Draino is a
well-known American drain cleaner known to release blockages –
particularly a build-up of compacted faeces. Most appropriate in the
circumstances. Brino is a kind of acronym for Brexit in name only
(could this be the love that dare not speak it’s name?)
Looks as if we are,
at last, approaching some kind of Brexit cabinet agreement on the
eventual outcome of the decision in 2014 to leave the EU. (Screams of
“about time too” are heard in the background).
Without re-running
the whole Leave/Not Leave schmozzle, it’s time to take stock of
where we are, how we got there and where we go next.
Two salient points
which have mostly gotten lost or just been ignored recently. One – the
2014 referendum was the second UK-wide referendum on this subject.
In the first, people voted substantially to remain in the EU – or
whatever it was called then. That decision must also be respected.
Times changed. In 2014 people voted narrowly to leave. That
decision must be respected. We hear a lot of politicians using the
word “respected”. Good word. What does it mean? (Answers on a
post card)
It rather depends which side of the argument you are on.
Both sides say we all must respect the result, but both sides then go
on to assert that they will only respect the decisions which conforms
to their own ideas/prejudices. (Not an Aretha Franklin sort of
respect at all?)
So, we are left
with the last result stands.
Today Mrs May
gathers her cabinet at Chequers for a marathon session to finally
agree and put the UK position on record. (Hallelujah, cries the
multitude!) That’s where we are now. Reports are that she will
agree to what is termed a “soft” Brexit. Problem: many in her
cabinet and in the country think this is a betrayal. She may argue
that this is the best we can get and the only hope of the EU
accepting her plan. She may well win the day but lose the war.
(useful to remember that the 2014 referendum was a direct result of
two seemingly unrelated events/situations – firstly David Cameron
was scared to the point of soiling his underwear that UKIP would mean
a Labour government by default unless he headed them off at the pass
– he just didn’t factor in how his promise of a referendum
designed to scupper UKIP would work if he won the election and had to
deliver! (Wonder how Dave sleeps at night?)
We must digress
slightly at this point, for at the end of the day membership of the
EU is a political decision. Ted Heath, a Conservative Prime
Minister, took us into Europe. Why? Having been rebuffed by DeGaulle
for many years he pulled out all the stops to get us in. Heath
realised that the demise of the Commonwealth (yes I know it still
exists, but it is not as it was - with Britain calling all the shots
and denuding India of goods, the Caribbean of people, Australia and
New Zealand of sheep and Africa of raw materials.) meant that the UK
would be isolated and in perpetual financial crisis. The EU was our
only hope.
(You may remember
that joining the EU was a decision of Parliament – no referendum
was either necessary or even proposed – this is only right in so
far as the UK is a Kingdom and not a republic. Sovereignty resides
with the Queen in parliament – not with the people. Would that
Brexiteers would remember this when the spout off about the will of
the people. The will of the people is changeable. Fact.)
The
ideological basis for the EU for the Tories was/and is that the EU is
primarily a capitalist club. Heath and other Conservative leaders
were struggling with a Labour Party led by Michael Foot and featuring
Tony Benn at the time of joining and now the threat of Jeremy Corbyn
and his hard-left cronies has rightly scared the Tories. The 1970's Labour Party was diametrically opposed to joining the EU.
Hence they
are busy trying to get some sort of Brexit (any sort really) going to
avoid a future Labour government. This is short-sighted in the
extreme – even for politicians. They should know this and be brave
enough to remind the voters. One Parliament cannot bind another. A
Brexit deal – no matter how fudged – cannot survive if a Labour
or UKIP government deems it unacceptable.
Today,
we are where we are. Where we will be in the future is the vexing
question.
60%
of under 25’s voted to remain in the EU. About 60% of the over
60’s voted the exact opposite way. Demographically the remainers
have already won the day, if not the argument.
We
wait to see what the deal is and whether it will prompt the EU to
ease up.
We
wait to see how after Brexit the prosperity of the country (at
present all guess work and ranging from the sun-lit uplands to the
slough of despondency) can be maintained.
Either
way it will be interesting – if not fatal.
