"A Peoples' Vote" on Brexit

Last Saturday (23^rd June),  I did something different; something I care deeply about and something, which if not properly addressed, will have an adverse effect on all of our lives for many years to come.

What I did was to walk down to Tonbridge station and jump on a train up to London. I then walked the short distance from Charing Cross station to Pall Mall, where I joined with over 100,000 people who were waiting to start a protest march to Parliament, to demand a “Peoples’ Vote” on any final Brexit deal.

The people I was marching with were from all walks of life and all political persuasions. They were from all ages and different backgrounds. All were united in their abhorrence at what has happened to our once great country in the wake of David Cameron’s reckless referendum gamble.

It was fitting that the march took place exactly two years since this ludicrous act of self-sabotage; two wasted years which have seen the UK economy transformed from the fastest growing in the EU, to  the slowest (behind even Greece and Portugal). Two wasted years in which government time, money and resources could have been spent solving the many problems which best our country, rather than attempting to drive through a Brexit which, apart from certain cabinet ministers, hedge-fund managers and media moguls, will make us all poorer.

The money which has already been wasted on Brexit could have been spent on schools, hospitals and improving our crumbling infra-structure, rather than on junkets for David Davis and trips abroad for Liam Fox; trips trying to strike trade deals, many of which we already have through our membership of the EU. None of these deals (if they even come off), will go anywhere near enough to compensate what we will lose from cutting ourselves adrift from our closest neighbours in the world’s largest trading block.

Economic madness, helped by a deeply-divided Conservative Party, and an equally divided cabinet, more interested in political infighting, than in trying to sort the country out. If ever there was a case of party before country, this is it, and Her Majesty’s Opposition, in the form of Comrade Corbyn’s Labour Party, are just as bad.

This was enough to unite Saturday’s impressive crowd and incite them to march to Parliament Square, to demand that the people of this country be given a final say on a deal which will affect us all for many years to come.

No-one voted two years ago, to make themselves poorer. Remain voters knew this, but the majority of those backing Leave, thought they were voting for a better future; more money for the NHS, more jobs and, worryingly, there was a racist element amongst them who wanted a complete end to immigration – not realising that it is people from the EU, and elsewhere in who work in our hospitals, our fields, and who contribute in many other ways to the success of the UK economy.

Two years on from the referendum and the government still have no idea as to what they want from Brexit. There have been the predictable sound bites from the Prime Minister, about a “deep and meaningful” (remember “strong & stable”?) relationship with our European partners and allies, but nothing concrete. 

What we do know is that against the advice of businesses, both large and small, the Governor of the Bank of England, the CBI and the FTA, Theresa May is insistent that we leave both the Single Market and the Customs Union. In what way does that benefit business and the economy at large?

Britain was instrumental in setting up the Single Market with its frictionless borders and easy movement of good. Before the referendum, Brexiteers spoke of having a “bonfire of EU red tape”; leaving the Customs Union will create far more red tape than their deluded minds can possibly fathom.

This is why giving the people a vote on any final Brexit deal is so vital. We obviously can’t trust Theresa May and her deeply divided cabinet to deliver what is best for Britain, as they are far more concerned with their own survival and that of their party. 

So I would urge all readers to look out for, and sign the petition for a “Peoples’ Vote.”

A Hundred Years On

Blood Swept Lands And Seas Of Red 

On Remembrance Sunday I stopped for a look at Tonbridge’s recently refurbished War Memorial Gardens. My visit took place shortly after the crowds had dispersed, but fairly soon after the wreaths had been laid, along with some of the more individual, and very moving, tributes. The local council, along with other bodies such as the Royal British Legion, had done an excellent job, and the open space, which had become the haunt of skateboarders and bored teenagers, is now a quiet and peaceful place where one can reflect on lives lost, fighting in foreign fields far from home.

 

This year, of course, marks the centenary of the Great War; the war to end all wars; the war which was supposed to have been all over by Christmas! The ironic truth is that if Britain hadn’t got involved, the war would almost certainly have been over by Christmas; particularly on the western front. Committing land forces to the conflict ensured four years of bloody stalemate, in which each side tried to bleed the other dry. In the end it was not force of arms on land which brought Germany to her knees, but British sea power. The blockade imposed by the Royal Navy, deprived the enemy of vital raw materials, as well as literally starving its people and sapping them of the will to fight on. The result was revolution, followed by the abdication of the Kaiser and the signing of the November 11^th armistice.

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It is no exaggeration to say that a century ago, in the muddy fields of Flanders; this country lost the “flower of a generation”. The term originally referred to upper-class casualties who were perceived to have died disproportionately in the war, robbing the country of a future elite. This was certainly true in so much as it was the junior officers who led their men into battle, with the platoon commanders amongst the first over the top and leading the charge across no-man’s land.

But the ordinary British “Tommy” also suffered horrendous casualties; perishing in their tens of thousands. The phrase “Lions led by donkeys” is well known, and refers to the bravery of ordinary British soldiers, sent to their deaths by uncaring and incompetent generals, who sat in safety behind the lines. Whilst the top brass were billeted in the comfort of their French chateaux, the troops had to endure the mud, filth and squalor of the trenches before being “sent over the top”,  charging against machine guns and barbed wire in what often amounted to near suicidal attacks.

Whilst the fighting was at its most savage, politicians back home were promising the troops that, should they prove victorious, they would return to “a land fit for heroes”. Like most politicians’ rhetoric, these words turned out to be empty promises, and the men returned to a country that was broke, and where jobs were hard to come by. The war had not only bled the nation’s manpower dry, but had also emptied the country’s coffers. In 1914, Britain was the richest country in the world. By 1918, the country was bankrupt!

I could go on to write reams more about how the rise of both communism and fascism were a direct consequence of the First World War, as was the build up to the second global conflict of 1939-45. I could also add that the disastrous carve-up of the Ottoman Empire, by Britain and France, which followed the end of the war, is largely responsible for the death and destruction unfolding before us, on a daily basis, in the Middle East.

However, I have said more than enough. The poignant ceramic poppy tribute at the Tower of London sums up the slaughter of a century ago, far better than any words I could write. The countless names etched upon war memorials, up and down the land do the same thing. No one could doubt, for one minute, the dedication to the country’s cause and the selfless sense of duty of these brave men, and women; not just in the First World War, but in all conflicts since. But as in all wars there are no real winners, a point which takes me back to the very beginning of this post, and my visit to the Tonbridge War Memorial Garden.

The Next Post

Well only one post, and that was three years ago, so I thought it high time to resurrect this blog. It’s supposed to be about history, and that will continue to be its main theme. However, I also want to use it to get various topical issues off my chest, as and when they arise. These may be issues associated with politics; the continued rise of the “Nanny State” is an area which concerns me a great deal. They may be about stories in the news which concern, alarm or even amuse me, and they may also just be the ramblings of a grumpy old git.

Whatever the background, hopefully there will be something that will interest, amuse, or possibly even anger my readers. I will try to keep my ramblings succinct, polite and non-offensive, but increasingly I am becoming offended by what I see and hear in the news media. This once great country of ours is being sold down the river by a motley, and un-holy alliance of politicians, bureaucrats, do-gooders and busy-bodies, so much so that the basic freedoms, which were once the birthright of all free-thinking Englishmen (and women), are under attack as never before.

It seems we never learn from history, and that is why learning about the past, and understanding what went on, can help stop us repeating the mistakes of previous generations. This is why history, is so important, and why we can take lessons from it.

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” – Corinthians, Chapter 13, Verse 12.

Introduction

Welcome to Through a Glass Darkly, my latest entry into the world of blogging. I decided to set this new blog site up primarily to write about a subject that has always been an interest of mine. I won't claim it's a passion, in the same way that beer appreciation and travelling are, but it's still something I find fascinating, and something that is relevant today. It's also a subject we all can, and should, learn lessons from, but never seem to do so. Is every generation doomed to repeat the mistakes of their forebears? I sincerely hope not!

In case you haven't already guessed, I'm talking about history, yes HISTORY, but not the boring text-book, dull as ditch-water history we were forced to learn at school, but living history, and the people behind some of the deeds, thoughts and actions that have helped to shape the life we live today. Brave and courageous leaders, brilliant inventors, talented artists and designers, power-hungry kings and princes, scheming politicians, unsung heroes - those ordinary men and women who, when the time came, were not afraid to play their part in shaping events, both locally, as well as on the world stage.

There's no set agenda, just things that happen to spark my interest at the time. So keep an eye out for the latest postings on this site.