Are you one of the 16 million-odd people who voted for Britain to remain part of the European Union in the summer?
Are you still feeling a bit pissed off about the plummeting value of the pound, the disturbing rise in racist incidents and the relentless overuse of the meaningless phrase “Brexit means Brexit”?
Maybe you’re just still coming to terms with the fact that, for nearly 24 hours, we lost Marmite?
In truth, you’d be forgiven for thinking Britain’s exit from the EU has been pretty rubbish so far, and it’s not even happened yet.
But Tory Councillor Christian Holliday (actual person, actual name) is not having any of it. The Guildford Borough Council member reckons that anyone still pro-membership of the EU should be tried for treason.
You heard right, treason. Once upon a time such a crime would be punishable by death, and these days it can land you a lifetime prison sentence.
Christian Holliday says wanting to be part of the EU since Britain voted to leave should be recognised as an act of the treason.
He feels so strongly about it that he even launched an online petition. That backfired spectacularly, as not long after the leader of Guildford Borough Council, Conservative Paul Spooner, tweeted to inform followers that Holliday had been suspended from his position.
I have suspended a member of the Conservative Group @GuildfordBC this morning. Whip withdrawn until next Group Meeting in Nov.
— Paul Spooner 💙 (@PaulKGB) October 17, 2016
But even so, the petition exists, and at the time of writing it has somehow garnered nearly 1,800 signatures. At 1o,000 the government is required to issue a response.
If Holliday’s petition passed – humour us here – then an amendment to the Treason Felony Act would include there following:
- ‘To imagine, devise, promote, work, or encourage others, to support UK becoming a member of the European Union.’
- ‘To conspire with foreign powers to make the UK, or part of the UK, become a member of the EU.’
This is how it was received.
Jog on, mate.
— Nick de Semlyen (@NickdeSemlyen) October 17, 2016
https://twitter.com/simon_lindsell/status/787905205320949760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
You absolute melt.
— Michael Moran (@TheMichaelMoran) October 17, 2016
https://twitter.com/dhwg3010/status/788019248270630912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
That Christian Holliday story is proof that Daily Mash articles are morphing into real life.
— Matthew Rhodes (@mattlockrhodes) October 17, 2016
If Christian Holliday wants us Remainers banished, can we choose where? I quite fancy Barcelona
— Marcus Houlden (@mhoulden) October 17, 2016
https://twitter.com/SimonMeechan_90/status/788044925979983872
https://twitter.com/TweetsofPaul/status/788034434486370304
Christian Holliday, ladies and gentlemen. You’ll remember that name when you’re behind bars.
