THREAD: Some Remainers uncomfortable with Jo Johnson, Greening & Grieve attacking govt handling of Brexit negotiations on sovereignty grounds. I disagree: it's true (whatever emerges as a deal will be worse than EU membership), it's bold & it's tactical genius right now. Read on:
Attacking Chequers on sovereignty grounds provides a position that on the face of it can unite the whole Tory party, whether they love Brexit (ERG & various other assorted twats & no-marks) or hate it (ex-Remainers, who have become since EUref pragmatic damage-limiters)...
Attacking Chequers on sovereignty grounds therefore provides cover for the latter group (those who know Brexit's a terrible idea & contrary to the national interest but who have been bullied by Will-of-the-People bullshit into supporting it until now) to start opposing it. Also..
Attacking Chequers on sovereignty grounds outflanks the Brexit zealots & puts them on the back foot. If reluctant Brexiters among the Tory MPs oppose May's Brexit deal, what do the ERG do? Start defending it & supporting May, thus revealing themselves to be utter hypocrites? Or..
...do the ERG follow through on their pathetic bluster, and oppose any Chequers-based deal which May brings back, on the grounds that it is a "betrayal" and "isn't the Brexit that people voted for"? If so, the UK govt's whole Brexit position collapses...
...and we enter the twilight zone. Sure, there will be dire threats of no-deal. But in these circs they're only credible if the govt *chooses* to drive us into the wall. May wants history to remember her as the person who dutifully salvaged something from a political crisis. So..
...I think this re-opens options which the pro-Brexit twats in politics & the media have been desperately trying to foreclose through all kinds of contemptible manoeuvring since they won EUref in June 2016: Article 50 extension or EUref2.
And this is not just about the Tories...
And this is not just about the Tories...
Think what happens in terms of Labour's political space. If both wings of the Tory party unite in opposing a Chequers-type deal, or if the only ppl backing it are ppl like Jacob Rees-Mogg, what's Labour going to do? Save May's bacon & her deal by giving her the votes she needs?
No, if a large number of MPs from the Remainy wing of of the parliamentary Tory party break cover & take the opportunity opened by Jo Johnson's resignation (after that of Philip Lee & the good work done for months by sensible Brexit-sceptic MPs from both major parties)...
...this could be a game-changer. It's not yet check-mate for the ERG twats & the other Brexit zealots but they are in check for the first time since EUref. If you think UK politics has been a roller-coaster since 2016, hold on to your hats. It's about to get a lot more volatile./
Oh and @EmporersNewC
