As the youngest person in the world with an A-level in politics, let me tell you, a no-deal Brexit is increasingly likely
Today is the morning after MPs voted for the cross-party amendment to allow MPs to “take back control” of the Commons and table their own Brexit amendments tomorrow – most likely through having a series of indicative votes. The government was defeated by 329 votes to 302, an unprecedented figure.
Indicative votes are free votes where MPs will vote on many different options to see if one will have a majority. MPs will be able to propose an option, but once it is rejected, it can not be voted on again.
The verdicts of these votes are not legally binding, however, and Theresa May essentially said yesterday that if she doesn't agree with the verdict, the amendment will not be carried out. It's meant to be a way to get us out of the deadlock we are in, but I'm not sure it will meet its purpose, especially given May saying that she was “sceptical” about the process and her unwillingness to comply by it.
The last indicative votes that took place were before I was even born – on the issue of the Lords' reforms in 2003. Not a single one of the seven options presented was passed, meaning that reforms did not go through and everyone was back where they started. I would not be surprised if the same happened again this week. If the results aren’t binding, what is the point?
A law is also expected to pass this week that will postpone the Brexit date from this Friday to 12 April.
We have 17 days until then, and we do not have an agreed deal, we do not have the means for an extension (the EU have said that we need to have an agreed deal in order to have the short extension May has proposed, and even if they relent, we haven't achieved anything in three years, let alone two months), and instead of trying to reach a compromise, senior Tories are trying to oust their leader.
I do not like May in the slightest, but even I think a new Tory leader would be ludicrous at the current time. Her potential replacements are dismal. This juvenile display is pushing us further away from avoiding no deal and we are up against the clock. Now is not the time for infighting, it is time to put it back to the people. A “democratic event” like a general election should only take place once we’ve secured our future.
Saturday saw one million people take to the streets to protest Brexit and for Article 50 to be revoked. There is currently a petition circulating where five million people (myself included) are demanding parliament to debate revoking article 50.
But rather than rule out no deal, which is now almost inevitable, May is ruling out revoking article 50 and having a people's vote. She says it is undemocratic to ignore the so-called will of the people. She says it is undemocratic for us to utilise democracy.
Yet, it was perfectly democratic for her to become prime minister without the electorate voting for her. And it is perfectly democratic for her to keep pushing through her deal, despite its previous two clear defeats.
May is deliberately ignoring the true will of the people and shows how her argument is void by ignoring it when it comes to serving her own will.
With no plan and a lifeline ruled out, we are left with no other option but a no-deal Brexit. May has been kicking the can down the road for the past three years, stalling time so the only choice is between her deal or no deal, and we already know the former is not viable.
I find it disgusting that we are compromising the future of our nation in favour of outdated fantasies of sovereignty, Imperialism and a deluded form of nationalism.
May said that staying in the EU would be “causing irreparable damage to public trust, not just in this generation of politicians but our entire democratic process”. This statement is misplaced; it is exactly how the public feels about her and her government's handling of Brexit.
Rather than focusing on saving us from this dystopia, she is plundering on with her ill conceived ideals.
I hope this Orwellian nightmare ends soon.
