Monday 24 October 2016

Blindman's bluff

Empress Theresa de Thatcher called forth the tribal chieftains from England's remains of empire in Britain to come forth unto 10 Downing Street to be told their future, in no uncertain terms. To kowtow to the new Empress of England and return to their English sanctioned regions, humbled and trembling in fear, knowing their place in the political and economic disaster which is Brexit. A place which was much akin to cleaning out Theresa's garderobe pit.

Well that is what is supposed to have happened according to the Telegraph, Mail, Sun or Express. 


Anyone who has watched the full interview Ms Sturgeon gave to Channel 4 this afternoon is left in no uncertain terms as to her opinion of the two hours she wasted learning nothing new from Theresa de Thatcher. 

Her classic reposte was to the alleged question of the SNP undermining Brexit; how, she indicated, can you undermine a Brexit process which does not exist?

Her body language, as a result of the Downing Street meeting, was that of a person looking for some inanimate object to give a good kicking too. She was valiant in the face of idiotic questioning from some journalists when the temptation must have been to grab one or two of the more asinine by the lapels and shout in their ears, "Did you fucking listen to a single thing I have said, ye numpty!"

Those who have been or are husbands and have even the slightest understanding of empathy, know the look of a woman who is just looking for an excuse to rip into you for the slightest of misdemeanors, who can not understand how anyone could be that stupid to think they could pull the wool over their eyes, the look of a woman who if you proffered a glass of wine in supplication would not know whether to drink it or tip it over you. This was the look I saw in Ms Sturgeon's eyes this afternoon, I just hope, by the time she got home to Glasgow tonight, some of the contained anger has had a chance to dissipate otherwise her husband could well be wearing the Spaghetti Bolangaise he has so lovingly prepared for her return.

The early reports on BBC News web site attempted some sort of damage limitation exercise in the aftermath of the meeting but even they struggled to get much SNP bad content in their commentary. They clutched at the straw of some 'UK constitution' expert agreeing that the UK Parliament could refuse or delay a chapter 30 order to allow a second Scottish independence referendum while simultaneously indicating it would be utter madness if they did. 

The genie is out of the bottle, there is no discernible plan for Brexit, not even the outline of a plan which could be offered to the leaders of the devolved assemblies and parliament as any sort of sop. The Welsh, Irish and Scots leaders were not able to be given any reassurance to take back to their internal electorates because there is no Tory plan, there can be no Tory reassurance. There are only three months to go until article 50 is going to be signed off by Theresa Thatcher, the UK ripped out of Europe, left politically and economically isolated on the edge of Europe and no one in Downing Street has any more of a scooby of what Brexit means than they did on the morning of the 24th of June when the Tory's worst nightmare became real and the Tory right took full control of power of the party.  Theresa May is UK prime minister because she was the least worst option in a Tory party riven with more long term feuds and back stabbings than your average Appalachian Hillbilly family, more vicious than any banjo and guitar tussle you could ever hear.

There is clearly a vacuum at the heart of the Tory Government, one that all the scripted exchanges at prime minister's question time will never paper over, one that will not hide behind anti-Corbyn media offerings for much longer. The centre right Tories and Labour Blairites have lost control of the message and have no clue as to how to regain control as they too are being sucked into the same Brexit political vacuum as the devolved nations. To oppose Brexit they have to side with the SNP and the devolved assemblies, a position these same centre right Tories and Labour Blairites can never swallow because the price will be yet more loss of power from Westminster to the devolved Welsh, Irish and Scots political centres, a price they have always opposed paying.

The problem with vacuums is there is always something which will try to fill it, currently it is English xenophobia verging on fascism, a horrible politic the Blairites and centre right Tories are seeking to bend to their will through the English media. History tell us their German political equivalents in the early 30's thought they could control the expression of xenophobic German Nationalism before it got out of hand, ride it to power then turn it off when they wished it. We know how well that turned out.

I think, in the political vacuum Brexit is generating, there can be only one result, the implosion of the UK Parliamentary Union which will see a torrid time for Ireland as the sudden shotgun marriage between North and South is played out.

It will see Wales tied fast to the coat tales of England, dragged whining and whinging out of the EU. An England where increasing austerity and the continuing collapse of health and welfare provision will see some charismatic fascist from the Tory right wing putting himself or herself forward as England's saviour, their next Churchill or Boadicea.

Nor is it going to be plain sailing for a newly independent Scotland. There will be anger from the edges of both left and right in Scotland as neither gets what they want. We can already see this in the writings of left wingers like Colin Fox and I will leave you to pick your favourite Yoonist journalist from a large cast in print, television or radio in Scotland. 


It is up to us, the majority of Scots who want a country that is fair, considerate, successful, innovative and offers the opportunity for those with ability to get on, no matter their home address or school, "tae keep the heid" and get on with creating a country which is inclusive and cares for those who, for one reason or another, struggle to thrive. While all the time looking over our shoulder at an English State whose divisive politics we find ever more abhorrent; as more English folk, who can afford to, cross the border and join us in Scotland and those who can not afford to pay off the English Border Guards or visa officials are packed into camps along the border of England, by an English Government which has lost the plot but can not afford to admit it.

1 comment:

  1. It's just all part of the negotiations. Huff and Puff. Nothing of any note at this stage.
    Nick just needs to hold hold hold....

    ReplyDelete