The Observer reported yesterday that Theresa May was to say the following on Tuesday (presumably having been well-briefed):
“One of the reasons that Britain's democracy has been such a success for so many years is that the strength of our identity as one nation, the respect we show to one another as fellow citizens, and the importance we attach to our institutions means that when a vote has been held we all respect the result.
“The victors have the responsibility to act magnanimously. The losers have the responsibility to respect the legitimacy of the result. And the country comes together.
“Now we need to put an end to the division and the language associated with it — leaver and remainer and all the accompanying insults — and unite to make a success of Brexit and build a truly global Britain.”
I have tried to make some sense of that, but candidly the plot of the average Doctor Who is considerably more coherent.
We are not one nation: we are very obviously four nations with very different interests.
Our primary democratic institution is parliament. It is May who is refusing to engage with it.
The referendum was advisory: we were quite specifically not bound by the result.
To use the term 'victor' is not magnanimous. Nor does it in any at suggest coming together.
And we will remain leavers and Remainers for decades - as surely as Ireland was divided by the events of its independence.
In the context of which to claim that Britain can be truly global when it had just turned its back on its biggest trading partners and has opted for isolation is, to be candid, bizarre in the kindest possible interpretation I can find; not least when we know that Theresa May was saying that leaving the UK would be a disaster for the country before 23 June.
As I have noted, the prospects of tax wars worries me considerably thus morning. But having a UK Prime Minister who can suggest saying the things noted above worries me as much. We are all used to political spin. We can live with their lies. But this is worse: it's just delusional. And bluntly that is not the basis on which I want anyone to represent this country.
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A sizeable part of her own party never accepted the democratic decision to enter and to remain in Europe, they rubbished the wishes of the majority at every turn.
Then a number of our fellow citizens formed the United Kingdom Indepenence Party; intent upon turning over the expressed wishes of the historical majority.
“a coming together”, this woman lives in her own private world.
I wonder does she use the NHS. I cant see anyone wearing £1000 leather trousers waiting in line at the hospital.
Yes. These ‘one nation’ sloganist who stand straight with ties and £1000 leather trousers reject the notion of nationhood..’actions that favour the vast majority of the nation’. The vote was very ‘even’ and so too must be the action to Brexit. The economic community of Europe is essential in our success as a nation. Its people working here are part of this and should be celebrated. And together with these other nationalities politics must offer the whole of the nation a positive future working in mutual support of every community.
…And yes the thought of Theresa May waiting four hours in A&E is a thought I cannot imagine.
This speech extract could be neatly summarised as ‘We are lost, but God will provide.’
Just what we need when simultaneously negotiating with 27 others and Trump.
Maybe Mrs May should consider a role in filibustering. That speech is a fine example of using words which are demonstrably English in well constructed sentences, to say absolutely nothing.
I’m not sure that even Edward Lear could come up with anything so meaningless and nonsensical, although going to sea in a sieve would be a good analogy for Brexit.
🙂
Indeed deeply worrying.
Referenda and still banned at the Federal level in Germany as Hitler used them so effectively to undermine democracy in the 1930’s. The right wing have been adept it seems forever at using nationalism and racism to stir up fear within the population.
Post referendum I have the feeling that we have had a bloodless right wing coup. On the basis of a slim advisory referendum majority in two of the 4 constituent nations in the UK the government is attempting to rewrite history and the most loathsome and damaging form of Brexit seems increasingly likely (I’m sure it will be a paradise for the 1%).
The parallels with 1930’s Germany can be overdone but nonetheless there are striking similarities. What is also deeply worrying also is the Trump presidency in the US. I am nauseated by the UK government “Getting in bed with Trump.” I can’t see it ending well.
I feel that a civil war has been fought and lost. May is totally unconvincing and I fear I may come to loathe her more than Margaret Thatcher (which I did not think possible).
Lets hope the Supreme Court judgement at least ensures proper parliamentary oversight and ideally a say from the other nations in these islands
I’m considering that Sean
It seems all too realistic
This ‘speech’ by May has all the hallmarks of some one who is out of their depth.
Of course you are right to draw attention to the drivel May is talking.
In describing Britain as four nations I assume you count England and Northern Ireland as one each. Northern Ireland seems to me more like bits of two other nations yoked together and perhaps now falling apart. We shall see.
The really interesting one is England. Emotionally it might just about make it as a nation but the enormous disparities in wealth and attitudes seem to me to be tearing it apart. Look at the difference between London and the coastal towns of the South East or indeed the massive differences within London.
I know you want very much to repair these differences but there does not seem at the moment a political vehicle for that.
As a non-nationalist Scot it has always seemed to me that Scotland and the North of England have much in common and could lead the rebalancing of the UK if they got their act together. I have never been greatly attracted by the idea of reconstructing a border between them that has been defunct for 300 years.
This should not be an economic war between parts of Britain because I know that many in the South East, like yourself, know the current situation is untenable. Can anybody suggest how we might induce Labour, the Greens, Liberal Democrats and SNP to give this idea some thought ?
I wish I knew the answers to that
This has all the hallmarks of a closed clique of extremists who hear no opinions save their own; all external input is suspicious – not ‘one of Us’ – and all dissent is traitorous.
This does not end well, and they do not represent you.
Worse, they do not represent anyone or anything that you or I, or some ruthless cynic, could align our interests with and thereby gain advantage – or at least, mitigate the damage – and even less, for less resilient and resourceful citizens.
I am going to post this really good blog Richard. You put it quite clearly that the lunatics are in charge of the asylum. God help us all.
Indeed