As a seventeen year old studying for an A level paper on the English civil wars I had to make up my mind on Cromwell.
Aware of my Irishness, Drogheda hung over him.
Aware of my developing political opinions I was a parliamentarian to my core. For all his faults Cromwell was a hero.
Nothing much has changed since. I am pleased to live less than a mile from his house in Ely: this East Anglian helped bring England into a new and necessary era of parliamentary sovereignty.
I believed when in the sixth form that the question of Crown v Parliament was resolved before the seventeenth century was out and celebrated the fact. I thought and hoped that this was the way it would always remain. Indeed it seemed inconceivable that it might ever be otherwise.
I am, therefore, astonished that we now have a government of such arrogance that the question is having to be tested in the Supreme Court today. And I stress, this is not, per se, a case about Brexit at all. It is a case about who governs. The Parliamentarians must win all over again. If not we face a return to the era of feudalism, prerogative and contempt for the rights of ordinary people. Have no doubt that this case matters: no wonder eleven judges are sitting. I wish them well.
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No man is totally good or totally bad. Growing up in Ireland, Cromwell was not portrayed in a good light. The massacre of about 4000 civilians at the siege of Drogheda was barbaric even by the standard of the times and may have eventually contributed to Ireland splitting from the UK – the Irish have long memories (some say too long, whereas the English have memories that are too short).
I absolutely agree with your central thesis and have expressed the view that it is unlikely the Supreme Court will overrule the High Court and also that it is perfectly possible that the Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish will also have a say.
The contemptuousness nature of the May government is staggering, of course the rabid and increasingly fascist right wing press is going into overdrive here.
Listening to the Today programme this morning Der Sturmer (English edition called the Daily Mail) was extolling the virtue of the American Supreme court with it’s political appointees.
Given the fact that 75% of people with higher degrees are pro EU it is likely that most of the Supreme Court judges are also. I have absolute confidence that this will not influence their ruling one iota. This however will be used as a red herring to say the judgement is political and expect a rabid firestorm from the right wing media in January, which will only be surpassed when the “Have cake and Eat it” Brexiteer strategy is rejected outright by the EU.
If Charles 1st had accepted the Petition of Right in 1628, the Civil war with its huge loss of life ( I had no idea until recently of the numbers) might well have been avoided. He could have changed his mind any time up to 1640.
I hope we can remember the virtues of changing our minds and doing things differently than we have for the last 30 years.
Indeed
The loss of life was on a colossal scale: maybe 200,000 out of a population of 5.5 million
The ability to change one’s mind is very important
Drogheda needs to be seen in context. Earlier in the Civil War a Royalist force captured the Clun’s on the Welsh Border, led by Thomas Aston. As well as burning locals in their church they killed a number of prisoners of war a task given to the Irish Mercenaries among the Royalists. When later Cromwell’s men besieged Drogheda the commander of the garrison was William Aston. When Aston, perhaps mindful of his own skin, refused to accept the terms offered by Cromwell according to the rules of war of the time it meant that if Cromwell’s force got in then there would be no quarter given. That is no prisoners and anyone found with a weapon or access to a weapon (kitchen knife?) would face the same fate. If Aston had accepted terms the massacre may not have happened. There is the issue also of wider Royalist strategy, to keep Cromwell pinned down in Ireland.
Thank you
Indeed they must.
But if they do not, at least we will know exactly what we are dealing with in terms of the Tory party.
A Government comprised of people who are bascially out of control.
As for Crowmwell – better he than someone like Pinochet.
Richard,
It’s a bit muddier than that. Because having established the supremacy of Parliament, Cromwell then dissolved it and ruled as Lord Protector.
He’s a very unhelpful guide in these strange times.
Mark
As Richard says, Cromwell was at least a step in the right direction Mark towards improved democracy and government – albeit flawed.
Judging by the behaviour of this Government and the potential rise of the Far Right – all they want to do is take us back to a more rigid feudalistic system of society.
All anyone is saying is that Cromwell raised issues with our democracy that still resonate today.
Despite all my academic training I’m destined to look at the world through green coloured spectacles. I still find it difficult to think of Cromwell in the round as a good person. I have difficulties also with Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair also within my lifetime.
We await the Supreme Court. As a subplot Nicola Sturgeon’s visit to Dublin last week was interesting. I have never understood why given the amazing similarities between he countries they have been so stiff with each other. Nicola’s visit seems to have been a bit of a love in – a charm offensive on both sides.
We certainly live in interesting times. I just hope that things will get better.
I agree that at the end of the day we decide irrationally ion such issues
I made clear why I have reservations about Cromwell
The fact he ended up a virtual monarch hardly helps his case
And yet….despite that he served a pivotal and ultimately well motivated role in history. But he was deeply flawed. Like most us of in some way, and power finds it
Given the emphasis placed on the need for full sovereignty of the UK parliament during the Brexit campaign, it is ironic to say the least, that at the first opportunity, that sovereignty is being trampled on by the Brexiteers and their media supporters.
Post-truth once again
And that Robin, is because the real motivation behind Brexit is the nationalist right’s hatred of an internationalist organisation which seeks to stress political and economic cooperation between European countries, rather than conflict and competition.
This has always been the case. I once went to a Ukip meeting when (happy days) Ukip was as it should have remained, a tiny group of angry, foaming at the mouth rightists. Farage was the speaker, and his whole message was that everything that was wrong with the UK was the fault of the EU.
All the so-called reasons the anti EU crowd come up with for leaving the EU are false, however much some of those conned into voting Leave might believe them. That’s why they don’t want Parliamentary oversight of the Article 50 process, they just want us out of the EU ASAP, regardless of the cost or consequences.
Absolutely; the so called ‘common’ man whom I have taken to referring to in argument as the ‘conned’ man, is truly a pawn in this game. Sadly, I suspect that the Right and their fellow Brexit travellers will continue to blame the EU and migrant or other groups for the UK’s problems when they are little or nothing to do with them. Their control of the media is critical this and no answer has yet been found to this control and the malign influence it has on every aspect of society – political, social and economic.
If sounds like like one of the ‘liberal’ elite being patronising, so be it. The phrase ‘liberal elite’ is another classic example of how the debate and language has been ‘framed’ to support the arguments of the neo-liberal right. (with reference to George Lakoff)