The Dross of the Dross

So, to continue yesterday's theme - have you seen those members of the cabinet supporting the 'Out' campaign for June's referendum on the UK's membership of the EU?  Talk about the dross of the dross!  I mean, really, when the best you can muster are the likes of Grayling (worst Justice Secretary ever), the appalling Iain Duncan Smith and bonkers current Justice Secretary Michael Gove, then you know that the 'Out' campaign is intellectually impoverished.  But the very fact that they are allowed to, in effect campaign against the government's official policy on the referendum whilst still serving in the cabinet, is another demonstration of David Cameron's weakness as Prime Minister.  A strong Premier would make it clear that supporting the 'Out' campaign is incompatible with continuing to serve in cabinet (or as a junior minister, for that matter), as it clearly undermines the principle of collective responsibility on the part of the cabinet.  Faced with such an ultimatum, I'm sure that we'd find that the commitment to leave the EU wasn't actually that strong in many of them.

Mind you, I suspect that most of the right-wing shits supporting the 'Out' campaign aren't fundamentally interested in withdrawing from the EU out of a sincere belief that the UK would be economically better off, or that it would protect the UK's sovereignty.  In truth, it has more to do with trying to undermine the Human Rights Act and remove the UK's commitment to the 'Social Chapter', which guarantees many workers rights and working conditions.  That's right, all the stuff that the right likes to dismiss as 'red tape' and claim is 'holding back' British industry.  Without all this health and safety nonsense imposed by Brussels, they claim, British workplaces would magically become more efficient and productive.  Or more exploitative of workers, some of us might say.  The thing is that in recent years we've had enough examples of what happens when you abolish health and safety in the workplace - just look at all those Asian sweatshops which have burned down killing hundreds of workers.  Yeah, that 'red tape' is a killer, isn't it?  But, to return to the point, this bunch of reactionary brigands see leaving the EU as an opportunity to pursue their various political hobby horses, from rolling back workers rights to reintroducing the death penalty.  Which is why, despite the EU having become something of a vehicle for neo-liberal economics in recent times, I'd rather support the 'In' campaign as staying a member at least means that we won't be entirely at the mercy of these right-wing bastards in order to preserve our basic rights.

(OK, I promise to try and stay away from politics in general and the EU referendum in particular for a while - for the sake of my blood pressure, if nothing else).