Wednesday 29 June 2016

Taking a Bath


I've experienced too many baths of late; the shower in our holiday home last week had no proper screen, necessitating use of the bath; the shower doesn't work in hotel I'm staying in today, so no choice but a bath. Now is it me, or are baths not what they used to be? I swear they're getting smaller and you can't even stretch your legs out in the damned things, let alone lie in them. To wash my hair I have to slide right down and lie with my legs and feet halfway up the wall.


Talking of taking a bath, back to the Brexit fiasco. I was talking to someone last night and he had a sensible view on the situation. Rather than the camps splitting into two factions (both mainly from the same party), hurling abuse at each other and making up porkies, the Conservative government should have simply stated its preferred position, placed the facts before the electorate, had them verified independently, made plans for either eventuality and then held a referendum based on informed opinion. Instead it was totally mismanaged.

Similarly, the EU could have made more concessions in an attempt to keep the UK within the fold in the pre-referendum talks. But no, the Eurocrats kept to a hard line, I am sure much to their regret.

If we're going to leave there will be serious financial repercussions (they've already started). Legendary investor, Jim Rogers (who set up Quantum with George Soros), is predicting parity with the dollar, if not 50 cents to the pound. Whether we leave quickly or slow, there will be a lot of pain. If there has to be pain, it's best that pain is experienced for as short a time as possible, which is why the EU wants the UK out ASAP - it's in their interests, as well as ours. Dragging it out will only stretch out the period of uncertainty and make the pain last much longer..

That said, many people are suffering from Bregret and it's quite possible that our MPs could simply ignore the referendum, especially if it's not in the UK's interests, especially if it could result in the breakup of the Union; it's not binding, after all. Democracy in the UK is vested in the Queen and Parliament and requires a bill. "Democracy in Britain doesn't mean majority rule. It's not the tyranny of the majority or the tyranny of the mob ... it's the representatives of the people, not the people themselves, who vote for them," says Geoffrey Robertson, QC. And he's right - MPs can be voted out, a mob can't.


1 comment:

A Heron's View said...

The great hubris of Westminster is rapidly bringing on the nemesis of the Nation.