Comforted by their own prejudice

Subject: Comforted in their own prejudice .

Politics is not a science, it's the business of representation, not only of the population, as our political representative but in the respective politicians own right which is amongst other things, ideological, emotional and full of self interest.

The power oratory plays is an important part in the process. Churchill was famous for his speeches as he held the nation spellbound by his historic broadcasts and the need to face the might of the fascist threat from Germany.

Political argument is as much to do with presentation as substance. Barristers are masters of persuasion, it's their job to persuade the jury on behalf of their client.

Geoffrey Cox QC, Attorney General, the Governments legal representative had been asked to provide a legal opinion on the countries ability to extricate itself from the clutches of the EU, if the country, down the line wished to pull out of the Bach Stop Agreement. One of the most contentious points has been being forced to agree to the so called 'Back Stop Agreement'. The Back Stop was raised to provide a continuation of an interim agreement covering the free flow of goods between Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland without the need to erect a Boarder. The sensitivities of the Irish, North and South towards each other signified the danger that hostility would break out if a boarder was erected. It says a lot for the fragility of the present arrangements in Ireland that people who in the 1970s were at each other's throats in a civil war but who, since the 'Good Friday Agreement' have created structures such as a Northern Ireland Parliament which brings together the warring factions, such as the IRA and the DUP. Great strides have been taken to improve the bitterness which lies at the root of the Protestant / Catholic feud but it seems that it wouldn't take much for them to resume hostilities.

Be that as it may, the fear of Irish hostility has bewitched Westminster and as a mechanism for keeping the boarder open, come what may the UK is shackled to the idea of the EUs remit in Northern Ireland being extended in perpetuity. This of course cuts to the heart of national integrity and the UK could not agree to a two tier United Kingdom with different laws enforced in Northern Ireland to those in the rest of the UK.

Prior to Geoffrey Cox getting to his feet the media commentariat  had, on receiving a three page text regarding his legal opinion been quite scathing regarding his assumption that the Back Stop was something we could live with.  The assumption that if we wished to relinquish the provisions bound up in the Back Stop we could do so as long as we could show that our attempts at reconciliation with the EU had irrevocably broken down through no fault of our own. Phrases such as, best intention, conditional, unjustified are unfortunately all a matter of interpretation and who was to interpret that but in part, the European Court of Justice, the very body the Brexiteers  seek to escape. 

The power of oratory, the gravitas, the tenor of his voice, his timing and use of the pregnant  pause to emphasis a point were magical and whilst he was on stage, he held the politicians in his hand. 

Of course it couldn't last and the tribal instincts soon returned with our Member of Parliament soon comforted back in their own prejudice.