Citizens of this realm are surely irritated that, having voted “leave” in a referendum which the then Prime Minister said would be honoured, a large number of Westminster politicians are seeking to frustrate that directive, citing variously that ‘people’ didn’t understand what they were voting for (but see
http://grumpy.eastover.org.uk/soubry-hypocrisy/ ), or that they may have now changed their mind, or (an old chestnut) it isn’t in the ‘National Interest’. To add further irritation, they are also regaled by a motley bunch of celebrities and ex-politicians, especially when it’s ‘Teflon’ Blair or ‘fake news’ Campbell.

The primary means by which they are seeking to frustrate the democratic will is by something called a “confirmatory vote”, which would give the option of reversing the 2016 decision. It’s presented as something logical and perfectly clear, and it is based on the fact that voters could give their opinion on a known ‘deal’. In fact, it’s no such thing, and they actually mean they want the referendum to be re-run (presumably on the assumption that the vote would change), but the idea that they are ‘confirming’ something is seen to weaken any perceived betrayal. Typical of the weasel words are those of slimy Emily Thornberry, who said “… that we say to the people, ‘Is this what you wanted?’ ‘We just want to check, because if it isn’t, let’s stay'”. As a piece of Machiavellian sophistry, this takes the biscuit.

Grumpy is completly confused. The confirmatory vote is always linked to be on ‘the deal’. But what deal ? The remainers use deliberate obfuscation, because the only deal agreed with the EU is May’s Withdrawal Agreement. However, this is merely a transitory arrangement, and dies when some final agreement is ratified. Since this hasn’t been discussed with the EU (except for a vague Political Declaration), nobody has the faintest idea what the final agreement with the EU will be – so how can people make a decision now on whether this is what they voted when they said ‘yes’ to leave ???

Tom Watson and others have defined this as a “confirmatory referendum on any deal agreed by MPs”, and said that is what their last conference voted for. This is nonsense. It cannot refer to the actual future relationship with the EU (as that cannot be discussed yet) and in any event it’s not in the gift of MP’s to agree to any other deal – only the EU can do that.

This is a naked confidence trick to lure the populace to reject Brexit on an entirely false premise. The Labour party conference referred to relates to a “deal” which is “a customs union, market access and rights protection within, with, the European Union”.

There is no such deal, and MP’s cannot alone effect it. The EU won’t negotiate further. The only choices are (1) leave with no deal (2) leave with May’s deal or (3) revoke article 50 and stay in the EU. It’s really this third option that is being pushed for, and Alistair Campbell, the ex-porn author and political lies maestro, should be justifiably proud of his Labour legacy.