The Conservatives had no plan on how to deal with Brexit - Yorkshire Post Letters
From: Roger Backhouse, Upper Poppleton, York.
In criticising Labour for coming to office without clear plans Otto Inglis (Letters, July 13) is correct but that party is not the only culprit.
For a classic example of political ‘I'm sorry I haven't a clue’ look at how the Conservatives handled Brexit.
It was no surprise to anyone except the Conservatives that the EU would make negotiations difficult. Michael Gove's pre-vote claims that "we hold all the cards" was always nonsense.
The Conservatives made matters worse by downgrading the post of EU Ambassador to an envoy, insulting those they were to negotiate with. Not a good tactic in delicate negotiations.
Boris Johnson never set clear priorities in negotiations. Detail was always too dull for him. Britain's negotiating team changed just when consistency was needed. The EU team were left wondering just what the British hoped to achieve.
In the same letters page M. P. Laycock blames Parliament for restricting Boris Johnson's room for manoeuvre, a risible claim. Faults were all on the Conservative side.
A poem by Roger McGough runs something like ‘I wanna be the leader. Can I? Can I? Yippee I'm the leader. Now what shall we do?’ That sums up much of what passes for British politics. Sad but true.