Moving on

Trawling through twitter today I came across a tweet by Alex Andreou, who says this:

“I think the notion of “formally overturning Brexit” is as tone-deafly anglocentric as Brexit itself. It implies that the UK can just change its mind. The way back will be a very long one of rebuilding trust, via a Swiss, then a Norway model, and may never get to full membership.”

It was particularly interesting to someone like me, a proud Remoaner as Brexiters call those who campaigned to remain in the EU in the 2016 referendum. I don’t think I will ever totally get over the decision of the British people to take our country out of the EU to the detriment of everyone except the super-rich and powerful. I remain convinced also there is not a single benefit from Brexit and there never will be. Just the slow decline in British power and influence around the world and lower living standards and less opportunities for most of us. But the Bad Ship Brexit has long sailed and while I still follow twitter accounts from many who dream of returning to the top table in Europe I do think it’s time to move on.

Not that we should move on from trying to get a better Brexit deal than the shocker Boris Johnson steered through the House of Commons. If we all accept that Johnson got Brexit done in the sense that we have now left the EU, then what can stand in our way of trying to lessen some of the damage?

Johnson and all the Brexiters, even the likes of Nigel Farage, told us we would not leave the Single Market, which was one of Margaret Thatcher’s (few) great achievements. But leave it we did and now the country pays the price, as it will do for years to come. So why not hold these liars and shysters to account and demand a better deal with Europe, to include a customs union arrangement too? As Andreou suggests, a move towards a Swiss type arrangement and eventually something closer to Norway’s.

The sovereignty argument was always nonsense, as were the scare stories and lies about immigration. Britain chose not to put the brakes on immigration because successive governments knew it benefitted the economy. A closer economic arrangement with Europe would not necessitate greater immigration if we didn’t want it to. Surely that keeps Brexiters who wanted to leave Europe because of Johnny Foreigner coming over here and taking all our jobs very much onside?

In truth, I just want some of my rights back. I don’t suppose I will ever get my free movement back, though like most old codgers it won’t have such an adverse effect on me. That I very much regret but I know there is no real mood in the country to give us our free movement back.

Additionally, the only way we might return to the EU would be if those who actively supported the likes of Johnson and Farage changed their minds. The way things are hardly anyone has changed their minds. If anything, attitudes certainly on the Leave side of the debate have entrenched.

Already we see the direct effects of Brexit will labour shortages and in the import and export of goods, which will get much worse once the transitional Brexit arrangements come to an end. But for many, especially those who don’t directly suffer from effects, it’s just too bad. Anything is a price worth paying for nothing that will improve our lives. That, I believe, is our reality.

So now we need to make Brexit work for all of us, not just the illiberal elites who run and own our country. Much as it will pain many fellow remoaners, there’s no going back, certainly in our lifetimes. It’s either making the best of a bad job or banging on about Brexit forever. Do we really want that?