SO there we have it, to no ones surprise - least of all the Prime Minister's - Theresa May's proposed Brexit deal has been voted down by Parliament. In an historic defeat of 230 votes as never seen in the democratic era. At least it did, momentarily, bring pro-EU MPs and Brexiteers together, in a game of Lobby football. Before heading back to opposing Commons trenches, to resume knocking seven bells out of each other.
And to think this happened when the premise on which Mrs May encouraged MPs to vote, was built upon a lie. The Prime Minister has consistently said to vote down her deal would destroy voters faith in politics, as though the referendum Leave result had been won on a landslide. To extract a line from Monday's pre-vote speech, from a mug factory in Stoke, she said: "People's faith in the democratic process and their politicians would suffer catastrophic harm".
But just in case people actually remembered the result, and as a clue it wasn't 89-11, Mrs May decided to throw the 1997 establishment of the Welsh Assembly into the mix. Which she triumphantly cited was backed by all Parliament despite scraping through a referendum on a similarly small percentage. "And you didn't see people complaining about that", Mrs May has been saying.
There was much talk leading up to this that if MPs didn't vote in favour of Mrs May's deal we would be thrust out of Europe on a cliff edge Brexit. Whilst more recently a new line was added (just to cover all bases) that the country risked there being "Brexit Paralysis" - we could fail to leave the EU at all.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, exhibiting his usual lunacy, as only topped this week by an armed police guard escorting into Number 10, a box of Krispy Kreme donuts, has declared to block Brexit could lead to far-right extremism. He said we can't say to the 17 million people who voted Leave: "Sorry Guys, we're still going to have freedom of movement" as it will "open the door to extremist populist political forces" as we see in other countries in Europe.
Handily, The Daily Telegraph chose in recent days to give us a taste of what "mayhem" we can expect should we fail to Brexit. A snippet reads: "If MPs revoke Article 50, we could well see Leave voters engage in symbolic, creative acts of civil disobedience. Some might insist on paying their council tax late - or stop their direct debits and demand to pay it in person, in pennies, at the council offices. Others could choose to ignore motoring fines, or park their cars wherever they want." Absolute carnage.
But back to the immediate matter in hand, Mrs May's "misrepresentation of the truth", and what the PM hadn't reckoned with is academics with the sharpest of memories. Who have dug out archive evidence revealing that in actual fact the Tory government was very keen to overturn the Welsh Assembly referendum result. Their reason being, it had been won on the slenderest of majorities, and get this, Mrs May was among the MPs who even called for a second referendum to abolish Welsh devolution.
One could almost think Mrs May has been skewing the facts in order to save her own neck. Because as it turns out she's not too fussed about the democratic will of the people.
There is an argument this is all now by-the-by. The crucial question is what happens next?
And if there was faith that Parliament would step in and offer up a sensible course of action, they are currently embroiled in an argument, over what that sensible course of action will be. Exceptions being Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg - last seen quaffing celebratory champagne at Mogg Mansion.
Surely all eyes should now be on Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the opposition, who has said his approach to Brexit is "sequential". That he will react to events as and when they unfold and this is quite, by anyone's standards, The Event to unfold.
Unfortunately thus far Mr Corbyn has proved himself to have the reactions of a Trafalgar Square pigeon, who has just gorged himself on an entire discarded Gregg's vegan sausage roll. Flat on his back, wings splayed, letting out a tiny pigeon burp.
So what is he proposing?
Steadfast the man standing in the middle of the highway, attempting to stare down the Brexit-shaped meteor as it plummets its way to earth, finally Mr Corbyn raises his arms aloft and declares, via a rusty tape deck: "It is a general election that will save us. It is a general election that will save us". Repeat, repeat to fade.
This Reporter was intrigued to read elsewhere in the news, that theatre-goers who went to see a "spectacularly bad" panto had been offered a full refund as an apology. The Jack and the Beanstalk panto, at Chippingham Community Centre in Wiltshire was panned for not having enough actors and those who were involved appeared to be untrained.
One viewer of the show said on Facebook it was simply "awful". "At one point they were talking to voices in the wings as they ran out of people".
Another said: "I was mortified to see the standard of the performance which was presented to us."
And This Reporter can't help but draw parallels as we reach just 72 days to go before we exit the European Union, with still no clue what type of conveyance will be taking us out of here - whether parachute, double decker bus, ferry, or clown car. And wonders whether it wouldn't just be easier for us the UK audience, to get a refund for this unequivocally below par House of Commons panto performance?
And to think this happened when the premise on which Mrs May encouraged MPs to vote, was built upon a lie. The Prime Minister has consistently said to vote down her deal would destroy voters faith in politics, as though the referendum Leave result had been won on a landslide. To extract a line from Monday's pre-vote speech, from a mug factory in Stoke, she said: "People's faith in the democratic process and their politicians would suffer catastrophic harm".
But just in case people actually remembered the result, and as a clue it wasn't 89-11, Mrs May decided to throw the 1997 establishment of the Welsh Assembly into the mix. Which she triumphantly cited was backed by all Parliament despite scraping through a referendum on a similarly small percentage. "And you didn't see people complaining about that", Mrs May has been saying.
There was much talk leading up to this that if MPs didn't vote in favour of Mrs May's deal we would be thrust out of Europe on a cliff edge Brexit. Whilst more recently a new line was added (just to cover all bases) that the country risked there being "Brexit Paralysis" - we could fail to leave the EU at all.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, exhibiting his usual lunacy, as only topped this week by an armed police guard escorting into Number 10, a box of Krispy Kreme donuts, has declared to block Brexit could lead to far-right extremism. He said we can't say to the 17 million people who voted Leave: "Sorry Guys, we're still going to have freedom of movement" as it will "open the door to extremist populist political forces" as we see in other countries in Europe.
Handily, The Daily Telegraph chose in recent days to give us a taste of what "mayhem" we can expect should we fail to Brexit. A snippet reads: "If MPs revoke Article 50, we could well see Leave voters engage in symbolic, creative acts of civil disobedience. Some might insist on paying their council tax late - or stop their direct debits and demand to pay it in person, in pennies, at the council offices. Others could choose to ignore motoring fines, or park their cars wherever they want." Absolute carnage.
But back to the immediate matter in hand, Mrs May's "misrepresentation of the truth", and what the PM hadn't reckoned with is academics with the sharpest of memories. Who have dug out archive evidence revealing that in actual fact the Tory government was very keen to overturn the Welsh Assembly referendum result. Their reason being, it had been won on the slenderest of majorities, and get this, Mrs May was among the MPs who even called for a second referendum to abolish Welsh devolution.
One could almost think Mrs May has been skewing the facts in order to save her own neck. Because as it turns out she's not too fussed about the democratic will of the people.
There is an argument this is all now by-the-by. The crucial question is what happens next?
And if there was faith that Parliament would step in and offer up a sensible course of action, they are currently embroiled in an argument, over what that sensible course of action will be. Exceptions being Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg - last seen quaffing celebratory champagne at Mogg Mansion.
Surely all eyes should now be on Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the opposition, who has said his approach to Brexit is "sequential". That he will react to events as and when they unfold and this is quite, by anyone's standards, The Event to unfold.
Unfortunately thus far Mr Corbyn has proved himself to have the reactions of a Trafalgar Square pigeon, who has just gorged himself on an entire discarded Gregg's vegan sausage roll. Flat on his back, wings splayed, letting out a tiny pigeon burp.
So what is he proposing?
Steadfast the man standing in the middle of the highway, attempting to stare down the Brexit-shaped meteor as it plummets its way to earth, finally Mr Corbyn raises his arms aloft and declares, via a rusty tape deck: "It is a general election that will save us. It is a general election that will save us". Repeat, repeat to fade.
This Reporter was intrigued to read elsewhere in the news, that theatre-goers who went to see a "spectacularly bad" panto had been offered a full refund as an apology. The Jack and the Beanstalk panto, at Chippingham Community Centre in Wiltshire was panned for not having enough actors and those who were involved appeared to be untrained.
One viewer of the show said on Facebook it was simply "awful". "At one point they were talking to voices in the wings as they ran out of people".
Another said: "I was mortified to see the standard of the performance which was presented to us."
And This Reporter can't help but draw parallels as we reach just 72 days to go before we exit the European Union, with still no clue what type of conveyance will be taking us out of here - whether parachute, double decker bus, ferry, or clown car. And wonders whether it wouldn't just be easier for us the UK audience, to get a refund for this unequivocally below par House of Commons panto performance?
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