The Tory so-called ‘rebels’ – again – accepted a government compromise or concession today and decided – again – not to actually rebel, handing Theresa May a free pass to make any deal with the EU without MPs having a vote on it.
So much for ‘taking back control’. So much for months of centrist claims that Tory remainers were the key to challenging May’s hard Brexit.
But the non-rebels surrendered what passes for their integrity for nothing.
It has emerged that the ‘concession’ offered by the government was a promise not to make legislation on the final deal ‘unamendable’. But making legislation unamendable is not in the government’s power anyway.
The non-rebelling rebels sold their souls – and the principle of the UK’s representative democracy on behalf of all of us – for a phantom. But then, who is fooled that their posturing was ever more than window dressing anyway?
It appears the ‘rebels’ were going through the motions necessary for them to present themselves to their constituents as fighting for their interests – but were eager for any excuse to allow them to capitulate to the government.
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So much for parliament’s sovereignty.
So much for democracy.
Our 1st referendum instructed our representatives to negotiate leaving the EU. A 2nd referendum is essential to vote on the final deal.
That is not true, David,
The question the voters were asked was this:
“Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?”.
There was no mention of negotiation, no ambiguity whatsoever.
The leave vote won. So we leave.
Yes, you’re right about the question but it was a meaningless question which has been exposed by the huge disagreements revealed by the negotiating process. Internal Tory divisions have caused this inept process. Democracy demands the country vote on the final agreement and, as a democrat, I faithfully promise to accept the result!
New Labour also deregulated banking (the Tories complained they didn’t go far enough!). Since then, austerity transferred resources from the poorest to the richest causing homelessnesss, job insecurity, low wages and inadequate health & education services. Plenty of money for tax cuts for the rich, banksters bail-outs and illegal wars. Instead of blaming the Tories, too many voters swallow the corporate media (tax-haven based billionaires) narrative and blame the weakest sections of society (including immigrants) as well as the EU. Corbyn wants to rebalance our ‘civil’ society; all power to his elbow.
Apologies for the completely off topic comment, but I found myself listening to the Today Programme this morning (I’d recently freed myself from the habit, but internet issues mean I turned on the DAB instead) and was not at all surprise to hear who they had on to discuss the Gosport Hospital furore. I’m not sure if you heard it, but take a wild guess as to which eminent Professor they had on to talk about it all?
That’s right, Professor Sir Brian Jarman whose Mid-Staffs work you did so much to debunk (I’m one of your followers from way-back then). It was about 7:35am if you’re interested. He complained of a ‘desire not to know’ about these things and described Jeremy Hunt as a ‘very caring man’. He said this is still going on, but could not give any evidence other than the Liverpool Care Pathway. He said that ‘the NHS is a wonderful idea, but it’s extremely centralised’.
It wasn’t clear whether he was talking on behalf of ‘Doctor Foster’, Imperial College or himself.
The timing of the release of the Gossport report with the recent debate on how on Earth we’re ever going to pay for the NHS is, of course, completely coincidental – but I’m sure the Mid-Staffs similarities can’t have eluded you.
[As an off-topic to my off-topic, the way to pay for the NHS is for the government to print the money and spend it on the health service. #MMT]
He was on BBC News, this morning – even though his Stafford claims turned out to be bunk.
All who voted leave were clearly dissatisfied with one or more EU policies and regulations.
Immigration was an issue for many.
It’s also an issue with other EU populations and that may well lead to restrictions that would have addressed the concerns of many leavers.
The hardest-right Tories who pushed Cameron into the referendum cared more about avoiding the EU’s upcoming Anti Tax Avoidance Directive than “Parliament taking back control” or “£350 million a week for the NHS.”
Tory mismanagement (Thatcher’s deregulation) gave us the financial crash itself, total surrender to the banks and austerity instead of investment as a response.
The “party of financial responsibility” has now managed to achieve the weakest, most fragile recovery in the whole G20.
Why would anyone think handing the Tories more control was a good idea?