When George Bernard Shaw penned these immortal words at the turn of the 20th Century (in Major Barbara) it is doubtful whether the disaster of Brexit was on his mind. But, for those of us likely to be affected by the insanity the UK government is currently pursuing, there are similarities. More and more commentators blindly hold out the hope that some piece of magical thinking may offer the glimmer of light that politicians pray for.
The EU does not come out of the whole Brexit negotiation process with much credit but I often ask myself what they must make of the British approach. My Cypriot friends are aghast that the British have embarked on a voyage of self-harm with so little thought and preparation. “Why are you doing it?” I am asked over and over again. To them the status quo is far much more beneficial to UK plc than any form of Brexit.
British expats seem to be in either various forms of panic or total “I’m all right Jack” mode. Neither is very edifying or pleasant to observe. The British High Commissioner spouts the government line, whilst offering no practical advice. And so, we wait and see. The apathetic think back to times past when Cyprus was not part of the EU and everything was rosy in the garden. In fact you wonder whether someone will spout about “lashings of ginger beer” as they sit down with the unicorns for tea.
We are making sensible plans (changing UK driving licences to Cypriot ones, for example) but resisting the lemming-style charge to the cliff tops. Only time will tell who was right ...
No comments:
Post a Comment