Who could have predicted when David Cameron finally set a
date for the referendum he was forced by Farage into giving that we would end
up with the second female Prime Minister in our history? But when life gives
you lemons it seems you have several options. Among the advice proffered by the
internet these are, variously:
- Keep them because, hey, free lemons
- Grab tequila and salt.
- Grab gin and tonic
- Throw them back (really hard).
- Squeeze them in people’s eyes.
The one constancy in big party politics at the moment is
the blatant devaluation of democracy. Across the EU that democracy
has been subjugated at the hand of almost faceless bureaucrats who make the decisions
that the little people must not be trusted with. It was popularly feared that just
as with the surprise outcome of the referendum, democracy was about to produce
the ‘wrong’ result yet again. Damn you, peasants! Over the course of the
last two weeks the Conservative Party – no amateurs in the political assassination
game – have managed to eliminate every last pro-Brexit potential candidate.
If nothing else you have to admire the machinations of the house of cards.
But, in grown-up land, things are what they are. Calls
for a general election are misguided and will only set back the mission of
disentangling us from the EU. What we need to do is get behind our new Prime
Minister. Get behind and push. Push back at every potential U-turn manoeuvre,
every hint of heel-dragging as we approach that Brexit cliff. When we go, we have to all go
over this lovers’s leap together. Theresa May is not most of the population's
idea of Prime Minister, but then neither was David Cameron. At least she did
say “Brexit is Brexit” and we need to hold her to that.
The ironing lady is watching!
So let us watch closely and keep up the pressure to
invoke Article 50 and start the formal exit negotiations. Let us make sure she
despatches her ambassadorial flying monkeys to every corner of the globe to talk up our country, forge trade deals and show the world that outside the EU
the future is bright indeed. In many ways she will have a freer hand than any
PM in five decades to take the United Kingdom back to its rightful place as one
of the foremost of nations. Let's hope she doesn't turn out to be a lemon... or
herpes.
Well put, and well considered. It will increasingly dawn on even the the most doubtful that what we have outside the EU is opportunity like we've not seen in many years. For once we CAN do as common sense and circumstance dictates, we can choose any path, instead of only what Brussels allows. We will increasing get used to being free, and maybe wonder why we ever allowed our politicians to give that up. If May is as good as her word, the individual will be doing more of the choosing in future.
ReplyDeleteWill TM turn out to be MT II? At the moment she more resembles John Major in drag and may end up with the name the grey lady. I was rooting for Andrea Leadsom but perhaps she was not yet ready to be PM. Perhaps she has done Brexit a favour by not drawing out the leadership contest allowing the remain in brigade more time to regroup and plot. We will soon know what May is about and when her cabinet is announced and who is going to be in the Brexit team.
ReplyDeleteMrs May is little documented as a disliker of the EU, but like Corbyn, or a little better than him, she hides it well. The surprises are not over and the new Cabinet will bear this out, I believe .
ReplyDeleteRemember, she is a real banker, and no ordinary P,P &E simpleton.