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Who are you and what have you done with the real Simon Jenkins?

Remain voter and quintessential Guardian writer of the old school Simon Jenkins now says,

Ignore the prophets of doom. Brexit will be good for Britain

Now, with blood barely dry on their lips, project fear has mutated into project stupid-idiots. I find it staggering that the remain minority can accuse the Brexit majority of not knowing truth from lies – unlike in all elections? – and could not have meant its vote. It should therefore be asked to vote a second time, and show due respect to its elders and betters. What planet are these people on? I would guess the leavers in a second vote would soar to 60%, out of sheer fury.

Brexit is starting to deliver. British politics was constipated and has now overdosed on laxative. It is experiencing a great evacuation. It has got rid of a prime minister and is about to get rid of a leader of the opposition. It will soon be rid of a chancellor of the exchequer and a lord chancellor. It is also rid of two, if not four, Tory heirs apparent. Across the spectrum the left is on the brink of upheaval and perhaps historic realignment, if only the Liberal Democrats have the guts to engineer it. The Greens and Ukip have both lost their leaders. An entire political class is on the way out. As Oscar Wilde said of the death of Little Nell, it would take a heart of stone not to laugh.

17 comments to Who are you and what have you done with the real Simon Jenkins?

  • Watchman

    There’s a lovely comment under the article (it was posted when I saw it this morning) where someone complains that Jenkins is an old school lefty who wants chaos – which is revealing about modern left-wingers presumably: they seem to think the revolution will be brought about by legislation and nudge politics. At least one Guardian columnist seems to be remembering the joy of chaos, especially as it affects governments.

  • Runcie Balspune

    Another article from ConHome via Guido.

    Good to see more like this, the untruths and panic stirred up by the Remain campaign are starting to appear, having finally got their shoes on, laces tied and up and running, now to catch the Leaver lies being plastered across Twittersphere and Arsebook.

  • Mr Ecks

    Runcie Balspune: can you re-phrase your comment please. I’m not clear who is lying –both sides or just leave or just remain. Or the point you are making.

  • JohnW

    This is why the remnants are resigned to Brexit-

  • JohnW

    This is why the Remnants are resigned to Brexit.

  • Rob Fisher (Surrey)

    Jenkins is hoping Brexit chaos will make Britain go full left in the same way I’m hoping it will force the government to cut regulations and taxes, perhaps.

  • Cal

    Jenkins isn’t that much of a leftist. Remember all those years he used to work for The Times? He moved leftward there, which is why he ended up at The Guardian, but he’s still no full-on Guardianista.

  • Lee Moore

    Agreed, Cal. Jenkins is not a proper lefty. He thinks before writing.

  • He thinks things like this:

    I voted remain because I felt Europe’s future to be so precarious as desperately to need Britain’s more forceful presence. I feel that more strongly after the news that the European parliament leader, Martin Schulz, wants to move the EU swiftly to a “one government” federal constitution.

    I seriously doubt that Britain staying in would have prevented more centralisation in the EU.

  • Runcie Balspune

    Mr Ecks, my point was that the Remainers have been pushing Leaver “lies” since day one, exposing the disinformation that they claim made the great unwashed vote the “wrong way”. But the Remain camp were solidly making doom and gloom predictions, and can equally be projected as stirring fear into those who would have otherwise voted Leave, these omens have now been exposed as complete fabrications, the problem is, due to the circumstances, this is only becoming apparent now, and they need pushing to get through the mindset that is already out there, coupled with the fact that many disasters may never happen (Turkey, FTT, etc), because it is difficult to prove what may have come about had it gone the other way (see Chilchot for example).

    I can see more post-mortem reports like this coming through showing it aint really so bad after all.

  • Mr Ecks

    OK Thanks for the clarification.

  • CaptDMO

    From the US..so…
    In defending Brexit to a traditional extrapolation (I read it on the web)by a Progressive associate of Mine, I answered “Well what about the economics of the market dump!” with- That’s just the idiots, with little comprehension of
    how capitalism actually works, panicking.The market (which I benefit from) will recover the correction in about 3 months.
    I’m embarrased to say I was wro…wrooo…I was WRONG!
    I’t seems the (US) Stock Market will recover from Brexit induced anal leakage
    by the end of the month.
    In the mean time, I expect a beneficial exchange rate bump in the cost of repair parts for my Jaguars. (If my local importer/supplier knows what’s good for him that is)

  • Paul Marks

    I never thought I would type the following words.

    I agree with Simon Jenkins.

  • Paul Marks

    I must hasten to add – that I only agree with the quotation that Natalie has kindly given us.

  • Stonyground

    There is a petition to urge the government to get their finger out regarding article 50.

    https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/133618

  • Lee Moore

    I seriously doubt that Britain staying in would have prevented more centralisation in the EU

    This is a sort of propaganda win-win for Leavers.

    If the EU goes even more centralised and superstate, British Leavers will be able to say – “Look what we managed to save Britain from !”

    If the EU goes all fuzzy and decentralised, British Leavers will be able to say “Look it was our kick in the backside that finally persuaded them to wake up !”

    For Remainers it doesn’t work nearly so well :

    If the EU goes all centralised British Remainers can say “Those wicked Leavers pushed our European friends over the edge – the fact that the EU is a miserable centralised place is all the fault of the Leavers.” But this just attracts the rejoinder “So we’re supposed to suffer to prevent the French shooting themselves in the foot ?”

    If the EU goes all fuzzy and decentralised, British Remainers can say “Silly Leavers – it would have been fine to stay in.” Which attracts the rejoinder “What a strange coincidence that they suddenly decided to adopt common sense policies just after we gave them an almighty kick in the backside.”