People’s Vote, please, not a general election

A GENERAL election is probably the worst thing that could happen to UK party politics in a century. In these Brexit times it would cause discord, dispute and division in both Labour and Conservative ranks. Brexit is bigger than party politics, with both parties deeply split on it.

Yet leading politicians on both sides continue to call for a general election and now we’re told Returning Officers have been told to prepare for yet another “snap” general election, as this Parliament and its harassed MPs grind on.

Agreeing a manifesto could lead to mayhem in both parties. Brexiteers on both sides would urge for a manifesto to promise a “better Brexit” of whichever shade, with Remainers in both parties urging a manifesto to Remain.

This can be seen in that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has insisted Brexit would go ahead if Labour won any snap election, although a poll found nearly 90% of party members would opt to stay in the EU in any people’s vote.

Party politics and a general election cannot solve Brexit. It increasingly seems the only way to break the deadlock and even save our tortured political system from devastation is the People’s Vote. A vote now with people on both sides so much better informed about the consequences of Brexit would clear the political air.

We should not be cowed by the taunt that a new vote would label people who voted Out as stupid. But, like most of us, they started off uninformed, then were subsequently ill-informed and, yes, mis-informed.

Many of us would hope that now the lies, manipulation, fraudulent tactics and illegal procedures on the Leave side have been exposed and we know mythical sums will not go to the NHS, more people would vote Remain.

But, sadly, none of this widely known subversion seems to stick. So if people still vote to leap into a disastrous social and economic Brexit future on the back of what is now largely seen as a corrupted vote – so be it!

We can then have a general election to negotiate the sad prospect of a Conservative Brexit or a Labour Brexit.

Jean Silvan Evans Peterson-super-Ely