A curiously English revolution?
Britain's exit from the European Union will lead to a seismic shift in our political landscape, but Andrew Woodcock wonders if the way it is being done is not a daft way to run a country.
We have not only voted 'Out' for want of one in six Labour supporters, or a million lazy Remainers. We appear also to be overturning the consistent policy of every political party in Government, of every Prime Minister, of every personal style and rhetoric with respect to the Continent these past 46 years. Not to mention the established orientation of the whole body politic (i.e. industry, academia, diplomats, civil servants and think-tanks). A true revolution!
Naturally, a number of Brexit leaders have now distanced themselves from some of their fanciful claims. Rightly, the Prime Minister did belatedly make clear that all three leading Brexit claims (the £350million, Turkish accession and a European Army) were all false. It is sad that voters were not also clearly told in plain words that we simply cannot have full control over EU immigration and, at the same time, EU trade as if nothing happened. Stand by for considerable disappointment one way or the other, and a Brexit civil war.
The consistent tactic of the Brexiteers when the Remain side made serious points about the long-term wellbeing of this country was to play tedious political games or to accuse them of "scaremongering". Taking the player, rather than the ball. Such glib talk to mask potentially grim realities.
Let's be quite clear, the long term consequences for the country and continent in terms of peace and stability might just prove grave. We should not ignore what may be intangible or unquantifiable. It is not as if we live in a Swiss-style participatory system. Our great democracy just does not work that way.
Congratulations to the Brexiteers for a highly effective campaign, for causing such a seismic shift and for helping us shoot ourselves in the foot in great style. But more curiously, hardly anyone seems to be batting an eye-lid about the rightness of the process that seems to be pointing us to an EU-exit without anything like the settled will of the people.
Am I the only person thinking this is a daft way to run a country?
