It’s perhaps the ultimate metaphor, albeit an ironic one.
In one of the most bizarre bits of government-run theatre imaginable, Theresa May’s government staged a completely fake traffic jam in Kent – supposedly to ‘simulate a domestic crisis’ which would be wrought upon the nation in the event of a “no deal” Brexit.
The HGV trucks were lined up along a runway at a disused airfield near Ramsgate in Kent, before being led on to the adjacent motorway to give the appearance of a large tailback all the way to Dover.
According to Sky News, some 100 British lorry drivers were paid £50,000 to take part in what looks more like a public relations exercise as opposed to the simulated national emergency. Government officials are claiming that it is necessary to check traffic flows which may result from a ‘disorderly’ exit from the EU – one which experts believe will surely disrupt the country’s modern ‘just-in-time’ supply chains. The idea is that Brexit will cause unusual congestion at ports because of UK border customs having to check all goods.
Tom Peck from The Independent described the scene as a “Potemkin traffic jam,” which the government really believes will signal to Brussels ‘that it means business’…
The darkness rose like a theatre curtain over the Kent horizon and what the gathered audience saw was a piece of national performance art that will echo down the ages. There was Britain, standing fully naked in a disused airfield, drawing over itself in felt tip pen, pointing at its pale puckered flesh and howling like an illegal Eighties raver at the apex of an MDMA overdose.
What was happening was a Potemkin traffic jam. A government-organised tailback, put on to frighten the European Union into believing Britain is ready for no-deal Brexit, and not, as was palpably obvious, in the grip of a full on nervous breakdown.
Peck adds his doubt as to the seriousness of the folly, saying, “If it was to frighten the EU into believing we are serious about no deal, it was rather like watching a man with suicidal thoughts bungee jump off Beachy Head to prove he’s not bluffing.”
“If the Great British public stand ready to summon the “blitz spirit” that is needed to get us through this, well someone will have to tell the woman behind the wheel of a Fiat 500 who slowed inexplicably approaching the junction of Manston Road and the A256 to aggressively sound her horn at the gathered masses and at best mouth and at worst bellow the words: “F***ing f*** off.”
“So it is unfortunate to have to report that this entirely contrived Eddie Stobart carnival, whose vehicles carried no goods, and were not being checked for anything, still managed to set off around 14 minutes after the scheduled departure.”
Of course, all of this could just be public relations bluster designed to prepare the British public for an inevitable Second Referendum on Brexit. Regardless of how it will end, one thing is certain: career politicians and bureaucrats will continue to consolidate their own power bases, and more importantly, to keep society at each other’s throats while they continue to rob the wealth of the nation and privatize as many public assets as possible under the Neoliberal guise of ‘balancing the state budget’ (aka austerity).
In the end, we could very well be witnessing a very elaborate, stage-managed production akin to faux gridlock.
Based on its present trajectory, it’s looking more likely that this entire toxic process will nudge the country closer towards a soft civil war in the UK – which will pit Middle England against the Metropolitaners of London and Edinburgh. To put it more crudely: the red meat-eating, football loving and beer swilling, right-leaning nationalist Brexitiers against the congenial globalization-friendly liberal left-leaning internationalist Remainers. And the state will happily be there to pick up the pieces and restore order.
The next act of this carefully staged drama will be revealed in due course.
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