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Queen Elizabeth II has urged Britain to seek out the common ground and grasp the big picture, in what has been interpreted as a coded plea to the political class to resolve the Brexit crisis.
Key points:
- The Queen remains neutral on politics in public but her comments are seen as a subtle signal to the political class
- Ahead of the 2014 Scottish independence vote she urged people to think carefully about the future
- In recent comments she said different views should be respected and the bigger picture should not be forgotten
With the clock ticking down to March 29 — the date set in law for Brexit — the United Kingdom is in the deepest political crisis in half a century as it grapples with how, or even whether, to exit the European project it joined in 1973.
While the Queen, 92, did not mention Brexit explicitly in a speech to her local Women’s Institute in Norfolk, the monarch said every generation faced “fresh challenges and opportunities”.
“As we look for new answers in the modern age, I for one prefer the tried and tested recipes, like speaking well of each other and respecting different points of view, coming together to seek out the common ground and never losing sight of the bigger picture,” the Queen said.
The comments have been viewed as a subtle signal to Britain’s political class.
The Times’ main headline read: “End Brexit feud, Queen tells warring politicians” while the BBC said there was no doubt the monarch was sending a message.
As head of state, the Queen remains neutral on politics in public and is unable to vote, though ahead of the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence she made a delicately crafted plea for Scots to think carefully about their future.
The 650-seat Parliament is deeply divided over Brexit, with different factions supporting a wide range of options, including leaving without a deal, holding a second referendum and seeking a customs union with the EU.
The EU, which has an economy more than six times the size of the UK, wants an orderly exit but senior officials have expressed frustration and sorrow at London’s deepening crisis.
ABC/Reuters
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