"Can you make up your mind what you want please?" That’s what a friend demanded via WhatsApp when he saw that I’d been on the People’s March.
I had voted to REMAIN but have accepted BREXIT but wanted it done - in Macbeth’s words on the killing of King Duncan ‘It were done ...t’were well it were done quickly’
What I didn’t, and don’t want is this onimshambles of a negotiation which has divided the country potentially splitting the Union. I was for ‘Bring it on’, ‘Just do it’ not this death by a thousand options, another day another summit, another proposal, yet another option: Chequers, Canada, Norway and so on and each with a light or plus sometime even plus, plus option…
The march had been in my diary for some time, when the date eventually came I around I went not with the enthusiasm and commitment I had signed up with, nevertheless I went.
Reports of the costs, difficulties and resistance and a second referendum not to mention what would be the question or questions had impacted me, weakening my resolve. Yes, I still wanted a second vote but did I believe it would actually happen?
I went to the march to have my faith renewed, my belief reenergised.
The signs on the march were numerous and witty, the people many and polite , the police were orgainsied and ready.
However I had the feeling we were going thought a process, I didn’t detect much anger. I sensed people were doing the right thing in a very English way, marching for decency and integrity with earnestness, with wit but there was none of the anger of the Poll Tax marches As another friend , this one with me on the march, and I reflected “were not throwing rocks – were just pointing fingers”. The speeches reflected that finger pointing - lacking any anger.
Sadly I was minded of Ian Duncan Smith’s ‘quiet man’ analogy – all words no action. This was all march – despite the numbers – no action.
I went to be energised I came away resigned - the march was pointless. We’re just too polite to throw rocks – physical or metaphysical - the paving stones are safe and slander lawyers not needed. The march was a token, the onimshambles continues
Yes I still want a second vote - will it happen in this political climate? It might with the confusion of 'the options' and a vote in Parliament to come - anything is possible. My hope is that the internal rock throwing of the Tories by the DUP, Johnson and Rees-Moog et al coupled with the visceral weakness of May will result in a General Election, then all bets are off - we’ll have a real, meaningful, informed vote People's Vote on BREXIT.
Michael
ReplyDeleteSeems a fair summary of the march however your solution to resolving Brexit seems to be naivety in the extreme ie just do it or get labour in and they will.
The reality of Brexit negotiations is nothing to do with the terms you and the media use. It is 27 countries with various internal competitions as negotiators but one common goal - To ensure that no member ever risks leaving again. Watching May's efforts fail and welcoming the second coming (maybe Jeremy Corbyn) is fantastic sport for the EU. Alas the 3 options open are doomed to failure 1) We go back cap in hand after another referendum - Fantastic for EU but I genuinely feel that so many people would feel disrespected -awful word i know, that they would come out on the streets of britain with fury unlike your march yesterday 2)We get out 'tomorrow ' with no agreement and just a Winston Churchill gesture. Surely with no law or plan in place we will grind to a halt trying to resolve every issue that arises? Or 3) We negotiate which T May has tried to do but regardless of the EU view of her attempts, her party - and equally the Labour party - has extremists in all aspects from must remain through to must leave so the UK will never have a consensus as to what should or shouldn't be negotiated.
In summary we elect a government to lead and make decisions David Cameron will become as much a pariah as T Blair, this time for the nonsense that was allowing a referendum in the first place.
The solution, when it comes, will sadly be after massive brinkmanship on all sides that leads to a situation that personal goals on all sides are achieved as being 'saviours' of the anarchy we are about to enter.