Mayhem

Oh Theresa. On the day of her resignation statement, non-Tories seem to be split between directing pure vitriol at Theresa May, and viewing her with sympathy for a thankless, unwinnable task. I’m in the latter camp. Her speech referred to the need for compromise, and this has been sorely lacking. I’m opposed to Brexit, think it will damage the UK, wish it wasn’t happening, and certainly believe the original vote was won because of fallacies. I have not vocalised support for a second referendum. It sails too close to being undemocratic and would create so much additional division that it’s best to drop the idea.

Theresa, many of us respect your dedication and commitment. You’ve worked bloody hard and with such opposing and stubborn views on the benches, you were destined to hit impasse after impasse. If you are vilified in the future for your role in Brexit, it’ll be unjust. Your resignation speech moved me, except for a couple of highly dubious remarks about your party’s success in tackling inequality. The rate of rough sleeping has increased every year of the current Tory rule, for example.

If the Conservative party has to remain in power for the foreseeable, we will be thanking you for being a leader who hasn’t courted controversy with bigoted clangers and doesn’t create a distracting media circus through utter buffoonery. Your involvement in the hostile environment shows that you have some inbuilt prejudice, but you don’t use language such as ‘piccaninnies’, unlike others we could mention. Perhaps you possess some degree of awareness that leaves you able to contribute to your stated objective of a country that works for all. Your successor may possess more charisma and natural charm; attributes which could better unite people behind a necessary compromise. Some of the cast of characters lined up to replace you do not fill me with hope on this score. Where are the dynamic politicians who can captivate people’s attention and bridge divides?

I digress. Theresa, thanks for your service. You had a futile task because you were hamstrung by others. You have slogged hard, and now you deserve to take it easier. I will speak up if I hear people slamming your contributions to politics in recent years.

The image is of a workshop next to where I’m staying, where the proprietor is constructing wooden tourist cabins. We are following the developments as the final product may fit with the tourism vision for Niassa Reserve.