Thread by @WomaninHavana

Today will be trumpeted as a decisive next step, as we take another firm step to the EU door.

We have arrived here in a way by stealth. By triggering Article 50 before we had any idea of the future shape. By trying to hide impact assessments or behind banalities. /1

We arrived here by trumpeting red, white & blue, by setting impossible red lines.

We only reached here by quietly caving in on almost all of them.

And by setting a precedent that makes us likely to keep caving as we move to third party status before we know any more. /2

We arrived here by creating a snowstorm of distraction & by preventing an open, detailed & rational debate about what the future would look like, on the multiple levels of our collective lives.

We arrived here by crying betrayal every time someone stepped behind the bunting. /3

We arrived here by hurling "will of the people" when we asked why we had to cause unprecedented damage to our constitutional, legal, social & economic framework with #EUWithdrawalBill.

We still have not resolved that. /4

We arrived here by refusing to acknowledge we were risking social, economic, workers, consumer, environmental rights etc.

We were told to shut up & believe the Prime Minister would protect us (a PM now seen to fold with the wind), without the letter of the law. /5

We arrived here by suppressing debate & wasting time with a general election.

We arrived here because no dissent was allowed. These are the PM's own words.
This is called Taking Back Control. This is called the Will of the People. /6

We arrived here by lying about impact statements. First we had them, in excruciating detail, then we didn't. Then somehow we did again. And they wouldn't publish them.

And somehow, when they materialised, we magically moved on. The civil service was to blame. Traitors too. /7

We arrived here by ruthlessly exploiting the insecurity of EU nationals, & leaving British nationals in the EU with no certainty of where they stood.

We did this by allowing promises made in the referendum to be forgotten. Papered over.

That was then and is is now. /8

We arrived here by telling our EU partners to Go Whistle, holding Trump's hand & rolling out red carpet for Saudi Arabia

We arrive here today as Trump's unstable WH jumps into bed with Bolton, & EU offer strong solidarity over Putin.

We shout Global Britain & fling fish. /9

We arrive here today, with our elected representatives knowing they are leading us into a poorer, less secure future, with our reputation much diminished.

We have arrived here today by a referendum that solved nothing & leaders who huffed, puffed & blew our own house down. /10

Put down the bunting. There is nothing to cheer.

Our MPs must stand up for our national interest. Twitter threads won't cut the mustard, pay the bills, or keep us safe.

We need to #ThinkAgain. It's almost, but not quite too late. We need a #FreeVote. We need a #FinalSayForAll