Like most politicians, Prime Minister of England Theresa May has a habit of speaking in soundbites. By this I mean that often her statements will be made out of catchy pseudo-meaningful one-liners that don’t actually mean anything, but will make a good headline and get a good cheer, my favourite being “Red, White, and Blue Brexit.”
Now May has evolved to entirely ignoring big issues and only speaking on small, insignificant matters rather than the impact that the decisions made by her cabinet are having on the country. The PM speaks out against National Trust for dropping the word ‘Easter’ from their Egg hunt, calling it ‘frankly ridiculous,’ as if it really matters.
At this point, it must be acknowledged that Christian traditions have dominated and shaped culture so much that almost everyone in England participates in them, such as taking time off for Christian holidays and shops closing early on a Sunday. In fact, every student in Britain, regardless of religion, is taking time off for their Easter holiday’s right now. Yes, the Easter Egg is a symbol of rebirth, which reflects Jesus rising from the dead. However, this holiday predates Christian traditions, as it is also a celebration of spring. For children, however, it’s about chocolate, and if they want to observe the religious elements, they may do so, the dropping of the word ‘Easter’ won’t change that.
Most importantly, however, is that this change has taken priority for our PM. Nevermind that the child Welfare cuts by May’s government will impact 600,000 families this week. Nevermind that England still has firm ties with Saudi Arabia or that May won’t condemn Trump’s Muslim Ban, despite May supposedly backing Muslim’s right to religious expression. However, she will condemn a harmless change that, if anything, is a positive one. The removal of religious connotations allows for the hunt to be a fun day out for all kids, regardless of their faith.
Article 50 was triggered on March 29th, officially starting Brexit. It’s almost as if May doesn’t want us to think about the impact our departure will have on England. The issue that she decides to speak out on seems deliberately irreverent, to distract us from her hypocrisy and the fact that she rarely say’s anything real. Instead, we focus on the real issue, Egg Hunts.
This tweet by David Schneider sums it up very well.
The Theresa May Guide To What’s Important In Today’s News. #Cadbury pic.twitter.com/xa5c5F8ADb
— David Schneider (@davidschneider) 4 april 2017
