This is my blip of democracy in action

The people’s democracy.

Today was the day that Boris Johnson got the queen to prorogue Parliament so as to deliberately push through his plans for Brexit. Or was it? I think it was really the day that a small group of right wingers made a significant step forward in taking control of the wider political agenda in Britain. Johnson is just a tool for Dominic Cummings and the European Research Group. And, indeed, other shady characters we may never know about. Brexit is just part of their agenda. What I do know is that this was the day democracy was left bloodied on the floor of history, and only time will tell if it now gets kicked to death by the new Nazis or manages to get to its feet again and fight back. They’ve been spoiling for a fight and now they’ve got what they want.

I am truly appalled at the lies, cynicism, double standards and hypocrisy of these people. I don’t think I have ever been so angry. I couldn’t just leave work and go home as if nothing had happened so I took the train to London. I wanted to go and stand outside Parliament and at least say I had been here today. In that sense it felt like rushing to a dying person’s bedside, and that may yet prove to be the case.

I’m actually not even sure I care about Brexit any more; the bigger issue is about the degradation of our public life and culture as part of the systematic growth of an authoritarian regime in waiting. A decade of austerity and the growth of the far right has bought us to this battleground. We are now no different to Trump’s America, Erdogan’s Turkey, or Bolsonaro‘ s Brazil. But politicians can be replaced. Brexit however is similar to the burning of a rainforest in that the damage may not be reversible.

As you might have gathered I am not happy. I never thought, in all my sixty years, that I would be living in a country where this could happen.

So I went to London after work. There was nothing to suggest the world was anything other than normal. People were yakking about television programmes and work and having their boiler serviced before the winter set in. But at Westminster I was delighted to find thousands of people like me who were angry and protesting outside Parliament. We made a noise, we marched on Downing Street, we sat down and bought the traffic to a standstill. We did not let the day go unremarked. Oh and I had a selfie with AC Grayling. Cool dude.

Little album here

https://photos.app.goo.gl/oEFP9i8JhxCAWPFH7

The police were fine. The demonstrators were brilliant. Even the drivers were relaxed about it. There were only two dissenting voices, a wanky cyclist who didn’t like like having his Lycra ruffled by the crowds and a dodgy looking brexiteer who mouthed his usual defence of a bent referendum from the sidelines.

The Dizzle had a difficult homecoming as Monty had scratched his ear and bled everywhere (a little blood goes a long way). But a trip to the vet sorted him out short term whilst we think about what’s best for the future and Strider did his TLC thing as soon as he got back. TSM had a very long day and a bum journey home so she was exhausted come bedtime.

Feel like I’ve done an emotional A-Z today.