The Conservative Party in Great Britain, also known as the Tory Party, is in the midst of a great civil war over the issue of Brexit. And former Foreign Minister Boris Johnson (shown) has just launched a rhetorical grenade at embattled Prime Minister Theresa May over what he considers her weak Brexit strategy, which is commonly known as the Chequers plan.
In July, Johnson resigned from May’s Cabinet over concerns about the Chequers plan. Johnson’s resignation letter cited May’s procrastination and acquiescence to the EU. “We have opened ourselves to potential political blackmail. We have wrapped a suicide vest around the British Constitution — and handed the detonator to Michel Barnier,” Johnson said on Sunday.
Barnier is the European chief negotiator for the European Union on the issue of Brexit. According to Bloomberg, Barnier has recently said that a final deal between the EU and Britain could be finalized in six to eight weeks.
Johnson went on, “We have given him a jemmy (a British term for crowbar) with which Brussels can choose — at any time — to crack apart the union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Johnson was referencing a portion of the Chequers exit plan which states that if the issue of the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland cannot be solved, then Northern Ireland will effectively remain a part of the EU.
For decades, British rule of Northern Ireland was mired in sectarian violence. In the 20-odd years since the conflict ended, a more or less open border now exists between the Republic of Ireland and the northern British province, with free trade flowing back and forth between them. That cross border trade is worth more than three billion euros per year. But Brexit creates a possible customs issue, since Ireland would remain in the EU and Great Britain, of which Northern Ireland is a part, would not.
So, the Chequers plan, which is championed by May, would essentially cede Northern Ireland to the EU unless a compromise border plan can be reached — something easier said than done given the past history of conflict in Northern Ireland.
Johnson for one, rejects the notion of handing over Northern Ireland and its 4.8 million residents to EU rule. “We have managed to reduce the great British Brexit to two appalling options: either we must divide the union, or the whole country must accept EU law forever.”
Instead of focusing on the issue at hand, Johnson’s opponents are more worried about his language. “For Boris to say the PM’s view is like that of a suicide bomber is too much,” Alan Duncan, a former member of Johnson’s foreign ministry team tweeted. “This marks one of the most disgusting moments in modern British politics.” Duncan went on to call Johnson’s remarks “the political end of Boris Johnson.”
This prompted a nasty reply from Johnson supporter Zac Goldsmith, an MP (member of Parliament) from Richmond Park, who said of Duncan, “There are a number of possible motives behind this tweet, but given its author, we can be certain ‘principles’ aren’t one of them.”
Jacob Rees-Mogg, who many see as the intellectual leader of the Brexit movement, called Johnson’s suicide-belt comment “a characteristically colorful catchphrase.” Rees-Mogg added, “I agree with the sentiment. The criticism of Boris’s wording merely serves to highlight his point. It means more people will hear of Boris’s criticism of Chequers and many will agree with him.”
Prime Minister May did not support the Brexit movement and has dragged her feet implementing it. Rather than do what Great Britain voted for, she has looked for ways to leave the EU in word but not in deed. The Chequers plan is not what England voted for. They voted to leave the EU and be an independent nation again. They voted to take back control of their money, their laws, and, most definitely, their borders. The tepid Chequers plan keeps Great Britain under the EU’s gigantic thumb in trade issues and ties the governments together on security matters.
Boris Johnson definitely has higher aspirations. The former Lord Mayor of London seems to have his eyes set upon Theresa May’s seat as prime minister of Great Britain. To that end, perhaps he is trying to be seen as the British version of Donald Trump — bombastic and willing to fight for what he believes in. As America is slowly finding out, such character traits are not necessarily a bad thing.
The great Tory “civil war” is not really a civil war at all. The war is between English patriots and globalists whose loyalties lie not with Great Britain, but with the New World Order.
Image of Boris Johnson: Screenshot of U.K. Daily Mail YouTube video
