Brexit Blues

Anna Soubry, M.P. beset by Brexiteers

Oh dear, my second Brexit blog of the year; I am beginning to feel the pressure!

“The undefined being negotiated by the unprepared in order to get the unspecified for the uniformed.”

A friend passed on the above, artfully-crafted definition of Brexit months ago and, embarrassingly, it has become evermore correct. Oh the agony and shame of watching and hearing the daily disaster that is Brexit lurching in Parliament, from one befuddled non-decision to the next. Parliamentarians are being blamed and heavily criticised but in truth, they are simply reflecting the division and chaos in the country. The divisiveness, and the heat and fury of the whole topic, are truly distressing to behold. Contrary to the dark picture painted by the tabloids and the Telegraph, Donald Tusk has behaved amazingly well, fair and restrained at all times. Definitely there must be a special place in Heaven reserved for him!!

I was vastly entertained today when I saw several clips on my Ipad BBC News of people of all ages and different nationalities, delightedly imitating John Bercow’s constantly-repeated bellows for ‘Order, order!’ and his peremptory but familiar booming shouts of ‘Unlock!’, ‘Ayes to the right; Noes to the left’. Plus many tributes to his wardrobe of beautiful but colourful ties. Apparently, unknown perhaps to many Brits, dear John has unwittingly become an international, if minor, Brexit star. This will be to

the utter bewilderment and irritation of his party, the Conservatives, who apparently, loathe him to a man, or woman! I am well content, as a long-time admirer of this vain, sometimes pompous, often courageous man who has done many Good Things for the running of Parliament. My favourite Good Thing is the closure of one of the many bars in the Houses of Parliament, replacing it with a creche, to the horror and despair of many of the older Members.

 Don't mention the war.

Yesterday I caught a glimpse of De Standaard, a national daily, with a full page article on Brexit entitled Fawlty Towers and with one of the sub-headings reading, “Don’t mention the war.” Delightful, and written with what the Brits might label, a British sense of humour. Then to the BBC News on my Ipad and Dear Nigel [‘no more Mr Nice Guy’] frothing at the mouth as he stirred up an audience to ever greater anti-E.U. passion and anti-Westminster fury, launching yet another anti-E.U. party entitled, unsurprisingly, Brexit. As they say, one couldn’t make it up!! I now can’t remember why he stopped leading UKIP but it, too, is now The Enemy. Nigel becomes truly alive when he can publicly harangue An Enemy and now he has three: UKIP, Parliament and the E.U.. Unfortunately, he looks thinner; obviously match-fit. Oh dear. I do enjoy recalling that he has tried seven times, unsuccessfully, to enter Parliament. Some voters, apparently, are immune to his divisive and hostile charms!

 Nigel Farage.