Wha..wha..wha..WHAT!!
Has it come to that? Is this Britain throwing off the shackles of neoliberalism, rejecting the impassioned pleas of their populists. Parliament standing up, on both sides of the aisle, in defence of their United Kingdom and the British people.
But what does Fintan have to say about it? The esteemed Irish Times columnist, Fintan O'Toole writes that "Boris has destroyed what is left of UK's credibility.
When Boris Johnson described his long-awaited proposals for changes to the Brexit withdrawal treaty as a compromise, he was not wrong.
Two questions arise, however. What is being compromised? And who is Johnson compromising with?
The answer to the second is obvious: the proposals are a compromise, not with the EU, but with the DUP. And what is being compromised is the credibility of the UK as a partner in any international negotiations.
Though the EU and the Irish government are too polite to say so directly, Johnson’s plan destroys any remaining sense that the current regime in London is capable of sticking even to its own self-declared principles.
...The referendum was always driven by the internal politics of the Conservative Party.
Its purpose, from the point of view of the man who called it, David Cameron, was to silence the increasingly turbulent anti-EU faction in his own party and see off the threat of Nigel Farage. And it has never been able to move on from being an internal negotiation to being an external one. The only thing that has really changed is that “internal” Tory politics came, after the 2017 election, to include the DUP.
And so here we are again. Political compromise is about two sides with different agendas meeting each other half way. It is easy to see why Johnson might be sincere in thinking he has achieved this – but only if the two sides are Johnson himself with his need to look like he is coming up with some vaguely credible alternative to the backstop and the DUP with its “blood red line” of Northern Ireland leaving the EU on exactly the same terms as the rest of the UK.
8 comments:
Of course, the best way to solve this is a simple obvious compromise:
The Republic of Ireland should
(do the right thing, chop, chop)
and leave the EU along with the UK on Oct 31.
Irish border problem solved!
Since N. Ireland voted to remain in the EU by a 56-44 margin, the most democratic compromise would see N. Ireland stay with Eire in the EU. Of course, Ian Paisley's party, the DUP, would rather resume the Troubles than have that happen.
Cap
I've come to believe that Insanity is now the default position in most democracies.
Yes Cap
It was a dismal attempt at sarcasm.
imo...
If Brexit No Deal happens, the UK will break up.
Ireland will reunite.
(The six counties will no longer be under John Bull's tyranny!)
while the Scots break off at Hadrian's Wall and tow themselves next to Norway.
There are so many possibilities, none of them particularly good for the Union. A federation of nations is difficult at the best of times. BoJo is emblematic of something considerably worse than 'best of times.' He may just finish what David Cameron began - dissolution.
Say no more.
https://tenor.com/view/brexit-british-pirate-england-sinking-gif-5922477
TB
I hope not, TB, but this does seem a recurring theme in this era where politics is so heavily weighted in favour of power rather than service to country. Does anyone imagine Farage has altruism guiding his mischief?
Farge will prevail as long as the not so United Kingdom still thinks it is in the driver's seat!
The delusions will persevere long after the reality sinks in.
I speak to people in the UK who will be happy just to see the debacle over regardless of the outcome.
They have been beaten to submission just like our southern neighbours.
It does not look good for the kissing cousins which could include Australia!
Let us hope that Canada does not follow.
The Anglos dropped the ball, we are becoming irrelevant as we cling to our historical highs.
TB
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