Opinion: Theresa May is destroying our democracy
The patriotic jeers welcoming Brexit have been used to drown out freedom of speech. The UK doesn’t need someone as brash as Trump for its democracy to be under threat. The quiet, sophisticated deliberations of May’s time as Prime Minister have shown that.
May’s Easter message painted the picture of contented unity, telling the Kingdom of how united we were, and yet that is far from the case. The UK is on the brink of collapse. There are many unanswered questions over the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. Scotland is pushing for independence. Gibraltar has become a battleground (thankfully, only metaphorically despite the war cries from Lord Howard). To make things even more fraught, communities are fragmented. Hate crimes have risen rapidly and any idea that this is a peaceful time is an insult to any migrant who has heard the words “go home” since the referendum. Families are still split over the outcome of the referendum. Not since the war in Iraq has the country been so divided.
May’s address was calculated to disregard this clear reality. The message has been repeated many times now: unite behind Brexit. Those who have objections to Brexit, have been trolled endlessly on Twitter by those who were so upset by the first referendum they kept moaning until they got another. Yet, the admonishing quips have also come from government. The suggestion is that if we do not support Brexit whole-heartedly then we are being unpatriotic. It’s the will of the people and yet the people are not allowed to complain.
Free speech, transparency and thorough debate are apparently betrayals to our country. Yet, in a democracy they are the cornerstones of society, and now they are treated with contempt. Attempts by the state to suppress objections to governmental direction are an assault on our basic rights and freedoms.
A change in tone should not be unexpected as May has been whispering these warnings since she took office. When May emerged victorious from the ruins of the referendum, she set her sights upon going to war with our constitution. The challenge at the Supreme Court showed a desire to circumvent Parliament over one of the most important votes it would ever observe.
May’s reasoning, and justification, was to trigger Article 50 as quickly as possible because it was the “will of the people”, but let’s take stock: the majority of the British population did not vote for Brexit. Millions of young people, and EU nationals were denied the right to vote at all. Those who did vote Brexit, did not agree to a “hard Brexit”. The referendum was a mangled mess of democracy. There was no single vision given of what Brexit would mean, but endless false promises from people in no position to be able to deliver them. Regardless of whether people fell for the declaration on the red bus or not, it draws questions over the just how valid any claims to “being the democratic will of the people” are. Furthermore, there have been doubts which have arisen over the role of China and Russia, which the government have said little on.
Transparency has been denied at almost every turn. The Conservatives have urged us to trust in a Prime Minister who has yet to face the “will of the people” herself, in the faint hope that she might pull the country through this shambles. The Brexit u-turns have been swift and forthcoming; from saying that there would be an end to freedom of movement because it was a key element to the Leave vote, but now admitting immigration would likely go up after Brexit. There was also the infamous non-answer of “Brexit means Brexit”.
Getting the truth from May is as difficult a task to opponents as for those trying to get rid of Corbyn. The impossible job may seen frivolous -politicians rarely are open – but during this tumultuous time it signals something dangerous for our constitution. May’s actions and words add up to one thing – she is not particularly concerned with answering to anyone, but with fulfilling her vision for the UK. The Easter message came perilously close to suggesting God would have voted Leave (as Campbell blasted) but May is not a Pope chosen by the divine. The public has a right to accountability, and we can only claim to be a democracy when the public has any idea, or say over, what is taking place at government level.
Our democracy is facing its greatest threat and the idea that it’s the will of the people should be the most alarming clue to that fact yet.
