I`M CONFUSED....
Well, it`s hardly surprising. Now there was a time when I despaired at the fact that after thousand of years of human existence, we had finally managed to produce Mrs. Brown`s Boys. But more recent events have nudged that triumph into second place behind the extraordinary state of politics in this country.
I`ll begin by going back to the results of the referendum in June 2016, which now seems a life time away but it`s perhaps worth noting some aspects of the result. Admittedly it was a tight call but the result of the biggest democratic vote in the country`s history was nevertheless a majority in favour of leaving the EU with 17.4 million voting to leave and 16.1 million voting to remain.
The referendum results also showed that 406 parliamentary constituencies voted to leave, with 242 voting to remain. Of those constituencies that were either Labour or Conservative, 148 Labour constituencies voted to leave with 84 voting to remain. As for the Conservative constituencies, 247 voted to leave, with 80 voting to remain. All in all, whether you personally voted to leave or remain, it`s hard to deny the substantial majority in facour of leaving the EU. However, in that same referendum, 160 Members of Parliament voted to leave but 486 voted to remain.
So it`s pretty obvious that the problem is not the result but the MPs who should be honouring the result and implementing the majority decision - and it was a decision left to the country to decide. As I say, no wonder I`m confused and I have been for over three years now as to why the majority are still being denied.
But if anything, Brexit has brought about yet more confusion. To be fair to them, the Liberal Democrats have consistently refused to accept the will of the majority and are still campaigning for Brexit to be stopped one way or another. So their idea of liberal democracy should surely mean that they change their name at least.
As for Labour, they were apparently in favour of abiding by the wishes of the majority of their supporters by voting for Article 50 but now they seem to have changed their minds at the behest of their trade union paymasters as they see their best chance of political gain, not to say survival, is to court the remain vote in any forthcoming general election. That`s if the leadership - I use the term lightly - can ever bring itself to get off the fence and start being honest.
Finally the Conservatives - riven for decades by the question of Europe - have embarked on probably the most undemocratic process by which the country ends up with a new Prime Minister. It surely cannot be right that 160,000 paid up conservative party members can decide who will lead a country of 60 million souls and furthermore we are likely to have foisted upon us someone of doubtful character, limited ability and embarrassing persona.
About 15 years ago my football club, Southampton, was being run by a Chairman who possessed similar `attributes.` As a shareholder, I expressed the view at the time that I did not want the club to continue to be represented in that way and I recall being confused then as to how that problem might be resolved. But that is nothing to the confusion I feel now.
Fortunately, my club came through its crisis - but I wonder if the country can ever do the same?
I`ll begin by going back to the results of the referendum in June 2016, which now seems a life time away but it`s perhaps worth noting some aspects of the result. Admittedly it was a tight call but the result of the biggest democratic vote in the country`s history was nevertheless a majority in favour of leaving the EU with 17.4 million voting to leave and 16.1 million voting to remain.
The referendum results also showed that 406 parliamentary constituencies voted to leave, with 242 voting to remain. Of those constituencies that were either Labour or Conservative, 148 Labour constituencies voted to leave with 84 voting to remain. As for the Conservative constituencies, 247 voted to leave, with 80 voting to remain. All in all, whether you personally voted to leave or remain, it`s hard to deny the substantial majority in facour of leaving the EU. However, in that same referendum, 160 Members of Parliament voted to leave but 486 voted to remain.
So it`s pretty obvious that the problem is not the result but the MPs who should be honouring the result and implementing the majority decision - and it was a decision left to the country to decide. As I say, no wonder I`m confused and I have been for over three years now as to why the majority are still being denied.
But if anything, Brexit has brought about yet more confusion. To be fair to them, the Liberal Democrats have consistently refused to accept the will of the majority and are still campaigning for Brexit to be stopped one way or another. So their idea of liberal democracy should surely mean that they change their name at least.
As for Labour, they were apparently in favour of abiding by the wishes of the majority of their supporters by voting for Article 50 but now they seem to have changed their minds at the behest of their trade union paymasters as they see their best chance of political gain, not to say survival, is to court the remain vote in any forthcoming general election. That`s if the leadership - I use the term lightly - can ever bring itself to get off the fence and start being honest.
Finally the Conservatives - riven for decades by the question of Europe - have embarked on probably the most undemocratic process by which the country ends up with a new Prime Minister. It surely cannot be right that 160,000 paid up conservative party members can decide who will lead a country of 60 million souls and furthermore we are likely to have foisted upon us someone of doubtful character, limited ability and embarrassing persona.
About 15 years ago my football club, Southampton, was being run by a Chairman who possessed similar `attributes.` As a shareholder, I expressed the view at the time that I did not want the club to continue to be represented in that way and I recall being confused then as to how that problem might be resolved. But that is nothing to the confusion I feel now.
Fortunately, my club came through its crisis - but I wonder if the country can ever do the same?
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