EDITOR’S NOTE
WHEN one looks at the amount of tribulation that British Prime Minister Theresa May is going through, it’s hard not to feel sorry for this dour woman. When she battles the opposition, when they’re sniping and snarling at her over the so-called Brexit deal or no-deal, she stands firms. She comes across across as an Iron Lady Lite. May’s Tory colleagues are deserting her in droves over their disagreements with her on Brexit, yet she’s fighting on, trying by all means to prove that to her, no hurdle is insurmountable.
Her stance epitomises the intangible, distinctive quality of British politicians – a je ne sais quoi quality – that I admire and that sets them aside when compared to other world leaders.
Whereas the Russians are saturnine and aloof, the Chinese impregnable, and the Americans abrupt and abrasive, the British are firm and unshakeable. There’s this phrase, which I read somewhere and filed at the back of my mind, which could aptly apply to May: “The true definition of courage is feeling fear but acting anyway. Go ahead and jump into your next challenge. Be courageous.”
Echoes of one of her predecessors, Maggie Thatcher.
On Monday, May brushed aside questions about whether she will resign if her Brexit deal is rejected by her parliament, saying she’s confident she’ll still have a job after the crucial vote.
Right now she’s battling to persuade lawmakers to support the divorce agreement between Britain and the EU that they settled on two weeks ago.
However, opposition parties say they will vote against it, as do dozens of lawmakers from May’s Conservative Party.
When they vote, and her deal is defeated, it would leave the UK facing an economically damaging “no-deal” Brexit that could sink her, her government, or both.
While May is steadfast as the crucial December 11 parliamentary vote looms, it is plain that it will not gain sufficient Commons support. Neither will there be a majority for a no-deal Brexit, leaving the UK to deal with the EU on World Trade Organisation terms, with massive disruption likely along the way.
So Brexit is at an impasse, as has seemed likely for a long time. And calls are growing for a new referendum – what the British media dub the Final Say – as the only sure way to break the deadlock – either way.
A Final Say would allow all concerned to make a clear, informed choice on realistic options. When the “Leave” brigade emerged victorious in the referendum – albeit by a small margin – it was driven by nationalistic, sentimental fervour. But now the reality has sunk in on what quitting the EU will mean. Leaving the EU is bad for their wealth, and would lead to isolation.
A second referendum is the right thing to do – probably the only thing that can be done at this stage.
May’s opponents argue that Britain can renegotiate the deal for better terms, yet the truth is that the agreement, which took a year-and-a-half to negotiate, is the only one on the table, and rejecting it would mean leaving the bloc without a deal. The UK could be subject to EU regulations without having any say over them.
And leaving without a deal would be foolhardy. In fact, an analysis by
the UK’s Treasury has repeatedly cautioned that the damage caused by leaving the EU without a deal would be enormous.
From these weary leagues it appears that the the movement for a Final Say is gathering momentum, and the most striking thing about the whole matter is the astonishing degree of uncertainty that surrounds possible outcomes.
How ironic it is to watch the former colonial power engaged in elaborate manoeuvres in a bid to extract itself with dignity from an exclusive club of other former colonial masters.