A Fishing Convention: Withdraw from What?

Whilst this blog would not oppose any good news for the UK’s blighted fishing industry, it is unclear what this latest proposal from Michael Gove actually means. The convention from which he proposes to withdraw is according to various international legal authorities, no longer in existence because it has been replaced by the EU Common Fisheries Policy. So it is a bit like announcing withdrawal from the League of Nations. Perhaps it is more of the smoke and mirrors drama which the Tory Government thinks adds up to Brexit negotiations. The EU looks on perplexed.

Gove also confirmed it was the policy of his hard Brexit bit of this fractured government, that no deal was better than a bad deal; odd that when no deal is, to rational thinkers, the worst deal of all outcomes. He also said, in a rather slick new look appearance on Andrew Marr, that once we were out we could start trading with other countries outside the EU. But 55% of our trade now is with countries outside the EU. This is because the EU has trade deals with, at my last count, 38 other countries. So the notion that somehow all sorts of new trade opportunities exist for the taking may be another Brexit porky. If we sing a happy song and go over this no deal Brexit cliff, we will not only go WTO with the other 27 EU countries but also the 38 who have struck deals for EU trade. So, that is 65 countries we have to negotiate with, even to stand still.

Wow!

Fortunately in this hung Parliament, with a cross party majority for a soft and sensible Brexit, there is no chance Gove and Co will be put their flights of fancy into effect. There is talk of Commissioners going in to run Kensington and Chelsea. Can they also be sent into Downing Street?