Ask almost anyone in Britain what they think of the current Brexit negotiations and they'll give you the same answer: it's a shambles. Ask anyone what they think of British politics and they'll say the same.
Here's a breakdown: the only two parties capable of forming a government in Westminster have been successfully infiltrated, the Conservatives by Brexiteers, Labour by Momentum. The former's leader is proving to be the worst Prime Minister in history, the latter's leader the worst Leader of the Opposition. In Scotland, the SNP has been infiltrated by uber-nats who – as well as trolling everything that moves on Twitter – totally overstate the demand for Scottish independence. Not that they have a clue what they mean by "independence" anyway, because no one ever asks. Northern Ireleand is headed up by a bigot who opposes what her own people say about Europe yet maintains power despite being under a corruption cloud. In Wales, Plaid Cymru seems toothless for some reason. The Middle-Class Cyclists Party (Greens) seems determined to act as though nothing else except the environment matters. Meanwhile England rules Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland like the last vestiges of an English Empire.
As for the Reasonable Party (the Lib-Dems), they continue to be reasonable: but they're the ones who got us into this mess in the first place. Fixed-term parliaments are proving a disaster: we needed a General Election a long time ago. Perhaps more than one.
I'm not saying that these politicians are all bad people (I don't know, to be honest), but I do suggest they're either out of control or insufficiently in control of their parties. But much of what's been happening points to one clear point: we need, finally, a written constitution in the UK. Issues like Brexit and Scottish independence are not matters for simple majorities in a referendum. It shouldn't be possible for a Prime Minister to drag the country into a war that the vast majority of the elctorate opposes. It should not be possible for the UK Parliament to snatch back powers from the Scottish one against its will. It shouldn't be possible for any small group of politicians to tear up our unwritten constitution in order to maintain its position of power.
If we did create a proper written constitution, we might then be able to have a proper conversation about the meaning of the "United Kingdom". For those who live outwith England, exactly what do we want our relationship to be with – let's be honest – the country we're most likely to do business with? If we're going to have free movement throughout the British Isles, we need to cooperate on trade, migration and border controls, too. We can't just all do our own thing.
First of all, though, we've got to sort out the shambles we're in. That means an election, or a second referendum, or something that lets the public in at the process. The political establishment should be grateful: in many countries around the world this situation would have us in a state of civil war.
Here's a breakdown: the only two parties capable of forming a government in Westminster have been successfully infiltrated, the Conservatives by Brexiteers, Labour by Momentum. The former's leader is proving to be the worst Prime Minister in history, the latter's leader the worst Leader of the Opposition. In Scotland, the SNP has been infiltrated by uber-nats who – as well as trolling everything that moves on Twitter – totally overstate the demand for Scottish independence. Not that they have a clue what they mean by "independence" anyway, because no one ever asks. Northern Ireleand is headed up by a bigot who opposes what her own people say about Europe yet maintains power despite being under a corruption cloud. In Wales, Plaid Cymru seems toothless for some reason. The Middle-Class Cyclists Party (Greens) seems determined to act as though nothing else except the environment matters. Meanwhile England rules Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland like the last vestiges of an English Empire.
As for the Reasonable Party (the Lib-Dems), they continue to be reasonable: but they're the ones who got us into this mess in the first place. Fixed-term parliaments are proving a disaster: we needed a General Election a long time ago. Perhaps more than one.
I'm not saying that these politicians are all bad people (I don't know, to be honest), but I do suggest they're either out of control or insufficiently in control of their parties. But much of what's been happening points to one clear point: we need, finally, a written constitution in the UK. Issues like Brexit and Scottish independence are not matters for simple majorities in a referendum. It shouldn't be possible for a Prime Minister to drag the country into a war that the vast majority of the elctorate opposes. It should not be possible for the UK Parliament to snatch back powers from the Scottish one against its will. It shouldn't be possible for any small group of politicians to tear up our unwritten constitution in order to maintain its position of power.
If we did create a proper written constitution, we might then be able to have a proper conversation about the meaning of the "United Kingdom". For those who live outwith England, exactly what do we want our relationship to be with – let's be honest – the country we're most likely to do business with? If we're going to have free movement throughout the British Isles, we need to cooperate on trade, migration and border controls, too. We can't just all do our own thing.
First of all, though, we've got to sort out the shambles we're in. That means an election, or a second referendum, or something that lets the public in at the process. The political establishment should be grateful: in many countries around the world this situation would have us in a state of civil war.
