The Surrender Bill is getting a lot of bloated attention.
Just pause for a second. The executive head of our democratic parliament, our
Prime Minister, is rubbishing his parliament that has democratically decided
that we must not leave the EU without a deal. If he feels so strongly against
it, he should present a counter Bill to nullify it. But of course he cannot, as
he does not have a majority in the House nor within his own Party.
Bluff and bluster may be a successful at a personal level
but you cannot run a country by bluff and bluster. In a sales pitch you might
get away with pretending you will just walk away. But not at National levels.
The bluff that UK will walk without agreeing a deal is utter nonsense. The EU
knows it, most of the country knows it, so why discredit your integrity by
pretending to hold an impossible position. The rest of the sane world knows there
is too much at stake. The breakup of the United Kingdom for one. Turning our
backs on our closest neighbours is another. Unravelling 40 years of close integration
is another, but the list goes on and on. At some point an agreement with the EU
will have to reached. Not facing that reality, holding up the pretence of another
(unspecified) option will result in a lot of pain and damage.
Another bluff tactic is to claim that the Country has
Decided. No it did not. Half the country definitely did not decide to leave. It
is worth recalling that the ripples of a divided nation, catholic v protestants
lingers on even to this day. Our Nation is divided over the EU. As in all inflamed
disputes, in the end the opposites just have to sit down, talk and reach an agreement.
That is what a Prime Minster worthy of the position should be doing, Not fanning
the flames of discord.
As our Prime Minster continues to fail to recognise and
respond to the deep division within our country, what are we to do? Twiddle our
fingers whilst grabbing unquestioningly every soothing soundbite offered, lap
up all the electoral gift baubles as if they were substantive and a real, or do
we demand better? Is the retention of a United Kingdom worth fighting for? Are we
really content to retreat to a gated community to keep all those unpleasant
neighbours at arm’s length, do we really want to surrender having any voice in
the world that is listened to? Do we want a fantasy future or face up to the
hard issues before us? For that we need a Parliament that reflects all of us
and a Prime Minster who has integrity, able to seek accord and with a vision
which does resonate with our core values.
