This is a very succinct and objective article written by Tony Abbott (former Prime Minister of Australia) a man of real and relevant experience of the world. His advice is both practical and simple. It will be a tragedy - a disaster for the UK if we do not heed it. It is not too late to wake up to the EU ploy. We need backbone and self confidence. We literally need some dogged war time spirit in order to preserve our democracy, our nation status and our economic well being.
I have copied and pasted Mr Abbott's article below from The Spectator :
How to save Brexit. Britain has nothing to fear from no deal by Tony Abbott writing in The Spectator (dated 27th October 2018).
I have copied and pasted Mr Abbott's article below from The Spectator :
How to save Brexit. Britain has nothing to fear from no deal by Tony Abbott writing in The Spectator (dated 27th October 2018).
It’s pretty hard for Britain’s friends, here in Australia,
to make sense of the mess that’s being made of Brexit. The referendum result
was perhaps the biggest-ever vote of confidence in the United Kingdom, its past
and its future. But the British establishment doesn’t seem to share that
confidence and instead looks desperate to cut a deal, even if that means
staying under the rule of Brussels. Looking at this from abroad, it’s baffling:
the country that did the most to bring democracy into the modern world might
yet throw away the chance to take charge of its own destiny.
Let’s get one thing straight: a negotiation that you’re not
prepared to walk away from is not a negotiation — it’s surrender. It’s all give
and no get. When David Cameron tried to renegotiate Britain’s EU membership, he
was sent packing because Brussels judged (rightly) that he’d never actually
back leaving. And since then, Brussels has made no real concessions to Theresa
May because it judges (rightly, it seems) that she’s desperate for whatever
deal she can get.
The EU’s palpable desire to punish Britain for leaving
vindicates the Brexit project. Its position, now, is that there’s only one
‘deal’ on offer, whereby the UK retains all of the burdens of EU membership but
with no say in setting the rules. The EU seems to think that Britain will go
along with this because it’s terrified of no deal. Or, to put it another way,
terrified of the prospect of its own independence.
But even after two years of fearmongering and vacillation,
it’s not too late for robust leadership to deliver the Brexit that people voted
for. It’s time for Britain to announce what it will do if the EU can’t make an
acceptable offer by March 29 next year — and how it would handle no deal. Freed
from EU rules, Britain would automatically revert to world trade, using rules
agreed by the World Trade Organization. It works pretty well for Australia. So
why on earth would it not work just as well for the world’s fifth-largest
economy?
A world trade Brexit lets Britain set its own rules. It can
say, right now, that it will not impose any tariff or quota on European produce
and would recognise all EU product standards. That means no border controls for
goods coming from Europe to Britain. You don’t need to negotiate this: just do
it. If Europe knows what’s in its own best interests, it would fully
reciprocate in order to maintain entirely free trade and full mutual
recognition of standards right across Europe.
Next, the UK should declare that Europeans already living
here should have the right to remain permanently — and, of course, become
British citizens if they wish. This should be a unilateral offer. Again, you
don’t need a deal. You don’t need Michel Barnier’s permission. If Europe knows
what’s best for itself, it would likewise allow Britons to stay where they are.
Third, there should continue to be free movement of people
from Europe into Britain — but with a few conditions. Only for work, not
welfare. And with a foreign worker’s tax on the employer, to make sure anyone
coming in would not be displacing British workers.
Fourth, no ‘divorce bill’ whatsoever should be paid to
Brussels. The UK government would assume the EU’s property and liabilities in
Britain, and the EU would assume Britain’s share of these in Europe. If Britain
was getting its fair share, these would balance out; and if Britain wasn’t
getting its fair share, it’s the EU that should be paying Britain.
Finally, there’s no need on Britain’s part for a hard border
with Ireland. Britain wouldn’t be imposing tariffs on European goods, so
there’s no money to collect. The UK has exactly the same product standards as
the Republic, so let’s not pretend you need to check for problems we all know
don’t exist. Some changes may be needed but technology allows for smart
borders: there was never any need for a Cold War-style Checkpoint Charlie.
Irish citizens, of course, have the right to live and work in the UK in an
agreement that long predates EU membership.
Of course, the EU might not like this British leap for independence.
It might hit out with tariffs and impose burdens on Britain as it does on the
US — but WTO rules put a cap on any retaliatory action. The worst it can get?
We’re talking levies of an average 4 or 5 per cent. Which would be more than
offset by a post-Brexit devaluation of the pound (which would have the added
bonus of making British goods more competitive everywhere).
UK officialdom assumes that a deal is vital, which is why so
little thought has been put into how Britain might just walk away. Instead,
officials have concocted lurid scenarios featuring runs on the pound, gridlock
at ports, grounded aircraft, hoarding of medicines and flights of investment.
It’s been the pre-referendum Project Fear campaign on steroids. And let’s not
forget how employment, investment and economic growth ticked up after the
referendum.
As a former prime minister of Australia and a lifelong
friend of your country, I would say this: Britain has nothing to lose except
the shackles that the EU imposes on it. After the courage shown by its citizens
in the referendum, it would be a tragedy if political leaders go wobbly now.
Britain’s future has always been global, rather than just with Europe. Like so
many of Britain’s admirers, I want to see this great country seize this chance
and make the most of it.
Tony Abbott served as Prime Minister of Australia from 2013
to 2015
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