BREXIT IS DONE — WE NEED TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE NOW?

There is considerable evidence, based on polling, to suggest that the majority of the UK electorate never wanted to leave the EU and perhaps more importantly, that there is now a majority wanting to rejoin. (Rejoin EU Majority ). Polls also indicate that even amongst leavers/Tories/older people, far fewer than 50% believe that Brexit is going well, and with good reason. (Many Doubts).

Indeed, as long ago as early 2019 and long before we were fully committed to leaving, there had been a substantial change of heart with the majority wanting at the very least to have a second referendum and with strong polling to suggest they wanted to remain. (Second Referendum)

Almost every day there are press reports of devastation amongst fishermen, manufacturers and exporters, importers and the financial services industry caused by Brexit.

In my previous article (BREXIT WHY?) I explained why I and possibly many more voted leave, innocently believing that our politicians would see this as a wake up call to be more responsive to the electorate; and that they would not do anything that might be harmful to the British people. We can now see this was never true, and that some politicians have used Brexit as a means of advancing their own political ambitions. And some I believe in a fit of pique, based on a “you asked for it “ mentality.

Is the answer then, to re-apply for membership? How would this be received by our friends still in the EU I wonder? More importantly have we got enough MPs who would act, not only in the best interests of the country, but also do what the majority of the electorate wanted? And how would we ever know?

In theory of course this could be determined by holding another general election, just as we did a little more than a year ago. Called by the then PM, Boris Johnson, the win by his party was overwhelming and taken by him and his colleagues as a strong mandate to achieve withdrawal from the EU, but also to do virtually anything else they wanted.

But let’s just examine the figures for a moment. The Tories achieved this huge majority by winning 385 (56%) of the seats in parliament but with only 43.6% of votes which accounted for only 29.3% of the electorate. (Dec 2019 Election Results). In other words, the Tory government can only claim to be acting on behalf of approx. 30% of the electorate — and the views of the other 70% are ignored.