Captain’s log. Day 1,422. I have returned from my latest expedition to planet Westminster. I have to report there is still no sign of intelligent life. The native tribes continue to war with each other and internal struggles are rendering them useless. Power struggles take precedent over the common good and common sense is in short supply. False idols are many but sacrifice is not common. While their leaders insist they must boldly go (or to be correct, go boldly) where no person has gone before, there is a reticence amongst many to explore these new frontiers. Confidence is at a low ebb and bravado is a poor substitute. Meanwhile those that should know better continue to cling on.
Westminster continues to be a drama of which ever genre you choose. When a Prime Minster says “I cannot commit the Government to delivering the outcome of any votes held by this house” something has gone very wrong. The United Kingdom faces a challenge, the likes of which it never has before. And this one is solvable. All it needs is constructive dialogue, respect, understanding, compromise and the interests of the citizens of the United Kingdom to be put before all else. And those are all things that have been sadly lacking since the European Referendum in June 2016. They were posted missing during the campaigns when overly simple propositions were put forward by both sides. Nearly three years later we are all wiser but that is of no value unless we put that knowledge to good use. Knowing what we know now would the United Kingdom vote to leave? I don’t think it would and if that is the case then it must be given the opportunity to throw itself a life line. Otherwise, beam me up Scotland.
Ronnie Cowan MP 