CRISIS OF EXISTENCE FACING THE POLITICAL ESTABLISHMENT OF BRITAIN

CRISIS OF EXISTENCE FACING THE POLITICAL ESTABLISHMENT OF BRITAIN
It is unlikely that the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson will keep his promise made to the Britons that he would “get Brexit done” coinciding with the x-Mas.

The post-election developments nevertheless make it explicit that Boris is unable tyo muster courage to go ahead as it would endanger the very existence of Britain. The people of Britain must not have realised the consequences of their voting for leaving EU as this would undoubtedly imperil the future of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

It is clear from the election results that Scotland and Northern Ireland didn’t vote for Brexit, didn’t embrace this week’s Conservative electoral landslide and would ultimately drift permanently away from London. And little doubt Boris would be the most happiest politician to cherish this development.

In a victory speech Johnson said the election result proved that leaving the EU is “the irrefutable, irresistible, unarguable decision of the British people”. He ought to have realised that it is simply not the issue of leaving EU, but more than that endangering the unity of the UK, the country.

In Scotland, 48 of the 59 seats were won by the Scottish National Party, which opposes Brexit and wants Scotland to become independent of the U.K. SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said her party’s “emphatic” victory showed that “the kind of future desired by the majority in Scotland is different to that chosen by the rest of the U.K.”

The SNP has campaigned for decades to make Scotland independent and almost succeeded in 2014, when Scotland held a referendum on seceding from the U.K. The “remain” side won 55% to 45%. This situation has undergone completely change in the wake of the general election. Brexit has changed everything because Scotland now faces being dragged out of the EU against its will.

Sturgeon has a strong point against dragging out Scotland from EU. According to her Johnson might have the vote from other areas for leaving the EU, but he “has no mandate whatsoever to take Scotland out of the EU”.

In a major development the SNP has demanded for holding a fresh referendum on this issue. Her argument is Scotland must be able to decide its future in a new independence referendum. But Johnson is reluctant to concede to this demand and argument. He may prefer to agrre to the proposal only in case the referendum is held some time after 2024.

The U.K. is facing an “unprecedented constitutional crisis” as Johnson’s insistence to have the deal finalised by January 31 or his refusal to approve a referendum would simply add to the strength for the demand of Scottish independence. However it has to be borne in mind that simply adopting a new legislation by the British parliament on Brexit is not enough, London and Brussel will have to start the process for a new deal, which may not be liked by Boris.

Besides yet another factor that has been haunting the political establishment of Britain is the remaining” securing more than 53 per cent of the popular vote. Conservative triumph and Liberal Dem’s worst performances are crucial to understand the future turn of political events in the UK.

The manner the politics is moving in Britain and especially in the background of the manouverings being practiced by Boris, the Remain block is also contemplating the roads. It is argued that a powerful coalition of Lib Dem, SNP and Green would have completely altered the political contour.

However a significant section of the leaders nurse the view that there is no clear legal route to a second referendum if Johnson refuses. The only alternate available to the political establishment of UK is to apply political and moral pressure. During Britain’s 2016 referendum on EU membership England and Wales had voted to leave EU, but Scotland and Ireland did not.

In this general election too the SNP has won 48 of the 59 seats. This took place when the Brexit was the prime issue. Obviously it implied that the Scotlanders were opposing Brexit and are in favour of Scottish independence. The longer Johnson refuses to concede a referendum, the greater will the pro-independence momentum in Scotland accelerate. By refusing to concede it, Johnson has ironically been promoting militant nationalism.

Second referendum has also got support from the Labour party. Though the new Labour leader would be final authority to make a formal decision in the matter, the mood inside the party is of pressing for a second referendum. Though the party lost 59 seats to end up with 203, Corbyn had promised a second referendum on Brexit in a bid to appeal to half of British voters who still want to stay in the EU.

But he had focused Labour’s campaign on a radical programme of economic change, including re-nationalising some key industries, which failed to woo traditional voters. By embracing Brexit, Johnson’s Conservatives planted themselves firmly on one side of a cultural divide between those who have benefited from a globalized economy, and those who have not.

Many Brexit supporters say it is hard to accurately predict what will happen, or believe any economic disruption will be short-term and minor. But most economists and business groups believe no deal would lead to economic harm. Academics and critics of Boris argue that a general election was not the correct way to resolve the UK’s Brexit crisis. Many political leaders, institutions, companies and individuals have warned of severe disruption and economic damage on both sides of the English Channel — with the UK being hit worse than the EU.

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