In 2016, in a full and free vote by the citizens of the UK, the majority, (slim as it was), voted to leave the EU and take back their sovereignty and assume total control of their own territories via their Parliament at Westminster.
It was an example of our cherished western democracy in action. As an Irishman, in the last several years I have democratically voted for the ‘other guy’ and been disappointed at how the majority voted instead. But I’m a democrat and as such, I must accept the will of the people and get on with it, whatever it brings.
That is why I am so fascinated by the UK today. Those who lost the election are now making every conceivable excuse as to why the will of the majority must be overturned. They appear to be agitating to move the UK away from democracy as a system of Government but they are hazy as to what wish to replace it. They seems to suggest that if they can overturn a democratic vote in favour of what the minority desires, then they are willing to carry on with the facade of democracy inside a wider EU.
More worrying still from an Irish perspective is the fact that the EU itself is backing the destroyers of democracy by making it nigh impossible for the UK to leave the club without fearsome retribution. I don’t support that as an Irish citizen but then I voted against this present Government’s election the last time out and now that same Government is at the forefront of making life hard for the UK majority. And of course, not one of the 550m Europeans voted for the Commissioners in Brussels.
I do find it strange in modern times that whenever an American Government decides to overthrow any elected Government anywhere else in the world, they position it as returning the target country to democracy and the EU bays its wild support in all of our names. For the American version of democracy, see Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, Ukraine etc. None of that is democracy in action, it is pure fascism.
So what will they decide on in the UK? Will they choose to become a fascist nation or will they stick with their democratic decision and leave the EU? Time will tell but democracy is under threat and if the UK dumps it, what hope for Ireland?