Quote:
Originally Posted by OLD BOY
Cameron called for a referendum because the EU issue was dividing the country. He only requested that small changes be made and the EU rejected them out of hand, which simply stiffened the resolve to do something about it. Had the EU just been a bit more flexible, none of this would have happened.
One thing this whole episode has taught us, surely, is that referendums are not a good idea, because it polarises everyone in a rather dangerous way. It is an alien concept in the UK and I think it would be better if we reverted to party manifestos and general elections to determine policy.
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A laughably poor take. The EU issue wasn’t dividing anyone outside the Conservative party. It ranked low on issues the public cared about at elections, usually less than 10% of the public considering it a major issue.
Had the EU been “just a bit more flexible”, like what? The Eurosceptic wing of the Conservative Party were never going to be placated. It was a matter of principle that they wanted out.