Resetting the debate is not just about what sort of Brexit is thought to be expedient, necessary after an advisory referendum.
We have to reset the debate on what sort of UK we wish to be citizens of, what sort of country we wish to leave to our children.
Theresa May has attempted to ramrod Brexit through on some spurious assumptions in order to keep herself and her autocratic Brexit cabinet in power.
That has failed.
What we need is for the UK’s Sovereign Parliament to “Take Back Control” and make decisions that are in the best interest of the UK. The GE result is a clear indication that people want a more sensible, inclusive answer to this complex question.
The People’s Challenge - What is in the best interest of the UK?
I really cannot understand how Theresa May and David Davis are able to read the minds of all those who voted Leave.
There was only one question and it did not involve hard or soft Brexit.
There are so many variables that to assert that all Leavers have the same opinion is totally fatuous.
Inhave hust David Davis on the Today Programme and you would think that the Election had returned the Tories with a huge majority.
They are living in a fantasy world.
And while he UK is still squabbling a year after the referendum, it seems to be oblivious to the fact that the EU is waiting for it to get its arse in gear because what is in the best interests of the EU is to wrap Brexit up and move on.
The time for the UK to debate this was before the referendum, or at least before triggering Article 50, when it could have spent as long as it took - which on current showing is likely to be a very long time indeed. - to reach a consensus on where its best interests lie. It no longer has that luxury, the clock is ticking and 27 countries are getting impatient and irritated. Another year of navel gazing and it really will end up crashing out because it never even made it to the negotiating table before close of business. Talk about fiddling while Rome burns…
I understand that we can still withdraw Article 50 and that could well happen if there were to be a new General Election.
Jeremy Corben has managed to get young people interested in politics, albeit by promising to withdraw tuition fees.
Once they understand the threat to their future in jobs and freedom of movement and attracting scientific funding into UK, I am sure that the outcome could be different.
Also it is more than time that UK citizens now barred from voting are readmitted to the electorate.
You may well be right, but that is a matter for the 27 to agree. I’m really not sure that the 27 have the appetite to do that, particularly not France nor Germany for whom the UK has been a constant whingeing thorn in the side and whilst they won’t openly admit it, they’ll be glad to see the back of the UK.
No, but they might well want to keep a net contributor.
Again true but on the other hand, they are eyeing up the possibility of moving substantial business from the City of London to money markets in the 27 worth billions of Euros.
So supposing article 50 were to be withdrawn, what do you think would happen then? Would the UK do a complete U-turn and agree to put its national interest second to EU interests, and get behind the EU and support its ideals and objectives? Join the Euro, join Schengen and embrace free movement? and bearing in mind that with Macron’s input the EU is set to develop closer links and head towards common taxation policies etc. Or would it be same old same old, only in the EU for the trade advantages it brings, still resenting “being told what to do by Brussels”, still a sour relationship when it comes to free movement, Brexiteers taking over from Remoaners and getting up petitions and saying it shouldn’t have been allowed, endless recriminations and blame games?
What a mess. Neither solution bears thinking about. Part of me thinks that it would be unforgiveable to have caused all this trauma and upset and then go back on the decision, because if the UK does go back on it now there is every chance that we’ll be going round the same hoops in a few years time because unless the mindset changes, which I’m not sure it can, the UK will never really be happy in the EU.
Then, looking at the UK’s latest trade figures, its trade balance is currently one of the worst in the EU so does that mean that it will contribute less this year? If the EU thinks it’s on the slide as a result of all the upheaval, why would they want it to stay a member?
Funny how different newspapers put a different slant on the same topic - the UK press practically has Macron saying “Baby please don"t go” and the French press has him feeling sorry for her and throwing her a lifeline (“tendre une perche”).
"Quant à Emmanuel Macron, comme le souligne Gideon Rachman dans le Financial Times, il a peu de raisons de rendre «des services» et de faire des concessions à Theresa May. En position de force, il pourrait même considérer le Brexit comme «une opportunité historique». Sans les Britanniques, poursuit le journaliste du FT, l’UE sera plus ouverte aux idées françaises sur l’intégration économique, la protection des marchés européens et l’établissement d’une identité de défense européenne. Le président français n’en a pas moins tendu une perche à la Première ministre britannique, mardi soir, estimant que «la porte (était) toujours ouverte» pour que le Royaume-Uni reste dans l’Union européenne «tant que la négociation du Brexit n’est pas achevée», mais qu’«une fois commencée, il est beaucoup plus difficile de revenir en arrière».
The mandate is gone. To rescue the economy it needs to be stopped which means the Bully Boy Brexiteers need to be stopped. The money press is very gloomy reading.