Oops - I've mentioned the B word!

Yesterday I said I wouldn’t talk about politics but it’s hard not to get involved in some sort of dialogue when your country is going through such a time of change.  Yes I’m daring to mention the B word. (Brexit)

Cartoon from Hedgeye

Firstly let me say I voted to remain.  I believed that we would be better remaining part of the EU and being able to influence its decisions.  The alternative, being on the outside of a large group of countries who would not be impressed by our decision to leave, (and I think this is becoming more evident as talks go on) was never going to be a pretty picture and to believe that we could just demand our terms and have them met, especially when we seem to want our cake and eat it (e.g control of our borders but oh wait a minute no physical border with Ireland)  just seems to reinforce the belief that Brits think they are better than everyone else.  Not a good starting point for negotiations.

Of course the biggest mistake made was the original decision to make it a straight Remain/Leave referendum question.   At the very least it should have required a set percentage of Leave votes for it to be carried.  A result of 51.89% voting Leave against 48.11% voting Remain is hardly conclusive.  Surely there should have been an agreed margin between the two outcomes.  After all, in tied votes on a committee where the Chairman has the casting vote, it’s usual to keep the status quo as there is no clear majority for change.

However, what’s done is done.  Now we have to get on with it.  All these constant suggestions that we should have another vote are not helping.  We are a democracy and the vote was taken in a democratic way.  Besides, do people really believe that if we had a second vote and the decision was to remain, countries like France would just allow us to stay in without any penalties? (Especially since they’ve recently won the Football World Cup.)  Of course not.  If we went back with our tail between our legs and asked to stay our position would probably be worse than if we get no exit deal.

As the date for completing the exit nears (11pm local time on 29 March 2019) there’s plenty of scaremongering beginning which is not particularly helpful.  The latest being the suggestion that the Government is stockpiling certain items, including healthcare essentials such as insulin in case no deal is in place on the 29^th March.  It feels like the Millennium bug saga all over again.   Will we still be able to buy European wine?  That’s the question!

I hope that we do get some sort of deal and I think we will.  Surely it can’t be in Europe’s best interest to have no certainty over what happens when the clock strikes 11pm next March? (Why 11pm?  Can’t agree a deal but we can decide on a time?  Why not midnight?)

It’s definitely a right fine mess the Conservative Party has gotten us into.  And now they’re making a bigger mess in trying to sort it out.  Unfortunately I don’t think the Labour Party would do any better.

 
Hopefully the World Wide Web will continue to work on 30^th March.  Otherwise it’s been nice knowing you!