Background
I was part of the 48.1% of people who voted for the UK to stay part of the EU in 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum. I am not a devoted europhile but I came to the conclusion at the time that the risks to the economy could not be justified, life outside the EU might be better but it could also be worse. A much wiser friend summarised it best by saying that we as a nation are much better influencing from within rather than walking away.
Since then I have got very frustrated by the direction the post-referendum political landscape has taken, in particular:
- Being told the narrow margin of victory is the "will of the people"
- Being called a "Remoaner" for expressing any doubts that leaving the EU may not represent what was promised by the campaign to leave.
My local MP is a Suella Braverman a firm supporter for the UK leaving the UK. On the 29th of March 2019 (the date once scheduled for the UK to depart) she posted the following on FaceBook:
The Letter
I could ignore it no more and I wrote letter number one:Mrs Braverman
I should be clear from the outset of this email that I voted in the last referendum for the UK to remain the EU, I continue to hold this position and I acknowledge that your views on this issue are unambiguous. Up until this point, I have not taken the time to write to you, as I normally follow the principle of only investing time where there is a prospect of it being useful. However, I am deeply concerned by the comments you made in a Facebook post yesterday Friday 29th March that UK should leave without a deal. I want to ensure my dissenting voice from your constituency is noted even if it does not change your mind.
I accept that the first referendum provided majority support for the principle of leaving the EU, I do not believe it was a mandate to leave under any circumstances. I do not believe the risk to the future of our country and especially our economy from a so-called "Hard Brexit" should be trivialised. I do agree with you that a deal which ties the UK to the EU with no influence over the rules and direction is a bad deal, therefore I agree with the statement: "No deal is better than a bad deal". However, there are alternatives including maintaining our current arrangements.
I believe the current deadlock in parliament can only be resolved with a second referendum that offers the whole electorate the deeply important choice our country currently faces. If the reasons and arguments for any path are right, then we should trust the people of this country to make the decision.
