The Woman That History Left Behind; SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon isn’t going to the ‘ball’, televised BBC Brexit debate on Sunday December 9, shows that Nicola Sturgeon is just a minor political player in UK politics, maybe the BBC could compromise so that Nicola Sturgeon and Green list MSP Patrick Harvie could be the ‘ugly sisters’ in a BBC panto

Dear All

The Prime Minister Theresa May has said that the so called ‘People's Vote’ is 'not an option'. In politics, people like to think up whizz bang names and slogans to catch the people’s imagination. The term, the ‘People's Vote’ is one such term which doesn’t represent the people but the political elite of this country who want to scupper Brexit and remain in the EU.

The usual suspects are backing this like Tony Blair, who likes to push his nose and side up to European politicians that he is watching out for their interests. In fact his intervention is his running political advert for employment in the EU. He may not be a force in UK politics, but as an ex PM, he likes to think he is a game changer.

Tony Blair like SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon is changing nothing.

If you take people like Alex Salmond, when in power, he effectively couldn’t be challenged, out of power and out of favour, he has limited appeal except among a few people on the fringes. In technical terms, he is slightly above just being an ordinary punter.

As people like SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon try to force their way into the Brexit debate, the door has swung back and closed on her, hence she is at present doubling down on failed rhetoric. The latest is to accuse Theresa May of being ‘feart’, this is laughable, feart of what, Nicola Sturgeon. Sturegon isn’t going to be allowed a national UK platform on Brexit. Being someone who likes a laugh, maybe Nicola Sturgeon and Patrick Harvie could apply to be the ‘ugly sisters’ in this panto.

And as Theresa May retorted back to Sturgeon, you’re not even an MP, so jog on!

The Prime Minister is doing a bit of touring selling her deal up and down the country; this is due to the numbers problem, that problem is getting enough votes in December when the vote in the Commons is held. There was never a chance that Theresa May would buy into the concept of being pushed back against calls for a second Brexit referendum. The road was clearly defined by the people on the 23^rd June 2016, all over the UK.

Legally once the clock started on exit, there was no going back, no backdoor deal, no taking the letter back, and not ‘Irish’ situation. The Irish were robbed of their democracy when they vote against the EU; they were in effective told to keep voting till they accept the EU and its ilk.

The UK has a different opinion, we’re off, thanks but no thanks, find another cash cow to milk.

Speaking to senior MPs, the Prime Minister refused to be drawn on what would happen if the Commons votes down the Withdrawal Agreement in the crunch vote on December 11. You could say that she is unwilling to speculate or provide ammo to the opposition that she is even considering defeat in the House of Commons. That said, she might lose, if the numbers against her stay the way they presently are. A defeat however wouldn’t be the end of the world, just the end of that EU proposed deal, and if hard Brexit comes then so be it.

Another thing about the people’s vote which is worth noting is that that "people's vote" could not be held before March 29 2019, there is no time to get legislation through, and all the planning and issues to do with funding aren’t in place either. It is clearly that politically and practically, the opposition has run out of time, run out of ideas and run out of support.

The BBC has recently confirmed that Theresa May had agreed to take part in a televised Brexit debate on Sunday December 9 against Jeremy Corbyn. You can expect the SNP to complain to the BBC about the exclusion of Nicola Sturgeon. If you are lucky, the idiots will be back down at Pacific Quay in Glasgow mounting a protest. The debate is a formality really, the outcome is decided, what that can achieve is more a public information event to let people hear more about the details, what, when and how Brexit works.

If I was to bet, I would say that the UK Government is heading for defeat in the vote on December 11, this isn’t the end of the world, a clean break with the EU is needed, I can’t say I am happy with the deal but I am open to be convinced. There is no way that after leaving we can accept EU jurisdiction in the UK, when we leave, we regain full sovereignty.

Ted Heath, the then PM who signed us up to the EU in 1973, knew where the EU was heading in a briefing document, if the public knew then I wonder how the vote to join would have gone. The EU is a failed project with an agenda which runs counter to national sovereignty, for those reasons, it will fail in the long term.

One interesting issue is that Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell has suggested a second referendum could be "inevitable" unless Mrs May goes back to the country in a general election. If you remember an earlier post, I said that the Labour goal was to push for a general election. Elections are tricky things, especially if polarised on one issue which another snap election surely would be, Brexit would be the issue, with a few carrots on other issues thrown in to make the campaign seem ‘exciting’.

Oh, and if you think the SNP would do well in another snap election then think again, they would bleed seats at the ballot box.

Finally, do tune to the BBC debate on December 11, you will get a decent snap shot of the pitch by Theresa May, and without the hectoring babble of Nicola Sturgeon trying to get a sideways mention of a second Scottish independence referendum. Of course, the SNP see this as an opportunity for them, but truth be told, they have their eye up to the wrong end of the telescope as usual. Brexit is the most important UK event in decades politically, it ends a chapter, there was some good, some bad from membership, but in the end, the Europeans made such a mess of the project that exit was the best possible thing for the people of the UK.

This was one campaign which I am glad to have done for the ordinary people of the UK.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University