As the dust clears, it is also becoming clear that some pro-EU campaigners have not given up hope of keeping the UK in the Union, come what may. In particular, that well known champion of democracy, Tony Blair, has said that the UK should 'keep its options open' and suggested that, while Parliament has a duty to act in accordance with the will of the people, that will could change.
Blair has been careful to hedge his remarks with so much waffle that he could, if it came to it, claim that he was doing nothing but expressing an opinion about the overall position, without suggesting that there should be any back-tracking over the referendum result. However, knowing how attached he is to the political status quo and his own best interests, his weasel words can be interpreted in only one way. He is laying the ground for a second referendum or, even, for the possibility that Parliament simply ignores the original result citing changed circumstances, an unacceptable exit negotiation or some other manufactured nonsense as reason.
There is, undoubtedly, a move afoot to find a way round the inconvenient result of the referendum, exactly as there was in previous referendums in other EU member states. On several occasions, countries have got the 'wrong result' in referendums and their governments have simply held others until the 'right result' was achieved. Brexiteers should be under no illusions; the referendum result was far from the final act in this saga. In fact, unless we get a genuinely pro-exit Prime Minister and get on with the process of leaving 'tout suite', we may well never leave.
You have been warned.
No comments:
Post a Comment