26 June 2016

Wheels within wheels

Musings in The Sunday Times on the next general election:
If our representative system is to retain its integrity, there will surely have to be a general election, perhaps as soon as the autumn. The new Tory new prime minister, presumably Boris Johnson, will need to go to the country, seeking a mandate for withdrawal.
If the UK wants what it voted for last week, he will win it by a landslide, and the constitutional part of our present crisis, at least, will be solved. But then again, he may not win it, especially if Labour elects a more credible leader than Jeremy Corbyn. It is, after all, the overwhelming desire of 90% of Labour MPs, almost all the trade unions, and a majority of Labour voters, that Britain remains within the EU.
Johnson, of course, may not want to risk an election on a platform of withdrawal, not least because it would almost certainly lead to a split in the Tory party.
Interesting.  Boris would presumably seek a mandate involving some kind of association agreement with the EU (either as part of the EEA or otherwise), even if that meant abandoning opposition to free movement of labour.  As to what position the Labour Party might adopt, I haven't a scooby ...

   

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