Bored of Brexit, Democracy Manifest

Disclaimer: 

I voted to remain. 

I am a member of the LibDems. 

I would like to see Jo Swinson as our next PM

I would still like to see Britain remain in the EU.

I also think we should leave the EU. 

Contradictory... Not really... 

The EU is broken. It is an extremely undemocratic institution that couldn’t be more culturally incompatible with classical British liberal values if it tried. I detest what it has become and it needs to be stopped and reformed. There, I said it. Even though I wanted to remain. 

You see, Britain has never been a particularly collectivist culture - as it has always put emphasis on the sovereignty of individuals (as far back as Magna Carta)... Give me a topic to debate and two Britons, and I can comfortably guarantee you an argument. 

Britons do not follow the herd, they are prepared to voice their opinion and will happily stand alone if they believe that is the right thing to do. Europeans, on the other hand, are far more collectivist in nature, they are a very collaborative and consensus-driven people- this much can be observed through the sheer number of coalition governments that arise to power across European states. Taking this into account, it is of absolutely no surprise to me that our European friends are watching us from across the water wondering what the hell is going on with our democracy. 

I for one actually like what is happening. This is a democracy -a real democracy- playing itself out. 

Whether Brexiteers, Remainers or Europeans like it or not, the mechanics of an established, tried and tested representative democracy (along with all its checks and balances) will always frustrate it subjects and even those observing from afar. To our European friends, what has played out over the past three years, will appear to be a gigantic waste of time and massively inefficient use of public discourse.

But is it though? 

Democracy should serve to allow minorities a voice, particularly large minorities, in the big decisions that affect nation-states. Brexit is as big as it gets and anyone who expected an exit from EU to happen immediately after the referendum doesn’t really understand how beautifully fair and procedural our democracy is (or the essence of British culture). Brexit won a referendum - yes it did. However, Brexit won by a very slim majority and since then, our instruments of democracy have been mobilised by Brexiteers and Remainers alike to try and drive a resolution on the question that is ‘EU or no EU’. 

It has been beautiful watching this play out and whilst the Brexiteers have been edging the fight, for the most part, the Remainers have just got themselves back in the running with the recent motion to outlaw a no-deal Brexit. No one explicitly voted for a no-deal Brexit and it seems perfectly reasonable that our representative democracy moves to protect a MASSIVE minority against such a horrifically extreme version of leaving the EU. As a person who voted to remain, I can honestly tell you that I only did so because I want economic certainty - it was not because I like the EU or how it goes about its business. I don’t even care about the freedom of movement it affords me when I travel across Europe on business (I do this on a weekly basis). As a compromise, I would happily leave the EU if we could secure a deal that provided a modicum of economic certainty or at least some assurance of damage limitation. I am pretty sure I am not the only Remainer that feels this way and I am even more certain that many more Brexiteers would prefer not to see their jobs moved abroad or the £ hammered into the ground. 

This, people, is called compromise -or should we say a nuanced approach to the question of ‘EU or no EU’... a practice we tried to abandon in the years that followed that famous referendum. 

If you are a Brexiteer and you value democracy and how Britain works (compared to the very undemocratic and unaccountable EU), then you should be somewhat ironically enjoying the fight that Remainers and their representatives in parliament are putting up against your wishes. I would even go as far as to say that Brexiteers should be celebrating current events- simply because this would never happen in the EU (or any of its constituent states). Only in Britain would a minority of ‘sovereign individuals’ be given such a fair opportunity to challenge the consensus.

This being said. I still think we have a massive ‘I told you so’ moment coming for the Brexiteers... and I honestly don’t think the majority of Remainers see it coming. When it happens, because it will happen, I sincerely help it galvanises this country - Remainers and Brexiteers alike... 

So what’s the ‘I told you so’ moment?

You see, despite the Remainers best efforts to fight Brexit, the EU is unfortunately incapable of empathy (largely because it is not accountable) and (as mentioned previously) it does not understand British culture or our democracy (often viewing the flexibility we have requested over the years as awkwardness and entitlement rather than a natural expression of unique and sovereign state). The journey that we are currently going on will be not only be misunderstood, but the EU will also view it as chaotic, inefficient and frankly something that should be exploited. That’s right Remainers, the EU will not recognise your struggle and will show you and everyone else in this country ZERO empathy. Our democracy and it ‘inefficiencies’ are what make Britain the best damn democracy on the planet but don’t expect Mr Tusk or anyone in Brussels to see it this way. All they will see is a weakness - to be exploited. Mark my words. 

Even if we oust Boris and his crappy government. Even if we get Jo Swinson into number 10 and a LibDem government (can’t bear the thought of Corbyn and Labour). The EU will not give us a deal that allows our divided country to compromise and heal - especially as the only leverage we had (no deal) has now been taken off the table. 

The EU will be totally uncompromising in its negotiations from now on. There will be one deal available to Britain and one deal alone - a shit one. Remainers will be surprised and Brexiteers will be livid beyond belief and if whatever government we have in place come October 31st accepts that shit deal - there will be domestic hell to pay. There will be a massive electoral backlash - to the point that I can even foresee a scenario whereby the Brexit party (or some other appropriately named bunch of tosspots) get into government. If the EU has any sense at all, it would act now to prevent that from happening - but it won’t. Instead, the EU will keep its metaphorical head (I like to picture Tusk’s smug gitty face) firmly between its idealistic but-cheeks and continue obsessing over its own false sense of integrity and self-importance. 

So bored of Brexit