Leaving Europe is the greatest national disaster since WW II
Anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray walks outside the Houses of Parliament in central London on October 18, 2018. PHOTO | AFP
What you need to know:
- Within weeks, the Japanese giant was warning that it would reconsider its location in Sunderland if Brexit turned out to be a negative factor in its plans
- Many ordinary people are coming to realise that much of what they were told would happen, such as £250 million per week going to the National Health Service, was plainly untrue.
If readers sometimes wonder why this column rarely mentions Britain’s most crucial current preoccupation, our looming departure from the European Union, or Brexit, in short, it is because this writer has become too exasperated to write objectively about it.
It sometimes seems to me that politicians and public alike have surrendered the moderation and good sense with which this country is generally credited to embark on a lunatic adventure which could turn out to be the greatest national disaster since World War Two.
What sticks in the mind is a television news clip from the moment in June 2016 when the national referendum decision to leave Europe was announced.
It showed a large crowd of workers cheering wildly, with particular focus on a young lady perched on a man’s shoulders, clapping and waving with glee.
SUNDERLAND
The irony here is that this event took place in the northeast city of Sunderland, home of a large car manufacturing plant owned by Nissan which employs 6,700 workers and supports 27,000 others in the automotive pipeline.
Within weeks, the Japanese giant was warning that it would reconsider its location in Sunderland if Brexit turned out to be a negative factor in its plans.
Was that young lady hailing her own future in the dole queue?
RESIGNATION
Since 2016, the fantasy of immediate departure has disappeared. Many ordinary people are coming to realise that much of what they were told would happen, such as £250 million per week going to the National Health Service, was plainly untrue; that we could not just write a letter of resignation and walk away; that we were involved in hundreds of intricate agreements which had to be disentangled at length and at great cost.
At the time of writing, Britain and Europe have agreed an exit plan of sorts. Prime Minister Theresa May says it is the only one that will work.
The problem is nobody seems to like it and, if Parliament votes it down, the future looks bleak indeed.
* * *
Ray Weatherall was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, but his death could not come soon enough for his wife, Hayley Weatherall, who was having an affair with Ray’s best friend, Glenn Pollard. With the assistance of Pollard’s daughter Heather, the pair attempted to kill the dying man by poison, shooting and drowning.
Weatherall survived all the murder attempts and the three plotters were jailed for life last week at Maidstone Crown Court. Judge Adele Williams said, “This was cruelty of a high degree — cold, calculating and chilling cruelty. You conspired to murder a man because you believe he stood in your way.”
The jury heard that Weatherall, aged 53, was told in 2015 that he had cancer and had 18 months to live. In 2017, medics said the tumours were stable and his condition had not deteriorated.
The judge said Hayley Weatherall, aged 32, would serve at least 15 years, Glenn Pollard, aged 49, would serve 17 years and Heather Pollard, aged 20, must serve 15 years.
* * *
If you ever suspected that the average teenager’s grasp on economic reality is somewhat tenuous, doubt no more. A survey of 14 to 16-year-olds found that they expect to be earning £27,000 a year in their first job and that household bills would amount to some £635 per month.
The truth is that most first-job salaries rarely reach £20,000, while the cost of running a house averages £2,100 per month.
* * *
People who live in a cold climate with less sunlight are more likely to drink heavily, according to a new study, and already a doctor in Scotland has called for a cutback in alcohol advertising during the winter. Data from 193 countries showed that there was more binge drinking and liver disease among people who saw less of the sun. Drinking is also linked to depression, which tends to be more prevalent when sunshine is scarce.
Dr Peter McCann, who works in the Scottish Borders, said, “Weather-related alcohol consumption is directly linked to our chances of developing the most dangerous form of liver diseases, cirrhosis, which can end in organ failure and death.”
He added, “Stricter laws on alcohol pricing are surely justified. Restrictions during winter months should be strongly considered.”
* * *
The cashless society is creeping ever closer. A survey of 2,000 people found that 400 never carried cash, relying instead on cards or smartphones. Seventy five per cent of those interviewed said the time would come when all shops and stores would accept alternatives to money.
* * *
A mathematician, a statistician and an accountant applied for the same job and each was asked the same question: “What is 500 plus 500?” The mathematician answered, “One thousand.” The statistician said, “There is a 95 per cent certainty that it is one thousand.” The accountant said, “What would you like it to be?”
The accountant got the job.
