by John Brian Shannon

When a majority of Britons voted to leave the European Union on June 23, 2016, AND a majority of UK MP’s voted to leave the European Union on February 1, 2017 when they voted 498-114 to approve the European Union Bill allowing the UK to leave the EU, AND when a majority of Britons voted for political parties that supported Brexit in the June 8, 2017 General Election (that would be all UK political parties in that election) it follows that the UK Parliament is obligated to deliver Brexit for the British people.

It doesn’t mean that the UK government should allow themselves 10-years or more to deliver on the twice-expressed ‘Will of the People’. Because at the rate the UK Parliament is proceeding on Brexit that’s about how long it will take to get it done. If ever!

Which is why the UK needs a new law that requires Parliament to be responsive and legally accountable to voters, especially in cases where Britons have voted in a referendum, or where a major election promise has been made by the winning party. And that law should require Parliament to deliver within 2-years of the referendum date or General Election win, with severe legal penalties for non-compliance.

Failing to deliver Brexit within 2-years (we’re now at 3.5-years and counting!) has cost the UK economy approximately £69.5 billion so far due to the unceasing overpayments to the EU budget (the UK contributed £12.205 billion more to the EU budget than it got back in fiscal year 2019 alone) and additionally, the economic uncertainty costs caused by the overly-long House of Commons debates and overly-long UK government negotiating period with the EU during this Parliamentary session.

Perhaps being found in Contempt of Parliament with a fine of £10,000 per month, per MP, for each month beyond 2-years where the government hasn’t delivered within that 2-years what voters have ordered, might work to sharpen MP’s resolve.

Of course, there are MP’s working diligently to deliver on the 2016 referendum result who’ve been thwarted by their turncoat colleagues. Such diligent MP’s should obviously be rewarded — not punished.

However, the 2nd category of MP’s who were informed about the results of the June 2016 referendum, and who were members of a political party whose platform at the time included delivering Brexit, and whose party later voted to approve the European Union Bill to take the UK out of the EU, and whose party platform in the June 2017 General Election included a pro-Brexit policy and/or a pro-Brexit party manifesto, now seem to be trying to frustrate Brexit.

Which to my mind is almost a treasonable offence.

Unlike direct democracies like Switzerland, when Britons vote in a referendum it’s considered an advisory only for MP’s. I get that.

But shouldn’t UK MP’s be held accountable in any way whatsoever for their promises? Can they just promise any old thing without ever having to make good on their promises? Shouldn’t they be required to deliver the thing they’ve promised voters hundreds of times?

As an aside, it’s great fun to see certain MP’s who talked themselves and others into Brexit many months ago, now trying to talk themselves and others out of Brexit on the TV talkshow circuit… because they suddenly realize they might need to show some actual resolve and do some actual work to make Brexit happen.

Meanwhile, the average Briton does actual work for their pay every day.

If you bought a new car and you paid in full for the car, and the salesperson subsequently promised to deliver the car within a reasonable time… but then didn’t deliver the car; Would you seek legal redress or remedy from the salesperson/automotive dealership? Or would you just ‘let it go’?

How many of you would really ‘let it go’ and just move-on with your life?

Not many, I suspect.

Then why for the love of God would voters allow their MP’s to promise to deliver Brexit, and then ‘let it go’ with nary a comment, fine, nor Contempt of Parliament charge?

And the answer is; They won’t! ‘See you at the next election!’ say British voters.

It is unthinkable in a modern democracy that a Parliament would promise (hundreds of times) to honour the wishes of the people, and then after £69.5 billion has been squandered, that certain MP’s would then try to frustrate the government’s attempts to deliver on the promises made by UK Parliamentarians.

And to add insult to injury, that some MP’s would refuse to approve a General Election (the truest ‘People’s Vote’ of them all!) so that voters can decide for themselves which MP’s are true to the Will of The People.

I thought certain MP’s and their ‘rent-a-crowd’ followers wanted a ‘People’s Vote’!

It is quite without merit, it is dishonourable of individuals in the House of Commons, and it is a slap in the face of democracy that some MP’s who approved Brexit now won’t allow the government to deliver Brexit and also won’t allow the government to hold a General Election to determine the Will of The People on a pressing matter of national interest.

Parliament has Resumed Sitting… To What End?

For more chuntering-on about the Brexit they promised but won’t allow the government to deliver, for more banging-on about how the government isn’t doing its job but those same MP’s won’t allow an election to deliver on the ‘People’s Vote’ they’ve promoted in recent months?

Because, really, for £69.5 billion (and counting) Britons deserve better.

For shame, for shame, for shame, on this UK Parliament for not delivering on the Will of the People! And as for the so-called and overmuch ballyhooed ‘Will of Parliament’… it pales in importance when compared to the Will of the People!

Power to The People! And Parliament be Damned if it Won’t Do its Job!