Who's Queen?

One of my favourite comedy creations is Miranda Richardson's Queen Elizabeth I in Blackadder II.

'Who's Queen?' is her continuous retort to anyone trying to prevent her from doing exactly as she likes, whenever she likes.

But it has occurred to me that now might be the time for Queen Elizabeth II to final zip into action, aged ninety two and after sixty six years on the throne.  As we know, in a constitutional monarchy, the sovereign is not supposed to do anything more than lurk in the background.  Advising once a week to the prime minister of the day, turning up for ceremonial tourist-pleasing duties and so on. 

Yet we in the UK find ourselves in total limbo at the moment.  And being terribly British, the refrain is now 'oh for heaven's sake, just get on with it'.  Our politicians have shown themselves to be completely unequal to the task in hand.   And the EU has nothing to gain from assisting the UK in making our suicidal leap any easier.

Isn't it time for the Queen to knock a few heads together?  We pay an awful lot for the Royal Family to be there.  Could this not be the ultimate payback?  That the Queen saves us from Brexit chaos?  

Our economy and businesses, our government and public services both national and local and our lives in general are hanging on the Brexit thread.  No-one want to invest, to move, to travel, to buy stuff.  There is talk of stockpiling food and medicines.

The Queen has lived through the War, through rationing, through endless crises.  No public figure has more experience than she does.  I am not a Royalist particularly but if anything was ever going to convince the country that it is worth having the Royal Family, surely this is the time.  Take action, Ma'am!  Use whatever powers the constitutional experts can dredge up! For the love of your people's sanity (and the endless news agenda), take action.  The uncertainty has gone on too long.

I want to Remain.  I always have.  But I don't see how another referendum can address the fact that we are supposed to leave the EU in sixty seven days...  Millions (billions?) have already been spent on leaving.  Millions (probably billions) will be lost from no-one having a clue what is going on.

Who's Queen?

Last Chance Saloon

My dear departed father-in-law was an Irish Catholic immigrant who ended up as a Conservative mayor.  As you can imagine, it was difficult for a Methodist Leftie to find things in common with him politically.

However, one thing we definitely agreed on was the need for each and every person to use their vote. And never has this been more important.

Last week, typically on the day after I post (thanks for the heads up, Theresa), a 'snap election' was announced for the UK.  This meant the government had to get the backing of Parliament for calling an election before the standard five years was up.  (The five year term is a relatively new measure.  When I was a researcher at Westminster in the 1990s - pre even Blair! - we lived in a state of battle readiness because you could theoretically have to fight an election at any time.  Doesn't look like the legislation has made much difference to this but anyway.)

And here we are, a week later.  The parties are all on the 'campaign trail', the press coverage is as one might have predicted and the general population seem utterly defeated at the thought of having to vote again.  I myself even tweeted that I despaired at what this election would achieve apart from another five Tory years instead of three.

However, in thinking about what to post on this blog in the throes of such apathy, I have come to the conclusion that, more than ever, we have a duty to  vote.  And those of us who do not agree with Brexit have a duty to do more than that if we are in so-called 'safe' constituencies for Brexiteers.  Even if you suspect your vote won't count for much, you should still vote.  I have spent years having my vote cancelled out by my opposing husband's.  It is a small victory if he forgets to go.  But I still vote.  People died, and are still dying around the world, for the right to vote in a free election.  The least we can do is to exercise our right.

But more than this, if you oppose Brexit, look at the lists of places where there is a chance of removing a Brexiteer.  And send money.  Go and help campaign.  Ring people you know there.

Last June, the unthinkable happened.  And as I have posted before, I believe it partly happened because people who usually feel disenfranchised, by the 'first past the post' system and by being ignored by Westminster, were led to believe they were voting to actually make a change.  The implications of this change were never properly explained to them by either side. 

This is the last chance to make our voices heard before we are taken out of the EU.  If we can't remove the Tories - but I believe we could - we have a responsibility to make the process of Brexit as difficult as possible for the hardliners to achieve.

Our ancestors fought for democracy.  We now need to fight for our descendants.

Marketing The Future

I took the above photo in a branch of Claire's Accessories last week.  [Bless Claire's for the service it provides to tweenies and teenagers everywhere.  All their favourite tat under one convenient roof.  And at twice the price of the nearby market stalls.]

The picture shows the cover of a notebook but there was a whole range of stationery and accessories bearing the same slogan.  And I was terribly struck by the juxtaposition of this marketing with the likely future facing the shop's target market.

British children are going to lose their rights as European citizens.  They may still Dress Italian but it will cost more to buy the stuff or to visit Italy.  To say nothing of the passport queue when they reach their destination, while the rest of Europe streams through to claim their baggage and hire their cars.

Speak French?  Well, my son has to choose GCSE options shortly.  I am encouraging the taking of a language but I begin to wonder whether Chinese or Russian might not be of more use - not that our school can offer either.  None of our children will have an automatic right to work in France, holidays there will be more expensive and if our government is to be believed (hhhmm), we will be striking deals with India, China, anywhere but Europe.

And Dream American?  They have spent their childhoods bombarded with American TV programmes and You Tube 'stars'.  But now they are being daily faced with Trump and all he has brought (!) to the world.  They see and hear the news.  (Real news, incidentally.)  My children also saw the downside of the American Dream in California last year.  Streets and streets of homeless people living in tents in San Diego.  The already tight security at the Tijuana Mexican-American border.  The sleazier side of LA.  And that was before Trump even took over.

So what should we be telling our children?  How should this marketing look, if we really have to have these sorts of slogans for children to aspire to?

Dress How You Like

Because It Is No-One Else's Business and You Don't Need to Look the Same as Everyone Else.

Speak Up For People Who Cannot Speak For Themselves

And Speak Kindly to Everyone

Dream Of A World Where Democracy Actually Works

And Where Everyone has An Equal Share of Our Planet's Resources

Not exactly catchy but far more realistic, don't you think?  I will be contacting Claire's forthwith...

[P.S.  I find that more and more I am blogging about current and possible future events.  I do still very much work on genealogy and family history.  However, I feel very strongly that our descendants' futures are now in the balance in a way which we have not seen for decades.  And sacrifices made by our ancestors are going to be torn up if we are not careful.]