We are going to take back control of our borders, laws and money,” said everyone connected with the cabinet.
“For God’s sake let’s just get this done,” said Ian Duncan Smith.
“You are voting for the surrender bill,” said Boris.
All these very powerful words and phrases came directly from that genius of communication, Dominic Cummings.
Brexiteers versus The Remainders
Ever since the campaign before the vote in 2016, the Brexiteers have been so much more powerful and clear about their argument. Cumming’s ability to tap into emotive and stirring ideas, which resonate with the general public, is way ahead of anything the Remain side comes up with.
By contrast, we have had the Remainers quoting a foggy mixture of obscure economic forecasts stating that the end of the world would happen when we leave. GDP would fall off the cliff, life-saving drugs would be in short supply, and the food on our shelves would disappear. So easy if you are a Brexiteer to brush off.
We know how poor the forecasters have been, and it is totally understandable to understand why the leavers should scream project fear. More importantly, it enables them to win their argument. The Remainers by contrast were, and continue to be, woefully inadequate in their debate. Why have they been so poor in putting their argument across?
Watching the live coverage of our historic Saturday in parliament, the main argument that came across from the pro-EU MP’s was focused on tariffs, (which the average person really does not understand) and the future scare forecasts already mentioned.
BBC Delves Deeper
During their broadcast on Saturday, BBC interviewed a group of people both Remainers and Brexiteers in Bury. One man, a leaver, when asked why he was for Brexit, stated that it was because he believed manufacturing and jobs would come back to the North after Brexit. What a sad indictment on the pro-EU movement. How can there still be people out there who believe that leaving the EU will increase jobs and prosperity?!
For the avoidance of doubt, I am a democrat. Whatever my thoughts on the ridiculousness of putting such a complex agreement to the people, we did it, and we now have to follow it through. We must leave. The issue now is how we leave. So, the Remainder argument has gone; it is now about as soft a Brexit as possible that will create the least damage to our country.
Insult Behind the Slogans
“Just get it done”, “take back control” etc. whilst being brilliant slogans, completely insult the intelligence of our people. This issue is way too important to ride on the back of such trite statements. But they work, they are emotive and strike into the heart of the people.
As I sit writing this, Boris has been defeated in his attempt to rush through the bill in two days.
It is becoming more and more apparent that we are heading for a general election. If that happens, the right arguments must be put across. This is not about remain or leave anymore; this is about the type of Brexit we will have.
The failure of Remainers/soft Brexiteers has been down to the paucity of their argument.
I have a challenge out there for all you soft Brexiteers/pro-EU people, (and at the risk of some suitably abusive and facetious replies!); can you create the sort of powerful and emotive slogans that Cummings and his team have come up with?
Distilling Facts into Slogans
Before I set the gauntlet, we need to distil some facts into those snappy slogans.
- Half of everything we trade, in and out, as a country is with the EU
- We have trade deals or preferential access with 105 countries.
- The 2nd biggest economy globally, China, does $93bn in trade with Germany – the UK does $23bn. Germany does $25bn with Japan; we do $12bn. How will leaving the EU increase our trade with other non-EU countries?
- FDI to the UK tumbled by 13% in 2018, we have dropped from second to fourth globally since Brexit
- The average EU migrant contributes £2300 per year more than the average UK citizen.
- What material rules do we not control as a result of not having our sovereignty?
What do you think, who has the creativity and marketing nous to take on Cummings and his gang?
