Brexit exposes elitist rot at heart of Westminster
MPs are foiling democracy by fighting about how to scupper referendum result
British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tables a motion of no confidence in the UK government as Theresa May's Brexit deal is defeated by 230 votes in the House of Commons.
All this week, the streets and stretches of grass outside Westminster have been filled with protesters, politicians and pundits, all claiming they know what’s best for Brexit. Earlier than expected on Tuesday night, catching cameramen stood out in the cold off-guard, MPs voted to shoot down prime minister Theresa May’s deal by 432 to 202.
This was a historic moment in British history – and yet it has changed nothing. Most commentators admit that May’s deal is going nowhere, refusing to be consigned to the dustbin of history as a deal which delivers Brexit in name only while simultaneously failing to win over the support of enough MPs to get it through. What looked like a dramatic 24 hours in parliament has simply been MPs playing games, attempting to gain retweets with their points of order and – crucially – getting no closer to delivering what 17.4 million people voted for in 2016.