Yes, folks, “we’re
doomed, we’re doomed, we’re doomed” - famous catch phrase of
John Laurie – know affectionately as Private James Frazer in that
classic British Sitcom, Dad’s Army is now coming to pass.
If only he had not
been quite so prophetic or prescient.
We now approach the
real crunch. Latest predictions are Teresa will lose the Commons
vote and lose spectacularly. Where do we go from there? Probably
down the pan – and we are talking toilet here. Why? Mostly because
the Tory Party has been at war with themselves over the EU for a very
long time and many politicians have no other reason to exist than to
carry on the crusade and get out of the EU. That’s just what they
do.
Problem is: having
achieved that they are now incapable of voting for any plan except
the one they believe in. (And that includes both sides of the
argument – for all sides are equally to blame for this mess –
lest we leave anyone out don’t forget the Labour Party -led by
Jeremy Corbin who does not and never has thought that the EU was/is a
good idea – or the Liberal Democrats and Scottish Nationalists and
the Democratic Unionist Party – all bit players but to whom some of
the blame must be apportioned.) Of course, if there was a consensus
around one plan, any plan that would solve the problem. Is that a
flying pig I spy? If so, make sure you carry an umbrella for even
flying pigs must defecate occasionally.
So what is to be
done? Who knows, least of all Teresa May. Everyone says she must
have a back-up plan – she just must. But what if she is telling
the truth – it’s her deal or no deal. Sounds like just like
another one of her famous sound bites – pleasing on the ear but
without any real substance. Just perhaps her back-up plan is to not
have a back-up plan. This could work. When she loses big in
Wednesday’s vote, she just resigns and says, OK over to you guys
now – I’m doing a David Cameron, I’m out of it – good luck to
all!
Sounds far-fetched,
improbably, unlikely, impossible? Don’t bet on it.
That
notwithstanding, are there other viable alternatives?
Everybody has an
idea so I’m entitled to mine.
Let’s have a new
referendum – not just a re-run of the old one.
A Royal Commission
would oversee the terms and the date.
Crucially, everyone
who lives in the UK and pays UK Income tax and national insurance,
everyone who is entitled to free care under the National Health and
everyone who lives in the EU but pays UK Income tax would be eligible
to vote.
We hear a lot about
how 17.4 million people voted to leave. Yes, and their votes should
count. We don’t hear about the millions of people who should have
been allowed to vote and were not allowed. We need to hear their
opinion and we need to hear it now.
How many old people
(who mostly voted to leave) are not with us any more? How many young
people who were not old enough to vote now can?
It is disingenuous
to maintain that the result of the referendum is set in stone. That
is a denial of democracy. We vote for a new government every five
years. It is silly and stupid to demand that a one-time vote must be
set in stone forever. Brexit did not come down on tablets from Sinai.
The essential
quality of referenda is that they are mutable. That’s what a
referendum is.
Get over it.
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