Listening to @xtophercook's interesting analysis of #GetBrexitDone on @BBCr4today it struck me that he misses the point in terms of communication and campaigning, regardless of the legal/governmental realities...
He argued that with the Conservative policy Brexit would not be "done" on 31 Jan because that will be just the start of long trade and other deal negotiations leading to 31 Dec and beyond, whereas Labour/LD policies could result in more immediate resolution...
I think this is a misunderstanding of the way the phrase #GetBrexitDone means and how it resonates. Getting Brexit "done" to me means that we legally leave the EU - we are no longer a member state. I fully appreciate that is the start of negotiations and will lead ...
.... to the deal/no deal exit one year on. BUT to my mind and think those to whom this message is targeted, getting Brexit done means not that final technical conclusion, but means that Brexit ceases to be lead item on every news/politics media, that SM can calm down, that we...
...the public can get on with our lives and the government can get on with its job if it has a big enough majority not to be blocked by parliament. Of course Brexit negotiations will be raging behind closed doors, but these will be with the pro negotiators not politicians...
... as the drama will be resting if not gone for a while. In our representative system we elect MPs to "do politics" for us, we don't want them to keep bothering us with it. When they do hold (an idiotic) referendum then they should do what they are "told" but otherwise leave ...
... us alone. I get this sense from ppl who voted Leave and Remain or not at all, that they are just fed up and want it to go away. The Conservative policy promises that because it removes Brexit from the front pages (for a while). That's why "GBD" works as a communication.
I don't believe that the technical/legal realities which Chris Cook describes are of much interest to most voters, who in normal times really don't care about politics that much and just want to get back to that norm where they don't have to.
It's interesting that when the line #GetBrexitDone appears on platforms and engagements, it does not appear next to either the word Conservative or the party logo. Both were absent from the manifesto launch for example. I think this shows how the line carries beyond core voters.
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