I STARTED my last National column with: “It has been another couple of nightmare weeks for Prime Minister Theresa May and her government”.
What a sweet summer child I was to think that your own Chancellor of the Exchequer saying you are making your country poorer, the Bank of England saying you are making your country poorer, and an embarrassing breach of the ministerial code equates to a nightmare couple of weeks. Comparing those mishaps to the events that have transpired over the last few days, never mind the last two weeks on the whole, we may look back on that time as a high point in Theresa May’s tenure as Prime Minister.
I would now be hesitant to say the most recent couple of weeks have been a nightmare for Theresa May, in case it turns out I am once again displaying a level of naïvety to the low, low depths that the current Government can fall to, so instead I will say that it has once again not been the best couple of weeks for the Prime Minister and her government.
From meaningful votes being pulled, to arguments about whether to have a vote to pull the vote, to a debate ending with a meaningless vote on whether the House of Commons has suitably considered the fact that the Government used archaic processes in the House of Commons standing orders to prevent a vote on pulling the vote. Followed by grown men and women running around with four-foot maces and swords, to confidence votes, to journalists frantically trying to lip read – it really has been an exceptionally low point for UK Politics.
The harsh light that has been cast on the absolute unabashed pantomime and theatre that surrounds Westminster politics is one of the clearest and starkest reminders of why obtaining independence for Scotland is not just preferable, but is now absolutely crucial.
READ MORE: This is why I won’t vote for Theresa May's rotten Brexit deal
The entire Brexit process has left the UK a laughing stock the world over. It seems that the only good thing about Donald Trump being the president of the United States of America is that the UK Government’s ridiculousness is being slightly overshadowed by his.
When the Prime Minister pulled the meaningful vote at the start of this week, many were outraged, including myself, though I erred more on the side of stunned at the ineptitude of the Prime Minister. The whole notion of pulling the vote, instead of accepting the defeat that remains almost inevitable, even now, is abject cowardice.
It was a move designed only to keep the Prime Minister in office, despite the fact that it has been a very long time since she was really in power.
The other act of complete cowardice that occurred this week, unfortunately, came from Jeremy Corbyn. His refusal to put forward a motion of no confidence in the Government shows that despite constant protests to the contrary, Labour have absolutely no desire to fight a General Election. They certainly they have no desire to take over the Brexit negotiations.
Brexit under any scenario, whether it is Canada Plus, Norway Plus Plus, no deal or the Prime Minister’s deal, will leave the country worse off. Jeremy Corbyn knows this, and he doesn’t want to take the blame.
Many of his supporters disagree with me. I have seen a lot of people claiming that Jeremy Corbyn was playing some 4D, underwater, chess in space, where he somehow knows every single move on the board and can read the Prime Minister with ease. I am afraid, these claims seem as baseless as those in America who make the same claims about Donald Trump.
READ MORE: WATCH: Mhairi Black nails the absurdity of the UK on Brexit
In direct contrast to the Westminster shambles, there was some grown-up politics taking place in Holyrood this week. The Finance Secretary, my constituency neighbour Derek Mackay MSP, brought forward his Budget proposals on Wednesday, and presented them to a chamber where people were allowed to call each other by their names, and can even clap instead of making farm animal noises.
Despite the fact that their party is in complete meltdown and they haven’t been able to do any governing because they can’t find an agreement on their Brexit policy, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury in Westminster, Liz Truss, still found time to pop her head above the parapet and bemoan the Scottish Government not introducing a tax cut for the well off, and had the cheek to call it a tax on aspiration.
The people of Scotland cannot rely on the Tories to deliver a Brexit that won’t cause huge damage to our economy, and they cannot rely on Labour to stop the Government either. The Scottish Government have put forward sensible comprises throughout this process that have been ignored at every step. independence becomes more appealing every single day.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel