Once again, the abominable Vince Cable has raised the spectre of another referendum on the little matter of the UK's relationship with the European Union. Of course, Cable doesn't call it a referendum but simply a vote, which is a fine example of the deceitful way in which he and his like try to corrupt our language.
Today, there is to be a march in London by anti-Brexiteers who still refuse to accept the result of the 2016 referendum. On television this morning, Cable asserted that polls were showing a definite movement away from Brexit - he did not give any details. In fact, his interview on 'Breakfast' was the usual jumble of highly selective 'facts' and distortions of the truth. Cable is one of those who will do anything, say anything, in order to achieve his aim of keeping the UK inside of the appalling dictatorial bureaucracy that is the European Union.
When I voted to leave the EU, I did so knowing that the process of withdrawal was likely to be tortuous though ultimately highly beneficial. I did not expect the EU to be happy or helpful and, in fact, I expected that its leaders would carry on as if nothing had happened, anticipating the usual solution in such situations, that is, that there would quickly be another referendum which would overturn the result of the first. That this has not happened must have been hard to take and it meant that the EU was in new territory. It's response has been to lay the responsibility for suggesting the mechanisms to be put in place after Brexit on the UK, the EU simply sitting back and acting like General de Gaulle in the 1960s; de Gaulle was the French President who famously said "Non !" in answer to the UK's initial attempts to be admitted to the then named Common Market. Today, it is Michel Barnier and his pals who are saying "Non !" to whatever the UK's negotiators put forward.
Airbus and BMW have both been in the news in recent days complaining about the lack of clarity of the economic position after Brexit but both appear to have aimed their remarks at the UK's government. Why are they not also complaining to the EU's leaders about their unwillingness to be positive and constructive ? Needless to say, both companies are perfectly comfortable in the protected environment of the European Union and neither wants to see their current rather cosy situation upset by any criticism of the EU's leadership. Equally needless to say, Vince Cable and his supporters have leapt upon the statements from Airbus , BMW and others and added them to the 'Project Fear' cauldron, having carefully and selectively edited the contents first.
To be campaigning for a further referendum on the final terms of Brexit is dishonest. Brexit means Brexit. It does not mean staying in the customs' union or single market. It does not mean accepting freedom of movement nor rulings of the European Parliament, Court of Justice or any of the myriad of other European bureaucratic institutions. The electorate did not vote with any such provisions in mind, it voted for leaving the entire European Union. Those who now tell us that we were, in fact, too stupid or ill-informed, or simply did not understand what we were voting for, to have cast meaningful votes are following an utterly anti-democratic line. The referendum was promoted as a once in a lifetime opportunity and the people took it; it was always clear that the result would be final and that there would not be any further referendums on the issue.
Cable and his ilk lost the argument. It is now time for them to accept this and shut up.
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