Brexit

"We need to deliver a smooth and orderly departure from the European Union and forge a deep and special partnership with our friends and allies across Europe"

That statement justifies almost anything including not leaving for so long as our departure would not be smooth and orderly.

I don't agree. Departure must be smooth and orderly but they also have to deliver a departure. If they believe that they cannot deliver a departure without it being rough and disorderly, they cannot deliver the manifesto and on a point of this magnitude that should result in a new manifesto and a new election.

Governments never decide that they cannot attain their manifesto objectives until those objectives have been politically superseded. Until that point their objectives are just postponed.

How are we doing on meeting the five economic tests for joining the Euro?

That might be a reasonable position if there hadn't been a fresh election last year. The Conservative-DUP coalition does have a mandate to deliver Brexit having pledged to do so in their manifestos.

It’s a minority government so it’s my belief that there isn’t a real mandate for either party.

The Labour Party also had a manifesto commitment to deliver Brexit in 2017.

The Labour Party also doesn’t have a mandate.

We don't elect parties. We elect MPs and governments are appointed by the crown. The government committed to deliver Brexit and that commitment is supported by an overwhelming majority of MPs - far more than actually support the government.

Delivering Brexit in some form, has a slight majority. That’s nothing new (2016 Referendum cleared that up). But the Tory version of Brexit doesn’t have a mandate with the public and so far has not really been supported in the elected Parliament.

There is an overwhelming majority in parliament in support of Brexit in some form and a slight majority in parliament support of the crown's appointed government determining that form.

I don’t agree - I think that a majority do not want a hard Brexit.

"Hard Brexit" means whatever the speaker wishes it to mean.

Today the remnants of Remain are trying to portray Brexit as essentially harmless, hijacked by extremists into something dangerous. But during the campaign much of what Remain is now calling "hard Brexit" they just called "Brexit", and even more besides that.

Do you remember when Remain told us that "Brexit" would result in refugees invading through the channel tunnel, World War Three, and the end of Western civilisation?

Alright I’ll bite. Clearly a hard Brexit is leaving the Single Market, Customs Union and a hard border in Northern Ireland.

None of that stuff was championed by Leave was it? And a minority Government for the tories pretty much shows that there’s no public mandate for it.

Obviously I’m talking to someone who wants to see hard Brexit delivered so you’ll always fight the corner that there’s totally a mandate for it. I just see things differently.

Remain told me that if I voted Brexit, Western civilisation would end. So do not tell me that my vote does not provide a mandate for a 1% contraction in GDP.

Remain told me that if I voted Brexit, Western civilisation would end. So do not tell me that my vote does not provide a mandate for a 1% contraction in GDP.

Not sure where you come to the conclusion that ‘Remain’ was arguing that Brexit was the end of the world.

Your single vote was not a mandate for any ‘type’ of Brexit

Remain's continuation argument is based on the implication that the referendum was about some version of Brexit that didn't actually involve withdrawal from many of the EU's core institutions.

Remain was in fact very clear at the time, when they were trying to frighten people with the magnitude of what might happen, that the consequences of Brexit would be extreme and catastrophic.

David Cameron, as leader of the Remain campaign, was clear that if Leave won he would remain as PM to oversee withdrawal via Article 50 (another lie) which as we know carries the possibility of withdrawal by default from all EU institutions.

Simply by not causing increased unemployment or a recession before the terms have been decided, Brexit has already in fact been far softer than Remain said it would be during the campaign. Remain has to retcon its whole referendum campaign to accuse government of acting without a mandate.

What Remain is proposing as "soft Brexit" today is almost identical to David Cameron's "renegotiation" (anyone remember that?) which was exactly the Remain position during the referendum.

I’m sorry but the pictures painted by the Leave Campaigns before the referendum were of a partnership in which we got uninterrupted access to the SM and CU.

That is largely what people voted for (along with the hogwash £350m per week for the NHS - which is also not happening).

I’m not saying we should re-run 2016. But a minority government does not have the mandate deliver a Brexit where these things are off the table.

I accept that you will disagree because you’re probably one of the minority that did vote for TM and that does want Brexit at any cost, and I understand that you have your reasons for that (even if I think they are misguided).

Please try to understand where I am coming from.