Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Don't Open the Door to Endless Brexit Do-Over

Prime Minister May rejected calls for another Brexit referendum. That this came from some on the Brexit side is mind boggling:

Earlier, Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage said he was warming to the idea of holding a second referendum, arguing that another vote would see “Leave” win again and end the debate.

The fact that Remainers are eager for another vote should tell you all you need to know.

Consider the situation. Brexit won the close vote, and the difficulties of disentangling from the European Union have yet to be overcome. Any commitment to voting again would just give those who prefer to remain in Europe the incentive to stall negotiations until frustration moves a small amount of the electorate away from exiting the EU.

Voila! Britain remains in the EU.

And the notion that another Brexit victory in another vote would settle the question seriously underestimates the ability of the Remainers to keep resisting. Have the Brexit backers not noticed that the pro-EU forces tend to make voters vote until they get the "right" outcome, at which point further voting is unnecessary?

If Remain win the new vote, all progress toward Brexit would end and the Remainers would know what ties they need to strengthen to stall a break with the EU until frustration builds up and the Remainers can call for another vote--if they even make the mistake of allowing another vote.

Which the won't, because they will term their victory a "final" judgment of the people who love the idea of "ever closer union."

Britain needs to get out of the EU whatever the terms, and work on improving the terms with future negotiations from the safely independent position of being a non-EU state.

Vote again? Good Lord, are they insane?