The first one turned out so well, didn’t it? Declared anathema by hardline Brexiteers, who have nonetheless worked steadily to make it possible by leading the UK into an impasse, a second referendum is now the only way out of the unholy mess the UK finds itself in on Brexit, according to MP Anna Soubry, a former Tory now in the Independent Group. Shortly after Theresa May asked for another Brexit extension, this time to June 30, Soubry argued in the Guardian:
- Although the proposal has long been supported by moderate Labour pols, it’s fundamentally non-partisan, especially now that Labour voted (unsuccessfully) for a customs union
- The customs union is almost as bad for UK business as a hard Brexit, and thus a non-starter
- Jeremy Corbyn’s dalliance with Theresa May is playing with fire from a Labour perspective, and Labour may thus use a second referendum to “patch up” fraying party loyalty
- The Independent Group is determined not to allow Corbyn to repossess the referendum as a Labour vote getter
Chancellor Phil Hammond is also in favor of a second referendum, doubtless eliciting more howls of betrayal from hardline Brexiteers. Elsewhere, Dutch finance minister Wopke Hoekstra opines the only real winners from Brexit will be Russia and China, which have an obvious interest in weakening the EU for their “divide and conquer” strategies.
