“I
see Michael’s back on his soap-box!” said one of my good friends last night. He
gave up reading my last post, Are referendums democratic - or not? Let's get real halfway through, he said. Thanks a bunch, Boris!
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| Picture from Too Busy To Fundraise.com |
I
protested that it was just an argument about consistency. Anyway, today, I have
a real concern, in fact a fear. It’s this. Even if there were a second
referendum, for which I think are perfectly admissible justifications, there
are plenty of demagogues who would take
to the airwaves and all forms of media to stir up civil strife.
The Sun newspaper today employs the lurid
tones of demagoguery in its comment column, “The Sun says”, headlined, “The Tories must prevent Remainer MPs from
stealing Brexit from the British people
“What a tsunami of rage politicians
would unleash by ignoring the democratic rights of millions on the winning side
of the biggest vote in British history.” The article quotes the Rt Hon Dr Liam
Fox accusing some of his fellow MPs of “stealing Brexit from the British
people.” And it ends, “If Remain won, our democracy would be shattered, all
faith in politicians destroyed. That never ends well.
“Do you think Brits are too
reserved for civil disorder? Cast your mind back to the riots of the 1970s,
1980s, 1990 or 2011. Or the febrile atmosphere of the referendum, during which
Jo Cox MP was heartbreakingly murdered.
“What a tsunami of rage
politicians would unleash by ignoring the democratic rights of millions on the
winning side of the biggest vote in British history.”
Now that, my friend, is
soap-boxing. No it’s more. It’s rabble-rousing. How dare The Sun quote Jo Cox’s murder in a perversion of what she stood
for? If you are looking for the roots of the populism that has undermined faith
in politicians, you need search no further than the rhetoric of this flagship
of Grub Street, the tabloid press. No doubt someone felt very proud of his or
her vitriol, but I doubt very much if they stopped to consider whether it
was contributing to the health of public discussion in the country.
Why
should Great Britain be unable to hold two referendums without tearing the
social fabric apart whilst neighbours such as Ireland and Denmark have done so
without destroying themselves, and Switzerland repeatedly put the same
questions to the nation and keep ticking along like a Rolex watch? Are we so
much less civilised than them? The only reason that we might be is not that we
lack reserve, but that the likes of The
Sun and cabinet ministers such as Dr Fox and Mr Gove (and even the Prime
Minister) embark on their own project, Project Hate, ably assisted by the
chorus line of ex-ministers and politicians. If there were a referendum
concerning Mrs May’s agreement, it would only be as useful and civilised as
those leading the debate. It might conceivably be that those wanting a “People’s Vote” are
concerned for more than wanting to remain in Europe.
It’s
not enough to stick your fingers in your ears and shout, “La-la-la!”, and to
hurl insults at those who want to say something you don’t want to hear. If
you’re truly concerned for peace and national unity, then you have to talk and
not shout, listen and not stop your ears – above all, you need to admit that
you may be mistaken.
