In recent weeks, discussions about a ‘no deal’ Brexit have ramped up, largely due to the impending withdrawal date (29th March 2019) and how much the negotiations surrounding Brexit have faltered. One thing the government cannot blame for this issue is the apathy from back home – even whilst quarrelsome MPs agree that May’s best plan is unacceptable, interest among the public has plunged since the referendum had passed and had never picked up since. I know quite a lot of people who would love nothing more than simply ‘getting on with it’ and never hearing about Brexit again – and same with that Trump bloke whilst you’re at it. Every day there’s some shocking-yet-unsurprising development concerning at least one of these two stories, reminding us yet again of the instability in the world ‘order’ today. We’ve been perpetually aghast for over two years, now most of us are sick of it all and want it gone.
It’s a tempting stance to take. I certainly do think that Brexit and Trump hog so many of the headlines, so much so that other vital issues can go almost unmentioned, and rather than seeking to restore any focus on, say, in-work poverty or ‘heating or eating’, certain wings of the media exacerbate the issue in search of clicks. People cannot ignore such politically consequential topics, can they? Well, many people are now at least wishing they could, and more will follow them before March next year. Issues such as global politics are (virtually) invisible when you’re told your benefits will be dropping. Nowadays, the gulf between what the government and media think the public care about and what they really care about is staggering.
As alluring as ‘switching off’ from these issues might seem, it’s far from feasible. Looking past how difficult it would be – as I said, media outlets fill their boots with these stories – it will never be as simple as ‘getting on with it’. The fact that such an attitude is expressed louder and louder is a testament to how ill-informed the people were during the referendum. Whilst Tory (and Labour) infighting shares some of the blame for stalling the negotiations, the Brexit process has always been always a complex issue despite this. Britain and the EU are heavily connected (literally regarding Ireland and Gibraltar), thus a lot of untangling is necessary. ‘Take back control’ was a misleading line, just as ‘Project Fear’ was a gross overreaction.
The difficulty is that events in Brussels or in the White House feel so far away. Spats in Congress or disagreements in the European Parliament don’t make their consequences known right away, and so feel unimportant. The key lies here – they feel unimportant, but they aren’t. For example, whether you can get the medicines you need likely depends on the outcome of the Brexit negotiations, and the recent budget promising more money for the NHS is entirely built upon forecasts that, if there’s no Brexit deal, it will be utterly irrelevant. In short, there’s too much at stake to let a group of squabbling politicians have free rein over where it goes.
Of course, I’m not saying you should become an avid reader of every single Brexit story – most of them are likely repeating the same information anyway, and no one person can hope to get their head around the issue whilst also maintaining their own life. Indeed, it’s better for you and your sanity to merely keep an eye on Brexit proceedings, to be aware of what’s going on. If the fatigue ever gets to you – and it will – just remember that what happens now will have repercussions for years to come, and we’ve all a responsibility to make sure those that come after us don’t inherit a dumpster fire. Democracy gives us ordinary people power, it’s up to us to exercise it.