UK Direction Next ?
The week has one dominant issue - Brexit together with the need for the UK Government with Parliament to get an immediate grip on steps necessary to
provide confidence to investment and business; as well as reassurance to people whether desirous of this country remaining in the EU - or those (like the author) seeking an independent future untrammelled by Brussels diktats.
Europe has fractured political consensus of the two main Parties. A minority Government is desperately now trying to bring together sufficient cross Party support to sustain an alternative negotiated withdrawal from the EU. Or to put the entire issue yet again in front of the national electorate for a further vote.
The latter would likely trigger a similar exercise by the SNP who with some justification can point to their declared intention to reconvene a second referendum on Scottish Independence - and thus potentially a fracturing of the UK itself. What's good for the Westminster Parliament is equally good for the legislature in Edinburgh this island's long history reverting back four centuries (or is it five) to the pre Act of Union age.
The Fylde coast (indeed the Fylde as a whole) voted overwhelmingly for the UK leaving the EU - when the Referendum was held. Almost without exception every Ward in the two Blackpool Parliamentary constituencies saw a piling up of votes to Leave and I for one witnessed firsthand the results being tallied. Ironic that the town's two MPs took different positions on the 'Meaningful Vote' in Parliament this Monday with Gordon Marsden (L) voting down the Government's much maligned Bill whilst Paul Maynard (C) took the opposite position by supporting a Bill roundly rejected, including over one hundred of his Conservative colleagues, in a margin which has now gone into the Parliamentary record books. Even though the Blackpool North constituency was also overwhelmingly rejecting UK membership of the EU.
Coming days and weeks will bring further headlines and consequences for the long term future of all of us. The fine minutae of tram heritage and that long gone era pales into insignificance in comparison to events underway elsewhere. Daily life goes on for most of us; now overshadowed by swirling political influences and power plays ongoing in Westminster and not forgetting our European 'partners'.
Below : One for the Album : The EU Referendum Result celebrated after Blackpool's Vote Count
