No. 47 - Mrs May - A Cosy Fireside Chat that Fools No One.

Dear James, 

She was almost normal. For the very first time Mrs May seemed relaxed as she spoke to us from a Chequer’s sofa. The glass of water propped to her left reassured us that we were not in the hands of some intoxicated die hard at the head of the State charabanc. She even managed a small and genuine chuckle. Yet she looked tired, poor lady. The chuckle may indeed have been the prototype giggle of liberation as she looks forward to her escape from the nightmare that her party has visited upon us. It was as if she could see the end and was on some kind of delirious final farewell. But as soon as she started it was clear that nothing had changed. The same old shibboleths, the same old claim to be delivering what the people demanded in 2016. It is 2019 today Mrs May. So much has happened in these last three years. Those people she claims to represent have seen the truth – that every step of the way towards the Brexiteers’ perfect sovereignty reduces our wealth by a similar proportion.  

Today, Peter Oborne, one of the UK’s main conservative commentators, argues in Open Democracy, that a ‘long deep breath is necessary’. He was an enthusiastic leaver in 2016 but now realises that the economics of leave have never added up. He says, ‘Brexit has paralysed the system. It has turned Britain into a laughing stock. And it is certain to make us poorer and to lead to lower incomes and lost jobs.” He continues, “We Brexiteers would be wise to acknowledge all this. It’s past time we did. We need to acknowledge, too, that we will never be forgiven if and when Brexit goes wrong. Future generations will look back at what we did and damn us.” This is a brave man James. If only Mrs May had such insight and courage as she sat down on her sofa.  

But we just had to endure as she did her best impression of President Roosevelt. We look at her through this dull mist of nothingness. Supposedly, we are to leave the EU for a second time next Friday 12th April. But nobody seems to care. People are beyond caring. On the surface life continues as normal. People get up in the morning, go to work, take the kids to school, have their daily squabbles and talk to the neighbours about the normal inconsequentialities of life. We are all Brexit fatigued and most of the nation just shrugs and says they wished they would get it over with.

But how dangerous that would be. Brexit is only one expression of an ominous trend in the world. Beyond it, post-war consensus is under attack – and rightly so. The Hansard Society has just published a warning. Ruth Fox, its director, says that there is a feeling that the system is rigged and there is a willingness to consider radical solutions - a potentially dangerous combination. She says: “Preferring a strong leader who is willing to break the rules, or thinking that the government should be able to tackle the country’s problems without worrying about the approval of parliament, would challenge core tenets of our democracy. “The public feel strongly that the system of governing favours the rich and powerful and that political parties don’t care about the average person. And people are not confident that politicians act in the public interest. Unless something changes, this is a potentially toxic recipe for the future of British politics.” How right she is! This country can never return to the status quo ante. There must be a radical yet fully democratic solution.

Here the talks with Labour are at a standstill. Mrs May has still not given in to the demands to remove her red lines. The Opposition await a ‘concrete proposal’. Meanwhile, her Tory hardliners are infuriated for fear that she’s about to do just that. But is she? Will she ever relinquish her fear of the hard right? Only if she is ready to split the Tories. And I’m afraid that the same question applies to you James. With public sympathy in parliament failing, it is time to do something drastic. Everything you have tried has so far has failed. Surely now is the time to ask the people to vote again?

Kind regards, 

BH - Your Concerned Constituent