We are poised on the brink today. History is about to take another twist, and this time it may well be more than just a simple twist of fate. This time tomorrow we will know the identity of our new leader – and all the smart money is on Mr Boris Johnson.

This could be significant, from a Brexit point of view, as Boris has promised to get us out, ‘Come what may’, on the 31st of October. He suggests that pure British pluck will get us the deal we need, and if that doesn’t work then we will go for a  No Deal exit.

I don’t know anyone who voted for a No Deal Brexit – most experts tell us it will be a disaster, Tony Blair says it will be a, ‘Gigantic risk’!

It was the complexity of managing a euro-divorce in this interconnected world that was a factor in my Remain vote – along with the security of the lager body politic, a fondness for our European chums, a belief that free movement around the member states is a good thing, and the various advantages accrued from being closely engaged with various research and educational projects. But I’ve always been open to persuasion. I listen to the various arguments but have yet to see a persuasive reason to change my mind.

As you know, learning about Europe and the EU is my project – seeking clarity is my goal.

So, what now?

I’m guessing here, but if parliament won’t accept No Deal, and the new administration can’t get some sort of New Deal (which relies on someone sorting out a lot of sticky issues) we are going to go into 2020 with an extension

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Brexit is on hold, in fact everything is on hold – even me …

After a disastrous European MEP election (for both the Tories and Labour) we are in a state of stasis. The country is currently waiting for a tiny percentage of the electorate to choose our new prime minister; it’s a straight choice (after a gameshow style selection process) between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt.

We also await the changing of the top jobs in the EU, and a leadership selection process for the Liberal Democrats. The media is getting in a right old tizz, the rest of us just go about our daily lives hoping things will settle down at some point.

The issue, for me, is not so much about the process – I accept that elections and selections need to be carried out – but I get a sneaky feeling something is rotten in the state of democracy.

For example, the EU leadership selection process seems, to me, to be more about neutralizing political opponents than it is about finding the right person for the job – it seems rather too convenient that appointing Christine Lagarde head of the EU’s cashbox removes her from France’s domestic challenge to Emmanuel Macron (remembering how much clout Macron has in Brussels).
For example, the tory leadership selection process is transparently bullshit, as the twin peaks of Boris and Hunt compete to buy the affections of the hard right in a limited subset of their support – they will say anything to get the prize (the job in Number Ten), then when they have their feet under the cabinet table they can go back to what they do best (whatever that is!).

Meanwhile, the world is going to hell in a handbasket … It is high time I got back on the case.

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