REMAINERS GALORE !

The last few days have revealed just how hypocritical it is possible for our democratically elected representatives to be.

In 2016, Members of Parliament agreed to accept and act upon whatever result came out of the referendum on the vexed matter of the UK's membership of the European Union. Of course, they also expected that, with the full weight and power of the establishment behind it, the campaign to remain members would win comfortably. When it didn't they were thrown into turmoil.

Even so, in March 2017, Parliament approved the enactment of 'Article 50', which set in motion the process for leaving. Ever since, voices have been raised against a 'hard Brexit', a Tory Brexit' or, indeed, any Brexit, blatantly ignoring everything that Parliament had previously approved. Now, Vince Cable has stated unequivocally that the principal policy of the Liberal Democrats is to prevent the UK from ever leaving the European Union, the Green Party and Scottish Nationalists are equally in favour of continued membership at all cost, and the ludicrous assemblage of misfits who comprise 'Change UK' have also made it clear that they want to prevent Brexit. 

All of these pro-EU voices had their chance to make their case back in 2016. The fact is that they lost but, like spoiled children, they refuse to accept being told that they can't have things their way. They have gradually moved from grudging acceptance of the referendum result, via suggestions of further referendums and 'soft Brexits', to outright campaigning to reverse the result of the only referendum that matters, that of 2016. They have proved themselves to be anti-democratic, arrogant and dictatorial.

These people, the likes of Vince Cable and Chukka Umunna, Heidi Allen, Anna Soubry, Caroline Lucas, Nicola Sturgeon and the rest, have no right to claim that they represent any views but their own. Add to them others who have remained within the Conservative and Labour parties but disloyal to their millions of voters who expressed a clear desire to leave the EU - Hilary Benn, Dominic Grieve, Keir Starmer, Amber Rudd et al - and it is obvious that none of them, or their adherents, deserve our votes.

That is why I shall be spoiling my voting paper next Thursday rather than voting for any of the party hacks on offer, and I'll be voting for the only acceptable candidate, that of the Brexit Party, on 23rd May when we all go to the polls again for the European Parliamentary elections.

WHEN WILL REMAINERS EVER SHUT UP ?

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.

POLITICS IS BACK AND SO IS THE GRIPING.

With the summer break over, our prancing politicians are at it again.

Over the last few days, Boris Johnson has hit the news with his views and claims about the benefits of Brexit, widely seen by some as preparation for a leadership bid, and Michael Gove has, again, not supported him. Amber Rudd has appeared on television and actually performed quite well in an interview with Andrew Marr, though Marr is not exactly a Rottweiler when it comes to interviews. Theresa May is off to Canada to discuss possible post-Brexit trade arrangements and her guard dog, Damian Green, has been providing a degree of support for her in the media.

At the same time, those grizzled old Europhiles, Paddy Ashdown (remember him ?) and Vince Cable, have also been hawking around their latest ideas for stopping Brexit in its tracks. It seems the new scheme is to have a second referendum which would allow the people to 'get it right' by voting for an "Exit to Brexit". Of course, neither of these two old pseudo-Liberals will admit that this is simply a way of rejecting the original democratic vote of the electorate but dress it up as some sort of addition to the democratic process by letting us decide 'once all the facts are known'.

It really is just the same old tripe rehashed. The people voted in 2016 and the answer was unequivocal. Do we re-run General election results just because some don't like the outcome or the outcome is close ? No.

When the Welsh voted to have their own Parliamentary Assembly by a few thousand votes, did we say they needed to have another vote because the first was so close  and the people might have made a mistake ? No.

So why should we have a second referendum about leaving the European Union ? The people made their choice last year and that should be that. Politicians of all persuasions, if they believe at all in democracy, should now rally behind the Government and do their level best to ensure that the United Kingdom and the European Union go their separate ways, preferably amicably but if not, so be it. Let's just get on with getting out.

WHO WILL LEAD THE LIB DEMS ?

Following the departure of Tim Farron as leader, the Liberal Democrats find themselves in a sorry state.

With only a dozen Members of Parliament, they have few to choose from and that few are mostly anonymous figures are known to almost no one outside of their constituencies and Parliament. Of the names that have been put forward as contenders, Jo Swinson has already said that she doesn't want the job and it seems that the choice is to be between Ed Davey, Norman Lamb and Vince Cable.

One would have to say that the field is pretty uninspiring, being more akin to that found on a wet Wednesday in Wolverhampton than at Royal Ascot; Lamb was easily beaten by Farron in 2015 and so is a proven loser, while Cable is 74 and surely not a suitable choice for a party that sees itself as radical and forward thinking. That leaves Ed Davey although he is actually the least favoured of the three with the bookies.

Whomever they pick has a pretty thankless task and is unlikely to make much impression. They have my sympathy.