My heart aches for my Motherland (and my adopted land)


Unless British Prime Minister opts for yet another delay, the U.K. Parliament's House of Commons will vote on Jan 15th  2019 on her proposals for the withdrawal of the U.K. from the European Union.

 Her proposals are the least worst,  (The worst being a no deal  and unilateral exit.)


 It is unlikely that her plan will be approved by Parliament.

 * Hard line Tory Brexiteers will have none of it.

 * Northern Ireland "Unionist" M.P.'s (Protestant to the core) oppose it because it will enshrine a soft customs border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, but a hard customs border between North Ireland and the rest of the U.K.

 * Scots and Welsh nationalists will have no truck with Brexit.

 * Many Labour Party M.P.'s will vote against it because they have always been sceptical about the E.U.  They have dreams of a socialist E.U. - highly unlikely as many member States move to the right. The Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has offered no alternative vision to Theresa May's proposals -  he comes across as a political technician not as a visionary leader.

 -------------------------------------------------------------------

 I think that Brexit is a terrible idea.  Having said that, what do my tea leaves tell me if Prime Minister May's plan get voted down?

 Will she resign, and if so, who will the Tory Party elect as her successor as leader?  (Most likely a hard-Brexiteer).

 Will any new Tory Party leader command a majority in the House of Commons?  (Very unlikely).

 Will the Queen invite any such  new leader to form a Government (that's how it works in the U.K.)

 Will there be a second referendum to re-visit the Brexit question? That's extremely unlikely.  A second referendum is likely to be more divisive than the first.

 Will there be a General Election?  Could be, but any new Parliament is as likely to be as divided and fragmented as is the present one. No party is likely to command an overall majority in the House of Commons.

 It's all gloom and doom for this British born expatriate.  I see no possible good outcome from Tuesday's House of Commons vote.

 Maybe the U.K has become ungovernable.  Under Trump the same is likely for the U.S.A.

 Two of the "Great Powers" of 1945 are transmuting into Banana Republics in 2019.








Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shoe insults

Last year I consulted with a local podiatrist: Dr. Robert F Herbold Jr. D.P.M. 4717 Swift Rd., Sarasota , FL – 34231  because I was being bothered with a couple of bunions  (yes I am at that age). I was very impressed with this Doctor.  He agreed that I had bunions, but he ventured that it was much too soon for surgery. (Now there’s a first). Instead he recommended some “arch supports” to relieve the tension for my feet, a tension which was exacerbating the bunions. What’s more -  he told me that he sells these arch supports at the miserly sum of $2.50 each (about 1/5 of the price in the local pharmacies). He is an honest man, and I recommend him to anyone with foot problems. So, a couple of weeks ago, having purchased some new walking shoes, I knew that I needed to buy a couple of new arch supports I took myself to his office. Once there, my mind went blank. I wanted to ask his front desk Clerk if I could buy some “shoe inserts” , as I could not rem...
Read more

It began in Bristol U.K. "A man dies" and "Jesus Christ Superstar"

Image
I well remember the swirling controversy in Bristol, U.K. when a (Presbyterian) Minister the Revd, Earnest Marviin created a ":Rock Opera", called "A Man Dies"  in and for his congregation in the Lockleaze area of Bristol, U.K. Earnest Mrvin I was a sixteen years old member of the Plymouth Brethren Church back in those days, so I most likely disapproved of "A Man Dies" .  We, (the Plymouth Brethren),  disapproved of everything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I had forgotten all about "A Man Dies" until earlier today when saw these pictures on the "Bristol, Then and Now"  Facebook page.   St. James Presbyterian Church, Lockleaze, Bristol  The Bristol Then and Now page includes the following commentary: Lockleaze, Bristol  -  'Jesus Christ Superstar' began at St.James (Presbyterian) Chur...
Read more

The background, the couple, my friends, the wedding ceremony, the Shaykh, the Priest,

Image
The background   I have known the Keller/Bonsey family since 2000 when I became the Rector at St. James's, Cambridge, MA. They (Elisabeth Keller and the Revd. Steven Bonsey with their four children Noah, Sam, Josiah and Annie) had come back to Cambridge from Hawaii where Steve had been the Rector of an Episcopal parish. Steve had just been appointed as a Chaplain at Tufts University (no Sunday morning duties) so the entire family was able to enrich our common life at St. James's - which they did with great love and joy. I count them as friends and have stayed in touch with them since my retirement.  Noah, the oldest son is eloquent in Arabic (he spent a year in Damascus when Syria was a safe place).  He has developed a super career as an analyst of social media in the near East.    Noah worked in Tampa for a while a few years ago, so he and I were a...
Read more