There is an editorial in the Guardian this morning that suggests Theresa May should tell the truth on Brexit. I presume that whoever wrote it was not serious. After all, what would that involve?
Admitting that the Tories have always been wrong to focus on this issue?
That Cameroon was wrong to call a referndum?
That the referendum question was wrong?
That the Leave campaign was corrupt?
And the Remain campaign inept?
That May's redlines were in all the wrong places?
That Article 50 notice should not have been given until its meaning was clear?
That May appointed the wrong people to negotiate?
That she had no one better to negotiate?
That she herself was not up to the job?
That no one in the Tory party gave a thought to Ireland?
Or Scotland, come to that?
That this policy will wreck the UK economically?
As it has already any remaining form of diplomatic power the UK had?
And that people will be worse off, in part by their choice but much more as a result of her interpretation of that choice?
That she has undermined the very sovereignty she claimed was so important?
And most likely destroyed the UK as a nation?
That if people thought Cameron was bad then she is so much worse?
That's what truth would require.
It's not going to happen.
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A good list Richard but I cannot imagine for one moment that any of them will come to pass.
The Conservatives are indeed stuck. To admit that the problems with the country were not related to the EU would mean having to admit that the source of those problems was closer to home.
It is easy to imagine a more thoughtful and courageous politician than David Cameron ( a fairly large grouping!) could have used the referendum result as a reason to change course. Given that the result was so close it would have been entirely acceptable to make an offer to the electorate along the lines of “we will have another referendum in 5 years time to check how public opinion has changed but in the meantime we acknowledge that UK policy has made many people’s lives miserable – we will use the continued membership of the EU and the economic stability that it brings to deliver on the following:
Cradle to grave care (including social care) using the same principles as the NHS
An end to the forced sale of social housing and multiple measures to make housing affordable for all
Increased funding for education
Re-establishing the link between public sector pay and inflation (and in some areas mending the damage that has been done by pay freezes)
The green new deal giving hope to the regions
Increased infrastructure investment in the regions.
Etc.”
Some EU-phobes would have been incandescent with rage, but I’m sure that would have been enough to swing public opinion the other way (it only requiring 2 people in a hundred to change their mind).
All of that, Richard – and more. The truth about ‘Brexit’ could fill volumes. Just to admit to the truth of Angus Brendan MacNeil’s (Chair of the International Trade Committee) favourite taunt that she is about to make Britain join a group of the only 5 countries in the world not to be a member of a regional trade agreement would be salutary.
Let’s have it in a big letter headline – “May Makes Britain Join…. East Timor, South Sudan, Somalia, Mauretania and Sao Tome & Principe”. Global Britain indeed!
Angus is good at his job
You say “Theresa May should tell the truth on Brexit”. I am reminded of the opening words of Bacon’s essay, where he alludes to the gospel of St John: ” ‘What is truth?’ said jesting Pilate, and would not stay for an answer”. In fact of course, Pilate bowed to the “will of the people” expressed through a makeshift referendum: he offered the mob Jesus or Barabbas. They chose Barabbas the robber. And what was to be done with the Nazarene? “Crucify him” was the will of the people. Pilate washed his hands of the matter and abandoned the one who claimed to be the way, the TRUTH, and the life to suffer a lynching. And so it is that Mrs May washes her hands and abandons truth in the name of the will of the people. History has judged Pontius Pilate, and history will judge Mrs May.
I have May in my savage serial bungler category. She is now too far gone for truth and will have protected herself from it with what she thinks is a close-in Praetorian guard, She’s only in it for the clothing allowance now and will continue bungling along as she has elsewhere hoping for not much to happen.
No.
Can I expand on one? That Cameron proposed the referendum because he was a coward of no particular skills or intellect but plenty of hubris, who rather than deal with the malcontents in his own party and show them the door, thought that by putting the issue to “the people” he would bury them. Instead, they buried him.
A missing truth:
Both Blair and Brown had previously promised us a referendum when they thought they had exhausted the goodwill of the electorate as they danced around the EU Constitution that morphed into the Treaty of Lisbon.
Cameron made a reality of their promise.
I didn’t know that. But the only reason to hold a second referendum when we were so deeply embedded in the EU was that the government believed that we needed to exit, had a plan for doing so and were asking for an endorsement from the electorate. To just call for the continuation of the status quo was ridiculous.
Having listened to a number of talk by Danny Dorling on Brexit, I think he gives an interesting explanation about Brexit. If people want to have a listen to a talk titled:
Professor Danny Dorling – What Brexit tells us about the British
use this link:
Sorry pressed submit before I finished
The link is: http://www.dannydorling.org/?page_id=2965
and scroll down to his recordings, beginning half way down the page
Danny is excellent
That she abandoned the citizens of the UK living on the European mainland and the Europeans living in the UK.
Gave no thought to the people of Gibraltar.
Nor thought to UK citizens who wish to keep their European citizenship.
There are so many others to list, including food and fuel security.