During an extraordinary week in the UK's House of Commons, 21 Conservative MPs chose to fall on their swords rather than compromise their principles by endorsing their prime minister's determination to frogmarch their country out of Europe. Through the stygian gloom that has blanketed political discourse in post-referendum Britain, this principled display of conviction politics was a rare and welcome flicker of light. Among the rebels were veteran and long-standing MPs such as Kenneth Clarke and Alistair Burt, politicians who have served their government to the best of their abilities.
Whether the sacrifice of the 21 will have been in vain remains to be seen. What is certain is that Britain’s parliamentary system, once a hallmark of respect and due process, is now in disarray.
Unlike most modern states, the UK lacks a codified constitution, relying instead on a melee of conventions, acts of parliament and court judgments. They have served the country successfully for centuries, but make up a fragile tapestry that now seems to be unravelling.
Each attempt to enact Brexit has been laden with pitfalls. When it has seemed that the nation could become no more bitterly polarised, events have proven otherwise, and so it has been this week.
In an historic vote on Tuesday, opposition parties and the 21 rebels joined forces to seize control of the parliamentary agenda. On Wednesday, parliament voted on whether to ask the EU for a Brexit extension. The prime minister, Boris Johnson, was expected to counter by calling for a general election.
In past weeks, there has been much talk of defending democracy. In reality, the British electorate has been treated to the unedifying sight of government and opposition alike manoeuvring for political advantage, guided not by principles but by self-interest.
It is difficult to see how the divisive wounds of Brexit can be healed. If it is prevented, or even delayed, half the country will feel they have been cheated. The result is likely to be greater support for emergent populist parties bent on pushing Britain towards the far right of the political spectrum.
If Brexit goes ahead in any form, every bump in the road will be laid at the door of the Brexiteers, ossifying the national debate for years to come.
It is 80 years since Britain entered the Second World War, an act of principle that cost it dear but helped to save the world. Today, Britain is engaged in a brutal civil war that is tearing at the very fabric of its society – a war triggered not by principle, but by a cynical and flawed calculation that a referendum would stem the rise of populist politics and preserve Conservative seats.
It is not too late to heal those divisions. As traumatic as it will doubtless be, it is just possible that a general election could be the first step on the UK’s long road back to recovery.
But this is a time for MPs to look to the example set by stalwarts of principle, to remember their pledge to represent the people who put them in office and to stand behind something they actually believe in. If they don't, Britain might yet be dragged even further into the abyss.
Tom Fletcher on 'soft power'
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
Hamilton’s 2017
Australia - 2nd; China - 1st; Bahrain - 2nd; Russia - 4th; Spain - 1st; Monaco - 7th; Canada - 1st; Azerbaijan - 5th; Austria - 4th; Britain - 1st; Hungary - 4th; Belgium - 1st; Italy - 1st; Singapore - 1st; Malaysia - 2nd; Japan - 1st; United States - 1st; Mexico - 9th
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Match info
Manchester United 0-0 Crystal Palace
Man of the match: Cheikhou Kouyate (Crystal Palace)
MATCH INFO
Watford 1 (Deulofeu 80' p)
Chelsea 2 (Abraham 5', Pulisic 55')
