Sleepless periods at night seem to get more frequent as I get older. But last night was bad. Yesterday the UK government decided to put the frighteners on not only MPs but the entire population, in a probably vain attempt to get MPs to back Theresa May’s deal with the EU in January. They certainly set my angst going.
They actually appear to be taking seriously the prospect of a so-called ‘hard brexit’, otherwise known as jumping off an economic cliff and reneging on your international agreements. (Who will do a trade deal with a country like that?)
They outlined plans to increase the national debt by TWO BILLION POUNDS to spend on preparation for a hard brexit (while use of food banks is increasing in a supposedly rich economy), and are sending letters to companies to say that they need to prepare. As the CBI rapidly pointed out the whole idea is not tolerable. What small company has the spare time and effort available to prepare for such an unknown world and keep their business afloat? No wonder some are opening branches on the continent and moving some of their business there.
Of course, the two billion will temporarily improve the economic figures, so that the government can ‘claim’ their economic policies are working.
The whole idea of ‘hard brexit’ is not acceptable, not tolerable, cannot be allowed to happen. This should have been the first thing agreed with Europe, rather than the UK trying to use it as a bargaining chip.
And this form of psychological warfare on parliament and the people is not acceptable either.
And it’s all happening because of the incompetence of the incumbent prime minister and the frittering away of the time since she invoked Article 50, trying to please the far right hard brexiteers in her party.
If it will not accept her deal, parliament simply needs more time – either to arrange a new ‘people’s vote’ (in which hard brexit should not be an option) or to sort out a new deal that the majority in parliament can accept, which surely involves working across parties. Shock, horror. What a thought.
It’s time to recognise that Brexit is a process and not a one-off event achieved at a particular point in time.
The Scream by Edvard Munch [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
I can't believe it! 
Not just me who loses sleep then.The stark practical realities of Brexit have ony become apparent at the 11th hour when they could have been explored and addressed at the onset of this insane, shameful and alarming period of UK history. And I have absolutely no confidence in the govt’s ability to get us out of this mess or take us forward in a new direction. A people’s vote and cross-party cooperation are both needed now. I don’t take too kindly to domestically being put on what sounds like a war footing, or having the PM/govt putting the frighteners on the population with their threat of contingency plans and troops on standby. They’re using fear as a psychological weapon.
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The world watches, aghast. 😢
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The whole world seems to be spinning out of control – so much craziness everywhere. I do not pretend to understand the politics of Brexit….I just find it all so confusing and disheartening…multinational big businesses seem to be getting richer while food banks everywhere are crying for donations. this is globalization for you.
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