Give us a grown-up

Enough already. Politicians of Britain – all of you need to wake up and smell the coffee. We have been patient. A year of lies, posturing, arguing, denial, game-playing – we've watched it all through the kindergarten window. But now, it is time to stop. The head-teacher needs to march into the room and thunder SILENCE at you all.

Nothing matters while Brexit is on the table. Nothing. Because Brexit puts in jeopardy our economy, our health service, our peace. The ramifications are so far-reaching that there is barely an iota of our daily lives that might not grind to a halt in 22 months' time. It is frankly absurd to pretend otherwise. And whilst the EU is ready with a plan, a team and a timetable we have wasted an entire year of preparation time through game-playing. We have started the clock ticking when we don't even have a team, let alone a plan. It is time for everyone to admit that the referendum was won on lies. And whether you think that is morally acceptable or not is also to miss the point. The point is that what was promised does not, and cannot exist. If you voted for a unicorn, you cannot keep shouting louder and louder in the expectation that the unicorn will be delivered. It is no good blaming “Remoaners” for the chaos. Farage, Gove, Johnson et al and their falsehoods are to blame for the chaos. It is time to accept that having-our-cake-and-eating-it is not possible. We bought a lie. Get over it. And more importantly move on to what we are going to do about it.

There are several options. Option A was to pretend the unicorn existed. That was Mrs May's strategy of the last year. It is now in the skip where it belongs. Frankly she and her government should join it. Option B is to accept that we are leaving and now try to salvage something from the car-crash. This seems to be Labour's position. Option C is to eat humble-pie and admit that this was a damn silly idea and please can we change our minds? Don't waste more time arguing whether it can or can't be done. Where there is a will, there is always a way. The job of politicians is to find a way. The British politician who can do this will be worthy of Churchillian acclaim.

Talking to the EU bigwigs with some semblance of politeness and respect would be a good start, whichever way we choose. Another reason Mrs May has to go. She has been so vitriolic that she has burned any good-will there might have been. A new negotiator can start with a clean sheet as far as personal relationships are concerned.

And Labour needn't get cocky. An unquanitifable part of their vote was from remainers trying to disrupt Brexit. These voters will happily move on again at the next, potentially imminent, election if they feel the fiction continues under a red flag rather than blue.

And as for the DUP. Their beliefs and policies are beyond inappropriate. I refuse to engage with the specifics for fear of shifting the Overton Window. They should be steadfastly ignored, not invited into central government. Given the added price-tag of jeopardising the Good Friday Agreement, it is morally indefensible that this is even on the table. Just no.

The Conservative Party needs to grow up. Fast. They need a new leader and I am NOT talking about Boris Johnson who is no more fit to lead this country than the slug I picked off my tomato plant this morning. They need new blood, someone who is not tarnished by the nonsense. They are always keen to present themselves as the party of grown-ups and reliability. Well then, I'm calling their bluff. Give us a grown-up. Grown-up doesn't mean an expensive suit or the best tie. It doesn't mean public school and singing the National Anthem with gusto. It doesn't mean soundbites that satisfy the Daily Mail. It means facing reality and addressing it in all its confusion and complexity. It means standing up to bullies like Nigel Farage who threatens to take up a rifle if he doesn't get what he wants. Our society knows perfectly well how to deal with such people in other walks of life – why do we cringe before it in the political scene? Give us a leader to take responsibility for the utter shambles of the last year. Accept that calling the referendum was idiocy, that adminstering it was careless and that the approach to implementing it was verging on criminally insane. And then give us a plan to take us forward. A plan that acknowledges the existence of the 48 as well as the 52. A plan that recognises the reality of our trade and financial foundations. A plan that celebrates our interconnectedness with our European neighbours through a myriad of personal and business relationships. A plan that suggests Britain still has a role to play in the complex lattice of global connectivity.

And if you can't do that, hand it over gracefully to someone who can. I would suggest Nick Clegg but sadly he's not available at the moment.

Comments

  1. Lyn L-J13 June 2017 at 15:55

    So you didn't name the slug Boris, then....?! Xx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lyn L-J13 June 2017 at 15:55

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete

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