter waste of time. The MSM is part of the eupihilic establishment and resolved to undermine the referendum.

    I also donate to support a few pro-Brexit groups who have far more influence than I, including the excellent Facts4eu who are putting together a “Brexit battlepack” which is intended to suggest effective actions we can take. I encourage people to visit their site and support them.

  16. percy openshaw
    August 12, 2018

    Thank you for this, Mr Redwood. I have made arrangements to discuss these matters with my MP. I’m afraid I threw away Mrs May’s letter in an accession of angry disgust. In any case, to judge by the way she and her team are treating a former foreign secretary I don’t suppose small fry like me would be handled with much care.

    1. Tad Davison
      August 12, 2018

      Never regard yourself as ‘small fry’ Percy, your opinion is worth just as much as anyone else’s. Go to see your MP fully armed with the facts, it frightens them to death to suddenly be faced with people who know what they’re talking about.

      Tad

  17. Gary C
    August 12, 2018

    Done.

  18. Lifelogic
    August 12, 2018

    Indeed they should, but are MPs and this appalling PM actually capable of listening? John Major still went through with Maastricht and destroyed the Tories for three plus terms, this despite clear public opposition.

    We have MPs in places like Bracknell and Mid Sussex who clearly will never listen as they hold voters in total contempt as clearly does Apeaser May and economic illiterate Hammond.

    Plus we still have the appalling propaganda of the BBC. It is still about 10 to 1 remainers to leavers in the BBC at best. This on news discussion programmes, newspaper reviews and the likes.

  19. Alan Jutson
    August 12, 2018

    You are quite right John, the people need to mobilise themselves, because many Mp’s are simply just acting as lobby fodder.

    You are my Mp John, so fortunately I do not have to write to you.

    My comments about Brexit have been read out on Radio Berkshire more than once, and I replied to the Conservative Party when Cameron sent me the £9.4 million Referendum leaflet, pointing out the errors of many statements.

    Happy to write to whoever if it would help, but would Mrs May really take any notice of a non constituent, or should I simply write to the Conservative Party Chairman expressing my views.

  20. Duyfken
    August 12, 2018

    What can a LEAVE Member of Parliament do to … ?

    I have already done several of the things which you suggested JR, and my local (remainer) MP has probably had his fill of my babblings. May I throw the onus back into your court?

    Although you, with many others of the ERG have done much and are continuing to do so in opposing the government’s relentless path to BRINO, there is little benefit to show for it. You explain that there is no LEAVE majority in parliament and it is because of this the Brexiteer MPs seem to be frozen in their seats. They just grumble amongst themselvesv. Whether it is a case of waiting for the right moment or just through lack of gumption, there is little to show the 17.4 million of us that the present campaigning is achieving success.

    I am particularly critical of the Brexiteer Cabinet Ministers who have been so weak (barring Davis and Bojo) and I despair at the actions of Gove, Fox, Leadsom and Raab – especially Raab.

    I look forward, in vain it seems, to the sight of a series of Tory MPs standing up in the HoC to shout “Resign Prime Minister”.

    The fear is that if May loses a vote of confidence, the replacement may be another of the same ilk, such as Hunt, or even finding May herself being re-elected, as well as the threat it would trigger another general election (risking MP’s seats). Is it not worth the risk? Even if the worst of these threats were come to pass and we all go down the Swanee, it would be keeping faith with the electorate. Who knows but the electorate might applaud and reward you all for it.

    “The opponents of Brexit need to be reminded the people meant their decision and intend it to happen in a timely and positive way.” Yes, and that is the responsibility of the electorate’s MPs, the representatives of the 17.4M.

    Reply What have the pro Leave MPs done for us? Pressed for a got a referendum, helped win a refrendum and passed the EU Notification of Withdrawal Act and the EU Withdrawal Act. Theres gratitude for you

    1. Duyfken
      August 12, 2018

      To me it is not a lack of gratitude, but I would not wish to argue the toss with you. Thanks for responding.

    2. Ian wragg
      August 12, 2018

      Then they crowned May and she ploughed her own remain furrow ignoring a democratic vote and opening up the field for some extreme parties to flourish.
      Immigration goes up year on year with no attempt to reduce it.

    3. Tad Davison
      August 12, 2018

      Reply to reply:

      No reasonable person would deny any of that, but in the light of the treachery now before us, leaver MPs need to go the extra mile and give us an alternative to the present ‘remainer’ Prime Minister.

      It would be more strength to the Brexiteer’s elbows if the May government and the Tory party machine knew beyond any reasonable doubt they are busily incurring the voter’s ire on such a massive scale that election defeat and more decades in the political wilderness is the likely outcome.

      Get that message across, and I feel sure the decision to lose the loser May will be taken by others. That will only happen by continuing to make our own protestations known as widely and as regularly as possible.

      Tad

    4. Timaction
      August 12, 2018

      We are grateful for you and the usual Brexiter Mps including my own Mr Rees Mogg. However our democracy and Parliament does not reflect or support the wishes and instructions of the electorate. So either the Government must deliver or call an election so we can elect known Brexiter champions. This is too important to allow the legacies to deliberately defy the people!

    5. forthurst
      August 12, 2018

      Reply to Reply: Unfortunately, it is noticeable that the ERG is having zero influence on the direction of this government, therefore it is unlikely that CMD was influenced by a caucus of Eurosceptics in his globalist-backed Europhile party. What terrified the Tory Party and its backers was an insurgent UKIP that being composed of patriots, is immune to the siren calls of globalists. What will make a difference now is a resurgent UKIP.

  21. agricola
    August 12, 2018

    Conservative party membership is supposedly 70,000. These are the activists, not the millions necessary to elect a conservative government. I wonder how many of your contributors are none conservative member voters like me. If you wish us to reply to the PM’s letter, we need to see it. Please publish your copy on this site. Then give us an e-mail address that the PM reads, we do not wish to be writing to the waste basket of some Robbins mark 10.

    Prior to the referendum my own MP came out as a convinced supporter of the EU. This surprised me as in all other respects he comes over as balanced and logical. His reward was to be made a minister for Brexit or fox running the hen house, presumably as an assurance it would never happen. What he thinks now is between him and his conscience , having been handed such a poisoned chalice. I do not see him on his first foray into government suddenly having a Damascene moment.

    Reply I have set out my response to Chequers and to the PM letter on this site. Anyone can borrow from that if they wish, but an individual letter expressing your own view does get more notice than copying someone else’s

    1. agricola
      August 12, 2018

      I have managed to find a very small print version of this letter. The sticking point is the “Common Rule Book.” We do not need such a rule book in trading with the rest of the World. We manufacture to internationally accepted standards as do all our suppliers, nothing more being necessary for the conducting of trade.

      We need a detailed analysis of this CRB to identify it’s demands over and above normal trading requirements. For arbitration in matters of trade we already have the WTO, what more do we need.

      The other omission in the letter is any mention of services. Is this deliberate.

    2. Sir Joe Soap
      August 12, 2018

      The letter is full of weasel words leading to false conclusions. The common rulebook has mutated to “our rules” where we wouldn’t want to reduce standards so what’s wrong with following them?
      Again this woman is either stupid enough to think the people she’s writing to believe this drivel, or she’s stupid to believe it herself.

    3. Alan Jutson
      August 12, 2018

      agricola

      The full text of the letter is on Conservative Home website, click on MP’s ETC to view.

      So far 295 responses, nearly all are scathing in their response.

      Whilst I am more than happy to write to the Conservative Party Chairman, given his recent farcical performances and statements, I think it may be a waste of time, so I have decided to write to the chief whip of the Conservative Party.

      Only JR will know if that will be effective.

  22. Denis Cooper
    August 12, 2018

    Today the Sunday Times is running a repeat of the fake news story that if we leave the EU without a special or preferential trade deal then the price of groceries will soar, and what’s more there would be riots within a couple of weeks:

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/supermarkets-on-brexit-no-deal-will-hike-food-bills-by-12-m7cbfb257

    “Supermarkets on Brexit: no deal ‘will hike food bills by 12%’”

    Because, you see, the UK government would have to impose tariffs on food imported from the EU, a claim apparently authenticated by the supporting detail:

    “The biggest tariffs on imports from the EU could include cheese, up by 44%, beef, up by 40%, and chicken, up 22%.”

    And apparently the Treasury, which had never noticed this deadly problem for itself in the past when assessing the other undoubted economic benefits of EU membership, or even noticed it on any of the multiple occasions when it has been highlighted before and after the EU referendum, is grateful to have been belatedly apprised of this matter:

    “The warnings, which the Treasury is taking seriously, come as it is revealed that Britain’s monetary chiefs have ploughed the country’s foreign currency reserves into euros since the Brexit referendum, in what some are claiming is a vote of confidence in the stability of the single currency.”

    So what do you suggest that I do, JR?

    The originators of this fake news story have in effect received the public endorsement of the Treasury, the First Lord thereof being perfectly happy for these lies to be spread around and having no more intention of rebutting these lies than she has ever rebutted any of the flood of anti-Brexit lies in the past, as repeatedly pointed out here, and if I send a letter to the Sunday Times it is very unlikely to be published, and I have already sent a letter on this general subject to our local paper and had it published:

    http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2018/06/10/railway-delays-nationalisation-did-not-and-would-not-cure-them/#comment-939853

    “Why lack of ripostes on EU from Whitehall”

    and I’ve previously emailed some bod in a retail organisation and pointed out that this is rubbish and he chose to ignore the truth, I’m not sure what more I can do about it.

    Now if somebody with a more elevated status than myself, say a Tory MP, was to lay into them hard, and also lay into the Treasury hard for appearing to swallow their nonsense, then that might begin to have some effect and it might even help to stem the gradual drift of public opinion in favour of remaining in the EU.

    1. Peter D Gardner
      August 12, 2018

      I cannot see any point in continuing debate. The Government is not listening. Its mind is made up. The matter is closed.
      There is only one thing left to do: replace Mrs May.
      The Conservative might come to its senses and instead of tying the entire party to Mrs May’s betrayal, elect a Brexiteer as its leader. Were it to do so the threat from Corbyn would disappear overnight. Saving the country might actually save the Tories at the same time.

    2. Dennis
      August 12, 2018

      Yes JR what about it?

  23. Lifelogic
    August 12, 2018

    In a letter to the Telegraph today the President, Tonbridge and Malling Conservative Association details some of the appalling behaviour of T May and wisely concludes:-

    In 50 years of mostly voluntary service to the Conservative Party, I have never known such discourtesy and malevolence. Theresa May has indeed created a nasty party. She is 
at best an embarrassment, and at worst a humiliation for our great party and country. Enough is enough. She must go.
    Jacques Arnold
    President, Tonbridge and Malling Conservative Association
    West Malling, Kent

    1. Tad Davison
      August 12, 2018

      I wonder if it’s the same Jacques Arnold who lost his seat in the 1997 Labour landslide thanks to the arch EU-lover John Major?

      Perhaps he can see what’s coming and doesn’t want to see history repeating itself!

      Tad

  24. DUNCAN
    August 12, 2018

    This isn’t about the EU or the leaving of it. This is about Theresa May and her brand of authoritarian politics using minority rights issues and victim based politics to silence those who dare express views the political state finds distasteful

    The slandering of Boris Johnson is a classic example of this type of appallingly destructive politics whose fundamental objective is the destruction of our freedom of speech and expression

    This oppressive form of PC politics is designed to weaken dissent and silence anyone who dare challenge it

    What we are seeing and May’s decided to continue with it is a pernicious form of social control.

    If Labour achieve power this form of politics will be used in a most aggressive manner with the intention of disinfecting all opposition

    So we have a Labour infected with anti-semitism and yet they remain to be demonised by the BBC and their liberal left allies. Boris expresses an opinion and he’s suddenly a raging fascist and racist. The hypocrisy is staggering

    It is as if the entire political construct of the UK as been infected by a specific culture designed to propagate and then protect itself from external attack

    This is why we need a new leader to bring in change that pushes back and then weakens the liberal left consensus using the law if need be

    1. agricola
      August 12, 2018

      You say “It is as if the entire political construct of the UK has been infected by a specific culture to propagate and then protect itself from external attack.” Yes, it is called political correctness, a pernicious cancer at the heart of all public life.

    2. Tad Davison
      August 12, 2018

      The charge that the Tories had become the ‘Nasty party’ came from May’s own lips. In the past, I haven’t exactly been enamoured by many Tory policies, but when it comes to giving us high ethical political standards, I doubt that she passes the test. This starkly reveals what a duplicitous oily political snake really is.

      Tad

  25. G Wilson
    August 12, 2018

    The first thing to do is resign from the Tory party.

    The second thing to do is join UKIP.

    The only way we’re getting out of the EU is to seize the state. MPs have demonstrated they can’t be trusted to represent us.

    1. Sir Joe Soap
      August 12, 2018

      But the government for the foreseeable future is Conservative.

      We gave T May a chance. She let us down and now she has to go.

      Now we need to give the Conservative Leave MPs a chance until the day the next election is called or the day “il capitolazione” is signed by T May, if earlier. At that stage, if we haven’t taken back control of money laws and borders, support becomes indeed 100% UKIP. There will be no other choice than to bury the Conservative Party deep in the dustbin of history. No more propping up Conservative Leaver MPs as they will have proven to have failed with no way back.

      Perhaps the best thing to do at this stage is as described above by our host, maybe encourage UKIP but prod the Conservative MPs to get rid of May.

      But if that doesn’t work, the recipe will change 180 degrees in a day.

    2. Graham Wood
      August 12, 2018

      Spot on. Simple and straightforward. Glad Dennis Cooper, renowned on this blog has decided to do the same.
      Real political power can only be wielded by political partiesw, and the time for a change has come. UKIP can be the only answer.

    3. Jobman
      August 12, 2018

      Why resign when a job vacancy is coming up?

    4. Rien Huizer
      August 12, 2018

      Seize the State? A replay of the 1930s? It did not work then, why now?

      1. mancunius
        August 12, 2018

        Oh, but it works very well in the EU ………… – last year, for example, when in a…………. coup Selmayr was installed by Juncker within a few minutes in the highest post in the Commission’s administration – a post that had not even advertised.
        A lot of outrage and ruffled feathers among MEPs and inside the Commission, but nobody actually *did* anything about it, so the coup was successful.
        This kind of sub-sub-democratic behaviour is partly why we are leaving. You lot have got so used to being told what to do that you passively accept it as the norm: we do not.

        1. mancunius
          August 12, 2018

          that had not even been advertised.

        2. hans christian ivers
          August 13, 2018

          mancunius

          You lot?

          Who are they?

        3. margaret howard
          August 13, 2018

          “This kind of sub-sub-democratic behaviour is partly why we are leaving. You lot have got so used to being told what to do that you passively accept it as the norm: we do not.”
          ==

          Don’t ‘You lot’ feel that Mrs May paying £1b danegeld to buy 10 votes of the disreputable DUP party to keep her in power is a good deal more shameful?

    5. Old person
      August 12, 2018

      The problem facing UKIP is that they were only able to campaign on one very important single issue.

      Everyone has heard of the charismatic Nigel Farage, but the name of Gerard Batten, the current leader, is not so well known.

      UKIP needs to rebrand itself to something like the UK Reform and Referenda Party to engage in all the issues in forming a potential government, and countering the current distrust of government.

      The Reform could see the Lords and Baronesses reduced from 900+ to the 250 for which seats are available in the chamber. By all means retain their titles, but only the reduced number should claim allowances from the taxpayer. I personally feel that signing on for the daily allowance should be at the nearest Job Centre to take away their separation from the real world. There are many other issues screaming for reform.

      The Referenda could take on major issues, both social and governmental, to be decided only by the people. Only this way will restore the trust in government and democracy.

  26. Brian Tomkinson
    August 12, 2018

    You are right that we need to make our voices heard. However, there are those in your own party e.g. Wollaston, Soubry, Grieve and others, who stood on a manifesto to carry out the result of the referendum and do all they can to reverse it and keep us in the EU. They don’t listen to their constituents but treat all those who voted Leave with complete contempt. They are not alone of course; we have a parliament which legislated for the EU referendum but refuses to accept the result. How many of these MPs, elected or unelected, are in receipt of funding from George Soros or his associates? We should know.

  27. A.Sedgwick
    August 12, 2018

    The main reason I respond to your excellent blog even when it may be repetitive is to contribute to an opinion poll. Although there is much wrong with social media it has created a voice for the electorate, which is missing otherwise. Even then heavily supported petitions on line are batted away with the usual claptrap.

    An example of Parliamentary hypocrisy, which has been very kept under the radar, is the fact that 64% of constituencies voted to Leave. The Remoaners argue Parliament is sovereign (the ultimate political irony) and the Referendum result has to defer to MPs, well just vote as your constituents have told you to do.

  28. Kevin
    August 12, 2018

    JR writes: “They often…ask Parliament…to do things for which there is no majority”; and,
    “Anyone with a vote in the UK can also write to their own MP”.

    And there’s the rub: if an MP is confident enough to ignore the democratic will expressed in the referendum, why would he or she be any more influenced by private letters from those same voters?

    I was interested by the title of this post, because I have long been hoping for somebody with relevant expert knowledge (not necessarily from this site) to inform as to anything that may be done practically on an individual level. For example, The Independent ran a headline last year, which reads as folows:
    “Record number of Britons worldwide have applied for Irish passports to ‘safeguard their positions'”.

    Note that, although the headline refers to a “record number”, the action was (reportedly) effective on an individual basis. In other words, if only one person did it, he could “safeguard his position” without having to depend on any collective effort.

    I would be interested if anyone had specific knowledge of a similar step that could be taken independently by a Brexit voter to “safeguard his or her position” post-referendum.

  29. Peter D Gardner
    August 12, 2018

    I have twice written to my MP, to no avail. As a member of the Cabinet he is firmly committed to the draft Withdrawal Agreement and the White Paper. He insists they give us a clean Brexit, which, as any fool who reads them can see, is not true. Mind you, in his more detailed answers he uses phrases like, ‘the agreement addresses” which could mean “surrenders on” as much as “meets my requirement on”.
    I cannot see any point in continuing debate. The Government is not listening. Its mind is made up. The matter is closed.

    There is only one thing left to do: replace Mrs May.
    Any mess that Corbyn might make as PM would be temporary. under Mrs May, BRINO/vassalage will be for at least a generation and do lasting damage as other countries just walk away.
    The Conservative might come to its senses and instead of tying the entire party to Mrs May’s betrayal, elect a Brexiteer as its leader. Were it to do so the threat from Corbyn would disappear overnight. Saving the country might actually save the Tories at the same time.

  30. Mark B
    August 12, 2018

    Good morning

    As stated before, we cannot negotiate a FTA with the EU whilst still a member. The EU has stated that on numerous occasions.

    We either leave with a transit arrangement or not, the EU is not bothered, they’re not the ones leaving.

    When we leave we become a Third Country. This I have no problem with since that is what I voted for. But I also voted in the knowledge that we cannot simply upsticks and go. The EU has been doing the work of our MP’S and government for far too long and we need time to rebuild. Hence why I have always advocated the Norway Option. Not as a final destination but as a half way house.

    There is no appetite in the Tory ranks to elect a new leader. This is why the PM feels confident. So confident that she thinks she can sell this dead horse of an agreement.

    There is only one solution. And that is to vote for a political party that is 100% committed to leaving the EU.

    When every MP’S seat is under threat then we shall have democracy and not before.

  31. Caterpillar
    August 12, 2018

    I agree with the post, but it is tragic that the importance of anonymity to a democratic system has to be lost and replaced by MP lobbying. The system has been broken.

  32. Christine
    August 12, 2018

    Do people remember the Poll Tax? We the people can make a difference. We just need to get the numbers behind this cause. Brexit is the most important event in most of our lifetimes and we need to ensure we aren’t sold out. John can only do so much and we the public have to add our weight behind the message that we want a proper Brexit. I endorse the efforts that http://facts4eu.org/news.shtml is making to get the message out. They have put together a Brexit Battle Pack. We just need organising and this has to be done by the many leave groups coming together to co-ordinate demonstrations across the country, particularly targeting Remain MPs in leave areas and those with a small majority.
    It’s important that we make our feelings known before this sell out gets voted on in the HoC.

    1. Anonymous
      August 12, 2018

      The Poll Tax Demo resulted in the West End being smashed up.

      It is not our way.

      1. Anonymous
        August 12, 2018

        Had the Poll Tax been settled by debated referendum it would still be with us. I believe it to have been fair.

  33. Albert Browne
    August 12, 2018

    The reason nobody bothers is the politicians don’t listen. They think of us as stupid idiots who shouldn’t even be allowed an opinion. They don’t do what the people ask just carry on with their own agenda. None of the politicians actually have any idea what they are doing. The unelected civil servants tell them what to do.

  34. Tom Rogers
    August 12, 2018

    In point of fact, there is already a ‘withdrawal agreement’ – it’s Article 50 of the Treaty. We should rest on this and WTO arrangements.

    We neither want nor need a formal withdrawal agreement with the EU and they won’t want one anyway unless it makes us de facto or de jure remain in the EEA. Just leave.

  35. javelin
    August 12, 2018

    The Chequers agreement has turned into the agreement that Cameron was trying to negotiate with Merkel. Where we remained in the EU. However the inaccurate polls convinced Merkel that no change was needed. The civil servants still believe that the Cameron/May agreements are “just enough” to persuade the electorate. In otherwords they are still playing the games they do at the elections in marginal consituencies.

    However as Styx has pointed out, politics has moved from the center ground in all Western democracies and now the viable most polarised parties are being elected in every country. This is therefore just the start of another very long political cycle, lasting a lifetime, where the key issue (last time market vs communism, now nationalism vs globalism) is going to be played out.

    1. Bob
      August 12, 2018

      @javelin
      The idea of a global government should scare the bejesus out of any sane person.

      1. Mitchel
        August 13, 2018

        But that is what has been planned since the end of WWII (look up banker James Warburg’s infamous “We will have world government….” speech to the US senate Foreign Affairs committee in 1947),only the Soviet Union stood in the way(the Cold War was really about the West imposing a single Anglo-American economic system on the world-a supposedly benign version of what the Soviet Union was originally intended to be).Now post Soviet Russia and China stand in the way-they would only conceiveably acquiesce in any form of globalism if they were running it!

        As the previous poster suggests “nationalism vs globalism”is primarily a Western issue because Russia and China are both still in effect empires and while vigorously promoting their own interests do not endorse nationalism per se.

  36. Al
    August 12, 2018

    Writing to my MP, who was quite blunt about his view of Leave voters and has a huge article praising Remain on the top of his website, would do very little. I can, however, vote for a different party.

  37. Tad Davison
    August 12, 2018

    I voted to leave the EU with no half measures that would keep the UK in. The Prime minister’s Lancaster House speech sounded as though the will of the people would be fully implemented under her watch. At the 2017 General Election, and in the absence of a local UKIP candidate, on the strength of May’s own words, I held my nose and voted Conservative. I soon found I’d been had yet again when the Prime Minister began to go back on what she had said, so little wonder I feel bitter towards the duplicitous Tories!

    All the Tories need to do is get on with it and get us out. It isn’t a difficult thing to do, but just like the lazy bloke who doesn’t really want to get out of bed in the morning and cycle to work when it’s raining, she will make any excuse not to get up and get on with it.

    May used to say the right things about Brexit just to keep her Brexit MPs on-board, but self-evidently then does the wrong things because her heart isn’t really in it.

    I think there are millions more like me who won’t vote Tory in future, except perhaps where the local candidate is an absolutely solid uncompromising Brexiteer. The Tory party’s future is in their own hands, but I don’t hold out much hope of them ever being broadly popular when they hierarchy have compromised their principles so much for the sake of belonging to an alien political concept the majority of UK citizens doesn’t want.

    A new leader with integrity and credibility in abundance is the only alternative left. The present one has thoroughly wasted whatever credibility she had to the point that the UK has become an absolute laughing stock.

    I hope that helps to answer JR’s question.

    Tad Davison

    Cambridge

  38. Steve
    August 12, 2018

    @GWilson

    “The only way we’re getting out of the EU is to seize the state.”

    Indeed.

    It’s clear the state has been seized by pro – EU insurgents, so we would just be taking it back.

    Hypothetically I wonder what would have happened if during WW2 the British government was infiltrated by nazi sympathisers who held a majority.

    I think since the current insurgents lead by their quisling have no intention of delivering a brexit which honours the referendum and democracy itself, they should be forcibly removed.

    May’s replacement should be an ardent brexiteer, since that would be commensurate with the will of the people and the referendum. He or She could then weed out any remaining europhiles.

    At one time you couldn’t get into the armed forces if you were a communist for example. Similar principle needs to be mandatory for office of any MP. Absolute loyalty to crown, state, and sovereignty, if not – they don’t get in, no ifs no buts.

  39. Harry
    August 12, 2018

    Today we read about the government asking that bells be rung on armistice day to mark the end of Ww1..but nothing to mark really since ww1 led to ww2..millions of people died and the whole thing was kicked off by the vanity of three kings..cousins..the kaiser..the czar and George..and the disasterous treaty of versailles..we should hang our heads in shame not encouraging bell ringing.

    1. mancunius
      August 12, 2018

      Hi there TedC (=meAgain, ahem, cryingoutloud, StanleyW, jack Snell, and all your other numerous IDs.)
      The government decided last November to ring out the UK’s bells on the 100th centenary of Armistice Day 2018.
      Today’s re-announcement is May’s attempt to involve the Germans in a desperate bid to make it look all EU-matey. We’ll ring our bells (as we always did on Armistice Day before it became fashionable to Not Mention the War) and in Germany the Germans will ring theirs (as they always did). So it’s not really ‘hold the front page’ stuff.

      Next thing, Belgium will be apologising for being a neutral state, which somehow provoked the Germans to attack and occupy it in 1914, and then to attack France. At that point, reluctantly, we felt Britain had to intervene.

      (Faults on both sides, no doubt ;-))

  40. fedupsoutherner
    August 12, 2018

    Just sent my letter to my MP Bill Grant. Have made clear in no uncertain terms how I feel and how many people I know are feeling too. Will wait to see if I get a response but I doubt it somehow.

    1. Yorkie
      August 13, 2018

      @fedupsoutherner
      His dad was a coalminer and he himself worked a couple of years as a fireman.
      He’ll be alright! Probably hasn’t realised yet he isn’t in Hell itself.

  41. Geoffrey Berg
    August 12, 2018

    Really the timescale before 29March 2019 is now so short that everything is the hands of Conservative M.P.s who must now force a change of direction on the government. That is only possible by replacing Theresa May very quickly.
    What I would however urge people to do is set up local cross-party/independents campaigns for a proper Brexit based around those who campaigned for Leave in the Referendum. This could be a springboard for future action. I convened such an initial activists meeting in Bury last Thursday (where the informally organised campaign for Brexit at the Referendum had been dominated by independents with some Conservative and a little UKIP support, UKIP being weak in Bury: in other areas such as Hartlepool where some Labour people but apparently no Conservatives campaigned for Brexit the composition was different). We were fortunate at last Thursday’s Bury meeting as David Nuttall, the former (until 2017) Conservative M.P. for Bury North came and told us in general terms what he knows about the parliamentary situation. So we were at the end even more of the opinion that Brexit is now completely in the hands of the Conservative parliamentary party. Therefore these are the people to talk to.

  42. Andy
    August 12, 2018

    There is something else you could all do: read.

    No, not the Telegraph, Express, Mail or anything written by the angry pensioners.

    But read about the dreams of young people – your children and grandchildren – which you have voted to take away.

    Then stew in guilt for a little while.

    1. Anonymous
      August 12, 2018

      I don’t have to read about them. I talk to mine. Out together at the pub last night and this afternoon.

      1. Anonymous
        August 12, 2018

        Alas, no matter how hard I try to tell my kids, it is only me who turns the lights off, cares about water and heating use… recycles the bins…

        ’cause I pay the bills and live in the real world and not one of *dreams*.

    2. Caterpillar
      August 12, 2018

      Andy,

      Hilarious. Apart from the UK there are only 3 EU countries forecast to be in the top 25 economies by 2050. Look at where the world’s economic growth is, look at where the population growth is, look at where the largest technology platforms are…Yesterday’s dreams maybe, future dreams are elsewhere.

      1. Mitchel
        August 13, 2018

        He’s having a Martin Luther King moment!

    3. Edward2
      August 12, 2018

      Presumably you are encouraging everyone to read the Independent and the Guardian.
      I’ve have tried but it is so left wing it is dull.

    4. Dennis Zoff
      August 13, 2018

      Ha ha, nice Andy…your fool’s paradise is still amusing!

    5. graham1946
      August 13, 2018

      Your favourite read? Presumably from the way you talk, the Dandy and the Beano.

    6. Original Richard
      August 13, 2018

      In Italy it is the young who are voting for the anti EU parties.

      They have woken up.

      Even in the UK young voters get older and wiser and change their opinions and for whom they vote.

  43. Colin Hart
    August 12, 2018

    I once received extremely poor service from my bank. You can tell how long ago it was because I phoned up the local manager and gave him an earful concluding, “You may think I am now going to take my business elsewhere. But I know the others are just as incompetent. So I am going to stay with you and make your life a misery.”
    Nowadays I wouldn’t even bother to let any business know why they are not going to get my custom or why they have lost it. I know they wouldn’t be listening and I know they wouldn’t give a damn even if they were. Same applies to the May/Brandon Lewis Party. I doubt whether I shall respond to the mendacious tripe I have received from Mrs May.

    1. mancunius
      August 12, 2018

      But you should respond to it, Colin. The remainers are banking on our simply rolling our eyes and telling ourselves we can do nothing.
      Give her both barrels, and tell her how everyone else you know feels about her ‘plan’, inside and outside the Tory Party.

  44. Edwardm
    August 12, 2018

    Your post makes fair suggestions that we all need to do our part to persuade MPs to deliver a good Brexit – and to show everyone in the country that the case for Brexit is still alive and valid as ever.
    Perhaps Vote Leave needs to be re-invoked and organise a number of Brexit stalls in High streets.
    However, MPs ought to deliver a good Brexit without having to be cajoled – and that is the fundamental problem – too many MPs act as if immune to the referendum result.

    The whole situation is very frustrating, especially for good and decent MPs like yourself who I realise are actively and continually making the case for a true and positive Brexit

  45. fkc
    August 12, 2018

    Hello John
    I have already written to myMP asking her to oppose the PMs letter. As she is a Lib Dem not
    sure of the outcome. Keep up the good work!

  46. Journo
    August 12, 2018

    When one has to explain a joke, it ruins the joke.
    If it takes two weeks with panels of experts to explain a joke
    Our country is in more trouble than Mrs May can solve
    Especially if one has to explain the joke to her too
    She does not understand English.
    We need an English-speaker as PM

  47. Longinus
    August 12, 2018

    Electors would be better off writing to the Queen to ask for her troops to take over in the event of May’s planned antidemocratic Coup d-Etat. My MP is a Conservative remainer in a Leave voting constituency with a massive majority and no UKIP opposition. She never replies to any emails.

    MPs should just do their well paid jobs and enact the democratic wishes of the electorate or face the consequences.

  48. How?
    August 12, 2018

    But Remoaner MPs would just delete it when written aptly in Anglo-Saxon!
    French?

  49. Steve
    August 12, 2018

    @Duncan
    ” pushes back and then weakens the liberal left consensus using the law if need be”

    Problem here Duncan is that the laws are pro – PC and pro – EU. We would need new ones, or revert back to law as it was before the EU.

    In fact, one of the first things May did was to enshrine EU law into ours.

    To get the change we need would involve a witch hunt of politicians, law makers and the phoney Lords.

    One thing brexit has achieved though is exposure of the degree of anti – English infiltration of government, the BBC and the civil service.

    To cleanse that lot possibly might involve constitutional armageddon, uprising etc.

    We’re at a crossroads in our history and sovereignty, the only means to hold onto them being elimination of unpatriotic insurgent elements in public office.

    If we elect and trust politicians to run the country it’s reasonable to expect them to be patriotic.

    But, if the cons don’t expel May, I think we could be looking at riots, civil disobedience, anarchy etc.

    There is no way on this earth the British people will accept what amounts to a coup by foreign serving insurgents, now the cat is out of the bag and we know what’s been going on.

    And I feel sorry for those few MP’s who are on our side. Personally I believe they should all quit and form a new party, or defect to UKIP.

  50. hans christian ivers
    August 12, 2018

    JR,
    A WTO solution offering EU free trade with the UK will mean we will have to do it with the rest of the World as well including China. This will automatically strangle as significant part of the UK mfr. industry and the Eu will never agree to this sort of arrangement either.

    Which is why a WTO solution only is not a real option either.

    You can be a Brexiteer without going for this cliff solution as well

    1. mancunius
      August 12, 2018

      What ‘cliff’? We are planning for the eventuality.
      We trade on WTO terms with the rest of the world. The EU can like it or lump it, but we shall be the gainers from WTO rules as we have a trade deficit with the 27.

      1. hans christian ivers
        August 13, 2018

        Macunius,

        Interesting insight but it is much more complicated than the way you have presented it, unfortunately.

    2. Denis Cooper
      August 13, 2018

      And a “Regional Trade Agreement” does not even have to be “regional”.

      https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/region_e/region_e.htm

      “Regional trade agreements (RTAs) have risen in number and reach over the years, including a notable increase in large plurilateral agreements under negotiation. Non-discrimination among trading partners is one of the core principles of the WTO; however, RTAs, which are reciprocal preferential trade agreements between two or more partners, constitute one of the exemptions and are authorized under the WTO, subject to a set of rules. Information on RTAs notified to the WTO is available in the RTA Database.”

      On the same page:

      https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news18_e/rta_19jun18_e.htm

      “WTO members review four regional trade agreements”

      “WTO members reviewed the Canada-European Union, Canada-Ukraine, Costa Rica-Colombia, and EU-San Marino trade agreements at a meeting of the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements (CRTA) on 19-20 June. The Committee also adopted a new template for members to notify changes to existing RTAs.”

      Even though neither of the Canada agreements are geographically “regional”.

  51. Andy
    August 12, 2018

    The idiot May should realise that setting aside the Referendum Result is what revolutions are made of.

  52. Rien Huizer
    August 12, 2018

    Mr Redwood,

    I have consistently said that the EU should not make it easy for the UK to either remain (after all) or rejoin, should the outside world be less hospitable than expected. That would lead to a simple calculus for pro US leavers such as the ERG and more in general the Legatum crowd(simplistically speaking of course), ie to make sure that there is no agreement on any deal before time is up. For the government (representing a probably majority of Parliament or even the Conservative party in trying to avoid the no-deal situation but use the “threat” as a weapon in negotiations, that means a much more difficult task, ie to find a compromise that can be sold in he UK, especially England and is acceptable to the EU (or close enough).

    Recent polling analysis suggests that that thask has just become harder if it is true that a fairly large and certainly significant shift is taking place, towards the original “remain” option. Why harder? because in order to satify the median voter (again if that analysis is correct) it would not be enough to even secure the “nice” Norway plus (say in legislation, access for financial services) position that would most closely reflect the original ambition of Cameron’s negotiation attempt, no only annulling the art 50 notice would do. Because once out (with or without a trade agreement), the only path towards membership would be rejoining. But rejoining is costly: Schengen, no rebates, EUR membership. So we are likely to see the slow creep towards the goal line morph into a dash. ERG must actively sabotage the process or there will be no “no deal” and the government must race towards “remain” without the stealth etc that may have been envisaged and in the process risk fatal injury within the Party.

    Maybe my evaluation is wrong of course. But it will certainly be one of those things that will complicate poor Mar Barnier’s work. A return of the UK is the last thing people were expecting and probably, not all that welcome either.

  53. Chris
    August 12, 2018

    Yes, Mr Redwood, I too will write to my MP, Windsor, but he never responded to my last letter about May and Brexit. (He at one time pronounced himself an ardent Eurosceptic and put himself forward some years ago for the leadership. What a huge disappointment he has been. No substance to him, apparently).

    I would also urge writing to other key Tory MPs to express one’s feelings about Brexit and betrayal. Each letter is supposed to represent x thousand constituents in their calculations, so it is worth it. MPs are only human and if they receive encouragement for their actions/viewpoint, it will have an effect. Email but also follow up with hard copy.

    We really are at an incredibly important stage, of which most on this website seem to be very much aware. Theresa May is about to, and is being permitted to, go forward with her Chequers Plan, which is a complete betrayal. Why the Tory Brexiters have not acted in an effective fashion defeats me, simply because I do not want to believe the worst about those Brexiter MPs. However, the longer they carry on with inaction, one has to assume they do not care enough about the people and democracy, and saving this country to do the one thing that could stop Theresa. A leadership challenge, and possibly an election.

    The Tories would win with a landslide if they had a committed Brexiter at the helm who truly espoused conservative values. Oh to be rid of the current cultural Marxism, with its identity politics, political correctness, and heavy state intervention and taxation.

  54. libertarian
    August 12, 2018

    Hi John

    Thanks but after 20 years of being ignored by Conservative Party politicians I’m not going to waste my time trying to convince then any longer.

    They dont need to be told, they know, they just dont care . Hammond and May want to Remain so remain we will by hook or crook

    For the first time in my life I will vote for Labour. Corbyn hates the EU and can’t implement his policies whilst in it. He will exit the EU if he becomes PM

    Our politics and laughable democracy is broken beyond repair. As politicians you have two choices. Step up to the plate and “invent” a totally new approach, or lose out to an extreme party . People on both sides of the political debate are angry with politicians.

    1. Richard1
      August 13, 2018

      A ludicrous course of action for anyone who believes in liberal democracy (traditional meaning) and free markets.

  55. margaret
    August 12, 2018

    I was going to retweet it, but you haven’t put it out to twitter.

  56. Nigel Seymour
    August 12, 2018

    If you don’t make the case for leaving the EU as per the ref then be prepared to remain fully in it!! . Send an email to TM on the Gov.uk website, EASY! send an email to your MP,EASY!
    Join UKIP for 30 quid EASY! send emails to MP’s on the parliament.co.uk website EASY! Having said all this, the only way this Great Britain and NI will ever truly leave the EU is to demand a General Election. The people can then decide whether Theresa May should remain as PM or pass power to a socialist far left Labour party… my understanding is that it would take 48 Tory MP’s to send a letter of no confidence in the PM…why not send an email to Sir Graham Brady also!!!! THESE PEOPLE WONT BITE YOUR HEAD OFF!

  57. Frank Wilson
    August 12, 2018

    Unfortunately, my MP is a new Corbynista. However, I have recently contacted the local chair of the Conservative Party to ask if she attended the briefing sessions and/or the conference calls initiated by Theresa May for Chairmen of Conservative Associations. She tells me that she was part of the conference call by did not ask a question. She also repeated the ‘Exchequer line’ and invited me to attend the next Conservative party meeting in September which I will now do.
    I am not clear how these meetings are convened having never been particulrly active in the Conservative Party before. I find your advice, therefore, helpful and any further suggestions to me in my situation will be welcome

  58. Trumpeteer
    August 12, 2018

    Emails to the PM will just be seen by her admin staff and clicked to files marked “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”
    Clint Eastwood is an enthusiastic Trump supporter. He knows a good wall when he sees it.

  59. Denis Cooper
    August 12, 2018

    Well, I’ve now sent a letter to the Maidenhead Advertiser as follows:

    “Dear Sir

    You report that our local council is unprepared for the UK to leave the EU without an agreement.

    (Viewpoint, August 9th, “Council has ‘no plans’ for a no-deal Brexit”)

    However there is no need to worry about that, because no doubt it could quickly dust off its existing plans to cope with similar disasters such as nuclear war, or an outbreak of bubonic plague.

    Seriously, the government is now deliberately encouraging irrational fears about the prospects of a no-deal Brexit in the hope of driving people to accept the disgraceful betrayal inherent not only in Theresa May’s Chequers plan but also in the draft withdrawal agreement.

    I come back to the fact that according to the EU Commission’s studies, of which our government is well aware, the economic effects of EU membership have been marginal, and overall more likely to have been negative than positive, and as far as just the UK is concerned we may have got a one-off gross gain of about 1% of GDP.

    Somehow, through defective models and with approval first from David Cameron and now from Theresa May, that 1% gross benefit has been falsely inflated by the Treasury to about 8%.

    And we are supposed to still believe the government’s dire prognostications even though we know that GDP is now over 9% higher than the Treasury forecast just before the referendum as part of its attempts to frighten us off from even voting to leave the EU.

    (Viewpoint, July 12th, “Using World Trade Organisation terms”.)

    The real reason the government wants to steer us away from those WTO terms is not economic but political; namely, the continuing covert eurofederalism of the Tory party leadership.

    The WTO treaties already exist and are in force, and the EU cannot deprive us of those legal rights; whereas the UK government would actually prefer to have to beg and make concessions to the EU to secure a new treaty for the “deep and special relationship” our Prime Minister desires.

    Yours etc”

    So I’ll see whether the editor has had enough of being pestered with my letters.

  60. ChrisS
    August 12, 2018

    I wrote to my MP, Christopher Chope, as soon as the Chequers paper came out expressing my utter contempt for what was proposed and for those that were proposing it.

    Obviously, in Mr Chope’s case, I was preaching to the converted but nevertheless, a wad of letters expressing these strong views, as well as providing ammunition, also give backup for Mr Chope’s no-doubt strident views on the subject.

    I see the Remainer campaign for a second referendum is ramping up with Cable making more speeches in favour and, slightly more worrying, The Guardian saying that new polls show that Leave-voting constituencies have switched to Remain because of the utterly incompetent and pathetic handling of the negotiations by May and her lapdog.

    Every week it seems my contempt for the woman reaches new heights. The call for Boris to apologise being just another demonstration of her complete lack of political nous.

  61. The PrangWizard
    August 12, 2018

    By all means write and lobby as many do already, as it will make some difference perhaps to reasonable individuals on the other side of the argument, but there are too many who are purposely deaf. But this is no longer a debate; the issue is decided.

    Yet May is one of the deaf and is surrounded by others. She is part of an traitorous elite which considers itself to be untouchable, and the people of no importance.

    We must take action to the streets. We are mistaken to hold to the view that our democracy is robust enough to render such action as unthinkable, but we have with May entered a new phase. Her duplicity and that of others who are determined to defeat the will of the people has rendered action essential and justifiable.

  62. Roy Grainger
    August 12, 2018

    My MP is a London Labour remainer who takes months to reply to letters so there is little point in contacting him. Anyway, as you and JRM are very supportive of Mrs May personally I’m sure she’ll sort it all out eh ?

  63. mancunius
    August 12, 2018

    Write to your MP. Many remainer MPs shelter behind the argument that ‘my constituents voted Remain’. MPs need to be told what the vote meant and implied; that their decision to attempt to thwart brexit is a serious breach of our national democratic process, and it will have long-lasting, negative consequences for our parliamentary democracy if they get their way. We can also point out to them that parliamentary sovereignty does not mean MPs and peers are entitled to give it away and effectively abolish its powers – which is the effect of Chequers or any form of current EU membership under the Treaty of Lisbon.
    Write to as many newspapers as you can.
    This is all we can do.
    We shall never be able to outspend the shadowy forces funding Remain.

  64. zorro
    August 12, 2018

    Lots of people are doing and have been doing this. Unfortunately, there is a conspiracy between your PM, some in your part and other parties, the Civil Service and the establishment media to undermine the clear democratic mandate from the people which was extremely clear by constituency measure to leave the EU.

    Their behaviour has been outrageous and they now have no legitimacy from the people of this country. The 2017 election was clear in that the vast majority of voters wanted out of SM/CU and proper LEAVE. The Lib Dems were trounced. The people have done their bit. It is now up to you to be true to your convictions and act in concert with like minded MPs to do your duty to your country and stop this betrayal. You have the power within Parliament to do that, but you are more worried about the Tory Party which will implode anyway…..

    zorro

  65. Ron Olden
    August 12, 2018

    JR makes a good point about the lack of a parliamentary majority for almost anything, whether it be Hard Brexit or a Second Referendum, either on a ‘Deal’ or just on staying in.

    In that respect, and that respect alone, I sympathise with Mrs May, and there’s no more point in us endlessly demanding things that Parliament can’t or won’t deliver, any more than there is in the Remainers demanding more Referenda.

    We, and they, are not going to get it

    The best thing the UK can do now, is to stick strictly to this timetable, and Leave at 11pm on March 29th 2019 ‘Deal or No Deal’.

    That way, no further decisive Parliamentary involvement is required at all.

    The legislation, and the effect in law of Article 50 is already in place.

    It’s not necessarily a bad thing either, that Mrs May makes offers to the EU which Parliament would reject if it came before them. Better to let the EU be seen as the ones who are being uncooperative

    It’s not impossible that the UK will have grounds to sue the EU after we’ve left, if it fails to live up to its’ obligations under Article 8, and it will be more likely to go in our favour, if we can show that we’ve bent over backwards to try to to co-operate.

  66. CynicSceptic
    August 12, 2018

    BBC says Parliament is going make a law ( cycling ) which can charge a cyclist for killing someone.
    Yes it has taken one thousand years of Parliamentary Democracy to achieve this, cynics might say.But they don’t take into account the bicycle was only invented a while ago in 1817

    1. Hope
      August 16, 2018

      There is already an offence that covers …the dangerous and wanton driving… which could include cycles on a road or off. it Ts a publicity stunt.

  67. Andrew Fairfoull
    August 12, 2018

    No country in the world now trades only under WTO rules alone, a FTA is a complete illusion, there will be tariffs and non tariff barriers. John Redwood is not telling the truth about a no deal Brexit, no offence intended. The best way to begin the process of leaving the EU, is through the EEA/EFTA mechanism ( Norway Option). Note I said the start of the process not the end point. No deal or FTA = utter chaos, which is what the disaster capitalists actually want.

    1. Caterpillar
      August 12, 2018

      Andrew Fairfoull

      Exactly,what is your argument? Leaving enables the UK to sign FTAs with other countries, as you say, not to trade throughout the world on WTO alone (I am ignoring the obvious ethical implications that immediately flow from this situation).

      1. Andrew Fairfoull
        August 13, 2018

        Caterpillar, many thanks for your response!! On the subject of FTA’s:-
        1) they are not free
        2) they take a very long time to agree, Canada and the Eu, 7 years plus!
        Once the U.K. leaves the EU, we become a third country. This means that the EU put us on a list and decide when they want to begin the FTA talks, this could be 6months to a year, even before we can start talking.
        Trading under WTO rules is worse than what we have now.
        I am against FTA’s and WTO Option, the best way to leave the EU is through
        EEA/EFTA, ( Norway Option). That is the start of the leaving process, not the end. The phrase No Deal is meaningless, if we leave with no deal, we will then have to do a deal in a crisis situation, which will be a bad deal! ATB Caterpillar whoever you are.

    2. Denis Cooper
      August 13, 2018

      “Note I said the start of the process not the end point”

      I note that, as I previously noted this from a passionate advocate of the idea:

      http://www.eureferendum.com/blogview.aspx?blogno=86554

      “… with nothing better than the EEA on offer, the danger is that the transitional becomes permanent. In that, I have a great deal of sympathy with those who oppose the EEA because of the danger of it becoming permanent.”

  68. Remington Norman
    August 12, 2018

    Writing to the media is a fruitless waste of time. Representative democracy is predicated on MPs carrying out the will of the people. In the case of Brexit this has been clearly and unambiguously expressed in the referendum. It is now up to MPs to see that this is delivered. Unfortunately, although most fully understand their obligations, they lack the guts to follow this through. We are heartily tired of facile words and promises. Please now do what you are paid for and rid us of this appalling, duplicitous, inept and third-class government.

  69. Anonymous
    August 12, 2018

    I have written to my MP who is an ardent Leave Conservative. I have expressed that Leave voters have taken all sorts of discriminatory and hate filled abuse with stoicism and great fortitude; above all, without recognition for using due democratic process both peacefully and patiently.

  70. margaret howard
    August 12, 2018

    “.The people made this wise decision to leave. The people now have to help deliver it in the face of opposition from some in big business, Parliament and the civil service”

    Not forgetting the nearly 50% of people who voted REMAIN! (mostly consisting of this country’s wealth providers and more educated citizens)

    Reply What arrogant nonsense. Many entrepreneurs and talented people voted Leave

    1. margaret howard
      August 13, 2018

      It may seem like arrogant nonsense to you but these are the findings of various reputable organisations. The ‘entrepreneurs and talented people’ are the exceptions that prove the rule. To me they appear to be terribly misguided.

  71. Ken Moore
    August 12, 2018

    Many who write into this site are keen to leave the EU. They often write in condemning most of the current elected politicians, and either make no positive suggestions on what to do or ask Parliament or the Conservative party to do things for which there is no majority.

    Drop support for the WTO option and back the ‘Norway option’ as the only practical solution.

  72. anon
    August 12, 2018

    Parliament is unwilling to leave the EU and implement the wishes of the people or the parties manifestos. That’s the talk on the street.

    We are being managed ignored and effectively disenfranchised.

    Any deal which leaves us in any way controlled by the EU in away different from say Canada in not leaving the EU

    I have accepted our democracy has effectively been usurped.
    Events have proven this over 40 years + with the EU.

    We need to fix the UK with rights of recall and Swiss style referenda backed by constitutional law.

    I vote UKIP or anyone not part of the LibLabCon, a few exceptions aside.
    Frank Field.Bill Cash etc.

    So Mr Corbyn in power or any other Project Fear type scenario will be what it is.

    Power or “Parliamentary MP’s” will reap what they sow’s and if its parliament versus the people that’s what will happen.

    Just know we are not fooled. Nor is the free thinking world.

  73. Dennis Zoff
    August 13, 2018

    John, respectfully, your suggestion, though honourable, is imho a waste of time and smells of desperation?

    You are stamping on the ants and letting the elephants through. You and your Brexit colleagues are being “currently” amazingly outmanoeuvred. This is not just me suggesting this, but amongst my fellow business partners and CP financial supporters. There appears to be no concrete action plan? People just can’t get behind the dithering Brexit MPs.

    Your blog is a nice sounding board (though somewhat echoey) and generally their are many extremely interesting and knowledgeable commentators on here, but frankly none will make a iota of difference to the game that is being perpetrated by May?

    Only gaining support from the power brokers will make a jot of difference. The business leaders run government, as you well know. Get their support and May will listen, tout suite.

    Reply I don’t agree. Mrs May could not get her proposals through the Commons on Coalition votes.

    1. Dennis Zoff
      August 13, 2018

      Reply to reply

      I hope you are right in the long run, but damage has been irreparably done to the Conservative party!

  74. Simon Coleman
    August 13, 2018

    The opponents of Brexit know that the public were lied to in the referendum campaign or believed unrealistic promises. That’s why they’ll keep fighting. You already see the polls swinging back towards Remain as people start asking the questions they didn’t ask before. You ought to be praying for a deal. If there’s no deal the disruption to many areas of life will produce a deafening clamour for a new referendum. But you have no political intuition, pragmatism…or sense. Shouldn’t you be worried that your biggest Brexit star, Boris Johnson, is a man possessed of a single ambition – to become Prime Minister? And any cause will do to propel his bandwagon forwards – burkhas or Brexit. If you’re not concerned about the shambles that has been the negotiations so far, then you are truly detached from reality.

    1. Edward2
      August 14, 2018

      Project Fear and the doom laden predictions of what would happen immediately after the referendum, if we dared vote to leave were the lies.
      As the facts since prove.
      Recent polls show a desire for the government to get on with it and leave.
      Hence the frustration.
      Ref Boris, ambition is a thing to admire.
      It is what gets you places.

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