by John Brian Shannon

There can be only one Captain of a ship.

Every sailor knows this. It’s a fact of life that all sailors know to be indisputable. No sailor challenges this view. It’s simply not up for discussion within professional navies.

For example, no professional crew member would ever feel so self-entitled as to waltz onto the bridge of a Navy or merchant marine ship and begin steering the ship and issuing commands — because aboard ship every member of the crew has specific duties for which they are well-trained, and in the absence of them performing their duties to near-perfection, the ship is likely to sink, run aground, miss it’s intended port by many miles, or get blown to smithereens by a foreign navy.

All sane people observe the hierarchical structure because they’re smart enough to know that only the Captain has the authority and necessary training to be in overall control of the ship.

Of course, every seaman/seawoman dreams of someday becoming the Captain, that goes without saying. And yearning for the top job is an admirable thing for crew members.

If they have the right aptitude and attitude, someone in the chain of command will recognize their diligent efforts and ensure they receive the appropriate training to allow them to become Captain, and they will be a Captain once they’re ready for the whole job. (And it’s a big job)

It must be repeated: There can be only one Captain of a ship, and this thinking is just as true in the corporate world, as it is in the world’s major organized religions, and in government.

And ‘the Captain’ of the UK House of Commons is the Prime Minister

Now, MP’s aren’t required to ‘like’ the Captain, they aren’t required to feel ‘afraid’ of the Captain, nor should they be compelled to do something ‘illegal’ by the Captain of the House of Commons.

But, there can only be one Captain of a ship — and Boris Johnson is it — whether individual MP’s like it or not!

So, get over it snowflakes.

How the Prime Minister Chooses to Deliver Brexit is Up To Him!

It’s not up to individual MP’s to decide how to negotiate Brexit with the European Union, nor is it up to backbench MP’s to decide whether the EU was dealing in good faith during Brexit negotiations that took place in the past, nor in talks with the EU that may take place in the near-present or future.

Those MP’s aren’t ‘in the know’, they likely haven’t a minute’s worth of Foreign Secretary experience, and almost for certain they’ve never been a political or trade negotiator for the government of the United Kingdom.

Nor (likely) have they served as the CEO of a major company with a corporate GDP of any significance (Ford, GM, BP, Toshiba, Apple, Microsoft, Google, etc.) so why is it they think they know better than the Prime Minister and former Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom how best to run the country and deal with the European Union?

How is it they think they know better than a majority of British voters who voted to leave the EU on June 23, 2016? (In a democracy, the voters are always right, and even if they’re wrong, it’s their call!) And even now, public opinion polls are running 60% for Leave and 40% for Remain with very few Undecided voters.

Why is it they think they know better than the Prime Minister and then seek to impose their will on him — and when they don’t get their way! — they embarrass the PM by crossing the floor to join the opposition bench, or ride off into the sunset, or send disparaging resignation letters to the newspaper, or in other ways seek to punish the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for not doing what they wanted?

Who do these people think they are?

When such MP’s try to embarrass the legal Head of Government and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, such actions serve only to further the interests of foreign powers, and as such, those MP’s aren’t worthy of the honour of being called ‘British citizen’ let alone being granted the title of ‘Member of Parliament’.

MP’s work for ‘The People’ and are to fulfil the wishes of ‘The People’ in a timely manner and in a responsible fashion.

The term, ‘timely manner’ does not provide remit enough to drag Brexit out over +3-years with an all-in cost to the government and the economy of £69.5 billion (so far) nor does the term ‘responsible fashion’ authorize MP’s to cancel Brexit when ‘The People’ have clearly chosen to leave the European Union.

MP’s work for ‘The People’ and must do as ‘The People’ instruct them to do. And only the Prime Minister gets to decide (after consulting with his Cabinet) which policy vehicle will be utilized to carry out voter instructions. MP’s shouldn’t be shooting their government in the foot because they’re not getting their way on Brexit! Boo Hoo!

Pity the Poor Prime Minister!

…For here’s what he’s been told:

1. ‘The People’ instructed the government to leave the EU. There was nothing on the ballot about ‘Deal’ or ‘No Deal’. Further, in the 2017 UK General Election where every party ran on a pro-Brexit platform, the Conservatives won. Therefore, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom who is also the official Head of Government for the United Kingdom — is obligated to follow voter instructions — no matter what certain backbenchers or Cabinet members think about Brexit. Obviously!
2. The European Union told the UK Head of Government, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, that they’ll only accept Theresa May’s Withdrawal Agreement (which failed miserably 3-times in the UK House of Commons) and told Boris Johnson that further Brexit negotiations won’t be tolerated. In short; It’s the failed WA, or nothing. It’s the ultimate brinkmanship game designed to bring the UK to its knees and have it trapped in a bad relationship with Brussels forever! Insanity!
3. The UK House of Commons voted strongly in favour of the European Union Bill to leave the EU (498 votes to 114) but now with cold feet on Brexit, they won’t let the UK Head of Government, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, employ a ‘No Deal’ threat as a way to gain a better exit agreement than the thrice-failed Withdrawal Agreement. Thanks to the UK House of Commons, Prime Minister Boris Johnson now has both hands tied behind his back and he’s supposed to get a better Brexit deal than the thrice-failed WA deal! You couldn’t make it up, folks. More insanity!
4. The UK House of Commons voted to prevent the UK Head of Government and Prime Minister of the country from calling an election to settle matters by putting it to ‘The People’ for a vote. Why are British MP’s so afraid of ‘The People’ who employ them? Even more insanity!
5. Some individual MP’s (seemingly) do everything possible to embarrass Prime Minister Boris Johnson, (seemingly) to weaken the UK’s bargaining position vis-à-vis getting a better exit deal from the EU than the oft-failed Withdrawal Agreement and, (seemingly) take every opportunity to make the UK appear weak, uncertain, and ready for takeover by a larger power, namely, the EU. Even more insanity!

So, why oh why and for the love of God… don’t certain UK Parliamentarians understand that they’ve greatly weakened the UK’s bargaining power and effectively tied the hands of the UK Prime Minister, thereby preventing the better deal they say they want?

Or, is it as I fear, that they fully understand what they’ve done and are working (at first secretly, but now overtly) for the interests of a foreign power called the European Union, instead of the interests of their own country, the United Kingdom?

It seems Remoaner sleeper agents embedded within UK institutions and government were once among the loudest to chant, “Brexit!” “Brexit!” “Brexit!” — but every time it appeared that an actual Brexit day was approaching — they’d pull the rug out from under whichever UK Prime Minister was in power and work intensely to ‘delay, delay, delay’ Brexit until the British people would finally give up on Brexit and surrender to the European Union.

My only question is; Who are the Remoaners and why do they hate their country?