Farage’s tongue-in-cheek suggestion that he might support the call for a second referendum to kill off Remain illustrates all too clearly the mistake that Lib Dem and Green politicians have made in campaigning for another referendum rather than positively for the UK to stay in the EU. Public opinion (despite mounting evidence of the huge damage that Brexit would cause) has basically reverted to the position that has prevailed for most of the last 40 years – of a small majority in favour of continued membership. Timid or career-minded pro-Remain Labour and Tory MP’s are not going to risk declaring they will stand up and defend our membership in a vote in the Commons unless they see evidence of a clear shift in opinion against Brexit. Once we have achieved that, then will be the time to debate the case for another referendum. Campaigning for a referendum without robust evidence of public opposition to Brexit simply muddies the waters, wastes effort and opens the whole Remain community up the constantly repeated charge of being nothing more than bad losers.
