Political Spectrum

Abstract Thursday:  Texture

Here in the UK the two largest political parties seem to be controlled by their more extreme wings both of whose activists seem to be motivated by tribalism.

The state of their politics is such that what one finds at the extremes of both of those parties are reactionaries and fruitcakes.  Red or blue - take your pick.

The political paralysis that this has produced has the potential to cause us all a very real problem in just a few weeks time. Just before you misunderstand me, this is not a rant about whether we should, or should not be Brexit-ing.   

Whatever Parliament chooses or doesn't choose to do, all the outcomes require detailed regulations and primary legislation to have been put in place by 29 March: all of which require proper scrutiny.  Parliament faces a very real logistical challenge to be ready for 29 March.  Whether or not we Brexit with no deal, accept the current May deal, withdraw the Article 50 Notice, or extend the leaving date there is now only barely enough time to deal with the necessary legislation each of those choices requires.  

But as yet, Parliament has still to decide which of those choices it will decide upon...  

Oh yes, and if you have been assuming that we don't need to worry about any of the above if we have the hard Brexit that the 2018 Withdrawal Act commits us to, you would be very wrong.  That route actually requires about 300 separate pieces of legislation all of which require scrutiny and without which there would be a rather worrying legal vacuum that could have very real and unfortunate consequences.

Worried? You should be.