Sunday 30 December 2018

Best news for 2019 would be no Brexit

There are 89 days left before Great Britain and Northern Ireland leave the European Union. Brexit Day is March 29. Liam Fox, the international trade secretary and a keen Brexiteer, believes there is now only a 50-50 chance of Brexit ever taking place unless Parliament approves Theresa May's deal negotiated with Brussels. Hurray, that's good news! He of course is appealing to MPs to say yes to the May deal so that at least the UK will be able to leave the EU on March 29. My view is the opposite. If the alternative to the May deal is a no-deal and leaving in chaos then I am totally against it and would prefer all MPs to go for the Theresa option. But if a genuine alternative, following a no vote to the May deal, is to give the whole thing up and revert to the status quo-ante, ie stay in the EU and carry on as before, then I'll shout from the rooftops, "Vote No, MPs". Whether this alternative requires a second referendum I don't know. I have always been against a second referendum because I feared the result would be even more confusing and disastrous as the first one. But what if a miracle happens and a large percentage of those who voted Leave the first time are now so sick of the whole debacle that they decide, oh hell, let's just stay in the EU. Politicians have said that a second referendum would be a betrayal of the 17 million who voted to leave in 2016. But, hang about, that's absolutely not true. Let us say, for the sake of argument, that 50 per cent of the 17 million leavers change their mind in a second referendum and vote stay. That would mean that only eight and half million people would feel betrayed. That's still a lot of people but in a democracy, that's a helluva lot better and more manageable than having 17 million people taking to the streets. So, Liam Fox, I hope your prediction is on the right lines. Maybe just maybe by March 29, this country of mine will come to its senses and say: "Let's stay in the EU." But unfortunately I don't have much faith in Dr Fox's political judgment. And of course his intention in making the prediction was to try and put pressure on doubting MPs from all parties to go for the May Brexit deal. The vote is due next month. I believe very very strongly that it is in the best interests of this country's future to STAY in the EU. So please we need a lot more politicians to come forward and say: "For the Brexiteers this is your last chance. Vote for the May deal or the government will step in and cancel the Brexit plan altogether and revert to the pre-referendum position." To hell with the storm it will cause. Just do it!!

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