High Peak Liberal Democrats

Well, it's now over three weeks since just over one third of the electors voted to leave the EU, which, given that over one third didn't bother to vote at all, tipped the balance for Brexit. So, has the battle of Armageddon begun yet? The sun is still rising (not that we have seen much of it so far this summer), the pound has fallen - but not through the floor and the Stock Market, after initial jitters, has rallied somewhat - and we have a new government, if you hadn't noticed.

What an interesting collection we have now crewing the ship of state as it drifts off into the high seas of uncertainty. The first job for the new Captain is to be to find a team of trade negotiators, as we haven't had any of these for over forty years! Her crew is an eclectic mix of first teamers, reserves and yesterday's men, coalescing around the triumvirate of Messrs Johnson, Fox and Davis. It's almost as if St Teresa has said to them; "Ok, you chaps, you've been telling us for months that leaving the EU will be a cakewalk. Well, here's your chance to prove it". It's 'au revoir' former cabinet ministers and erstwhile leadership 'challenges', Gove and Crabb, the former the victim of hubris and, the latter, the victim of other 'events'.

Nicky Morgan could count herself a little unlucky possibly, although it may be the recent academisation U turn that did for her. George 'Austerity' Osborne has made way for the bean counter supreme, Philip Hammond, whilst the moderate Damian Green at Work and Pensions may bring a little humanity to the still difficult introduction of Universal Credit. I quite like Justine Greening and having the product of comprehensive education in charge of state education is not a bad thing. Liz Truss and Andrea Leadsom are well known to viewers although, given her recent pronouncements, I'm surprised a special department for the Family wasn't created for the latter to run! I was sorry to see the feisty Anna Soubry go; but I suppose her unequivocal Remain stance in the Referendum would not have helped her in this Brexit world.

If all those who have fallen by the wayside - and that includes the Member for Witney - think they can relax and take a break to lick their wounds they will be in for a shock. With an overall parliamentary majority of around twelve their presence in the voting lobbies is essential.

Whether we have a General Election before the five years of this parliament are up is problematical. It would apparently need a two thirds majority in the House to force one. With the Labour Party in an unholy mess it would be tempting for the Tories to try to have a go, aided and abetted possibly by the SNP and moderate Labourites. I gather that, if one were to happen, the Lib Dems would be campaigning to rejoin the EU; but, wait a minute, we haven't actually triggered Article 50 yet! I am coming round to thinking that we should not try to revisit the past so soon. What our leadership appears to be proposing smacks of opportunism which could explode in their face. I think we need to take a deep breath and let the dust settle and see what the Three Brexiteers can come up with. What we do in 2020 is another matter. Who knows, we might by then have another realignment in British politics even more seismic than the one that occurred in the 1980s. And who knows what kind of EU, if any, would be around to rejoin by then, even if we had managed to extricate ourselves from it in the intervening years?

Whatever we do alone as a party is unlikely to have much impact. I would rather concentrate on doing things that might just make us more capable of navigating a path through the next few decades. You see, when it comes to things like real devolution, proper vocational education, fair votes and fair taxation, to name just a few things, we do, as an independent nation, already have control.

16.7.2016