• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Opinion

A confirmatory referendum would resolve Brexit. A general election would just muddy the water even more.

A general election on a single issue is a chocolate teapot manoeuvre that will only serve to create more division.

Jack Peat by Jack Peat
2019-10-27 18:33
in Opinion
Credit;PA

Credit;PA

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

Boris Johnson ramped up general election rhetoric this week, calling for Jeremy Corbyn to “man up” and back his plea to go to the polls before Christmas.

Facing a roadblock in parliament after losing or sacking his majority the Prime Minister is rightly concerned about the prospects of his deal with the European Union.

Even the DUP, who were blackmailed to the tune of £1 billion to prop-up the Conservative government, can’t support the plan, and Johnson now faces shirking on his “do or die” promise to take Britain out of the EU by 31st October.

General election not the answer

But having a general election on a single issue will not resolve anything.

For a start, it has been tried before.

In 2017, buoyed by strong polling numbers, Theresa May took the country to the polls only to have her majority diminished.

The election results returned much the same split as the original referendum with no clear and decisive mandate for any one course of action on Brexit.

RelatedPosts

Elevenses: Let Bray Play

Elevenses: A Very Public Lynching

Elevenses: The day that Labour lost my vote

Watch this ‘and tell me you don’t think PM & Attorney General should both be thrown from office immediately’

And if the by-elections since then have been any indication then a very similar division exists today. If anything, it has shifted to Remain.

Confirmatory referendum

A confirmatory referendum, on the other hand, would provide the government with a mandate once and for all.

Unlike the first referendum it would offer a more informed vantage point on the decision for voters with a deal in place and, to an extent, impact assessments to show what the future health of the nation would look like.

What’s more, it wouldn’t drag into the decision all the other aspects a general election entails.

How are people expected to vote when they a pro-Leave but are worried about the state of our public services and the impact of austerity on local communities, for example?

Or how might a pro-Remain voter decide when their chief concern is the impact of higher education fees on a society ravished by inequality?

Disrupted the national psyche

But the problem is that the Conservatives have disrupted the national psyche to the point where most people would see a second confirmatory referendum as a defeat.

Even though the picture today is a world apart from what it was in 2016 they would be more inclined to back a general election, where parties battle it out over many issues even though we all know it is really only about one.

In the end, another referendum is the only way to get the confirmation any Prime Minister should really desire in order to deliver on the “will of the people”.

Dragging Britain through the mire once again is only likely to muddy the water.

Related: Government rejects bid to give them what they want

Please login to join discussion

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

London’s best new restaurant openings – October 2017

Failed presidential run was the ‘straw that broke the camel’s back’ – Kanye West

Ex-Tottenham Hotspur star Ledley King thrashed 3-1 by a tiny blonde…in EATING CHALLENGE 

Teenager ‘fatally stabbed straight through heart by schoolboy who cycled off on Boris Bike’

Why Don’t More Young People Vote?

Moped muggers hunted young woman down and left her fighting for her life

‘Clubs from Europe can unsettle your team’ – Spurs boss labels ruling ‘massive mistake’

2/3 of 12-y-o in London have live-streamed content potentially putting themselves in danger

How To Make: The Perfect Full English Breakfast

How E Rider Have Revolutionised The Electric Bike Market

JOBS

FIND MORE JOBS

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • JOBS
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.