Comment: More misery as Parliament fails us again
And so the momentous, historic Saturday sitting of Parliament ended like the majority of other sessions in Britain’s seat of democracy these days – in inglorious failure.
With a deal in place for what will serve as the start of a lengthy negotiating process over the UK’s future relationship with the EU, MPs voted to put it all off for another day.
They did however, support an amendment put forward by sacked Tory MP Sir Oliver Letwin, an utterly tragic piece of work which heralds more delay, uncertainty and public frustration – just what the country does not need at this crucial moment in time.
In some ways it is hardly surprising that Mr Letwin should be at the centre of this latest national disgrace.
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He was, after all, one of the architects of the poll tax, an issue which tore through the heart of British society and poisoned political debate three decades ago.
Mr Letwin, who was elected as the Conservative MP in the Leave voting constituency of West Dorset, appears intent on using his last days in Parliament (he is standing down at the next election) to do as much damage to the Brexit process as possible.
It is remarkable that the man who once blamed the Broadwater Farm race riot on the “bad moral attitudes” of a largely Afro-Caribbean public should now find himself hailed as a Remainer hero.
Equally bonkers, is the fact that many of our politicians believe that the divisions in society that have opened up since the Brexit vote can be solved by, wait for it, having another vote on Brexit.
Misinterpretation
It can be assumed that they believe Remain would win, and everything would quieten down and go back to normal.
Such a detachment from reality and misinterpretation of public opinion can only come from spending too much time in Westminster, where the baying cries of anti-Brexit protesters make the biggest noise.
The EU has no appetite for another delay. The public certainly doesn’t, and neither do businesses.
Yet today a new legal challenge is set to be launched against Mr Johnson’s deal. Remainer MPs, with the assistance of Speaker John Bercow, will construct new devious plots designed to stop our departure from the bloc.
Can they not see what they are doing to this country?
A short time after MPs cheered in the Commons after voting to again put Brexit on the backburner, protesters disgracefully hurled vile abuse at Jacob Rees-Mogg while he was out with his 12-year-old son.
This, I’m afraid, is the dark corner to where our MPs have dragged this country.
Geoffrey Cox was right. This Parliament is a dead Parliament.
