Vote for the deal
A young minister of the Kirk at a Church concert announced the next item on the programme: “Miss Jeannie Macpherson will now sing “The Flowers o’ the Forest”. A loud voice came from the back of the Hall: “Jeannie Macpherson’s a hoor.” The minister paused a moment. Then: “nevertheless Miss Jeannie Macpherson will now sing ‘The Flowers o’ the Forest.”
Muriel Spark thought “nevertheless” the great Scottish word, deep-rooted in our culture and mentality. She was right. The deal now agreed between the UK Government and the EU is to my mind a ”Nevertheless” moment.
I voted Remain. I deplore Brexit. Nevertheless three years ago the Referendum delivered a vote for it and Parliament passed the European Withdrawal Act. I think it was a mistake to do this before entering on negotiations. Nevertheless it was passed, and is the Law.
Now a deal has been reached. It is not very different from the one negotiated by Mrs May, which the Commons rejected three times. There has been a bit of tweaking with regard to the Northern Irish Question. Both the EU and the UK negotiators have shifted their position just enough to make a new Agreement possible. Naturally it isn’t perfect, but nothing in politics is ever perfect.
Nevertheless it has three great merits. First, if approved by Parliament, it will allow us to get on to the next, and very important, stage, negotiating our future trading relationship with the EU. Second, it makes it possible for these negotiations to be conducted in a spirit of amity and co-operation which will be to the benefit of both parties. Third, it is better than No Deal.
The House of Commons has been clear and adamant. No Deal is bad. No Deal is unacceptable. Parliament passed what is called the Benn Act to avert No Deal. Now there is a Deal. If the House rejects it, it will be in an absurd position, for it would in effect be saying that it would be better to leave the EU on October 31 without a Deal. This is not only inconsistent with its position when it approved the Benn Act; it is crazy. Warnings have come from every quarter about the damage that would be inflicted by leaving the EU without a deal.
Nevertheless it seems that Labour will argue and vote against the Deal. So will the SNP and the Liberal Democrats. Likewise, if their first reaction can be trusted, the DUP. Its position is hard to understand. It is opposed to the return of a hard border in Ireland, but if we leave without a Deal there will be such a border, sure as night follows day.
Like many throughout the country and on both sides of the House of Commons I have no regard for Mr Johnson. The question the Democrats asked about Richard Nixon might be asked about him: would you buy a used car from this man? Actually the American public answered yes, though doubtless with many reservations. The British electorate may do the same. But, though Mr Johnson has never been celebrated as a brave man, he has taken a risk in drawing back from the “clean Brexit” of No Deal and compromising with the EU. This won’t please Mr Farage who will cry “betrayal” – which is of course another good reason for the Commons to approve the Deal.
A journalist once questioned Rab Butler’s support for his Prime Minister Anthony Eden. Rab, in his best Delphic manner, replied. “he’s the best Prime Minister we’ve got”. Quite so: Mr Johnson’s deal is the best Deal we’ve got, and in both cases for ”best” you can read “only”.
Dislike and distrust of Mr Johnson is so general in the House of Commons that many MPs will be reluctant to grant him a success which may be interpreted as a triumph. They may have to grit their teeth to vote for his Deal. Nevertheless they should grit them and make their way into the “Yes” lobby.
Remainers should recognize that negotiations during the transition period offer the only realistic possibility of a soft Brexit and a close and friendly relationship with the EU. They should also admit that the second referendum they would like to see carries with it the grave risk of deepening and sharpening the division in the country, even of provoking violence and civil unrest.
TINA, an acronym popular in the Thatcher years, was a lie, for in politics there is always an alternative. Often, however, the alternative is alarming and this is such a time.
Like many I suspected, even feared that Mr Johnson was only making a show of negotiating with the EU and would be happy to leave in October 31 without a deal. Well, we were wrong. There is a Deal and MPs should vote for it.
You –we- may have the same opinion of Mr Johnson as the man with the loud voice had of Miss Jeannie Macpherson. Nevertheless he is singing the right song – for the moment anyway. For the Commons to reject his Deal would be stupid. It is in the national interest to approve it. A General election will soon follow, and the People will deliver their verdict. This may again result in a hung Parliament, but at least one high hurdle will have been cleared.