Brexit Is On Its Knees

Today as I went through the shops to pick up a few bits I saw the blaring headlines of the right wing press pleading for May's deal to go through. It didn't.

Per the BBC Theresa May just got the biggest smackdown in history weeks after her shambolic government was held in contempt of Parliament. Not a good look for an administration that looks like it has got into the sherry and is ranting incoherently about the good of the nation with no plan to actually deliver this. I think the best they've managed so far is an effort at a simulated traffic jam and a ferry company with a pizza parlour's T&Cs -- and no ferries.

What now?

Labour's Jeremy Corbyn has already tabled a vote of no confidence in the government, which can't choose a new leader for a year unless May resigns due to the failed attempt to replace her before Christmas. Basically, the Tories are stuck with her until after the general election that will follow if the motion of no confidence succeeds.

What about Brexit? 

May's deal was the best we were going to get given that the clown car pile-up of Brexiters who were supposed to negotiate the withdrawal agreement weren't even bovvered to do much in the way of actually negotiating. Now that Parliament has nuked if from orbit Brexit is unlikely to happen at all. No deal is not an option, there's little support for it so it looks like it's going back to the electorate for a People's Vote. The EU may well agree to stall withdrawal until after we've got a new government -- assuming that thieving bunch of conmen we've got now can be defeated by Corbyn's lot. If that's the case we will hopefully have a choice between May's deal, no deal, and remaining. Given those options I'm hoping the people will vote to remain this time. Bring it!

What does this mean for the media? 

I honestly believed the right wing  press would see sense and walk back their support for Brexit but they haven't. And I don't think they're going to. The Telegraph is bashing May's misreading of the situation. The Sun is backing May because they don't like Corbyn. The Daily Mail is also backing her for the same reason but the Express has come out for back-bencher for the 18th century Jacob Rees-Mogg. His comments about respecting the law are a bit rich since he seems to know sod all about how the laws about our relationship with the EU work in practice -- as opposed to "in his imperialistic fantasies." We've already got trust issues where the media is concerned, picking and choosing which outlets to take seriously -- and which we can safely ignore. Given the right wing media's gaslighting and misinformation over Brexit I predict that while sales may continue their flow downward spiral their stranglehold on political discourse has been fatally weakened because they have misread Parliament, the EU, and the country. If we can't take them seriously why bother with them at all?

Conclusion 

The Brexit story ain't over yet but I don't think it's ever been about leaving the EU as much as how the British people stopped letting the media do their thinking for them and learned to think for themselves. That can only be a good thing.