CommonSpace columnist Richard McGinley, a Scot living in England, gives his view from south of the border
YOU lot must be laughing up there.
Down here in the deep south a sense of humour would be useful, but it's difficult to find anything to laugh at. In fact, if I started laughing, then it would be difficult to stop, and I'd be taken away in a van until I did.
Up there, Nicola Sturgeon has a fair idea of what she wants to do next, and she has the support of a country which may not have been entirely sure if it wanted no part of the United Kingdom when it was originally asked, but is getting pretty certain now.
You know where you're going, you know who's taking you there, and you're all going together.
It's just that some people maybe needed a little more convincing. They've seen all they need to see now.
Thats fine. You know where you're going, you know who's taking you there, and you're all going together. Down here, though, we don't know where we're going, we don't know who's going to take us there, and more importantly, we don't even have a say in who will.
David Cameron called a referendum on membership of the European Union. He'd manipulated the public in one plebiscite, and presumably felt confident he could manage another. He got it wrong, and moved to a scorched earth policy by not so much falling on his sword, but leaping enthusiastically onto it.
This meant that whoever took over would be left with the break up of two unions, domestic and continental, which is not something any politician wants on his CV, least of all Johnson, who now feels it's better to walk away and have another crack when it's all cooled down.
That's not going to happen. He's just led a campaign to exit europe, and then, having got his mandate and a crack at the top job, he's quit, never to be trusted again.
Down here we don't know where we're going, we don't know who's going to take us there, and more importantly, we don't even have a say in who will.
Which leaves Theresa May in pole position, with Michael Gove and a quiet Liam Fox in the running. Iain Duncan Smith, who has led the party before (you'd forgotten that, hadn't you ? I had), has all but vanished, presumably touting for the chancellor's job from one of the others.
There's no clear leader, all of the above lack the charisma and other qualities for the job, although Gove proved he can be ruthless with his betrayal of Johnson. May has no real successes in the past she can point to. Fox has been saying the right things and if he comes out with something sensible over the weekend, you can guarantee he's the party leadership's choice, which means the rest will stand down to give the impression of a unified party. Until the next time someone spills someone else's drink.
With the Conservatives in crisis, its only fair Labour should be as well.
Jeremy Corbyn, who had been doing alright until the referendum, is now being blamed by his right of centre MPs, the ones who didn't vote against wars, welfare cuts and anything else that might have made things a little better for most of us, for not doing enough to secure Britain's place in Europe.
So, to teach him a lesson, they've all quit.
This mass leaping onto swords may delight blacksmiths, but for Corbyn its another distraction from what could have been a chance to perhaps secure an early General Election.
You've got Sturgeon. We've got no government, no opposition and no chance of influencing either. When you go, take us with you. we won't be any bother.
The media have seized the chance to take the pressure off the government, and place it firmly onto the opposition, an opposition already weakened by the actions of those who have thrown their toys out of the pram.
Corbyn has the support of the grassroots party, and if he makes it clear he's going to deselect the rebels next time round and then push for an election, he might well come out of all this with some credibility, and therefore provide the public with a strong leader they may not entirely trust, but they'll appreciate his taking the initiative.
He has to do it soon, though, because the Chilcot Report will dominate the news next week – which will give the government something to shout about and time to regroup under a unifying leader.
You've got Sturgeon. We've got no government, no opposition and no chance of influencing either. When you go, take us with you. we won't be any bother.
You've already said you'll take in some refugees.
How about a few Brefugees?
Picture courtesy of Scottish Government
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