Wednesday 16 October 2019

Swinson backing calls for a second referendum (again)

After a brief dalliance with 'hard Revoke' it looks like the Lib Dems are changing ground on on Brexit, with leader Jo Swinson reverting to calling for a second referendum on Johnson's deal.
The party has tabled an amendment to the Queen’s speech requesting that any deal brought back from Brussels by the prime minister is put to another public vote. 
The Lib Dem leader, Jo Swinson, said: “The Liberal Democrats are the strongest party of remain and have been the leading voice in the People’s Vote campaign. 
“Boris Johnson is determined to have a general election, but the best way to resolve the Brexit chaos is to have a people’s vote and give the British people the final say about their future. 
“The best deal we have is as members of the European Union and we want to give the people the chance to choose to stop Brexit.”
This seems foolish as it overlooks obvious dangers - the likelihood of a Brexit winning in a Deal v Remain referendum. That's why we need the best deal possible (i.e. the least Brexity Brexit) to run off against Remain. So if Remain loses, it isn't too awful.

And - even more ominous - there is the risk of getting No Deal on the ballot in any referendum set up by a Conservative government.

I can foresee the Lib Dems making such a hash of things we end up with Johnson's deal running off against No Deal; and the Lib Dems and everyone sane being forced into voting for Johnson's deal, giving him reason to call himself the great negotiator who not only sorted Brexit, but who crafted such a deal even Remainers voted for it ... Because you know he would try that.

Get rid of this toxically useless government, Jo, and then sort of out a referendum on your terms from a position of relative strength.

Unless you're more interested in making noise on the sidelines, of course.

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