Ok, I have keep reasonably tight lipped since the referendum, I am not sure I can any longer. I may be treading on some toes here, but I have to say something and it may as well be here, because we seem a pretty reasonable bunch. WHAT ARE WE DOING?????
As you know I campaigned to remain in the EU. I am passionate about this. I feel very strongly European, but yes I am British also. I also feel the French, Italians, Dutch, Belgians, Germans and all the other millions of people in Europe are Europeans too, as well as French Italian etc. What is this jingoistic bollocks about having our nationality, sovereignty, taken away from us? I don't get it. What has broken my heart about all this, is the way our country has divided. It is interesting, politically, because it has blown away the traditional party lines. That could be a good thing, but in fact it has just driven a deep rift right down the middle. And strangely as a Remainer I feel barraged by Brexiteers saying, "Respect our vote! Why don't you respect the vote and just leave! We are the forgotten majority!" This is rubbish. The government, such as it woefully is, has spent two and a half years trying to enact the result of the referendum. No one has forgotten them, they have, to the absolute detriment of the rest of the country's affairs, been front line and centre stage (best place to be of course).
Economically it is a very different landscape to when we had the vote, so that might be a reason for having a second vote, but whether you believe that or not, knowledge is a good thing and as a nation we are that much more aware of the consequences of enacting Article 50. That seems a very good reason to hold a second vote. "BUT we already had a vote, respect the democracy!" is the cry from the other side of the debate. OK, I hear that. But, what are they afraid of? The very thing they are brandishing, democracy? I mean, how much of a pain is a second vote that the Brexiteers can't bring themselves to go back and confirm the democratic but non-binding vote we had before? There would be a couple of weeks of campaigning, which I would love to do again by the way, and then a day when we would all the hardship of finding half an hour, or even a whole hour, to put our ticks in boxes. How tough would that be? Why are the Brexiteers so frightened of a better informed vote? And if, IF, we chose to remain then I truly hope that the victors would not behave in the same vitriolic and bitter way the victors have done since the last referendum. I hope that we would address this huge issue with an invitation to sit round the table together. I know Prime Minister May has finally begun to reach out to the main leaders in the house, but too little too late. She promised to before but never did. And all of her statements are fully of prevarication.
Finally, about her.... How can she continue? She has only really drawn admirers because of her longevity in her position. Her deal is, and always has been, a complete hotchpotch. I would give her credit for trying to please everyone, but at the same time she just isn't up to it. To use a horse racing comparison, it would be like trying to enter my lovely Jellybean (long gone now I'm afraid) in the Gold Cup. She has all four legs and they look good, but they just don't move fast enough. And, although I am a Labour man, I think Corbyn has made a complete hash of the last 2-3 years. Please Labour, get someone with dignity and commitment to social justice and the party. Jeremy postures as that man, but he has not listened to his party, except in a perfunctory and rather patronising way. If he really listened he would have made very different choices and I believe we would carry the house in tonight's No Confidence bid. As it is, we will lose and his hand will again be forced. May played him yesterday. She isn't, in my opinion, a good leader or a good speaker, but she still managed to play him. Shameful!
Anyway, so there you go. My take on it all. I may alienate some, even surprise some, but I want to get my thoughts out there.
Love and respect to all. Here's to staying in the EU!!