Solve BREXIT

Solve BREXIT

The ‘biggest political disaster to befall the British since Suez’ is an issue that has been blown out of all proportion. If politicians insist on behaving like desperate, unemployed actors that is their problem. When they involve everyone else, what could be an amusing play becomes a nightmare. The world is sick enough without the added drama of issues being overblown by attention-seeking politicians. The simple truth is that In or out of Europe, Britain will survive. It will either be part of a bigger, more powerful group that has some influence in the world or it will be a poorer, small maritime country on its own with a heavy armaments bill and a beautiful climate and views.

Neither ‘IN’ nor ‘OUT’ is irrevocable. Neither will last forever. If Vanuatu can become the next Australian Heavy Weaponry Base, there is hope for us all. Trouble is that feelings have been fanned into flames over Brexit. Common sense has gone out of the window. Facts have been more diligently invented than sought. I love my country of origin. I think it would be better in the EU. But 65 million people aren’t going to disappear overnight if it isn’t. The seats of great learning and invention will still be there. Britain’s influence in the world declined because it lost its Empire.

It was nothing to do with being in or out of Europe.

We see a different picture of Britain from 8,000 miles away in Asia. Our comparisons are with the Asian Tiger economies, with the newly educated, the rising middle classes, the grafters who intend to make the world what they want it to be. They don’t have myopic views based on a glorious history. But nor did they have the foundation of sensible, philosophical thinking that allowed a society to mature beyond the material. They are getting these things, quite fast. They do not have the balanced lifestyle of the Far West but they know how to tip balances in their favour.

BREXIT or NO BREXIT will be solved if an acceptable, independent group (maximum five people, no Chair casting vote) sets out the pros and cons in simple, unambiguous language of not more than 1,000 words for the electorate to understand. Given three weeks to assimilate and discuss this voters will then be invited to a General Election with Membership of the EU as its main, but not its only, issue. Members of Parliament will tell their constituents if they will support or not whatever the majority of their constituents are going to demand on EU membership.

The voting paper for this election will differ from the normal. It will have the candidates’ names, against which an ‘X’ will indicate the voters’ choice for their Member of Parliament – as in a normal election. It will have a second question “Would you prefer Britain [a] to be a member of the European Union OR [b] not to be a member of the European Union”. The results of these two votes will be published simultaneously, with each candidate knowing the EU answers of his supporters. No Member of Parliament will be bound to any vote by his constituents choice of non-membership / membership of EU.

If the Prime Minister will obtain the necessary extension of time from the EU Council and set this up, she will be Prime Minister for as long as she wants to hang onto the job. If that is a long time, I daresay it will prove that she really is nuts.

But then, aren’t most of us?