King makers
There was a time, not so long ago, when the backing of the ERG would have been the kiss of death to any political career. Remember John Redwood’s bid for the top job anyone?
The backing of Lord Frost would have been risible as well.
While his attack on Penny Mourdant for being “absent” during the negotiations with the EU over the TCA, is pathetic. He and the PM were in charge and negotiated an appalling bad deal. The tragedy now is that every candidate has to pretend it is a brilliant deal and that means they are lying now and will have to continue to lie when they get the top job.
Ms Mourdant is also lying when she repeats that the UK did not have a veto on Turkish membership of the EU during the referendum. In the past that too would have destroyed her career, 6 years ago, let alone now.
It all shows just how far the UK has fallen, and how far it still has to go.
All the candidates are weak on anti climate change action and all are promising to break international law and stir up a hornets nest in Northern Ireland, potentially starting a trade war, or at least worse terms of trade.
None will ever be allowed to admit that cooperation and negotiation with the EU is the way ahead, all will be on a short ERG lease, ever ready to condemn betrayal.
Even admitting to basic facts like lower growth and worse trade will be betrayal. So betrayal becomes self fulfilling and will continue for decades.
The tail is wagging the dog, no one in the Tory party can break free and they are taking us all down with them
Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.