Ifs, buts and maybes!

As a passionate Scot, I could not let this week go by without writing about the Auld Country and of course the Brexit Referendum.

With the mountains of dust beginning to settle, on what was an astonishing decision for both the remain and leave faction, I get the very distinct impression that politicians on both sides of this troublesome fence have been, at best, stretching the truth and at worst, telling big fat porky pies!

From across the Irish Sea, where we are slightly removed from the real political bandwagon - that Big Red Bus with its dubious £350 million statement - we were only getting snippets of news, reports and sentiment, as reported through RTE.

However, if you are interested in politics, as I am, you would have been tuning into the BBC, Channel Four etc to get the real meat of the argument. More importantly you got to look into the proverbial eyes of politicians when tackled by a Dimbleby, a Neil or a Marr.

Over the weeks and days leading up to the historic vote, it became very clear that each side was spinning the truth. The collateral damage after the event has shown this to be the case.

The two main battle ground issues of the £350 million a week going to the EU, which would now be diverted to the NHS, was a lie! The Immigration Crisis was clearly not the problem Nigel and Boris made it out to be!

I suspect that there was far more going on in this campaign, as there always is with politics, than the issues that grabbed the headlines.

Clearly, Boris and his Machiavellian cohorts, have been plotting in the background to orchestrate a leadership change in the Tory Party. However, history will tell you that the assassin does not always become King and if he does his reign is often short lived.

Deep down, I would not be surprised if Boris actually appreciated Europe more than most on the leave side and what he actually tried to manipulate, was a referendum result where the “Leave Team” lost by 4%, Cameron resigned, and he took over the Tory Party leadership, without the need to leave the European Union!

“The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men, Gang aft agley” (Robert Burns 1785, “Tae a Moose”).

Unfortunately, for Boris, this was not the final result, as Farage was the stick in the bicycle wheel spokes, tossing the rider from his seat. The Farage far right rhetoric, bordering on racist scaremongering, made sure that Boris and his schemers lost this vote.

Unlike other elections, this vote cannot be reversed after a political term in office, where we can vote out the usurpers. Decision made – you’re stuck with it!

So what did we learn from this referendum? Boris is being lined up for short-term gain but long-term disaster and Corbyn is driving with the handbrake on.

Politicians are NOT in touch with the people who vote them in and this is endemic right through the political process. Unless you are paying attention to the political system, taking a keen interest, then at every election, National or Local, you will be hoodwinked by the “lies, damned lies and statistics” that our representatives blabber when your vote IS most needed.

There appears to be no turning back, but like all these convoluted processes, there may well be light at the end of this very dark tunnel.

I suspect that once Boris or A.N. Other sacrificial lamb, negotiates Brexit we will see all manner of compromise, on both sides of the European Border, and a pseudo exit will be negotiated.

Will we learn from this historic decision? Of course we won’t because we will always vote for a monkey and not an organ grinder.

The good news is we can now bring back “Spitting Image”, as the Boris and Trump combo, will be the Thatcher and Reagan of this 21^st Century.