Britain’s Brexit delirium has an upside: politicians are being exposed for who they really are

The absurd contradictions of our political times have acted like an X-ray. This offers a crumb of comfort

by Jay Elwes / August 3, 2017 / Leave a comment

“In another demonstration of her natural flair for making things much much worse, the prime minister has decided to take a three-week holiday.” Photo: Antonio Calanni/PA Wire/PA Images

In the last 12 months, British politics has tipped into the realm of the absurd. Like a jelly gently sliding off a plate, it has wobbled, paused and then succumbed to the inevitable, undignified interaction with the floor. Splat.

And in another demonstration of her natural flair for making things much much worse, the prime minister has decided to take a three-week holiday. The result has been a less than dignified wrestling match among members of the cabinet. And at the centre of the storm is, of course, Europe.

The Europe issue, that catalyst of British political absurdity for almost four decades, seems to be approaching its peak. Everything is now about Europe—the British body politic points in one direction only, poised to perform an as-yet undefined act on behalf of an electorate that necessarily doesn’t know what it voted for.

And still the anti-European nationalists are busier than ever in pushing the idea that the hub—Britain—can leave its network—the EU—with no serious consequences. What’s more, a separation deal could be negotiated with the EU in a period of political time almost scaramuccian in its brevity. Liam Fox recently reassured his public that a deal with the EU would be the “easiest in history.” With this splendidly breezy remark, Fox overlooked the fact that the government is yet to negotiate a Brexit agreement even with itself.

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They go beyond a simple trade deal and reports suggest the government is open to the idea

Comments

PHILIP_GOUGH
August 5, 2017 at 10:53
Is the Prime Minister the only person in the country who is not allowed a Summer holiday? and the term "Brexit mob" says all we need to know about this diatribe - exactly the kind of Patrician and patronising attitude that led so many to vote for Brexit in the first place. And who elected our politicians?
Badger
August 5, 2017 at 16:56
May is a dead beat. She's even worse than Cameron. Hardly the best time to go on holiday when the party desperately needs discipline.
1. Sam Buist
  August 7, 2017 at 22:24
  When would be a good time for her to go on holiday? Surely going over the summer recess is the most logical time.
R_DAVIES
August 6, 2017 at 13:53
Couldn't we start a campaign to get Vince Cable to be Prime Minister? With the Tory party totally discredited and Labour failing utterly to provide a welcome alternative it seems to me that Vince is the only one left with authority and integrity.
Ian A.
August 6, 2017 at 17:27
Indeed, having worked in Customs and Excise in the 1990's when the Single Market was introduced and a whole raft of import and export documentation was abolished, it is ironic that we will have to re-introduce this - hardly the great freedom from bureaucracy promised by the Brexiteers !
Brangane
October 22, 2017 at 13:39
Theresa May might be a dead beat and not handling the Brexit stuff well, but, let's face it, she is all we've got. Any challenge to her as PM now would be likely to produce a General Election win for Labour, then Corbyn and his Marxist cohorts could easily be the men. They would probably make Ms May look like a genius.