In a rational world this week’s Trident renewal debate would have been short lived. Any sensible and pragmatic analysis quickly concludes that procuring new weapons of mass destruction which can never legally be used is absurd. When you factor in the eye-watering £205 billion cost in the context of the UK’s continued austerity policy, a decision to renew is reckless, self indulgent and borderline incompetent.
The message that the country must live within its means has been relentlessly drummed into us by the government for six years now. We must all tighten our belts. This is austerity, and that means tough choices like cutting disability benefit by £30 a week to “encourage people to get into work“. Times are so tough, we’re told, that free school meals for primary school children were scrapped earlier this year.
The Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been repeatedly mocked by the conservatives for his anti-austerity stance and claim that “austerity is a political choice, not an economic necessity“. Those in any doubt whatsoever about the necessity of public service cuts need look no further than the government rushing to the shops for the latest in sophisticated mass murder technology. Anyone would think we had £205 billion burning a hole in our pockets.
Jeremy Corbyn and his ideas are dismissed by the media and opposing politicians with complete derision and utter contempt. It’s widely accepted that Margaret Thatcher’s selfish vision for Britain has declared certain philosophical victory and anyone who, god forbid, thinks spending £205billion on education, health and the environment rather than WMD is painted by the media as being an intolerable lunatic, when patently the opposite is in fact true.
Spending £205 billion on something we can never contemplate using whilst people queue at food banks in record numbers is wholly immoral. The cost is only surpassed on the moral barometer by the prospect of killing millions of innocent men, women and children at the arbitrary push of a button.
Weapons of mass destruction are illegal under international law and this is a critical point. There is an astonishing contradiction between the hysteria of the Chilcott Report around legality of war in Iraq just weeks ago, and a new Prime Minister within days of appointment declaring she would be willing to illegally wage war using WMD knowingly to kill innocent people. If the North Koreans, Russians or Iranians came out with such provocative language it would be broadcast to a terrified world. “Despots” they’d say.
My MP is onboard with the prospect of Britain causing genocide
We lose the right to condemn Kim Jong-Un or Iran for pursuing these toys if we ourselves are part of the proliferation. “Do as I say, not as I do” is not an acceptable diplomatic position. With countries ‘tooling up’ the presidents of North Korea or Iran are likely to want these things too, and can you blame them?
It wouldn’t damage our global standing if Britain unilaterally disarmed. If anything it would only improve moral standing and could serve as a step change for international relations. For instance, there’s lots of talk about UK trade deals in the wake of the EU referendum result. Perhaps Britain could lead a union of WMD free nations in a free trade union? The much maligned Tony Blair even proved that Gaddafi could embrace the international community under the right circumstances and who’s to say North Korea or Iran couldn’t be cajoled into a positive world view with some leadership.
And that’s ultimately the big problem with all of this, no big ideas, no vision, no progress, just status quo because anything else is much too much like hard work. £205 billion is a bargain for Britain’s government compared to the cost of political and intellectual innovation. The likes of Nelson Mandela and Ghandi had the courage of their convictions and human society has benefitted as a result, unlike like the spineless British politicians. In layman’s terms; they simply can’t be arsed to strive for a better world.
Some suggest that no other nuclear power would follow our lead in unilateral disarmament. But logically you have to ask the inverse question of ‘how many will seek weapons if we continue to proliferate’? And the answer is “many”, as clearly evidenced by Iran, North Korea, (and with success) India and Pakistan. That makes the disarmament option potentially NET beneficial if a correct and innovative diplomatic approach is taken.
There is wide consensus that nuclear weapons don’t address our current threats. In fact I’d suggest there’s actually a higher probability of one of our submarines being captured by cyber attack, terrorism or plain old ‘accident’ with our own weapons pointed back at us, than of any nation launching a nuclear attack on a disarmed UK. The entire project should be scrapped but successive governments haven’t had the bottle to do it.
Robbing the disabled of dignity, or depriving children a decent meal which maximises their educational prospects aren’t ‘tough choices’ for the conservative nasty party; they will have been taken with absolute ease and without one moment of lost sleep. Real leadership requires bravery and it’s about time our politicians started showing some.
This is the only political event in my lifetime where I have genuinely experienced grief comparable to the passing of a loved one. Sure, a Tory majority at the last general election was upsetting but you knew in five years time there would be another chance to turn things around. This however feels like a death.
It’s taken almost 48 hours of anger and disbelief until I’ve felt capable of writing anything. It still may not be coherent. I don’t know if it will prove helpful as part of the healing process. I don’t even feel like healing, I feel like fighting.
The rights and freedoms we enjoy are a remarkable thing. They are intangible in many respects but they are there. Like your WiFi signal, you only stop to acknowledge and appreciate how wonderful it is when it’s suddenly taken away.
And who in their right mind would voluntarily cut off their nose to spite their face? Common sense doesn’t even entertain the idea. But that’s what Britain has voted to do. Isolate ourselves from the rest of the world. Extinguish some of our freedoms.
I know there are a multitude of reasons why people voted to Leave and I’m not angry with everyone. But I am pissed off with the significant portion of Leave voters hell bent on restricting our free movement rights simply because it’s at odds with their ideological beliefs. The fascists of ISIS have something in common with the fascists of UKIP, it’s just a slightly different flavour of beliefs they’re determined to impose on people. They don’t like it, so we can’t have it.
Nigel Farage et al have suggested that we could “Make Britain Great again”, but it has now become patently obvious to everyone that the very existence of Great Britain is in question.
Buyer beware: They’ve sold the public snake oil and now they’ve washed their hands of the promises.
Lets be clear; Scotland will have a referendum on UK membership. And they are absolutely certain to leave the UK in favour of retaining membership with the EU if they are asked to choose between little and large.
Northern Ireland is perhaps less straightforward. Sinn Féin has already said it will push for a Border poll on a united Ireland. Peace there is fragile.
Far from “Taking Back Control” of our borders, what’s left of the UK will inevitably see England share a land border with Scotland. There may be another between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
Great Britain doesn’t look so Great when the dismembering process begins at the political abattoir.
And this is where it all unravels. Is this what people really voted for? Within hours of the referendum result the Leave camp were engaged in operation U-turn.
Nigel Farage backtracked on ‘£350m for the NHS’ pledge before most people had eaten breakfast. He distanced himself from the claim blaming the ‘official’ Leave campaign of which he was not part, but video later emerged of him making the same promise.
Senior Brexiteer and Tory MEP Daniel Hannan admitted on Newsnight that UK would favour Norway style relationship with EU which includes free movement of people.
Ever get the feeling you’ve been swindled?
And this is why I’m not in a conciliatory mood. I do not accept the result. I won’t just shrug my shoulders and “move on”. It’s not democracy, it’s fraud. Systematic lies to mislead the public.
Project bullshit: This leaflet was sent to millions of homes including my own. Iraq and Syria are the only countries named on their shameful Map of Fear.
Plenty of talk has focused on the deep disillusionment with politics and how Leave was a protest vote. Undeniably there is truth in this. Had the government taken its job seriously to provide adequate housing, education, jobs and prospects to people this result would not have occurred.
The establishment is currently run to work for big business not regular people. I don’t blame voters who have been starved of job prospects, educational opportunity or social mobility. The current system is rotten and too many people are left behind.
The country is not only divided by this referendum, it is divided by those who live comfortable lives where seemingly anything is obtainable, and those living in remarkably desperate conditions with little to no prospect of them improving.
Capitalism has failed us, our own government has failed us. For all its problems at least the EU has put money into UK towns and cities which wouldn’t otherwise get a sniff if it were the Tories doling out the cash.
Much soul searching needs to be done in all political parties to address the gross imbalance of wealth and opportunity.
The immediate response from politicians and the media has been a consensus that the democratic will of the people must be exercised. But does it?
The referendum was ‘advisory’ with no legal obligation for the government to do anything. It was effectively a glorified opinion poll. And crucially it was against something rather than for anything.
Jonathan Powell, Tony Blair’s former chief of staff, says any new prime minister will need a mandate from the electorate before exit talks begin. Boris and Gove will have to present a manifesto to the public, and they will require a general election to have a mandate to follow through on their plans.
There has been no rush by politicians to notify the EU that the UK is leaving under Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. Once those wheels are in motion the clock is ticking and the UK negotiating position weakens. Perhaps there is hope of a reformed or associate membership option. Time will tell.
The Brexit Tories will be reluctant to call a general election but this constitutional crisis requires one. A second referendum may be the alternative. We may see both. A coalition government formed with the SNP could conceivably halt any exit from the EU. Indeed the Liberal Democrats (remember them?) have already pledged to stand at the next general election on a platform of derailing Brexit.
The only thing that is clear, is this is far from over.
A couple of months ago I was supremely confident that the Remain campaign would romp to victory in the EU In/Out Referendum without any serious challenge. It was all so predictable. Like Real Madrid taking on the mighty Dover Athletic; you expect some tough challenges and dirty tactics but the outcome is a foregone conclusion before a ball is even kicked. Generally the minnows are just happy to be there. It’s their 15 minutes of fame, something to tell the grandchildren about.
With football the world carries on as before once the referee blows the final whistle. But in referendums like this the outcome has far reaching consequences for generations.
Despite the consensus of almost every credible economist that leaving the EU would harm the UK economy, still the country flirts with pulling the trigger on a gun Farage and Co have aimed at our heads. Independent international commentators think we’re bonkers. And if the country votes to Leave, we are.
I’m no global economic expert, but a career in business has taught me that companies value predictable political, regulatory and financial environments. Businesses don’t like surprises. Mitigating the unforeseen to protect profits is the raison d’etre for armies of lawyers and compliance specialists. Corporations won’t hesitate to leave the UK if there is risk to their bottom line. That means less jobs and less opportunities for normal people.
However the fiscal outcome isn’t why I’m so concerned about a potential Brexit. My fear is one of a world going backwards, where rights that I and many other Britons and Europeans have enjoyed for our entire lives will be removed. I think of all of the battles and wars won and lost in Europe that have brought us to this point. Half a century of extended peace, relative prosperity and security. The weight of human tragedy on the journey here is impossible to underestimate, but we are here, together in a union with which could strive for the common good not just in Europe, but everywhere.
How ironic that so many of those so keen to vote to Leave are themselves a generation who witnessed bombing and food rationing in Britain. 1945 isn’t a million years ago, we’ve all heard the stories of suffering from the people who lived it. My own Grandmother was evacuated to the safety of the countryside like so many other children, sent away from their families and the urban bombing campaigns of World War II. The Berlin Wall stood until 1989. This all happened far too recently for comfort.
Peace and Freedom aren’t inherent rights. They need to be nurtured. Like a perfectly manicured garden in the middle of a jungle, leave it too long and it’ll soon be overgrown and gone forever.
Taken For Granted: The majority eligible to vote in the referendum were alive to witness the collapse of the Berlin Wall
Europe may not be perfect but my goodness, it’s not bad when you consider we’ve spent centuries hell-bent on mutual destruction. When taken into context the sheer selfishness of the VoteLeave argument is exposed for what it is: Petty. Puerile. Weak.
So what of Great Britain in this peacetime Union? We’ve frequently made the case that we are different and have various EU concessions as a result. We don’t participate in the single currency or the Schengen agreement. ‘Fine’ you might say. But Britain generally treats Europe like an unwanted afterthought and that hurts us because we aren’t capitalising on our opportunity to lead. We’re happy for the French or Germans to be in the driving seat even though we have the economic, intellectual, geographical and cultural clout to get our hands on the steering wheel.
But trying to drive a car from the back seat is difficult, so we got good at cry-arseing about it instead. Petrol too expensive? Blame Europe. Can’t get a job? Blame immigrants. Ran out of toilet paper? Must be someone in Brussels to blame. Why take responsibility for our own lack of engagement with Europe when we can so easily point the finger at the “unelected bureaucrats”.
Britain could and should play a key part in shaping Europe with British values of fairplay, tolerance, democracy and respect. Like all relationships you can’t have it all your own way but put a little in and maybe you’ll be surprised what you get out.
Few would benefit from Brexit as much as Vladimir Putin. A weakened Europe plays into his hands, still dripping in blood from an invasion of Ukraine and shooting down a passenger jet travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.
Europe should be making Putin sweat, demanding diplomatic justice with a single united voice. Instead we are impotent, distracted and bickering. While we entertain debate with dinosaurs like Nigel Farage, Putin sits in the Kremlin rubbing his hands with complete impunity. The worlds problems are bigger than traffic on the M4 Motorway, Nigel.
There is tacit acceptance from the VoteLeave campaign that they can’t win the economic or moral arguments so they’re fighting on the battleground where they’re comfortable; immigration. And they have some heavyweight partners in the media hammering home the message.
Perception is everything when you’re peddling bullshit.
Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory the Remain camp have done little to address the electorate on the fear and hate whipped up by tabloid media and their tax-cheating billionaire owners Murdoch, Rothermere and Desmond.
Rather than offer the kind of measured response he’s capable of, Cameron’s own grave had long since been dug by the time he announced the referendum. And he’s been standing by gormlessly holding the shovel ever since.
Of the countless own goals scored since becoming Prime Minister, his pandering to the immigration hate mob has been ever-present and will be his most poisonous legacy.
The ‘election lie promise’ to get net migration down to sub 100,000 levels was risible. Anyone willing to spend 30 seconds thinking about it immediately called ‘bullshit’. How can Net Migration be a reliable yardstick on which to make promises when both Immigration and Emigration contribute to that metric? The last time I checked we didn’t have a Soviet style wall preventing people from leaving, and Free Movement means that people are indeed free to come and go.
The Prime Minister has been more active perpetuating the fear and hate than he’d perhaps now like to admit, once describing migrants trying to reach Britain as a “swarm”. If “Dodgy Dave” now wonders why he can’t get on top in the immigration debate he’d do well to look in the mirror.
But undoubtedly Cameron’s chief failing in the whole debacle we find ourselves in was calling the referendum in the first place. Like an impressionable youngster standing at a roulette table not wanting to lose face in front of his cool mates. He’s gambling the country’s future and all because he’s too spineless to deal with detractors in his own party.
“Look lads as promised, I’m putting it all on black. It’s not like I’m gambling with my own money or anything”
If politicians represented the people who elected them rather than their own interests Cameron would’ve told his party’s Eurosceptics to button it. He might have even asked Lord Rothermere to pay some tax, or Rupert Murdoch to make sure his journalists weren’t hacking dead children’s phones. Imagine that?
Any opportunity to get on the immigration front foot has long since evaporated. Would it have been so difficult to actually communicate that we are a free and fair society that benefits from immigration culturally, financially and in a wholly practical sense? With an ageing population someone is going to have to be willing to mop up our dribble in nursing homes, and pay our pensions.
The relentless campaign of fear and hate has been systematic and sophisticated. Every day another story about how Johnny Foreigner is swallowing our money, opportunities and quality of life.
Anyone would think they had an agenda
Media brainwashing aside, one look at the odious characters fronting the VoteLeave campaign and you’d have to fancy any alternative. Simply turn up and you’ll win. After all who in their right mind is backing this mob?
Nigel Farage, Michael Gove, George Galloway, Iain Duncan Smith
It’s the Who’s Who of British politics’ gnarly horrible bastards. Take your pick of deplorable attributes and the VoteLeave brigade have strength in depth. Racism, hatred of the poor, brown nosing dictators and pinching money off disabled children.
But VoteLeave had an ace up their sleeve, the self styled moron and uber-buffoon Boris Johnson. He’s the kind of guy who would probably be fun to have a pint with, but you wouldn’t actually want him in charge of anything serious like running a country. What next, Basil Fawlty as the Chancellor of the Exchequer? Pull the other one.
Yet “Boris” does appeal to the public. And astonishingly he barely has to say anything to substantiate that appeal. Why play politics when comedy gets votes? VoteLeave needed someone to rally around and in BoJo they found their figurehead and likely Conservative leader in a post-Brexit Britain. Just think about that for a minute…
The disingenuous village idiot act is a carefully cultivated persona with broad appeal to a public fed up with stuffy old blokes boring us to death with politics.
But with less than a week to go until we go to the polls I appeal to everyone to reject prejudices, fear and hate and to vote to Remain in the EU. Rolling the dice on Britain’s future when they are so heavily loaded against Brexit is just bananas.
A vote to Remain is a vote for future generations to enjoy the freedom, peace and stability that we’ve all grown accustomed to. Many take these things for granted but there can be no guarantee they’ll be there for our children and grandchildren unless we take responsibility to make certain of it.
Lets demand more of our politicians, lets demand more of Europe. Lets not pick up the ball and go home. There is something here worth fighting for and our vision for Europe doesn’t have to be one where the person with the darkest nightmare wins. We don’t have to do what tabloid media owners say. The Britain I believe in doesn’t kowtow to a handful of self interested billionaire Non-Doms on command. We don’t just shrug our shoulders and throw in the towel because we don’t get it all our own way. We’re better than that, and we all know it.
