March for a People’s Vote

So much about Brexit and the way we are moving away from Europe makes no sense. Referendums don’t really fit into our constitution, but they are clearly not binding, but Prime Minister Cameron staked the future of the country on one and clearly lost. Since that decision, Theresa May spent most of her time digging a deeper hole to appease the Conservative right, only too late to come to the realisation that negotiations mean you have to negotiate, too little and far too late with her Chequers proposals.

It seems most likely that no deal will be made, and that if one is it would not be able to get a majority in Parliament. So the government is trying hard to find procedural ways to avoid giving MPs the meaningful vote they were promised. Whatever happens then is anyone’s guess, but it seems likely that the government will fall, and my only hope is that a new government will come in which will go back to Europe and make a sensible deal, probably involving us remaining inside the customs union.

We are clearly however in a situation where almost nothing is impossible, but in the short term for most of us things are going to be tough, while a few of the most prominent advocates of leaving the EU will literally be laughing all the way to the bank, having made a financial killing at the country’s expense.

Quite where a ‘People’s Vote‘ would fit in I’m not sure. Nor I think are all those running the campaign, which for some at least is simply another way to attack Jeremy Corbyn. But for most I think it was something much more positive, and expression of their wish to remain closely tied to the rest of Europe and continue the kind of free movement we have enjoyed.

What is beyond question is that the British public were lied to at the time of the referendum – and that the huge majority of the lies came from those promoting Brexit. There was also considerable breaking of the rules on election spending, again mostly from the same side. Most of those who voted to remain feel cheated, as do a significant number who voted leave, some of whom have expressed their feelings strongly on the matter.

Although opinion polls now show a good majority would vote to stay in Europe, a second referendum would involve a second campaign when dedicated Brexiteers would be strengthened by calling ‘Foul!’ and those running a second Brexit campaign indulging in the same lying and cheating that won the first. Hopefully the lies would be less convincing second time round, and enough of the older voters who gave Brexit their small majority will have died and been replaced by young voters who see their future in Europe to reverse the first vote, but I’m not entirely convinced the result would be different.

Many more pictures at Many Thousands March for a People’s Vote

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My London Diary : London Photos : Hull : River Lea/Lee Valley : London’s Industrial Heritage

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