I doubt I’m the only one in Britain currently feeling uneasy: the world seems to have gone a little bit topsy-turvy, hasn’t it?
For months and months, even the vaguest suggestion of a second referendum, or a ‘final say’ on the terms of Britain’s exit from the European Union, well… it was likely to be shouted down by an army of angry Brexiters decrying it an ‘affront to democracy’. It was a definitive, cardinal rule. The lemmings would not have a chance to rethink that cliff edge.
Then, in the past week, the leader of the largest opposition party – whose members overwhelmingly want another referendum and/or to reverse Brexit – has categorically ruled out the possibility of a rethink. Jeremy Corbyn: the man in Britain who many feel is the only hope to fight off this Tory enslavement of Britain, seems to be going along with their plans. Off the cliff we go.
Meanwhile, as the press have reported to great fanfare in the past twenty-four hours, the architect of Brexit and man behind so much unrest in this country – Nigel Farage – suggested maybe a second referendum is not such a bad idea. I’m half expecting Tommy Robinson to soon come out suggesting a whip-round for disaffected Muslim youngsters, and Katie Hopkins to open a soup kitchen.
I can only imagine all the adamant die-hard Brexiters sitting round, scratching their heads, somewhat bemused. Whereas most activist remainers seem to be doing what one might expect: relishing the challenge, and jumping all over it like flies on horse shit.
Farage of course has now back-tracked, saying he wasn’t calling for a second referendum at all. Just a slight slip of the tongue, I’m sure.
Too good to be true?
There are obviously a lot of jeers/jokes going round, that Farage ‘suddenly realised he’d lose his EU pension’. But I don’t think it’s anything like that; I’m sure he’s rich and well-connected enough.
One thing is clear. Nige was not suggesting this as a carrot for remainers: it was a rallying call to die-hard leavers. He was readying his troops for the possibility of another skirmish; whipping them up into a frenzy early to gather momentum. Not arguing from the perspective ‘maybe we should do the sensible thing’: it was a goad. He’s saying that if we re-run the vote, and Brexit wins again, remainers will truly have to shut their pie-holes for good. It “kills us off for a generation.”
What’s more, he’s probably right. And if over-confident remainers don’t think the powers-that-be could persuade lemmings to keep walking, they’ve truly learned nothing at all.
My personal view is somewhat different. If the past two years have proved anything, it’s that the British public en masse cannot be trusted to do what’s sensible. It’s Boaty-McBoat-Face all over again, times a million. This new demand and expectation of ‘direct-democracy’ in Britain (aka: mob rule) has already shown itself to be a disastrous proposition. It took our nation countless civil wars, and quite literally centuries of conflict, to finally come to the conclusion that parliamentary representative democracy is the best recourse. Not Kings and Queens and feudal lords, but not mob rule either.
I for one can’t bear the idea of another referendum campaign, it fills me with dread.
No… far better I say to simply put a responsible adult back in charge of the kindergarten, who truly understands the contributing factors and real-life consequences in ways that Terry down the pub doesn’t quite grasp. Someone who’ll have the balls to protect their country and cancel the whole damned thing, despite inevitable outcry. That is what I want. To go back to before this nonsense split our country in two. But there’s also no way that could happen now without it being skewed as ‘dictatorship’ either, I do recognise that. So we have a very effective ‘bottleneck’. (It’s sure funny how people don’t care quite so much about countless other dictatorships already forced upon them; it’s just that particular one they wouldn’t stand for.)
‘EU Ref/Round 2’ is undoubtedly still a better call than blindly diving into potential concrete, but I certainly wish it wasn’t necessary.
Destroying the Labour Party
My personal mantra is to not blindly follow what I’m told by the media. To look at the facts not the spin, to question everything, to follow the money, and to look at what makes sense. If what makes logistical sense and adds up also turns out to be the version the establishment and its supporters are dismissing as nonsense, there’s a good chance you’re on to something.
In this case, my spider-sense is twitching.
I believe one (or more) of three factors have caused Nigel Farage’s ‘slip of the tongue’:
ONE: Nige knows another referendum is inevitable. Perhaps he even knows something we don’t. And he wants to be the first to break ranks and start preparing the troops.
TWO: UKIP have now become laughable and insignificant, practically erased from the British political map. At the same time, the Tories would never take Farage in either. If he’s to have any sort of future career, or to stay relevant in Britain, or if UKIP are to make a comeback, the hot-headed debate must continue.
THREE: this is the more complex theory, where accusations of a tin-foil hat might pop up. I’ve written at length how I fear Jeremy Corbyn is in an impossible position regarding Brexit. That if he indeed even wanted to, any attempt to obstruct or reverse it would split the Labour support base entirely, handing unbridled power to the Tories. No other party faces this dilemma, not to the same degree. So actually, as much as remainers do feel let down and speak out against him now, the ambiguity and ability for Corbyn to call on voters both sides of the fence is exactly what might realistically give him a shot to topple the Tories. Nobody could say Corbyn’s tactics haven’t been working. He’s gone from ridiculed laughing stock to possibly Prime Minister in waiting, and Labour’s membership dwarfs the Tories by a long way. Again, maybe Farage knows something we don’t. Or perhaps certain factions and mates are now urging him to a course of action.
Maybe the prospect of a fairer, more socialist Britain under Corbyn is now more of a threat to these people than even the prospect of Brexit being reversed.
Here’s the plain truth: if another referendum takes place, Corbyn will be forced to pick a side. No more ambiguity, no more claim of ‘playing the cards he’s been dealt’. No abstaining, no just ‘going with it’. He will be forced to show his hand.
If he supports a turnaround, sit back and watch the ‘communist’ slurs return to the fray, and support for the Tories swell. If he openly supports Brexit this time round, now his position really matters, every remainer will be appalled. Labour will haemorrhage votes to all the other parties.
Either way, Labour will be ripped apart. Tory checkmate.
If you think that’s a pure coincidence or a simple ‘side-effect’, it’s just possible you are the one being naive.
RELATED
https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/may-vs-may-brian-may-slams-vain-prime-minister/11/01/
https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/donald-trumps-excuse-not-visiting-uk-fake-news-heres/12/01/
