Here we go again: Another Election

Here we go again

So our elected representatives have just called an election for December 12th.

There was a lot of argument about the date - should it be earlier that week, we never have an election in December, it's too cold and dark, it has to be on a Thursday - all that sort of absolute nonsense. Given that we can vote in person, by proxy, or by post, how can anyone give a what-sit about these things? It's not as if we are in the North Pole where weather at that time of year makes getting around quite hard.

My feeling is that we will get another Hung Parliament - no conclusive result - so I am not in favour of an election. [How wrong I was! Boris Johnson and his Conservative party won with a majority of nearly 90 seats.]

"My father was Brexit Negotiator, and his father before him"

For me, the only grown-up democratic way out of the Brexit impasse we face is:

1. Get the Withdrawal Bill completed and agreed by a majority in House of Commons and Lords

2. Get the EU to confirm they are still happy with it after any amendments made 

3. Hold a People's Vote in 2 rounds:

Round 1  'If we are to leave the EU, do you prefer the Deal that has been agreed by Parliament, or No Deal?'

Round 2 'Now you know what leaving looks like, do you prefer to Leave or Remain?'

How can it be democratic to hold another referendum?  I believe it would be undemocratic not to because:

• There are now 2.5 million people eligible to vote who were too young 3 and a half years ago (remember that Leave won by a majority of 1,269,501).
• Around 2 million people who voted last time have since died (remember that Leave won by a majority of 1,269,501).
• We are all now much better informed than last time, when there was much mis-information and little real understanding of the issues.
• This is a fundamental change in the way the UK operates and trades. It will affect us all for decades to come. MPs were recalled to debate it on a Saturday, something unseen since the Falklands War and WW2. 
• Now that we have an agreed proposal on the table, the people should be asked to vote on this rather than some nebulous emotional concept which is what we voted on last time.
• The events of the last three years have shown that Parliament is already very much 'In Control' but it's just not able to make up its mind. It's not that we need to 'Take Back Control' from the EU - we just need to make up our minds about what's best for us. Time for the People to tell Parliament what to do.

How can anyone possibly consider a People's Vote unreasonable?

Did I tell you that Leave won by a majority of 1,269,501 votes in June 2016?

Remember when it all started? Cameron has just published his book about it:

"Brexit is a distraction not a solution to the problems this country faces."
Tony Blair, September 10th 2017