David Amess, the Tory MP, has come up with another reason the UK should leave the EU. Apparently the country is being overrun by foreign dogs. Really, I’m not making this one up – I know Amess got done over by Chris Morris years ago on the infamous “Brass Eye” drugs episode, all on the dangers of “cake”, so you may think I’m trying to prolong the man’s misery with a piss-taking article, but please see for yourself:
“Now I don’t want to start a row about the membership of the EU, but the import of puppies from Europe to the UK has soared in recent years due to the change in EU law in 2013 to allow the free movement of people’s pets, perhaps I might say another reason to leave the EU.”
So he doesn’t want to start a row about membership of the EU…..but thinks free movement of pets is a reason to leave the EU. I see. That’s like me saying to a left-leaning Labour friend that I don’t want to start a row about the current leadership of his party, but Corbyn is a horrible pussbag. There’s an internal contradiction going on there that is just a bit insincere, really.
So anyhow, the country being overrun by non-British dogs is why we should now leave the EU. Seriously, I’m as pro-European as it gets and even I can think of much better reasons for why Brexit might not be such a bad idea than telling the most pro-dog nation on the planet that we’d have less of the lovable creatures in Britain if we left. Telling Brits that less dogs is a good reason for doing something is like telling the Belgians that something that would result in less chocolate and beer would be a great idea. Why are you trying to fight such hard battles, you guys?
Worst of all, Amess displays the same trait you get across the Brexiteer spectrum when it comes to leaving the EU: a lack of desire to or a belief in the idea of leaving the EU at all.
“Most importantly there should be a revision of the current EU regulation on free movement of pets.”
That’s an Amess quote from the very same Westminster Hall debate as the first quote. Now, maybe free movement of pets into Britain is some sort of major problem. I know that I wouldn’t have a particularly immediate problem with requiring French dogs to have a visa or something so we can control canine viruses, or whatever the real reason behind the whole Amess speech actually is. But seriously, don’t bring the whole EU debate into something that is this tangential. It just makes the Brexiteers look like they have no actual arguments.
“On the one hand, leaving the EU would mean a risk to my job and my mortgage, not to mention the larger security risks. On the other hand, it would mean less German dogs are hanging around the place.”
Is this seriously where Vote Leave wants people’s brains to be going on June 23rd?
These people never seem to realise what a mongrel race the British are.
Surely that law also allows British people who move to other EU countries to bring their pets with them when they go. Is this really something the ‘Leave’ side want to stop?
It’s a bit unfair to bring this up. Poor Mr Amess hasn’t got a great deal upstairs and to highlight this for public gaze and ridicule just isn’t cricket. Fair game though.
You might find this interesting http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/beverley-cuddy/rabid-interest-in-brexitw_b_9289930.html
Puppy farms and trafficking are a serious concern for people who care about animal welfare, and there’s a potentially nasty knock-on effect for the populace as a whole in that rabies could be re-introduced to the UK.