On Wednesday,
Liz Truss told Andrew Neil on the Daily Politics that she had changed her mind
on Brexit. She voted to remain, she said, based on forecasts that leaving the
EU would have major economic consequences. "Since we have left, it has been
more positive, so the facts have changed and I have changed my mind."
In that last
sentence alone there are two factual inaccuracies, which were not exposed as
such by the selectively incompetent Neil. Firstly, we haven’t left the EU yet
and secondly, the economy is not fine.
On the same
day, Neil will have known that the IMF cut growth forecast for the UK and predicted it would slow from 1.8% in 2016 to 1.7% this year
and 1.5% in 2018 and a report by
leading investment bank Rabobank concurred. It predicted that a hard Tory Brexit would
plunge the UK into immediate recession, cost the economy £400 billion and wipe
18% off GDP growth by 2030. The
ONS also warned of record trade-in goods deficit in August and the OBR, the
treasury’s official forecasting body, downgraded the UK’s productivity, which it
expects to hit growth and weaken the economy.
The economy is in meltdown and
Andrew Neil lets Liz Truss, chief secretary to the Treasury, mislead his
viewers. A Labour MP would have been skewered.
Meanwhile, also on Wednesday, Philip Hammond admitted that “It is theoretically
conceivable that in a no deal scenario there will be no air traffic moving
between the UK and EU on the 29th March, 2019”.
Not to be outdone by her hapless subordinates, Theresa May said she didn’t know how she would vote in a re-run of the EU
referendum. She would have to look at all the facts. You couldn't make it up.
Does that mean David Davis
is withholding the results of his Brexit impact assessment from the PM, as well as parliament and the public? Is she not aware of the predicted damage Brexit will
cause to jobs and living standards? If Theresa May doesn’t have sufficient
facts on which to base an informed decision about leaving the EU several months on, why is she going ahead with it her kamikaze mission?
Surely it is in
our national interests for the findings of the Brexit impact assessment to be
made clear and for the public to be given a chance to vote again – this time
based on facts. Not lies.
We are experiencing major economic
consequences, the NHS is not getting the £350 million a week and, for many
children in this country the tooth fairy leaves magic dust under the pillow because the magic
money tree is based in the Bahamas. Not easily accessible for a nurse who,
despite being in work, is dependent on food banks to feed her children.
On a more positive note: Pics from the Labour party conference in Brighton. Spent most of it in The World Transformed fringe events. The highlight was definitely having an intimate audience with the absolute girl - Naomi Klein!
With the People's Chancellor: John Mc Donnell!
