I Marched Because...
On Saturday I joined the march through London demanding a people's vote on the terms of exiting the E.U. It was the biggest protest since the march against the Iraq War back in 2003 and which, of course, failed to alter Government policy.
I therefore walked on Saturday knowing that shuffling en masse through the streets of the capital is unlikely of itself to change political direction and that even if it were to, a second referendum is no guarantee for resolving the current chaos.
So why you may well ask, with a blister on my toe and exhausted from a week of walking around walled towns in the Adriatic (of which more, in my next blog entry), did I make the effort to attend?
The answer is simple: anger! Yes I am irate in circumstances where I can never previously recall such an ineffective collection of Parliamentarians in key posts across all parties. The country has been dragged into a long running internal debate within the Conservative Party where extreme right wing ideology with its Project Fantasy has conned an electorate that has suffered for so long from the policies of austerity and the neglect of successive London-centric governments. Inequality, homelessness, racism, hatred and public service cuts stare us in the face daily and yet the Government appears to sit in a state of inertia as a consequence of internal disputes, unable to achieve anything, least of all a resolution to the dreadful Brexit shambles which by all accounts is only going to make things worse. Labour is proving itself inept in opposition (how much worse might it be in government?) and how we are ever going to be dragged out of the morass is beyond me.
Fellow marchers were well behaved, polite and genuine in their concern for the future of our country. However, as commentators have pointed out there was an overwhelming Middle-England demographic and any attempt to overturn the 2016 result will never be achieved without first winning over those who feel excluded from the perceived elitism of those on that march. The insoluble conundrum however is that the politicians who proffered Project Fantasy two years ago now issue caveats that it may take the country 50 years to recover. In seeking to press for an extreme Brexit they are hardly doing it to create a Utopia for the people when the country is inevitably going to be poorer. Throw in alleged Russian interference, potentially dirty money, inflated egos and ambitions plus a Vote Leave campaign overspend and is it any wonder that my blood begins to boil?
I don't know where all of this is going to end but three hours ambling along London streets in the sunshine on Saturday actually felt cathartic.
Comments
In my view we should never have had a referendum in the first place; this is what we elect our Government to pick through, debate and for the Lords to bring the scrutiny and challenge. Wasn’t it simply Cameron appeasing Tory UKIP supporters?
While I was disappointed at the result, initially I thought Brexit should just proceed as per democratic process. Perhaps like many other folk I have changed my mind as the Brexiteers had no real understanding of what they were voting for.
At the very least I think Parliament should decide, or ultimately even the monarch. Certainly the final deal needs careful scrutiny from every possible angle. As for another referendum, well there’s a strong case but can you honestly expect the public to fully understand the issues and make an informed choice? While I like the idea of another referendum, I’m still not sure the people would do the right thing.
I am a marcher from way back. These days inparticular in the US, lies are spouted daily, racism is rampant, misogyny has become mainstream. I take to the street in an effort to take back my life and the life of my country. I know that we are not alone in our concerns for what is happening in the world. Marching helps me to not feel powerless.
Many people here in the UK are shocked at Trump and his aggressive approach. By contrast Obama seemed such a moderate, thoughtful, sincere and well intentioned man.
When Trump was elected I remember asking “is that the best America can do?”
I do like what you say about marching, helping you to feel less powerless. That’s good. In spite of the UK and US having leaders with all kinds of short comings, we should at the very least be grateful we live in a society where we do have the right to march, complain to our Members of Parliament and generally speak out - which includes blogging!
Doug, I think the appetite for a new political party comes more from the electorate who feel unrepresented than from MPs and members of the main political parties. The truth is that modern politics has let us down and to be honest I can’t yet see a new party rising from the ashes to fix it (everyone’s too wary of the SDP experience to try it). I guess if both Tory and Labour parties continue their gravitation towards the extremes, it will eventually happen or we’ll forgive the LibDems and allow them to re-emerge.