Brexit

Michael McDowell pointed to Brexit and how that may impact on this state in the SBP, and in the Observer William Keegan writes about the mood of pessimism in some circles as regards what they regard as the good likelihood of it coming to pass.

A point he makes is worth thinking about:

The opinion polls have to be treated with a kilogram of salt after last year’s general election; however, even allowing for polling error, what seems incontrovertible is the finding that the young tend to be strongly in favour of our remaining in the European Union, whereas the so-called “grey vote” is predominantly in favour of Brexit.

With due respect to the grandfather generation, they do not, according to the polls, seem to be paying much attention to the views and ambitions of the younger people who will have to cope with the consequences of Brexit rather longer than they will.

Keegan, who is anti-Brexit, has strong words of support for Corbyn who last week tied himself to the mast of that campaign. In fairness Keegan is no stranger to kind words for Corbyn having from the start had a notably more benevolent view of the new Labour leader than some in the same paper (just on that I enjoyed Jonathan Freedland who has had somewhat less kind words seeing the penny drop in terms of how important Corbyn is to that referendum).

Keegan indeed argues that the status quo ante for Britain, outside the euro, outside Schengen, is the best option.

And he makes a point too about the right:

…much of the regulation so many people complain about was necessary to make the single market work. Britain, under Margaret Thatcher and her hard-working negotiator Arthur Cockfield, was the main force behind the formation of the single market. And those latter-day Thatcherites who evoke the lady’s name in favour of Brexit should heed the words of her biographer Charles Moore: “Mrs Thatcher was the most effective promoter of European integration Britain has ever known.”

For Europe, not necessarily for Britain, one might add.