FREE THE HAGGIS!

The misinformation distributed by the Leave campaign has reached a new level of surreal.  During a debate last night on the BBC which featured six speakers (three for remain, three for leave, obviously) former London Mayor Boris Johnson (and heir apparent to David Cameron should leave win tomorrow) stated, to the leader of the Scottish Conservatives Ruth Davidson (on the remain side), that the EU prevents Britain from exporting haggis to the United States. (The tweets reproduced in the HuffPoUK story are worth clicking on the link alone).

Just imagine how prosperous the UK would be, how creative and enterprising the British people would become, if Britain were only allowed to export haggis to the US. Clearly, this is what is holding the country back.  Damn Brussels and their oppressive, anti-democratic ways.

The image above is from a 2014 BBC story with the head “UK government bids to overturn US haggis ban”.

Hang on?

Yes, the US banned the importation of sheep lungs (apparently part of this delicacy) in 1971. The same 1971 that preceded the UK’s accession to the then EEC by two years. The story does mention the European Union, however, by pointing out that “The UK government said it hoped the ban could be lifted as part of an EU-US trade deal, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, which is currently being negotiated.”

Ah, so instead of banning the export of Haggis to the US, the EU could be the vehicle to allow its importation into the US?

Two related observations:

• It would appear that the Leave campaign has been allowed to deal in misinformation to the degree where they’re happy to make shit up on the fly, knowing that it will not be scrutinised.
• Is there any example of the European Union not allowing the export of something that is legal within the European Union? It doesn’t make any logical sense to me.

Incidentally, I only first had haggis on Burns night this past year, in part because my partner / girlfriend / whatever is Scottish. I didn’t find it entirely dissatisfying, but I’m not sure that it holds the key to either the Leave campaign or the economic vitality of the United Kingdom.

h/t friend of the blog Matthew Remnant