Will it never end?

Martin Rowson from The Guardian 15th December 2018

The story could have been Labour’s to tell. Jezza could have stamped Labour’s mark on Brexit and alongside the SNP, the Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru, and the Greens, he could have brought forward a motion of no confidence in the government and shown that there is substantial and principled opposition within the UK to the selfish insanity of a Conservative Brexit. He might very well have lost that vote, but it would have been close, and Labour would have commanded the news agenda, demonstrating that sense and reason is possible in British politics. 
 
Instead he blew it.  He blew it for the exact same reason that Theresa May blew it. He lacked the courage to take it to a vote.  He lacked the understanding of symbolism in politics.  He lacked vision. Now no one is talking about how the Labour party can seize control of the Brexit narrative. Labour has been side-lined, yet again, by ineffectual leadership.

Today the fall-out from the Tory leadership contest is the only show in town and British politics has fallen into a black-hole of uncertainty. Yet again, the Conservative party has put its factional interests first and foremost. There’s only a few short months left to go before the Brexit clock ticks its sorry last, and a substantial section of the Conservative party thought that this was the ideal time for it to indulge itself in its internal battle. Theresa May won but winning the support of more than half of Conservative MPs isn’t necessarily enough by itself to ensure that an ailing leader remains in their job. Previous leaders have still felt the need to stand down out of a sense of principle if a substantial number of MPs voted against them. But then we’re talking about Mrs May here, a woman whose only principle is the inability to distinguish between being resolute and being stubbornly delusional. Conservatives don’t do resignations on points of principle any more. She will hang on repeating her soundbites about getting on with the job and nothing has changed.  She is the limpet of politics, clinging on to the rock despite the state of the tides. The mess, the confusion, the political stalemate, are only going to continue. Clinging on as leader doesn’t make it any more likely that she’ll get her deal through the Commons when she does decide, finally, to put it to the vote. Clinging on as leader doesn’t make it any more likely that she’ll be able to cobble together some proposal that will enjoy the support of a majority in the Commons.

She presides over a party that’s divided and at war with itself.  A substantial number of her MPs have voted against her and they have no incentive to get behind her leadership. They’ll be sullen, uncooperative, and will continue to plot, conspire and put obstacles in her way. And even worse than that, we’ve still got a Prime Minister who has learned that sticking her fingers in her ears and going "la-la-la, I’m not listening" is a successful tactic. She says she'll change: any bets on this?

The UK is enmeshed in a cock-up with no clear means of untangling itself. Everyone outside the Conservative party is looking on with dismay. Everyone outside the UK is looking on incredulously and with increasing frustration. Remember when we were told by the Tories that we’d be able to punch above our weight? Well, it seems that all it meant was that we’d be able to punch ourselves in the balls as forcefully as we like.

Chris Riddell: Observer: 16th December 2018