Mrs May and Marshal Petain - a comparison

Listening to Teresa May trying to justify her Brexit deal to the House of Commons I had a thought. Marshal Petain, the Hero of Verdun in the First War and the man who France called to in its hour of need in the Second could have made an identical speech justifying his deal with the Germans in 1940.

Yes it is all there. The need to be realistic - this is the only deal on the table - the need to protect jobs/business/ the way of life etc.- Petain would have said it all and the same people who are urging either acceptance of May's 'deal' or a second 'peoples' referendum - you know what - they would all have been collaborators in 1940 France and enthusiastic supporters of the Vichy regime.

It is I think worth a thought. You see there are no statues to Marshall Petain in France but there are many 'Place de Resistance' scattered among the towns and villages of France.  The Frenchman who emerged as the hero of the last War was -of course - de Gaulle - the villain -who died in prison -Marshal Petain.  No statue will ever be erected to Mrs  May but one day Nigel Farage will take his rightful place on top of a plinth in Parliament Square.