It is one of this island’s sensibly buried historical secrets that whenever the United Kingdom (and England before it) makes such a mess of governing itself it imports a European. The cycle has repeated down through the centuries ever since the Angles, Jutes and Saxons first displayed the ability to sort out the mess we found ourselves in, after our Roman leaders left us to it and we just couldn’t. So long and thanks for the aqueducts.
King Cnut was kind enough to provide a steady hand when the Saxons went all English and got into a muddle. The Normans rather imposed themselves when the Scandi/English hybrids were doing just fine, but there’s always exceptions to the rule. In the time of King John many English barons believed the French King Louis (high number) was the man to do it. While King John clearly felt it was the Vatican who could clean up his mess, as he had sold England to the Pope. William and Mary of Orange. The Hanoverians. It’s an extensive list. But are we there again, just yet?
The simple answer is no. There is still a lot more self harm we can do ourselves, thank you very much, just ask the average hedge funder. The vultures are feeding on the fallen beast that is Brexit Britannia and the beast is still bellowing as the plague we’ve fostered adds extra flavour. Let the carrion birds get those hefty beaks onto the bones and break them for the marrow before we cry help!
We will know the day has arrived when it dawns. First we have to let the Conservatives continue with their excellent tradition of each prime minister being more ghastly than the last. King Boris is done. Some absolute lunatic must take his throne, seat cushion still warm and wet, first.
All this will simply burnish the well earned British reputation for pragmatism.
