by Jonathan Todd
To begin with a confession, when I heard that Douglas Ross, the Conservative MP for Highlands and Islands, was running the line in a Champions League match in the Nou Camp, I thought, “wow, how impressive and exciting”. While the hinterland – to use Denis Healey’s term – of too many MPs seems offensively and dangerously shallow, this is elite, non-political activity.
The generally negative reaction to Ross, including the oh-so-funny brandishing of a red card by SNP MP John McNally in PMQs, has felt to me curmudgeonly and small-minded. It reminded me of Roy Jenkins’ autobiography:
“I am strongly against the current fashion for full-time MPs … Being a full-time backbench MP is not in my view a satisfactory occupation … Excessive attendance at the House of Commons, with the too many hours spent hanging around in tearoom or smoking room which this implies, either atrophies the brain or obsesses it with the minutiae of political gossip and intrigue.”
These words have become heresy in the not quite three decades since written. We’d rather atrophy Ross’ brain than test it alongside Lionel Messi.
Yet we need MPs with brains more than ever. We need them, too, to have the courage, reinforced by a confidence that, if necessary, they’d prosper in careers outside of politics, to use them.
Shackling MPs to the tearoom limits their horizons. It makes them more likely to feel that their financial well-being can only be maintained by securing re-election, heightening the probability that their only instinct will be to follow constituency opinion. If this is all MPs are, we might as well have a legislature composed of 650 local sentiment algorithms.
Political life is a vocation or nothing. There’s scant point to any of it without animating purpose. There’s no socially democratic aim served by Brexit. Thus, social democratic MPs ought not to accept Brexit, or to only secretly hope that public opinion turns against it; they should, instead, stand for their pro-EU convictions and seek to move opinion with them.
According to Peter Kellner, writing in Prospect, “pro-EU Labour MPs from the Midlands and North who were spooked by the size of the pro-Brexit vote last year in their own constituencies, would have reason to return to the Remain fold” if we see a run of polls with a 60-40 margin indicating we were ‘wrong’ to vote to leave the EU.
Of course, such a context would make it easier for pro-EU MPs to be pro-EU but must they wait, especially when the stakes are so high for the UK, to be themselves?
They must want, as Jenkins put it in his Dimbleby lecture, “the nation to be self-confident and outward-looking, rather than insular, xenophobic and suspicious”. Today, as in 1979 when Jenkins gave this lecture, a self-confident and outward-looking UK recognises it place within Europe.
No matter how much ink is spilled by Boris Johnson on Telegraph columns, there is no sign emerging of the “global Britain” that he promised. In contrast, the period since the referendum has witnessed the biggest increase in race and faith attacks on record, the UK transition from being the fastest to the slowest growing economy in the G7, and a painful scramble by officialdom to retain the many national advantages imperilled by Brexit.
Alas, this is only the beginning. The economic strength of the country determines our capacity to live out our values. There has, rightly, been much indignation about the absence of an additional £350m a week for the NHS but sadly, this sum likely palls next to the loss of resources for public services induced by long-term, Brexit-driven corrosion in UK competitiveness.
It is not clear whether this reality permeates the tearoom. Its inhabitants might wonder what they need to do for their constituents to remain there. In the face of such an epic diminishment in the UK’s economic, social and cultural health, they might also wonder how history will judge them.
It may be too late for the UK. The dye may already be cast. In a century of Easternisation and the fourth industrial age, Asian workers and Artificial Intelligence (AI) sharpen competitive pressures on our workforce. We’d be more likely to meet these challenges within the EU but that door is closing.
As Emmanuel Macron, the French president, has said, however, “the door is always open as long as the negotiations on Brexit have not finished”. Given the chaotic condition of the government’s response to Brexit, and the implausibility that they or, crucially, any other government, will be able to secure better terms for the UK than those we enjoy in the EU, we should be seeking to walk through that door as quickly as possible.
Such a journey would not be easy. But it would be embarked upon by MPs who see the bigger picture. Of the UK’s interests. Of their place in history and the UK’s place in the world. Of what their political careers ought to be about. Which, as Jenkins knew, is doing the right thing. Knowing that, if it doesn’t work out, they’ll be another kind of career out there for them. Even if, sadly, it might not always be as exciting as the Nou Camp.
Jonathan Todd is Deputy Editor of Labour Uncut
Tags: authenticity, Brexit, Champions League, Douglas Ross, EU, honesty, Jonathan Todd, Nou Camp
The only people who talk about requiring “better terms for the UK than those we enjoy in the EU” are Remoaners. The UK voted to take back control of our national destiny despite Project Fear. We knew there would be a price to pay and we voted to pay it.
So far, contrary to all the scaremongering, the sky hasn’t fallen.
Why would MPs mk th be case gainst something that’s already been voted in, do they think there’s gonna be another referendum
At he time of the McPherson sport where it was said that an accuser should be. Considered a victim, before an investigation, literally throwing out innocent till proven guilty, or the abolition of double jeopardy where someone back history had already been named it would be un fair for someone accused twice to get a fair hearing, privately many Ex Liberty Mps thought, this wrong,butwere too scared to speak out, due to the liberal, side if the media, backing those,un liberal things,
So if they wouldn’t speak out about that, can’t see why they speak out about this,
Too late for this nonsense now. We cant delay or withdraw Article 50 without the consent of every one of the 27 Ministers in the Council (read clause 3 of Article 50 – theres no ambiguity and ‘unanimous’ doesnt mean anything else. MPs should now be devoting their energies into getting on with this – not trying to sub ert it or undermine it. If the MPs stop this expect some new version of UKIP to appear very rapidly and be far bigger than UKIP at its peak. I’m a Plaid Cymru member (former Labour member) and I wouldnt think twice about switching to an anti-EU party in a subsequent General Election if Brexit was thwarted aand I know dozens of Leave voters who vote Plaid, Labour and Tory who woukd all do likewise. To thwart it would destroy both the tories and labour and no ody woukd ever trust them ever again over anything. Theres only one message for the MPs – stop whining and get on with it.
Apart from which, MPs have had far more votes over this than the rest of us.
Jonathan, do you ever think about the things you write?
“There’s no socially democratic aim served by Brexit.”, you write; but where was the ‘democratic’ aspect of that sentiment in action when an EU constitution was being rammed down our throats in the form of the Lisbon Treaty?
And, speaking of democracy, you invoke the High Priest of Pollsters, Peter Kellner – the partner of the EU’s ex (unelected) High Representative, Catherine Ashton – to tell us that our MP’s minds and democracy should be changed by a series of opinion polls (Will there be any ‘moment in time’ arguments, as used for the referendum, when an MP changes his/her mind on the back of an opinion poll?)
And – Roy Jenkins? What do you think kept Labour out of power for 18 years – nothing to do with Jenkins and the SDP?
Also, once more, the increase in “race and faith attacks” that have seen no increase in arrests and prosecutions – the old Nazis and Soviet Union have nothing on the agenda-driven propaganda that you people continue to trot out.
You also make reference to the UK’s “social and cultural health” – something that the Labour Party has played a major part in destroying.
Finally, you wish us to abandon Brexit – for our benefit, you will no doubt argue; and if we do, will we be signing up to the euro, EU taxation, EU army, and generally more EU integration?
Because that is what the EU hierarchy are pushing towards.
Will Jonathan Todd be appearing on my doorstep and informing me on the EU’s ambitions; or will he be carrying on this EU deceit and keeping those aspects under wraps?
Well said, Jonathan Todd.
You say “the period since the referendum has witnessed the biggest increase in race and faith attacks on record, the UK transition from being the fastest to the slowest growing economy in the G7, and a painful scramble by officialdom to retain the many national advantages imperilled by Brexit.”
However, this is before it is too late, while we still might remain in the EU or the single market, and before companies have to make long-term investment decisions. The reality is that the serious effects we have seen from the Brexit vote and the shambles of the Govevernment’s negotiating stratgegy, are a pale shadow compared to the damage that will happen if and when we actually leave.
In the face of what is really happening, most pro-Brexit arguments no longer stand up. The one strong Brexit argument is that of democracy, and that’s one that Remainers need to take on.
The only realistic way we can prevent Brexit is with another Referendum and the only way to get the Referendum is if the public want one.
We should acknowledge that. If the public don’t want another say, and so far they don’t, there shouldn’t be another Referendum. But then we should challenge the Brexiters by asking them:
“If the public decide they aren’t getting what they were promised, and want another say, would you deny them one?”
It has been said that there has been we be 8,000 civil servant jobs created to address Brexit, and the governor of the Bank of England is predicting thousands of jobs from the city moving to Europe (Germany and Dublin). The ineffectual Liam Fox is telling us we will have to accept chlorinated chicken from America. Even Johnson (whom I blame for getting us into this mess) is predicting getting a trade deal with America will be difficult. This is not scaremongering- this is fact. The whole Brexit thing is absolutely ridiculous- the amount of money wasted on this is scandalous.
The way forward is to have a general election.
@George Kendall
“If the public decide they aren’t getting what they were promised, and want another say, would you deny them one?”
The European Union will not be the same EU we have voted to leave – the last two years have provided ample evidence that the EU is moving towards a more integrated structure.
Will Remainers be campaigning for Britain to join the euro, have a common treasury with EU-wide taxation, and an EU army? Because that is what the UK people will be agreeing to if they change their minds.
And if the UK stays in the EU, but outside of these projects, they will be on the outer edge of a concentric circle style set-up of ‘belonging, but having no say on core decision making’.
Who benefits from that – it is better for the UK to leave; for both the UK and the EU.
Anne
It has been said that there has been we be 8,000 civil servant jobs created to address Brexit
And 8000 jobs in the Civil Service are about to be scrapped. Square peg, square hole. 8000 people will be shifted from one box to the other – zero sum.
and the governor of the Bank of England is predicting thousands of jobs from the city moving to Europe (Germany and Dublin).
No he didn’t. He was very specific that it was a worst case scenario and would be over a 5-10 year period.
The ineffectual Liam Fox is telling us we will have to accept chlorinated chicken from America.
He said there were “no health reasons” why consumers could not eat chlorinated poultry, which is permitted under US laws but banned in the EU. Anyone here in the UK that has been to the USA, Mexico and most of the continent of America and most of the middle and far east and eaten chicken products has already eaten chlorinated chicken. Even in posh restaurants. He also said “Most of the salads in our supermarkets are rinsed in chlorinated water”. Do you eat supermarket salads Anne?
. Even Johnson …..is predicting getting a trade deal with America will be difficult.
He was referring to the fact that we can’t start to negotiate until after we Brexit.
The way forward is to have a general election.
We’ve just had one. To remind you if May resigns, all that happens is the Tories form another government as they are the largest party and all the rest combined don’t outnumber them in reality. To have an early General Election requires every MP from all the other parties AND over 100 tories to all vote in favour. That is simply not going to happen. May will resign after we Brexit – probably at the start of the summer recess in 2019. The new Tory leader will be in place by the end of summer and may or may not ask Parliament to dissolve itself. But things will be entirely different by then with many MPs from all parties facing deselction or quitting as any pro-EU MP will be very much yesterdays person and all parties will be putting forward a post Brexit vision in their manifestos.
Some commentators on this page should start cleaning their rose tinted glasses – not sure what planet they are on, but not one called reality – should like Tory light to me.
I’m a bit confused, did we not just have a referendum on this issue? Perhaps then was the time to make a case.