Once again an EU bureaucrat turns to misinformation (aka lies) to try and interfere with UK internal processes – the hallmark of the EU edifice. Again, in common with others (as cited in this blog recently by Grumpy) the theme is to repeat the spurious trope that BoJo has no democratic mandate to proceed with no deal on the basis that he is “an unelected Prime Minister”, adding “the backstop was agreed by a Prime Minister who was democratically elected”.

These are words used in the full knowledge that they are not correct. The difference between him and Trump in ‘fake news’ is only one of degree, and not of principle. To reiterate prior posts, Grumpy sighs as he seeks to correct the record once again (albeit that no-one will actually read it).

British Prime Ministers are not elected. Political parties are elected, on the basis of a public manifesto. The Prime Minister takes office with the mandate of MP’s (and in the case of the conservative party) party members. The labour party has generally skipped this latter element and leaders are put in place over dinner in restaurants qv Gordon Brown.

Contrary to Hogan’s assertion, Theresa May was not democratically elected per se – she took office with exactly the same process as Boris, so there is no difference in mandate. Hogan is therefore either ignorant or a pseudologue. He then tries to conflate the mandate for the Withdrawal Agreement with the (incorrect) assumed mandate of May. Wrong. May came back with an agreement which was contrary to the party manifesto, her own repeated statements, and, critically, contrary to the formal statements of policy such as that made at Lancaster House. Parliament did not delegate to her the right to agree anything, but to bring back a proposal. This she did, after being soundly out-maneuvered by Barnier on every point, and the result was (rightly) defeated by the biggest parliamentary trashing in history.

Hogan is simply wrong on every point he makes, and in doing so merely underlines why the UK needs to leave this bureaucratic nest of autocrats. He also needs reminding that the Taoiseach has no more democratic mandate from the Irish peoples than BoJo, being nominated by the President of the Republic of Ireland , in one of those opaque processes so beloved of the EU. [Where, in the latter case, the appointment of the most senior officials raises the notion of back room deals to an art form.]