TMID Editorial: Observing the Brexit car crash

History has chosen to make us privileged, if unwilling, observers from Malta of what is happening in the UK with regards to Brexit.

It is not a sight we love to see.

We have seen, day after day, the Mother of Parliaments, in sitting after sitting, observed the members trooping to register their votes in innumerable votes, observed the movements inside the various parliamentary groups and seen how the 600+ MPs have moved, eliminating various options without however coming together in one direction.

Days have passed, the Brexit date (29 March) came and went, and still there is no end in sight. They are due to hold other 'indicative' votes today and Theresa May can move her Deal for the fourth time hoping enough MPs have turned her way (unlikely).

Or else… Or else, she threatened them yesterday, they will have to ask for a lengthy extension and hold an election. Her party does not want that as they feel they will suffer. But the alternative could be accepting customs union, which will break one principal reason the people voted for Brexit.

Or the alternative could be what is called the Canada deal, which again infringes some of the promises people voted for Brexit. Or the alternative could be a second referendum, which may be just as inconclusive.

Whatever happens, people are getting anxious, business is slumping, jobs are being lost, investments have gone south for who would want to invest without knowing what the future holds.

On Friday, there were many people marching about in central London, some for, some against. Britain is by far a calm and tolerant country (in any other country, take France for example, things would have degenerated by now). But tempers are rising and the people who voted to leave now see their vote snatched away from them or rendered inoperable.

There is nothing we, or anybody else, can do. This is something that only the British can solve, and it could also be it is a problem without solution. Certainly David Cameron has a lot to answer for, because there was no real need for a referendum and the 2016 one was very badly handled.

However, we will all be affected by what happens in the coming weeks or months. The British economy has already taken a hit but if there is a No Deal Brexit in just two weeks' time, even Europe, even our economy will take a hit.

So here's to wishing success to those teams of backbenchers from both sides who have crossed party lines and are meeting to try and find a commonly accepted solution. And good luck to them when they seek the approval of fellow MPs.

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