Brexit Thoughts 11: It Get’s Worse

There is almost a case to be made to close down the referendum campaign, so much nonsense is being talked by both sides, with a period of silence till the day we vote. The basic facts are clear. Either you regard yourself as European and see in the EU a huge advance in human fellowship to benefit peace, prosperity, life chances and life quality. Or you see yourself as English and see an independent, on its own, island nation as much preferable to a  confederation, which pokes its nose into every nook and cranny of your life. Either you will vote for one or the other or you will stay at home.

If it goes Yes the markets will have a euphoria moment, before all the underlying problems of our economy and services will begin once more to loom large. If it goes No, there is no telling what will happen, but euphoria, outside the old Empire wing of the Tory party, will be in short supply. Because the sheer scale of unraveling a whole legal, economic and social partnership of this complexity has never before been undertaken, and because the prospect has always been regarded as so outlandish, nobody, including Brexit grandees, has any plans prepared.

Yesterday we had Gove telling us that if we remain,  five million people would invade our shores from five new EU member countries, in the queue to join by 2020 or there abouts, and whose citizens would be free to come and live here, overwhelming our already overwhelmed public services. That is such tosh. While we remain members of the EU not one single country can join unless we say so and agree. We have a veto. And no citizen would be entitled to come here for seven years anyway. But what about the two million Brits working in the EU? What happens to them if we leave?

Today Osborne declares that if we quit the EU house prices will fall and so will the pound. Well that is very good news and the first coherent reasons that this blog has heard for voting Leave. But Osborne is for Remain? Another forecasting muddle apparently. Perhaps it’s time for him to go too.

 

 

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