A solution for Brexit?

Among all the ideas about what our disunited kingdom should do regarding Brexit, cancel Article 50, do a hard Brexit, or find a third way, I believe I have a solution that could work for everyone. At the moment none of the solutions work for a majority of people. Whatever happens a large proportion of the population is likely to be unhappy. If we leave the EU then a large part of the population will feel torn asunder from the community they have grown to love. If we remain in the EU then we are threatened by violence from the nastier parts of the anti-EU population. Yes, these two groups do have different general characteristics (though there are nice and nasty people on each side from the evidence there are more on the Brexit side).

Here’s a solution

1. Revoke Article 50. We clearly cannot come up with an acceptable solution in the short time remaining before we leave or before we go begging to the EUU for another extension. This cannot be sorted out in days or weeks.
2. Tell those people who wish to leave the EU that they have until one year before the next EU elections (ie 2023) to come up with an acceptable option for leaving (whether hard, soft or something inbetween). Like it or not they will have to talk to the EU and come up with a solution that works for the EU too. Yes we have a Euro election later this month, yes we stay in the EU for at least the next five years, but it is important to get this right.
3. One year before the next EU elections we have another referendum – I hate referenda as most of us, myself included, are not qualified to vote on complex issues such as leaving the EU as we don’t understand the consequences, but I don’t think there is another choice on this occasion. The options will be the deal the Brexiters come up with versus remaining in the EU. As it is a significant constitutional change then the Brexit option must be supported by a real majority of the voters, either over 50% of the whole electorate or 60% of those who vote. There is a significant group of people who don’t care and we have to allow for that. They should not be contributing to a situation that could lead to significant constitutional change. If the Brexiters do not come up with a solution there is no referendum. The leave option must be presented with a degree of honesty that was missing from their arguments in 2016, outlining the potential consequences of leaving, both positive (should they find any. I haven’t seen any in the last few years) and negative.
4. If the vote is to remain, then it is over. No more trying to leave for at least 10 years (perhaps the EU could legislate for that, an addendum to Article 50). If the vote is to leave then as the EU has already agreed to the plan it can be put to Parliament for legislation to leave before the next EU elections will be due.

That is it. The simplest solution to a difficult problem. The Brexiters will moan about having to stay in the EU for another few years, but at least we will be in a position to have a reasoned argument (if such is possible) about the options through this period.

Of course I don’t want to leave. I believe strongly that once the public are shown what the alternatives are they will opt to remain. Whether or not the process destroys the Tory Party, the Labour Party or both is a problem for those parties. At the moment they – particularly the former – are tearing themselves apart trying to come up with something that will appeal to everyone. That is not going to happen. Also, with such huge constitutional changes we have to take our time over the debate. Finally, anyone who claims that it is not democratic to have another vote is plain wrong. We have democratic votes every few years to choose our government. We have the right to change our minds.