Former prime minister Tony Blair leaves the stage with host Gavin Esler after making a speech about Brexit in London Friday, Dec. 14, 2018. Blair has pressed calls for a second referendum on Brexit. (Stefan Rousseau/PA via AP)
Tony Blair leaves the stage with host Gavin Esler after a speech in London, in which Blair backed calls for a second referendum. Stefan Rousseau/PA 

Brexit has proved that there should be second acts in political life



There's an old saying that there are no second acts in political life. This slight adaptation of a line written by the American author F Scott Fitzgerald means that a politician gets one big chance, and if he or she fails to deliver, then the public says goodbye and good riddance.

One example is the charismatic US presidential candidate Gary Hart, now the subject of a new Hollywood film starring Hugh Jackman. After years of service as the US senator for Colorado, Mr Hart emerged as the clear frontrunner for the Democratic nomination in the 1988 presidential election. However, his career ended in a storm of headlines about his debts and personal life.

The late British politician Enoch Powell – whose reputation has been comprehensively dismantled, thanks to his infamous comments about race relations – observed that “all political careers end in failure”. For many years, he was right about that, at least.

But in these difficult times – as Theresa May sits in number 10 Downing Street, unable to make sense of Brexit, and Donald Trump sits in the White House, unable to make sense even of his own personnel matters – some politicians from the past are being re-evaluated.

From 1993 until 2001, Bill Clinton presided over a booming US economy, a country largely at peace, and an America that, for all its imperfections, was admired around the world. Mr Clinton, nevertheless, will be remembered for lying under oath about the nature of his relationship with Monica Lewinsky.

As 2018 draws to a close, however, Mr Trump commands a deeply divided America and will not be remembered for one lie, like Mr Clinton, but a blizzard of thousands, according the New York Times.

In Britain, Tony Blair presided over mostly good times from 1997 until just before the 2008 financial crash. He helped bring peace to Northern Ireland in the Good Friday Agreement, greatly aided by the work of his somewhat underrated Conservative predecessor John Major.

Among other things, Mr Blair’s legacy has been blighted by the failures of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. But now both he and Mr Major are staging a quiet renaissance, thanks to Brexit.

Compared to the clumsy, embarrassing antics of Mrs May’s government and other British MPs, who daily seem in competition to show their ignorance about economics, geography, trade and world affairs, Mr Blair and Mr Major are emerging from the shadows as figures of reason.

A few days ago, I chaired a speech and news conference with Tony Blair. He offered positive ways to solve the problem of Brexit, and pointed out that only two possibilities exist. One is what he called a “painful Brexit”, the other a “pointless Brexit”. The pointless Brexit, he said, involves various schemes, including a so-called “Norway option” and Theresa May’s negotiated deal, both of which mean, in effect, leaving the EU, but in some way still being tied to its rules and regulations. In other words, Brexit in name only.

The “painful Brexit” would involve crashing out of the EU with no deal, trading under World Trade Organisation rules and causing unimaginable damage to the British economy.

Neither option commands majority support in parliament nor across Britain. Mr Major, while nominally a Conservative opponent of Mr Blair, offers a similar analysis in different words.

Both men are trying to be helpful. They want to ensure that Mrs May’s government avoids deepening Britain’s political turmoil into a genuine constitutional crisis.

In the past few days, even the Times newspaper, owned by Rupert Murdoch, has come round to the idea that giving the British people a final say via a People's Vote or second referendum might be the only way forward.

Mr Blair and Mr Major’s ideas point in the same direction. After his speech, Mr Blair was asked by a journalist how Mrs May can avoid the disaster that lies ahead. Mr Blair suggested that when a politician is in a hole they should “stop digging”.

Neither Mr Blair nor Mr Major are seeking a formal re-entry into British politics. But each is performing a great service to a country in difficulty. If Mrs May listens to them, she could conclude the first dismal act of her political life in something that falls short of total disaster.

If Brexit does go ahead next March, Britain will have no second act within the EU, unless we find a practical and constructive new way to re-engage with our closest and most important neighbours. With every day that passes, that task becomes increasingly urgent. After all, there is not much time before the final curtain.

Gavin Esler is a journalist, television presenter and author

RESULTS

6.30pm UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) US$100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

Winner Final Song, Christophe Soumillon (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer).

7.05pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (Turf) 1,000m

Winner Almanaara, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.

7.40pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m

Winner Grand Argentier, Brett Doyle, Doug Watson.

8.15pm Meydan Challenge Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m

Winner Major Partnership, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor.

8.50pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner Gladiator King, Mickael Barzalona, Satish Seemar.

9.25pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m

Winner Universal Order, Richard Mullen, David Simcock.

ROUTE TO TITLE

Round 1: Beat Leolia Jeanjean 6-1, 6-2
Round 2: Beat Naomi Osaka 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
Round 3: Beat Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-2
Round 4: Beat Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-0
Quarter-final: Beat Marketa Vondrousova 6-0, 6-2
Semi-final: Beat Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4
Final: Beat Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2

COMPANY PROFILE

Company name: Almouneer
Started: 2017
Founders: Dr Noha Khater and Rania Kadry
Based: Egypt
Number of staff: 120
Investment: Bootstrapped, with support from Insead and Egyptian government, seed round of
$3.6 million led by Global Ventures

COMPANY PROFILE

Company name: Revibe
Started: 2022
Founders: Hamza Iraqui and Abdessamad Ben Zakour
Based: UAE
Industry: Refurbished electronics
Funds raised so far: $10m
Investors: Flat6Labs, Resonance and various others

MATCH INFO

What: India v Afghanistan, first Test
When: Starts Thursday
Where: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengalaru

The Farewell

Director: Lulu Wang

Stars: Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma

Four stars

Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

MEDIEVIL (1998)

Developer: SCE Studio Cambridge
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Console: PlayStation, PlayStation 4 and 5
Rating: 3.5/5

A meeting of young minds

The 3,494 entries for the 2019 Sharjah Children Biennial come from:

435 – UAE

2,000 – China

808 – United Kingdom

165 – Argentina

38 – Lebanon

16 – Saudi Arabia

16 – Bangladesh

6 – Ireland

3 – Egypt

3 – France

2 – Sudan

1 – Kuwait

1 – Australia
 

Company profile

Company name: Fasset
Started: 2019
Founders: Mohammad Raafi Hossain, Daniel Ahmed
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $2.45 million
Current number of staff: 86
Investment stage: Pre-series B
Investors: Investcorp, Liberty City Ventures, Fatima Gobi Ventures, Primal Capital, Wealthwell Ventures, FHS Capital, VN2 Capital, local family offices

Ramez Gab Min El Akher

Creator: Ramez Galal

Starring: Ramez Galal

Streaming on: MBC Shahid

Rating: 2.5/5

UAE Warriors fight card

Main Event : Catchweight 165lb
Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM) v Acoidan Duque (ESP)
Co-Main Event : Bantamweight
Felipe Pereira (BRA) v Azamat Kerefov (RUS)
Middleweight
Mohamad Osseili (LEB) v Amir Fazli (IRN)
Catchweight 161 lb
Zhu Rong (CHI) vs. Felipe Maia (BRA)
Catchweight 176 lb
Handesson Ferreira (BRA) vs. Ion Surdu (MDA)
Catchweight 168 lb
Artur Zaynukov (RUS) v Sargis Vardanyan (ARM)
Featherweight
Ilkhom Nazimov (UZB) v Khazar Rustamov (AZE)
Bantamweight
Jalal Al Daaja (JOR) v Mark Alcoba (PHI)
Lightweight
Jakhongir Jumaev (UZB) v Dylan Salvador (FRA)
Catchweight 143 lb
Hikaru Yoshino (JPN) v Djamal Rustem (TUR)
Featherweight
Javohir Imamov (UZB) v Ulan Tamgabaev (KAZ)
Catchweight 120 lb
Larissa Carvalho (BRA) v Elin Oberg (SWE)
Lightweight
Hussein Salem (IRQ) v Arlan Faurillo (PHI)

Confirmed bouts (more to be added)

Cory Sandhagen v Umar Nurmagomedov
Nick Diaz v Vicente Luque
Michael Chiesa v Tony Ferguson
Deiveson Figueiredo v Marlon Vera
Mackenzie Dern v Loopy Godinez

Tickets for the August 3 Fight Night, held in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, went on sale earlier this month, through www.etihadarena.ae and www.ticketmaster.ae.

RESULT

Bayern Munich 3 Chelsea 2
Bayern: Rafinha (6'), Muller (12', 27')
Chelsea: Alonso (45'+3), Batshuayi (85')

Scores

Rajasthan Royals 160-8 (20 ov)

Kolkata Knight Riders 163-3 (18.5 ov)

The specs: 2018 Maserati Levante S

Price, base / as tested: Dh409,000 / Dh467,000

Engine: 3.0-litre V6

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 430hp @ 5,750rpm

Torque: 580Nm @ 4,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 10.9L / 100km