I do not normally contribute on the political discussion threads as my 'Raison D'Etre' for joining HOL was purely to engage in debate apropos our esteemed club, besides I spend a great deal of my time on political matters away from this cherished site.

All I will assert is that I engaged in conversation with my Conservative chums tonight (All Brexiteers, Mail readers and avid watchers of GB News) over a beer or two, and ALL were incandescent with rage over the conclusions of the report.There was self-combusting and hyperventilating, and on occasions the coarsening of public discourse.

I have nothing more to add and will not respond to any barbs thereby denying them the "Oxygen of publicity", a phrase used by the great Margaret Thatcher.

Edited by Willo (16 Jun 2023 12.05am)

A rejoiner surely. Little point in being a remainer any more. The Brexit ship sailed a while back. I don't live in the past, even if you do.

No rabies in the UK. No chance of a bite from me. Even if I had it!

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

Don't worry Wissie, he'll soon be back, after all he believed that Cummins went to Barnard castle to test his eyesight, or at least he said he did!

Let's hope that his eyesight continues to be poor as he will be opening the bowling for Australia today

No one denies there was, regrettably, a referendum. What's disputed is your assertion that means it was democratic. The only thing that gave the result democratic legitimacy was the vote in Parliament triggering Article 50. Something that, in my opinion, Parliament should not have done in the circumstances, given all the difficulties that had emerged.

That you regard it as "twaddle" only serves to indicate how little regard you have for Parliamentary democracy and how important it is that we consign such thinking to the history books.

We need to put this experiment behind us asap, ditch Brexit and those who still think it was sensible, and move to rebuild our place in the modern world. Which common sense and realism dictates is in the EU.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

Hrolf, the government of the day can apply the policies you feel closest aligned to. I suspect I won't like it. However, if they apply it through clean and effective government and don't treat the electorate like morons, then the likes of I will have to lump it till the next election.

The trouble is, populism offers a simple solution to intractable issues that should take time and patience and guile and not a crude sledge hammer for a quick fix to appeal to the lowest base. That rarely works and usually has a cost as history has proven over and over again.

And yes I am also aware that I am speaking from a great distance from realpolitik. You are more likely to stay in power if you are populist, target the latest zeitgeist issue, apply the sledge hammer cure, and then mask it as success through controlled media and oppressing dissent. There are a number of examples of this model functioning very nicely across the globe. I suppose that makes me an elitist. I think we are better than that and don't want that here or a diluted version of it.