I don’t normally do politics but I’ll give it a go… simply because I’m probably just as pissed off as everyone else, irrespective of my stoicism and acceptance of difficult situations that sit outside of my personal control.

I’m sure that many of us have arrived at that point where it’s almost impossible to watch TV news on the #Brexit debacle, without screaming at the TV screen that is. That feeling probably results from a combination of confusion, anger and total frustration that highly paid public servants (Members of Parliament) are still messing about with what we told them to do.

Whichever way you or I voted is mostly irrelevant here because; I honestly wonder if there is anyone left who can devote more than a few moments attention to the almost daily self-interested political fuck-ups that are taking place in our name. You could say we’ve had three years of politicians playing fast and loose with the future of our nation. But fast would be an inappropriate adjective.

One thing they haven’t done is anything quickly. Neither have they presented any real solutions to mitigate against what are (apparently) previously unforeseen negative impacts of the Brexit process. But then again, it depends on which side of the debate you sit as to whether or not any issue is perceived as a negative or a positive.

You clearly can’t unravel a spider’s web of political and economic bureaucracy overnight, without some discomfort, assuming that is what you voted for. But equally, neither should anyone think they have any right to renege on a democratic process, one that has been subsequently enshrined in the law of the land.

Going back to 2008, the journalist and author Robert Peston asked in his book – Who Runs Britain? The book went on to examine How the Super-Rich are Changing our Lives. In many respects our politicians are part of that social and political hierarchy. In some ways Peston’s thoughts at the time could have been seen as prophetic of future issues.

Reading Peston’s book, you can only be flabbergasted all over again at how Labour kowtowed to wealth, glorified the City and put all the nation’s economic eggs into one dangerous basket of fizzy finance. (Polly Toynbee)

Peston followed up in 2012 with How Do We Fix This Mess? Continuing to examine the after-effects of the financial collapse, Peston tried to offer some observations and solutions. The Observer said the book was “…mandatory reading for anyone who wants to have a voice in where we go from here.”

Some people would say many of our politicians are simply striving to defeat the will of the electorate, for their own purposes. Yes, that’s possible but you’d kind of expect that kind of methodology to be something they would try to do covertly. Not so, some aren’t even remotely secretive about their personal endeavours for individual or party political aspirations.

In June 2016 the UK electorate ‘shockingly’ (I would say unsurprisingly) decided to leave the European Union. Almost three years later, with reams of daily media opinion around mostly self-serving political debate, the politicians are still arguing… about what is ‘best’ for us. But just as much of this political wrangling is about clearing up the political mess of their past.

Many career politicians, in today’s arrogant political classes, actually believe, they know better than the people. But where do these three years of political posturing actually leave the rest of us? Especially when those that are supposed to be together on the same side of the house can’t even agree with each other!

Brexit has left the British political class trapped by its own history – The ruling elite failed to grasp that the 2016 referendum changed politics irrevocably. (New Statesman)

All the arrogance and self-serving aside, it’s also entirely possible that they could be right. We are all too thick to think for ourselves, given the distinct lack of social, economic, political or academically sound thinking that envelope large swathes of our society. Perhaps the political class are, at least in part, justified in offering the now standard “it’s very complicated, you wouldn’t understand” retort, when asked to explain their thinking and voting in the political process. But why did Britain vote leave? And was it really that much of a shock? I don’t have all the answers but I can certainly spot a few emerging causation factors.

The book All Out War by Tim Shipman explored the politics of the 2016 referendum. Shipman examined why David Cameron chose to take the biggest political gamble of his life, and why he lost, leaving us in the arrogant self-important clutches of Theresa May.

The book is said to provide… “The Full Story of How Brexit Sank Britain’s Political Class” – which is probably not such a bad thing. But sadly, too many of those that perhaps should have gone under are still frantically clinging to their political life rafts. Flotation that is only available for those who are still comfortably following the direction of their party whip with blind obedience.

The historic vote for Brexit was a culmination of trends in domestic politics. But it was also something that should be accepted. A warranted result, if not universally popular kick-back, for the disdain showed to the UK by many within the European political hierarchy.

The UK’s broken relationship with the EU, which is similar to that endured by some other member states, was also something that had been building over many years, and long before Cameron’s failed political gamble.

Cameron just lit the short fuse of public desire. But what the Hell Happens Now?

He told us so

It appears Peston broke out his crystal ball and did some more prophetic writing in 2017 when he penned… WTF?

Peston’s observations about what has gone so badly wrong in politics and who is mostly responsible, is enlightening. So is the advice about what we need to do to mend terrible fractures in our society. Often, it’s only when you’re able to listen to something from afar, that you’re able to hear the undertones obliterated by all the internal noise.

WTF was born from surge in populist politics and the vote for Brexit, which all challenged how he thought the world could and should be run. With a characteristic passion and clarity, Peston looks at how and whether it is possible to make a success of leaving the EU and what can be done to halt the widening gap between rich and poor, amongst other social issues. Peston’s account of the recent past may not provide all the answers but what it does do is provide “a call to action, giving hope to all of us who believe that taking back control is not only vital, but possible.”

Materialistic Commercialism is Killing Humanity

The part that I probably find the most distasteful about the whole process is; almost every argument, from either said of leave or remain camps, have mostly boiled down to a financial perspective. Either that or, they have been presented as something else to disguise any monetary considerations.

I’m not well-versed in the intricacies of our financial sectors (or their inherent frauds) however; I do have a good grasp of how ‘money makes the world go around’ – or not as the case may be.

I also have a reasonable understanding of economics, from individual, national and international perspectives. I find it so sad that we have become a species that is constantly reliant upon materialistic factors. We live in a world where nearly every process, and often life itself, is expressed and valued purely in monetary terms. A world where the rich get richer controlling the lives of the poor, getting poorer.

Some will say it has always been so and that’s as it maybe however; in times gone by this happened mostly via hereditary process but now, it starts with human greed and lack of any real concern for the plight of fellow human beings. And as the wealth grows, those with it get more protective of their pile and who or what is theirs… at the expense and detriment of anyone or anything not within their direct circle of control or interest.

The Final Deal (Finally, For Now)

The only real-deal that was a possible deal (apparently) is now a no-deal and no-deal is not a good deal so, without any deal and not accepting no-deal, we’ve been dealt a rough deal.

But all is not lost, we’ve stopped any possible future no-deal and can still wait to see if the bum-deal, which has already been refused poor deal is subsequently agreed when dealt again.

Despite the bum-deal still being a no-deal, and it having been dealt twice previously, it still must be better than no deal… doesn’t it?

Don’t worry, it’s OK as a reserve deal that can be dealt again after the dealers deal themselves a break, assuming the EU agree with a deal to delay the deal (or no-deal)… good luck with that one!

Brexit is set to be delayed by at least three months, after parliament opted overwhelmingly to request an extension to article 50 on another day of divisive votes that exposed the split in Theresa May’s fractured cabinet. (The Guardian)

This is probably the point where we should all be asking… was there ever any political intention to carry out the will of the people? Or, as many have already concluded; this is simply another chapter in the work of fiction called democracy. A process which seams increasingly irrelevant never mind binding (if it ever was), from both sides of that social agreement and trust.

The prime minister is now expected to bring her twice-defeated Brexit deal back to parliament on Tuesday, after she narrowly retained control of the next steps of the process. (The Guardian)

Further Reading

• The European Union: A Citizen’s Guide. (amazon.co.uk)
• Brexit: Why Britain Voted to Leave the European Union (amazon.co.uk)
• Fall Out: A Year of Political Mayhem (amazon.co.uk)
• Revolting!: How the Establishment are Undermining Democracy and What They’re Afraid Of. (amazon.co.uk)
• Making a Success of Brexit and Reforming the EU: The Brexit edition of The Trouble with Europe (amazon.co.uk)
• BBC: Brainwashing Britain?: How and why the BBC controls your mind. (amazon.co.uk)
• The Noble Liar: How and Why the BBC Distorts the News to Promote a Liberal Agenda. (amazon.co.uk)
• The Great European Rip-off: How the Corrupt, Wasteful EU is Taking Control of Our Lives. (amazon.co.uk)
• The Great Deception: The Secret History of the European Union (amazon.co.uk)
• Clean Brexit: Why Leaving the EU Still Makes Sense – Building a Post-Brexit Economy for All (amazon.co.uk)