British Influence’s arch-Remain boss Peter Wilding has launched a new campaign seeking a judicial review to prevent Britain leaving the single market. Wilding says:
“Britain’s membership of the ‘Single Market’ or European Economic Area (EEA) was not covered in the EU referendum. The government says if we leave the EU we automatically leave the EEA – the single market. We think they are wrong in law.”
The campaign supports the so-called EEA or Norway option – full single market access in exchange for implementing the EU’s laws and accepting free movement. Yet they aren’t being truthful when they say the EEA was not covered in the referendum: Wilding and British Influence regularly spoke about it, in very negative terms. At the time they called it a “con” and a “lose lose” situation:
“Norway has single market access but pays a quota into the EU budget, adopts all relevant EU legislation (but with no input in formulating it) and accepts EU immigration. “This will sound to all reasonable British voters as a lose lose rather than a win win. Selling it as anything it also would be con.”
Wilding himself told the Guardian in February:
“Eurosceptics who peddle the myth that Norway is the best [model] for a non-EU Britain are deceiving the British public . They say leaving leads to more democracy and security. This is nonsense.”
Now Wilding’s campaign has completely reversed its position, saying in an email last month:
“Membership of the EEA is a golden opportunity to maintain our economic competitiveness while gaining some discretion over our own immigration system.”
Peak Remain dishonesty.
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