Dear Anne-Marie Trevelyan,
I’ve just read of your resignation. It adds to my profound disillusion with the political class in general and all MPs in particular, both Remainers and Leavers. You are all as bad as one other.
Both sides fantasise about the perfect solution and refuse to find a way through or look to compromise. Can you not see that at the withdrawal stage this is as good as it gets?
Your job is to make decisions on our behalf, which includes finding those necessary compromises on our behalf, too. Why can’t you do this?
It appears that there is no majority in the Commons currently for anything regarding Brexit; all we get are both Remainers and Leavers sticking to their own specific positions, unwilling to move for the good of the country while the overwhelming majority of the nation just wants to get on with Brexit and move on. So what will happen? Nothing!
Your resignation today and those of others in government will not achieve anything bar a combination of any of the following:
1. A NO-DEAL EXIT which will lead to chaos (and possibly recession) from March 30; did you consult local business people in your constituency before resigning to see what they thought of the deal?
or
2. A SECOND REFERENDUM leading to greater chasms across the whole of the country with no guarantee on which side the decision will fall. A vote to remain will see the rise of Ukip again and the antagonism of those who believe the political class never listens; another vote to leave will end up with the same round of EU negotiations, or worse.
or
3. THE BREAK-UP OF THE UNITED KINGDOM; in which case the Scottish National Party will jump on Conservative divisions and make hay.
or
4. JEREMY CORBYN IN NUMBER 10 and (terrifyingly) John McDonnell in Number 11; do you really want to be remembered in history as one of the Tory MPs who allowed that to happen? Not a legacy I would like. Their tenancy of Downing Street would be far worse than any of the problems you perceive in the withdrawal agreement.
If you were truly principled about this matter you would resign not just as a Parliamentary Private Secretary but you would resign your Berwick seat, create a by-election and fight as an Independent against this government, as you clearly don’t support it any more.
As things stand, your resignation will be largely ignored and viewed as a rather disloyal and ineffectual gesture; again, an unedifying legacy and not one in which to take much pride.
How much better your legacy could have been had you chosen to stay and help Theresa May and the country through this time?
Sadly, I believe you will be remembered as someone who not only let down her Prime Minister and her party but also, and more damningly, as someone who let down her constituents and her country. Not very good, is it?
Yours sincerely
NEIL FOWLER, former editor of The Journal, Newcastle upon Tyne, also edited the Western Mail, Derby Telegraph and Lincolnshire Echo and Which? magazine.
ANNE-MARIE TREVELYAN, MP, IS INVITED TO EXERCISE
A RIGHT OF REPLY TO THE ABOVE ARTICLE
Well said!
Biggest problem is the low regard in which politicians of all parties are held by their electorate. But they don’t seem to be doing much to earn the respect of those they claim to represent
I couldn’t agree more with Neil Fowler’s letter. I am totally dumbfound at the situation we seem to have got ourselves into. The country has never been more divided and I despair of anyone emerging who can sort this mess out. Jumping on the bandwagon and resigning doesn’t help anything. No wonder the EU can ride roughshod all over us. What we need now is a sensible and pragmatic look, not at the exit treaty but at the declaration about our future relationship. It’s too late for the former and opting for no deal is like jumping into shark infested waters and hoping for the best.
I don’t think Anne-Marie’s resignation as a PPS matters a great deal. The Tories are so divided that I can’t see them getting back into power in my lifetime.
Hear-hear!
This is a super piece, and I suspect reflects what many U.K. people are thinking.
But I love the French:when fuel prices go up, out come the yellow hi-vis jackets and they block roads or drive their tractors down the Champ Elysee, to protest!
So why don’t the Brits get out and protest? Or is a Letter to the Editor the best that’s on offer?
An excellent letter with which I wholeheartedly agree.