Since the fateful referendum in June last year things have been easy for the Brexiteers. Because of the delay in triggering Article 50, nothing had actually changed, so nothing did change. All the consequences remained in the future. But now things are happening thick and fast and even though negotiations have not yet begun, it is clear that the era of lofty rhetoric about a new global Britain, without facts, figures, plans or projections, is over. Now it is the hard grind through much detail and a good deal of vested interests and nobody knows how it will work out in the end.
The foundation upon which May has built her project, somewhat bravely pressing forward without any useful input (apart from rhetoric) from the authors of this peculiar twist in the history of these islands, is that she is acting to carry out the will of the British people. So what ‘will’ is that? Here are the figures. Of those entitled to vote
31% did not bother, thus signalling that they either did not care, did not understand, or were kind of okay with things as they are;
35% voted to remain;
37% voted to leave.
So only 37% actually voted for this Brexit? On matters of this magnitude that is a minority voting preference. It does not pass a two thirds threshold which should have been part of the referendum structure for so huge a leap into the unknown. It is certainly not a mandate and as things begin to get difficult, that will become ever clearer.