Comments on: It’s time to talk about Britain

By: cornubian

cornubian — Tue, 27 Dec 2016 22:34:00 +0000

The Duchy of Cornwall is another insult to any reasoning adults democratic sensibilities that can be added to your rather wearying list of faults with the UK Adam. Read more here: http://duchyofcornwall.eu/ and here: https://www.republic.org.uk/duchys-powers-and-privileges But we just can’t seem to get people angry about this sort of thing, whereas your average Joe (certainly in Cornwall) will fall over themselves to criticise the EU’s democratic short falls.

By: Alasdair Macdonald

Alasdair Macdonald — Sat, 24 Dec 2016 13:38:00 +0000

Like almost all the commenters I commend the author on his exposition of the iniquities which have been and continue to be perpetrated by the Westminster/Whitehall/City nexus and the propaganda being disseminated by the print and broadcast media which it almost entirely controls. However, like The Mayor of Dunghill I have to say, “So what? When is the action coming?”
The aforementioned nexus has simply seized the opportunity afforded by leaving the EU further to stifle even the negatory influence the Westminster Parliament has and to seek to create, by the wholesale abolition of rights, conditions in which their power is unchallengeable. The only credible opposition is coming from the Scottish Government and its allies, the Greens, and those who won the the High Court of England and Wales, and who are awaiting the decision of the Supreme Court. I think a key role will be played by Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.
Labour, in England and Wales, sadly is headed for the same oblivion as Scottish (We agree with Ruth) Labour.

By: The Mayor of the Dunghill

The Mayor of the Dunghill — Fri, 23 Dec 2016 23:14:00 +0000

Every few months, OpenDemocracy publishes another article about how surely some current event is going to produce the final, glorious reckoning that will sweep away Britain’s ramshackle constitution forever. By my reckoning we’ve now had six such Great Constitutional Moments in the last six years. First the hung parliament of 2010; then the AV referendum; then the election of 2015 (easy to forget now that that was supposed to produce another hung-parliament and an anti-Tory coalition); then Corbyn’s victory; then Brexit; then the High Court challenge. I guess the most hopeful spin you can put on it is that these moments seem to be appearing at steadily shorter intervals. But somehow, like Achilles and the tortoise, the revolution never quite seems to arrive.

By: BC

BC — Fri, 23 Dec 2016 13:09:00 +0000

Yes. Creative destruction perhaps. I suppose these are interesting times and we could get an eventual outcome which might confound the elites after all. How good would that be? I sincerely hope that you and Adam are right and I am wrong.

By: MalcolmRamsay

MalcolmRamsay — Fri, 23 Dec 2016 12:16:00 +0000

I agree that it could go that way but I’d say Brexit brings opportunities for change that haven’t been available before. My take is that the Leavers have kicked down a door that many of us have been knocking at for years – what happens next depends on whether we can offer coherent reforms in a way that captures people’s imaginations.

By: Holmeboy

Holmeboy — Fri, 23 Dec 2016 09:17:00 +0000

Loved it! So right, I agree with every point, don’t forget the media barons like Murdoch who perpetuate this mess, supporting the current set up at every turn…and crushing alternative perspectives with their propaganda machines.

By: BC

BC — Thu, 22 Dec 2016 15:30:00 +0000

Excellent. But are you suggesting that the swirl of Brexit is going to bring change to this mess? My take is that it’s more likely to be further entrenched. The British elites will take back more power for themselves, further weakening trade unions, destroying what’s left of the welfare state and looting the economy even more effectively than before. I agree that this is unsustainable but that won’t stop them until they’ve actually sucked it dry.

By: AdamRamsay

AdamRamsay — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 23:49:00 +0000

absolutely!

By: Jeremy Fox

Jeremy Fox — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 12:52:00 +0000

First class and appropriately angry. For anyone interested in reading further on why the UK is the world centre of financial corruption with the City of London at its heart, I recommend Nicholas Shaxon’s “Treasure Islands”. Cleansing the UK’s financial and political systems is a task so large and complex as to seem improbable without some kind of serious upheaval. Their strength and longevity depend not just on the venality of politicians, but also on our own complacency as citizens.Where do we start??