#BREXIT: 'It's a Slap for British Democracy at Large' – Analyst

The reporter also said that David Lidington, May’s de-facto deputy, Environment Secretary Michael Gove and Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt are among the contenders to become interim prime minister, according to the plan. He also quoted an unidentified minister as saying that Theresa May “will be gone in 10 days”. Earlier this week, UK Prime Minister Theresa May told MPs that a third vote on her Brexit deal may not take place next week “if it appears there is not sufficient support”.

Sputnik has discussed this with Adriel Kasonta, a political consultant and foreign affairs analyst based in London.

Sputnik: How likely is it that MPs are really plotting to oust Theresa May? What are the chances that she ever agrees to this scenario — support for her Brexit deal in exchange for her post? What's your take on this?

Adriel Kasonta: I think it is pure nonsense because we know that her previous deals were voted down and I don't think that she will come up by Wednesday with something innovative or something which will contribute to the Brexit shambles. So I think that it is just more [dreaming] related to somehow back this deal by any means necessary, and we know that Mr. Michael Gove or Mr. Lidington had been proposed as her successors; but I think this is just pure party politics, which will change nothing with regards to the state of the Brexit inability that this government of Theresa May got us in.

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Sputnik: What's your expectation from Monday's Parliament session? Will we see any breakthrough in the negotiation process? I mean, it's highly likely that we're going to see any breakthrough, it's just an absolute total malaise; there're so many different sides to this, and they are all colluding together to basically continue with the limbo and for the Brexit event to be scrapped and just to be cancelled. That's my take; what's yours?

Adriel Kasonta: Unfortunately, I totally agree with you. I think you're talking really rationally about this thing. The saddest thing about Brexit is the fact that people who voted for Brexit haven't been prepared and informed properly for the fact that the government has plenty of instruments, and the factors who are pushing to withdraw from the referendum agreement later to leave the EU, it is very sad.

We have six other options related, to either revoke Article 50 completely and say that there's no Brexit at all, as you rightly said; we have also an option to be voting in the next couple of weeks, related to the Prime Minister's deal plus customs union, or the Prime Minister's deal with a customs union and single market access. We also still have a 'no deal' on the table still, as well as a Canada-style free trade agreement.

So there're plenty of options on the table; and I think that the purpose of this government is to just kick this can along the ground and buy more time. We know that if the deal will be pushed, the European Union might give extra time for Brexit and postpone it till 22 May this year. So, we know that there're plenty of factors pushing to turn back the clock of time and keep the United Kingdom in the European Union by any means necessary.

Sputnik: You've got to say, you've got to sort of conclude with the point, that it's the MPs that have actually concluded this particular situation and not being able to deliver a negotiated settlement and the whole indifference to Brexit by the government and primarily members of Parliament has brought us to this particular situation, there's no one else to blame, is there?

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Adriel Kasonta: Yes, I entirely agree with you. It is a shame; it is exposing the fact that the so-called British democracy doesn't work really well, because you can have the legal referendum, you can the vote, you can have the say, but the elite or the political parties who are leading this country, who should have the best interest of the citizens at heart rather than external institutions, are betraying them. And we know that Theresa May and others from her circle are against Brexit at all. We have to bear in mind that the people who were put in charge in order to execute the will of the people were not willing to fulfill this will in the first place; and second of all, they were not the best people suitable for this job. It is a betrayal, a great betrayal by the British political class of the citizens; and with regard to the people who vote, it is a slap for the UK democracy at large.

Sputnik: How are we going to heal this? Nobody knows, do we?

Adriel Kasonta: Yes, it will be very difficult to heal this. But I think that the powers that be are aiming, as I said at the beginning, to turn back the clock of time or history related to Brexit, and know that they can somehow overcome this turmoil I would say after betraying citizens because people's memory is very short. We have to remember with regards to the Iraqi War; we are commemorating the Iraqi War and so many people were opposing the Iraqi War, so many people had been deceived by the neo-cons with regard to going to Iraq, but we know that the memory of the citizens is very short and I think that many incentives will be put in place by the government and the elites who are betraying the British people in order for them to easily forget about this shame.

Because it's a great shame; it's not for me to mock the British people, not at all. But it is a slap to not only the democracy of the United Kingdom but the British people themselves; and it's exposing that they're not respected by those who have been elected by them. The evil laugh of the modern democracy is that however you vote, elites will do whatever they like and please. Unfortunately, we are helpless with regards to having a direct impact into democracy mechanisms.

Sputnik: The European Union in many ways are turning the screws as well, but I can't believe they want the United Kingdom to leave without a no-deal. so it's like: who is going to blink first. What's your prognosis? What's your prediction with regard to this? It's getting very tense and we're on the edge of our seats; we're going to jump off the edge of the cliff as many people have alluded to. What's your feeling?

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Adriel Kasonta: No, I don't think at all. I was one of the first people in this country who supported the Brexit idea, I was writing for the National Interest in Washington DC in support of Tory-inspired independence of the United Kingdom and I've also presented a British Euroscepticism paper for the Bruges Group. I was creating this so-called national movement because it was a national movement to withdraw from the European Union, it wasn't affected by any politics. Obviously, there were plenty of policymakers involved in that, but, regardless the fact, it was a people's movement.

What I can suggest is that on Saturday we had this march of the people who had signed the petition related to staying in the EU, you can also sign ta petition but what will it get us to? I think that my rights are secure in the United Kingdom, and I would be very sorry to hear the political class push people on that limit. But at the same time, I think that it is very divisive; I can't see what, from a realistic point of view, from the policy-making point of view or a legal point of view, can be done by the people.

Because we have to bear in mind that the people who are going to deliver Brexit are not willing to deliver Brexit. So, you can't change the party because both parties are in favour, in some form, of staying in the EU. So, either Labour or the Tory Party is inclined towards staying in the EU or delaying it [Brexit] at least.

The views and opinions expressed on this article are solely those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik