There was
something very Corporal Jones-like about the Prime Minister appearing before
the House of Commons on Monday. The
difference between ‘Don’t Panic’ and ‘This is a time for cool,
calm heads’ is more about the tone in which the words are uttered than in
the meaning which they convey. And, for once
she’s right; that’s exactly what is required.
But surveying the people around her, where does she think that she will
find such a commodity? Her cabinet is
hopelessly divided, with around a third of the members actively and very
ostentatiously plotting
to undermine her; her party is split into at least three different factions,
and the main opposition party is united only in demanding a better unicorn that
the one she can never deliver. The two cabinet
ministers who actually got around to resigning because they don’t agree with
her plans can’t even agree with each other – David
Davis has magical spectacles which seem to see the EU in a state of panic
which would allow the UK to press home its imaginary advantage, whilst Boris
Johnson has an entirely different pair of spectacles which see a domineering EU
forcing the UK into separation
or submission. Just as well they’re
not on the same side, eh? If the future
really does depend on finding a few ‘cool, calm heads’ amongst this lot, then
perhaps it’s Private Frazer to whom we should be listening, not Corporal Jones,
because it means that ‘we’re doomed’.
Wednesday, 17 October 2018
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3 comments:
Everything done from here to March 29th is scripted pantomime, with no connection to reality other than to distract from it. Brexit is a done deal because of EU Finance changes coming in on April 1st 2019. There will be no snap election, no sacking of Teresa May, no extension of the preparation period, no second referendum, no final vote in the Houses of Parliament, upper or lower. Buckle up, as certain movie characters say!
Jim
"Brexit is a done deal because of EU Finance changes coming in on April 1st 2019." I'm aware that many people believe this one; personally I'm not so sure. To have engineered Brexit for this reason would have required a degree of competence, conspiracy and organisation of which I don't think that they are capable. I tend to the view that avoiding the EU Finance changes is more a 'lucky bonus' for those affected than a prime driving force for the whole fiasco.
"There will be no snap election, no sacking of Teresa May, no extension of the preparation period, no second referendum, no final vote in the Houses of Parliament, upper or lower." Perhaps. I have a feeling, though, that things are changing, and that would looked highly improbable just a few months ago is starting to look more possible now.
Mr Morris wise words do ring a bell with me ,having been involved in bi-lateral negotiations in the days of my youth, and as I have said before “five minutes to midnight” is when deals can be done, but the EU has so much to lose if a deal is not struck and they have made no plans or contingencies in their budget for the UK leaving on a WTO deal, so he may be right.
If we are to believe the BBC (Bless them) whose news coverage lacks any form of gravitas, the youth that run the station has called this the biggest constitutional crisis that the UK has ever faced. I think not, in the last century alone we saw, Votes for women, the Irish question and the unpleasantness with Germany 1914 and 1939. In two out of those three a constitutional instrument was engaged, namely the Head of State attended the Cabinet meetings and on the Irish question Buckingham Place Conferences were held.
This is still available today, as the state view things in the long term and politicians and governments are “, here today and gone tomorrow”. It is also enshrined in the Coronation Oath for good reason and that instrument has not been triggered.
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