Time for a third referendum on EU

DEAR Editor, We are about to see the first anniversary of the EU referendum where on a 76 per cent turnout the vote was 52-48 in favour of leaving the EU.

Despite a better turnout than the last two General Elections, a minority of electors voted to leave the EU.

At the time the future looked grim and looks even grimmer now given the bad case the government made for hard Brexit on June 8.

It cannot be sensible for any party to say that no deal is better than a bad deal, and that was a major factor in May’s loss of support.

The message that the Tories would go for a hard Brexit without serious negotiation was not a popular message.

However, this exposes the bigger issue, that there is no such thing as a soft Brexit and outside the EU Britain has no influence.

The EU needs revision, and I cannot see how free movement of Labour is in anyone’s interest.

But leaving the single market and having the allegedly favourable right to make laws with no back-up or court of appeal is merely reinstating elected dictatorship in its worst form.

It is now unpopular to argue for a second EU referendum, so let’s put the issue fairly and squarely.