Now political backstabbing over the harsh reality of Brexit about to kick in
Posted By: July 14, 2016
Former Home Secretary Theresa May and newly appointed prime minister and will oversee the Brexit despite voting remain
ALLISON MORRIS Irish News (Belfast). Thursday, July 14, 2016
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Now political backstabbing over the harsh reality of Brexit about to kick in
Allison Morris
DESPITE being landed with the policies of whatever party holds power in Westminster, voters in Northern Ireland don’t have a say in who is elected British prime minister.
As of this week the same can also be said for every citizen of England, Scotland and Wales.
Just as the political anoraks were bunkering down for a nine-week-long Conservative leadership campaign, Andrea Leadsom took her lead from the rest of the Brexiteers and threw in the towel with barely a punch thrown.
Theresa May is resisting calls for another general election and since at this rate there’ll be no-one left to challenge her, she looks set to spend the next four years as an unelected leader – and one that will be responsible for leading the historic negotiations as Britain leaves the European Union.
She is literally the last woman standing as first Boris Johnson, then the slippery Michael Gove who fell victim to his own treachery dropped – or were pushed – out of the leadership race.
Ukip leader Nigel Farage smugly said he was standing down to spend more time on his personal life. One Twitter joker remarked how nice it was that he wanted to spend more time with his European wife before she was deported.
Mrs Leadsom, whose anti-same-sex-marriage stance would endear her to the DUP but not too many other people, was damned by her own mouth.
It goes without saying that the gender balance in politics needs to be addressed.
The lack of women in senior government roles is unreflective of society. The reasons for this are complex and varied but can in the main be attributed to generations of sexism and plain old-fashioned misogyny.
But when the unthinkable did happen and two women challenged each other for the position of prime minister what was the main talking point? A bitch-fest over who did or didn’t manage to procreate.
No-one cares whether a male political leader has children, No-one asks him who’s minding them while he’s at work. But there is an obsession over the parental status of female politicians.
Arlene Foster rarely refers to her children. Nor does she flout them in front of the camera for image-softening photo opportunities.
She keeps her work and family life separate, as do the majority of her male colleagues, although they are never questioned on who provides childcare or if their wife approves of them working such long hours.
Who can forget that jibe by party colleague Edwin Poots on the day she took over as first minister, reminding her that her “most important job” remained “that of a wife, mother and daughter”?
Women in politics have enough to do, batting off nonsense from men who resent their presence and power, without turning on each other.
Leadsom was right to pull out of the race. Not only had she damaged herself with her catty comments but the numbers just weren’t stacking up in her favour.
The Tory party over the last few weeks has really shown itself as the party of ladder climbing, political careerists who put self promotion over party and country.
After what has been the ugliest leadership battle in political history, now a new leader is in office. It’s time for Theresa May to show her mettle.
A Remain voter will now lead the UK out of the EU and we in the north are to be taken out against the wishes of the majority and as per usual by a prime minister we had no say in appointing.
What Mrs May’s attitude to Northern Ireland will be remains to be seen but from her record we do know she is opposed to the European Convention on Human Rights and is in favour of draconian terror laws, including internet surveillance on a par with the most restrictive of regimes.
And I wouldn’t say she’ll respond too well to members of the Stormont assembly going to number 10 with the begging bowl out.
The better-off-out-of-the-EU camp may have serious questions to answer to their constituency, especially those in rural and border areas who benefited from European funding, when Ms May eventually invokes Article 50 and and harsh reality of Brexit finally bites.
