Hmmnnn … my mistake perhaps
Oh dear. Following the brilliant outcome to the EU Referendum last Thursday – in which we ordinary voters took an unique opportunity to register a protest vote against the political elite, its chums and their bag-carriers, and indeed everything they stand for – it was only to be expected that we should suffer an inevitable outpouring of resentful bile and disrespect from the UK Establishment at its spectacular comeuppance.
Now comes an avalanche of protest, but ironically not from the EU itself which, for all its many failings, seems to have learned the lesson that its default defence mechanism (to send whichever country has conducted a referendum and rejected Project Europe back to the polls to try again until eventually it comes back with the ‘right’ result) will not wash this time.
We’ve got a petition – at the latest count I’ve seen, boasting 2.3 million signatures – demanding a second referendum.
We’ve got active media speculation about the prospect of the House of Commons (peopled by a majority of MPs who are Remainers) potentially attempting to destroy Brexit, or indeed emasculate or delay it, in defiance of the result.
We’ve got minority groups of ex-pats living within the EU – and separately of those who didn’t register to vote, either in time or at all – also demanding that the exercise should be re-run.
All this is blather. As is the heightened media frenzy at the current political situation, which combines financial market uncertainty, international disquiet and EU power-brokers seemingly wanting the UK to depart as soon as possible while simultaneously threatening to be ‘difficult’ over a trade deal lest it encourages Leavers in other EU countries to press for their own referenda.
Meanwhile, back at the Westminster ranch, where exist a split Tory party, a split Labour party, a one-MP UKIP, plus a rump of SNP MPs and an 8-man Lib-Dem party who both want to stay in … and, of course, a totally unelected overmanned House of Lords rammed full of superannuated hangers-on to state pensions who turn up on their old-age Freedom travelling passes solely to sign on for their per diem payments, a good lunch in West End and then home to She Who Must Be Obeyed (possibly via a Soho brothel first) for tea and a tot of whisky before watching Pointless and then BBC Six O’Clock News before retiring to bed … nobody quite yet knows what is going to happen and in what order, especially during the three-month period designated by Mr Cameron in his leaving speech of Friday morning for the choosing of a new Tory leader (Prime Minister) to actually take charge of the UK’s process of leaving the EU.
Exciting times, one might feel, especially for the media commentators. I even watched a special half-hour edition of Newsnight last night on my television – a signal, if ever there was one, of how historic these days are.
However, there’s one development that personally I’m a little concerned about.
Although Nicola Sturgeon (Scotland’s first minister), bless her, has responded to the Referendum result by reserving Scotland position to hold another referendum on Scottish independence, given the democratic ‘deficit’ between Scotland’s desire and the UK’s, and also allegedly opened communication lines into the EU regarding Scotland’s intention to ‘stay in’ as, when and if the UK departs, things are not going too smoothly at the moment … or so it seems.
Apparently, the EU – in its infinite wisdom – has rebuffed the Scottish first minister by pointing out that, as part of a member nation, no region of a leaving member nation can of itself just opt to ‘stay in’.
In other words, if Scotland does go independent, it will have to apply for entry to the UK just like any other country (e.g. San Marino, Andorra or Turkey, which – according to David Cameron – will not be admitted before the year 3000AD anyway) … and will have to accept ‘free movement’, the Euro and everything else that comes with the EU Project as fundamental pre-conditions to joining.
See here for a relevant article by Michael Blackley that appears today on the website of the – DAILY MAIL
This is all very worrying.
The Scots are a canny lot with a keen instinct for what will suit them and their dependent culture. You’ll have noticed that their whingeing has been somewhat softened and reduced in volume since the world oil price, on which they had been counting for survival had they left the UK last time around, has gone through the floor.
Now faced with no easy route to ‘staying in the EU’ – but rather the prospect of having to negotiate thirty-one stages (is that the number? I think it is the one quoted by David Cameron cited in relation to Turkey gaining entry to the EU) of qualifying criteria before being accepted – La Sturgeon and her fellow chancers may soon decide that the game just isn’t worth the candle … and ramp down the howls of outrage at the UK departing the EU and any suggestion that another vote on Scottish independence should now happen.
After all, severing ties with ‘the Mother Country’ (England), whose tax revenue allows Scotland to live beyond its means to the extent it does at the moment, wouldn’t be such a good idea, would it?
Rats!
I don’t know. You break the habit of a lifetime and decide for once take part in ‘The Game’ according to the rules set up to play it, assuming that all will be as stated – and then, when it unfolds (in this instance with the result you want), you find that the politicians then change the rules to negate the result and keep things just as they are.
That’s neither fair, nor how things should be. But hey, folks, that’s democracy – or at least what passes for it in these parts …
Come on, Nicola – take courage and go for that second Scottish independence referendum!
(I’m right behind you, girl).
