NOTYEATS
DEFICIENCIES IN THE UK CONSTITUTION
Highlighted by lamentable behaviour by the two main UK political parties
The author gives his impressions of the Brexit process and claims no
special knowledge on this subject.
Brexiteers complaints include:
(1) UK is powerless to control it's borders because of EU regulations.
Comment True in part but no effort worth talking about has been
expended in finding ways around the problem that reconcile EU and UK positions.
Comment Piecemeal cuts to the UK immigration services by both major
political parties have left us with a shambles that it's all too easy to blame on the EU .
(2) UK will leave the EU and national control of events will revert to Westminster
Comment UK is subject to a complex web of bilateral and mutinational
treaties and being outside the EU will diminish it's influence in the wider
world. Any controls restored to Westminster are likely to be modest.
Comment Brexiteers have valid concerns about the position of the UK
within the EU. The greatest concern to the rest of us is the decisions
they have made to solve problems they perceive are there
The justification for starting the Article 50 process was based upon a
small majority in an advisory referendum that was wholly inadequate to deal
with the complexity of the issues involved. The UKs unwritten constitution
does not include voting thresholds or cooling off periods for MPs or
voters. Where profound change is proposed, such restraints are included in
the written constitutions of other jurisdictions.
The bizarre, blinkered fixation of the Tory right to get out of the EU
as fast as possible, whatever the cost, to try and make the process
irreversible, beggars belief. They ask the people to unite behind a new
vision for the UK that they are making up as they go along. Fudamental
change based on the foibles of right wing obsessives , raises serious
questions about the UK constitution being fit for purpose.
The party of the working man, with a "power at any price " stance,
compounds cynicism . The young appear to loath the Tories, are generally
pro EU and identify strongly with Labour’s compassionate policies in the
2017 General Election manifesto. Labour took account of pro Brexit vote
by consituancy in their calculation as to whether to support the triggering
of Article50. So fundamental change to the UK was being treated as a short
term tactical matter. So much for critical review by Her Magesty's
opposition ?
SAME OLD STORY - LESSONS WILL NOT BE LEARNED
Mr Corbyn is talking about renationalising the railway. John Major did a "rush
job" to privatise BR within the 5 years of a parliament. The operators are
still tinkering with the business model after all the's years because
difficult issues were overlooked or ignored at the outset . Mr Corbyn
gives a similar hint of a blinkered fixation when the subject state owned
assets is concerned .
A previous cover in the Economist showed a large portrait of Mr Corbyn to the
left, a large portrait of Mrs May to the right and a tiny picture of Tim
Farron (who?) in the centre. The obvious message is that the UK has no political
party of consequence in the centre .
The Germans do consensus politics. Parties of left and right work
together in key areas for the greater good of their country. This enables
things like health policy, infrastructure and education to be introduced
over time periods appropriate to the program and not constrained by
parliamentary terms.
The current party political structure in the UK does not seem fit for
purpose. In order to keep such a "broad church " as the Tory party
together , David Cameron has successfully divided the country, by
nation, by region, by economic groups and by generations.
The EU is a very annoying beast, but it does allow Catalans to coexist
with the rest of Spain, Northern Ireland to coexist with the Republic
of Ireland. It provides a framework for peace and stability which
transcends the lamentable short term, opportunistic behaviour of the
UK political parties.
The operational competence of the Tories to deliver any Brexit solutions
which do not leave the county more divided and poorer must be doubted.
​
The financial competence of Labour to act responsibly under Mr Corbyn
must be in doubt.
CONSENSUS POLITICS BY FORCE MAJURE
​
The Tory right wing is trying to impose its "UK in Wonderland view on us all".
The Labour leadership wants to see the UK defenceless and debt ridden.
​
If the main parties cannot be trusted on their own part, forced cooperation
to get the country out of the mire may yield better results.
​
SUGGESTED NEXT STEPS
​
To minimise the waste of time and resources, run a confirmatory referendum
to leave the EU. If 2/3 of those voting are in favour of Brexit , pull all interested
parties together to define what Brexit really means.
​
If 2/3 of those voting reject Brexit, ask the EU to strike out the current Article 50
negotiations , Pull all interested parties together, recognise that adversarial politics
make government disfunctional, commence work to assess how the UK might be
transformed into a federation with a written constitution and then review the UK s
relationship with the EU.
​
All these things may be possible if consensus by force majure leaves few other viable options
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