One of the great things about our unwritten constitution and amendments is that we’ve ultimately ended up with a parliamentary system whereby the best of us are in theory nominated to stand and represent our interests.
Now, democracy often gets it wrong, but it will occasionally make a huge difference. Honestly, did everyone who voted leave do so with the fullest of information in front of them? Heck, I voted Remain with only my interpretation of the facts.
So here we are, no-one either Leave or Remain voted to be without the Single Market. Nor did anyone vote against a common policy on atomic research.
But the result and thinking isn’t binary. There’s stuff noone considered publicly. Empire 2.0 isn’t the answer, nor is a racist, freewheelin’ “truly global” economy with low skills, low productivity and zero rights for the wage slaves turning the cogs.
That window is closing. The hard right of the Conservative Party needs to confront the fact that the in-fighting and constant policy blunders will render the entire party an irrelevance for a decade, or it will be forever be utterly divisive and controversial.
This is the worst loss of collective face since Suez.