The result of the EU referendum on June 23rd has created an unsettling wave of fear, uncertainty, existential angst, cabinet turmoil and most importantly, a polarised parliament which is stuck in Brexit stalemate with Theresa May, former Home Secretary, leading the Tory cabinet and the country after just 199 Conservative MP’s (a mere 0.0004% of the electorate) voted her in. On the one hand, many feel pleased to see a female executive in the Commons. On the other hand, we are hearing deeply rooted concerns amidst the public – especially from those on the left of the political spectrum – that Britain has another Thatcher-esque force in power who may well return to a neoliberal rolling back of the state, further austerity measures and a continuation of former Conservative policies which enshrine market competitiveness, a Keynesian fiscal ideology and further privatisation. The cabinet reshuffle has also seen Boris Johnson, old Eton and Oxford playmate of the unexpectedly resigned David Cameron, placed into the position of Foreign Secretary. This is undoubtedly one of the most immense constitutional shake-ups the UK has seen, perhaps only equivalent in severity to Britain’s only civil war that saw the beheading of Charles 1; in fact, much of the public might regard May’s cabinet as not having their heads screwed on either. The nation is now left wondering how Theresa May will steer our constitution forward, with many of us praying she doesn’t hit an iceberg…
In her role as home secretary, May’s private affairs were rarely exposed to the public through our TV screens, unlike Tory colleagues Cameron and Johnson who were frequently the subjects of political documentaries from the likes of Dispatches and BBC 4. This was used by May as leverage for her pledge for ministerial power against the lesser known Tory figure, Andrea Leadsom (who, bizarrely, relied more on her motherhood as political appeal). Since securing the position of Prime Minister, May has been adamant in advocating the notion that “Brexit means Brexit”. Of course, anyone who has followed the EU referendum knows that in reality, Brexit cannot really mean Brexit just yet. In fact, we have already heard from journalists and policy makers that Brexit may not mean Brexit until 2019, or perhaps later.
Unfortunately for Theresa May, Cameron left a very difficult state of affairs in the Commons as he took his resignation and waved adieu to number 10. Volatility in markets and pessimistic forecasts for the pound have been two major symptoms of an Out vote. Nobody quite knows what fate will fall upon the UK as we move slowly, so slowly, towards triggering the elephant in the room that is Article 50. On top of this, there will have to be a general election (as soon as Labour sort out their internal party divisions). All of this constitutional complexity almost makes one feel sympathetic towards May, who is under immense pressure to deal with Britain’s departure from the EU, as well as concentrating on pressing domestic issues which are just as important as project Brexit.
The hope is that May will deliberate sensitively yet confidently in dealing with the EU vote and the economic shocks that have hit us since Britain decided on a departure when they were asked “should we stay or should we go now?”. Most importantly, let us not let EU-gate cast its shadow over some of the major global issues that are plaguing the world; amongst these are global terror threats, Syrian warfare, Turkish divisions and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Considering the complicated administration the British government will have to implement, what we require now is a Prime Minister who isn’t defined by Brexit during her first stiletto steps in Commons, but a strong, determined leader who is concentrated on social justice, economic refuelling, sound negotiations with foreign ministers and becoming a beacon of optimism in a time of great uncertainty. So, will the May bud blossom? Perhaps it is too early in the season to tell…