Dear Tim

The British people also voted against brexit or didn't you get that memo? Why are only those voting for the insanity that is brexit British and people? You seem utterly unaware of the exclusionary implications of the language that you are using. 48% of people voting in the EU referendum voted against leaving, who represents us?

How is Labour 'pushing the government' on brexit if it has already stated that it will not block the implementation of Article 50? How can Labour call itself 'the opposition' if its policy position on brexit is the same as that of the government?

Fact is, the government is laughing at you. We are half way through January already and where is their plan? Nowhere. Far from being smart, you are being used as their stooges. You won't get a chance to scrutinise it, much less hold the government to account. This will be a right-wing brexit and you will be the useful idiots. 

And on top of this, if there is a right way to do brexit, the government is doing it wrong. Completely wrong. If it cannot be trusted with the NHS, and it can't, then it cannot be trusted with Brexit. May I suggest you read Brexit: What the hell happens next? by Ian Dunt.

Brexit like the EU referendum is being rushed. There was far more consultation on a third runway at Heathrow than there has been on brexit and you must ask yourselves the reason for this. It is being rushed because the Tories know that if it was properly managed and reviewed it would not be implemented and the reason for this is that it will not provide any specific benefit to the country. On the other hand it will be a costly administrative nightmare that will destroy good jobs and damage our relationship with our closest neighbours for decades to come.

On top of everything else, I and most of my compatriots will lose our EU citizenship rights. These are the specific, tangible and enforceable rights to live, work, run a business and retire to another 27 countries on the same footing as if we were citizens of that country. I would happily retain those rights over and above any 'benefit' that brexit might provide me.

So if you really want to hear my ideas on how Labour should tackle the challenges facing our country, it is simply this: Oppose brexit.

Kind regards,

Clariana

LET’S NOT BE COY

HAD we but world enough, and time,

This coyness, Lady, were no crime

Thus starts one of the most beautiful poems in English language. The poet longs to make love to his mistress but she is resisting him. In the following lines he goes on to describe how they could spend their time together, he in devout adoration of every part of her body and she as the gracious recipient of that admiration.

However halfway through comes the crunch point:

But at my back I always hear

Time's wingèd chariot hurrying near;

And yonder all before us lie

Deserts of vast eternity.

And he goes on to point out that in fact they don’t have a lot of time, they are mortal life is short, particularly in 16^th century, and they only have the moment in which to satisfy each other.

Why am I talking about a love poem on a political group? [I originally published this on The 48% Facebook group, go there if you support REMAIN, you will find good friends]. Because regarding brexit we are faced with the same dilemma, it would be wonderful to take eons of time to be extremely civilised to hold bake offs and carry out postcard campaigns, pester MPs and attend peaceful protests…

But you know what? Time is running out.

Our PM has said clearly that she intends to activate article 50 before 31 March 2017. That gives us barely FOUR MONTHS, 16 weeks if you prefer.

Most schools of thought seem to think that article 50 is actually irreversible, in which case folks, 16 weeks and it’s up, done, dusted.

And here we are still dillydallying. Yes, there have been two massive peaceful protests in London and several more throughout the country and their impact has been… NOTHING, absolutely bloody nothing.

I’m reminded of the old feminists saw, “good girls come… Nowhere”, and this is very much our dilemma. We are civilised, educated, peaceful and law-abiding, and our opponents use every one of those traits against us. In fact, they deride us for them, calling us lily-livered or champagne socialists…

It’s time to get moving. Now or never. Do or dare.

Okay so we’re not into violence were not street thugs but fucks sake let’s do something… Something lawful but outrageous and scandalous that will get us noticed. Or they will bury us, for at least a few decades.

The grave 's a fine and private place,

But none, I think, do there embrace.

And think about it… In a few years’ time, when our kids, or our nephews and nieces, or grandchildren ask us “what did you do about brexit?” What will we say, I wrote a few postcards? Sounds a bit lame.

Let us roll all our strength and all

Our sweetness up into one ball,

And tear our pleasures with rough strife

Thorough the iron gates of life:

Thus, though we cannot make our sun

Stand still, yet we will make him run.

Let’s give the bastards a run for their money.

Ideas please…

Interpreting Brexit:

The UK EU referendum result and current government policy

The question on the UK referendum ballot paper was "Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?"

There was no mention of immigration on that paper, by making immigration a key point, in fact, a non-negotiable point, Theresa May is interpreting the answer but she lacks a mandate from the referendum to do so.

This is a pretty crucial legal/political issue... If I asked you "Do you want the blue one or the pink one?" and you replied "the blue one", it would be illegitimate for me to extrapolate from that that you also didn't want the yellow one...

It is pushing the limits of a mandate and sets a highly dangerous precedent, because it means fundamentally that I can ask you any "either or" question I wish but interpret your reply as meaning anything I want it to. In other words, a government can do just what PM May is currently doing, and take any measures they wish using a flimsy, badly thought out, closely run consultation process to justify their actions, bypassing any checks or balances. As with children, governments need boundaries, and this one doesn't have them.

Neither Remainers nor Brexiters should stand for this. But Brexiters... Oh well, one day soon their heedless complaisance will come back and bite them on the bum...

Clariana