Tony Blair – for once in his life – speaks sense
On Monday, Tony Blair took to Facebook and posted his views on the fallout of Brexit.
In a lengthy wall post, the former Prime Minister remarked:
Two stories to keep beside you
The Business of Blair
Tony Blair ditches business and also denies a return to public office For weeks, the mainstream media have claimed Tony Blair is preparing to return to public office to save Britain from the nightmare of Brexit. They have claimed he’s ready to seize the support of the 48% and that him and Nick Clegg […]
The Baloney of Brexit
Summing up Britain beginning its road to Brexit and an amusing take on the Prime Minister’s letter to Donald Tusk Yesterday, Theresa May found her date with destiny and triggered Article 50. With no more restrictions on bendy bananas (a total myth) and the start of a long goodbye, Britain reached a “historic moment” […]
Not since I became politically active four decades ago, has clarity of thinking been in such urgent demand or such short supply. Britain hurtles towards a triggering of Article 50, meaning that, next March, we enter a time-limited negotiation to go out of the EU, yielding up a significant part of our freedom of manoeuvre to a process governed by the necessity of a Europe wide agreement.
We propose doing this with no clear idea of what life outside of the EU and especially outside of the European Single Market really looks like. Nonetheless, any hint of braking or slowing down is condemned in some quarters as a treasonous denial of the will of the people.
The British people ‘have spoken’ we are reminded. That is true but no reason for us now to shut up and go along with whatever version of Brexit we end up negotiating, good or bad. We can carry on speaking and debating. This is democracy.
I am not suggesting: either that we disregard the vote, or base a case on saying the people were misled, or didn’t know what they were voting for, or that we can just stay in the EU and override the will of the people.
I am suggesting something very simple. It goes to the heart of the nature of the referendum vote. We knew we were voting to leave the EU. We did not know and could not know what the alternative to EU membership looks like. What we’re about to witness, is reality replacing conjecture.
In these circumstances, it is odd to say that, having made our decision, we now can’t amend it or change it even if we want to. The issue is not whether we ignore the will of the people; but whether, as information becomes available, and facts take the place of claims, the ‘will’ of the people shifts.
Right now there is one point and one point only to win: we should keep every option open. We’re a sovereign people. We can make up our mind; and we can change our mind. And whether we do, is up to us.
Mr Blair, like or loathe him (and I know many of our readers fall into the latter camp), is right. It is time for sense to prevail.
Readers have their say
5 comments
Did he mention the Iraqi dead? Or his refusal to listen to the anti war protests?
Blair has had his time and caused most of this Trouble.He is Labour and how many houses does he own.Where did he get his Cash.Whats he Worth.Nigel Fararge speaks for the UK ?Blair Speakes for Himself .Roll on Brexit.
Richard Hollands .
Worked all my life .Like most others.
Teflon Tony Blair must give us more transparency on the Cherie Blair Foundation before we are even willing to discuss Brexit with him. How did he become such a financial powerhouse from Politics alone?
Of course, Blair was against Brexit.
He saw a whole host of very dodgy countries queueing to suck at the teats of the EU. Who are these countries that will be targets for this avaricious man’s services.
Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania are now waiting in line to join the EU. Each of these countries are not just serious economic basket cases, but, much worse, homes to some very dangerous criminal gangs. Bosnia, like Albania, have the worst of both worlds….Islam and the deeply criminal gangs.
Let me give a forecast.
In just a decade the German and French will become tired of supporting the deadbeat countries of Europe and will want to get the hell out of it. The EU will reduce to some sort of trading area and the € will be abandoned by the major EU economies as being drastically unsuited to coping with a spectrum of economies from the dynamic to the decaying.
Only a mad, bad economist could have ever have thought that one currency can fit all economies. In less than a decade we Brits will be seen as having made a very smart move in ditching a busted flush.
Sorry, Matthew, I know it’s fun being able to travel around Europe footloose and fancy free, but that little luxury comes at a very high price.
Life outside the eu did, nt we have that before we joined, I never wanted to join.
I cant get my head around we pay loads of money in and get quite a lot back? Why dont we just keep our money in the first place. I think polictians want to be an mp or prime minister coz they know one day they can make millions telling there story and doing talks