blast: Explosion choppy water: raues Wasser underway: sich unterwegs ereignend ardent: leideschaftlich, begeistert, glü
Politics — 19
Südtiroler Wirtschaftszeitung — Nr. 41 | 16 — Freitag, 28. Oktober 2016
English Practice A Comment On UK Politics After Brexit Vote
Leave Means Leave, Doesn’t It? The fathers of the European Union would turn in their grave if they knew what was happening. SWZ Feature writer Geoff Barclay looks at what is currently going on as the UK grapples with the question of exiting the EU.
Foto: Shutterstock
London/Bozen – “Leave means leave” seems quite a direct and clear statement with regard to Brexit but it still leaves a world of uncertainty as to how a UK exit from the EU can be achieved, and recent events have made the issue a
history. This legal complexity aside it would appear that the government is required to give voice to the people’s will and even the most ardent remain campaigners would probably recognise this.
“Leave means leave” seems quite a direct and clear statement with regard to Brexit but it still leaves a world of uncertainty as to how a UK exit from the EU can be achieved. ball of mist from which it is not easy to come out the other side. “A week in politics is a long time” was the famous utterance of Prime Minister Harold Wilson in the sixties, and in today’s politics a day and a half can seem like a trip to eternity and back. Who would have thought for example that Cameron would jump ship, Johnson be abandoned, and May rise to the surface as if dressed in true Thatcher warrior fashion – or was it a Queen Bodicea outfit she wore on taking charge of the ship. And of course it did not end there, for “lucky Boris” (Johnson) was then resurrected and sent by ship to conduct foreign affairs and “good old Nigel” (Farage) had one last blast at his European buddies in Brussels and then declared he was off to quieter shores, his life’s work achieved. The analogy of sea and boats and far-off land is an appropriate one, not only highlighting Britain’s island context but also indicating that there are choppy waters to be sailed before there is any calm to be spotted on the horizon.
Was the referendum a decisive mandate or merely of a consultative nature? Take the referendum itself and what it actually determined. Certainly the UK did not leave the EU on the morning of the 24th June and any departure may not get underway for many a moon yet. Indeed was the referendum a decisive mandate or merely of a consultative nature? The fact that the UK has no written constitution and matters of state are a question of precedent and case law does not overly help, especially when there is no precedent and no case ®© Alle Rechte vorbehalten/Riproduzione riservata
When it comes down to the nitty gritty, the saving grace is to refer to EU law as some sort of higher authority and hence the focus on Article 50 which is the treaty base for withdrawal.
Is it for the Prime Minister using prerogative powers or is it necessary for Parliament to vote and give its consent? The first step is for the UK to notify the European Council of the UK’s intention to withdraw, even if there is no set timeframe for when it has to do so, or in what form. And there is yet another complication here. Is it for the Prime Minister to do so using prerogative powers or is it necessary for Parliament to vote and give its consent, this an intrigue which is winning much column space in both the quality newspapers and tabloids in this period. And as Shakespeare would say, worse than worse is the notion that Parliament would need to vote on the very terms of the agreement whereby the UK leaves the EU, and what a negotiating scenario that would be. Many MPs wish to compromise Brexit by remaining in the single market and enjoying trade advantages in Europe whilst casting the nets further afield to enjoy agreements with the rest of the world – a sort of “baking your cake and eating it all” approach. And now back to Article 50. In February 2016 Cameron had said: “… if the British people vote to leave there is only one way to bring that about, namely to trigger article 50 and begin the process of exit and the British people would rightly expect that to start right away”. However in his resignation speech, a resignation contrary to his
declared intent to stay whatever the outcome of the referendum vote, he also went back on his February comments by saying: “A negotiation with the European Union will need to begin under a new Prime Minister, and I think it is right that this new PM takes the decision about when to trigger Article 50 and start the formal and legal process of leaving the EU”. Sometimes it is necessary to hold on tight to the side of the boat when interpreting a politician’s utterances for often one is in for a rough ride. Moving on and looking at what May has had to say on the “triggering” question, she too ready to fire from the hip, it seems that she has committed to pulling the plug by March 2017. Enter the gladiators and she is now swamped in criticism for with the French and German national elections upcoming next year, not to mention the small matter of a constitutional changing referendum in Italy in December, any negotiations as to a package deal are likely to be tossed about in a neverending storm. Surely the UK Parliament, famous for its unity in times of crisis, can withstand the turbulent waters and remain compact for the sake of the nation. It would appear not. The Labour Party is fresh from a leadership vote where for a second time in a year party
members reaffirmed their faith in Jeremy Corbyn, contrary to wishes of the vast majority of its Parliamentary members, they having resigned in droves, disillusioned with the lack of leadership and weak stance on Europe shown by their leader.
For surely the emerging UKIP party which flew the flag for Brexit will save the day? Such confidence in the captain of the ship does not augur well for a safe crossing on calm waters, rather it seems that the boat is full of leaks and might soon go down to the very bottom. Fear not, for surely the emerging UKIP party which flew the flag for Brexit will save the day? Not a chance it would seem for their newly elected leader, Diane James, appointed after “our Nigel’s” untimely midnight jump, herself resigned 17 days after being elected. And to make matters worse, worse even than the lifeboats failing to drop, is the fact that the supposed saviour of the party, the one who forgot to register in time for the leadership election (away on a cruise perhaps) has now left the party altogether, he not too happy with party support and declarations after being beaten up in fisticuffs at the European Parliament. It would see that there is nobody left to row that particular boat.
Info
Glossary ball of mist: Nebelkugel utterance: Äußerung to jump ship: das Schiff vorzeitig verlassen, die Seite/das Schiff wechseln Queen Boudica: eine britannische Königin und Heerführerin, die in den frühen Jahren der römischen Besetzung Britanniens den letztlich erfolglosen Boudica-Aufstand (60/61 n. Chr.) anführte to resurrect: wiederauferstehen, wieder zum Leben erwecken blast: Explosion choppy water: raues Wasser underway: sich unterwegs ereignend ardent: leideschaftlich, begeistert, glühend the nitty gritty: das Wesentliche saving grace: Rettung, rettendes Element
withdrawal: Ausstieg, Rückzug notion: Vorstellung, Gedanke to cast the nets: die Netze auswerfen resignation speech: Rücktrittsrede to hold on tight: festhalten to pull the plug on sth./sb.: etw./jdm. den Hahn zudrehen, mit etw. Schluss machen to swamp: überschwemmen to be tossed about: hin- und hergeworfen warden for the sake of sth./so.: um einer Sache willen, jmdm. Zuliebe in droves: scharenweise, zuhauf to augur well: etwas Gutes verheißen fisticuffs: Handgreiflichkeiten, Faustschläge feisty: beherzt, angriffslustig, resolut daggers and swords: Dolche und Schwerter to strap: anschnallen, festbinden
And as for the Scots, well the Scots are not the most cooperative of types, and they having voted in numbers to stay in the EU, are now cornering May and sending paper planes with seductive messages to European leaders. Yes, Scotland have a feisty leader in Nicola Sturgeon, and are not too enamoured with their destiny being decided by a non-fan down south in London. Not to forget in this debate are the ongoing consequences of the vote to leave. Sterling has gone down against the dollar and the Euro, mixed messages are coming from industry, and some of May’s cabinet are making comments on immigration controls which are a bit too “conservative” for the liking of many. Add to this the fact that, although not much mentioned at the moment, the other EU members could attempt to veto the withdrawal of the UK, or at the very least not consent to the withdrawal package, and you have the recipe for daggers and swords to be brought out on the boats, one set of pirates against another set of pirates. To finish this overview on a lighter note one might envisage the journey to be had as ending in a rethinking of all in years to come and the UK as well as being the first member state to leave the EU could also be the first state to apply to rejoin, as this is provided for in Article 49 of the EU Treaty. Fanciful thinking perhaps? When one considers what surprises there have been in the last 6 months, happenings beyond the realms of fiction, nothing should be taken for granted and 2017 promises to be a long time in politics. Strap yourself in for the ride. Geoffrey Barclay
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The author: Geoff Barclay spends much time in South Tyrol for business and pleasure, and his “Brain International Ltd” assists individuals, companies and organisations in their internationalisation process – via market entry and business development support and a range of services embracing training, translations, and language immersion abroad – all intended to better equip the interested party looking to expand horizons.
