The United Kingdom has hardly found the world at its feet this last year. The Brexit vote last summer, which was supported by over half of the population, but not by me and the rest of the population, left not only the UK’s European partners, but most of its democratic and accountable allies wondering just what kind of madness had gripped the English and Welsh (for the Scots voted against) who by a slim majority had voted to leave the European Union without really thinking how this could be done in the interest of a better world.
And during more recent weeks the UK has fuelled increasing criticism from abroad, with an increasingly unaccountable prime-minister trying to rally the nation around a still unspecified policy and strategy on Europe, and an opposition seemingly unable to come up with a coherent and credible alternative-or so she claimed.
And yet the result of the British election has shown that British democracy far from being in a state of terminal decline, is alive and well, having escaped, like Alice, from the lunacy of Wonderland and landed with a bump on more familiar political terrain which nonetheless has a capacity for renewal.
With two successive leaders and prime-ministers-David Cameron and Theresa May-making catastrophic political miscalculations within a year of each other, the Tories-ostensibly still part of government but now without a majority- are as divided over Europe as they were when they brought down Mrs Thatcher- and Mrs May has been shown up to be a mere caricature of that ‘iron lady’, disastrously failing the first real test of her leadership..
By contrast the Labour Party has experienced a resurgence. Despite having a huge media bandwagon overwhelmingly rubbishing him since his own election as party leader, Jeremy Corbyn , always man of firm principle in my view, has matured as a serious politician during the campaign, and won over many of his critics inside his own party including some Blairite sceptics like myself. He has achieved a popular appeal while more often than not sounding statesmanlike, delivering a credible anti-austerity plan based on greater social justice and pro-European message . This has resonated with voters that have swung a back towards his party and many young voters who cast their vote for the first time.
What the election result showed is:
that a majority of British voters want a negotiated agreement with the European Union that would retain the integrity of the United Kingdom, and benefit both the UK and the EU, not a collision of trains, or a break away Scotland or Northern Ireland;
that UKIP the hard right party that provoked Brexit in the first place has had no one elected to parliament and has thus lost , at last, all political legitimacy
that British politics has energised young people, many first time voters, to get involved and they have done so against austerity and a Hard Brexit;
that the UK now once again has a viable opposition which is not enough in MP numbers to form a majority government, but which can demand and expects changes and is prepared if necessary to drive a more conciliatory government policy on the EU.
This , as yet a disparate coalition of forces –Labour, Liberal Democrats, and Scottish Nationalists-could well find common ground with some ‘soft’ Tories whose priorities include getting more cash to the National Health Servcce while finding as many areas as possible of agreement with EU partners, icluding single market, customs union, and the rights of EU citizens.
Meanwhile I would like to make special mention , given that it has do with an area of London where I live and work, of one of several new entrants to the British parliament.
She is called Marsha de Cordova, and she is the new Labour MP for the south London constuency of Battersea. She has won back the Conservative-held seat. Marsha’s decision to transition from local councillor to parliamentary candidate stems from her experiences as a disabled woman, as she is registered blind. She has spoken of her view that in order to make a difference and bring about real change, it is important to be a part of that process and get involved in politics. As a candidate, she feels that she can represent local people in parliament and ‘be a voice to the voiceless.’
Marsha has previously commented on the challenges that she has faced as a disabled woman working in politics. One of her main declared objectives , is to break down barriers for people with disabilities and to give people more guidance on the kinds of adjustments that need to be made. She said,’All I can do is keep pushing and keep fighting so that anyone coming behind me won’t have to face the same barriers I have.’
Where there is a will there is a way.
The UK has a new parliament with more MPs wishing to bridges than walls. If she survives for now (and that is a big if) , the woman I did not vote for-Mrs May- will need to open up and listen better than she has until now if she is to win back the respect of her people, and be part of a process that wins back for the UK the respect of the world.
