And then there is this. I know it says "Opinion" but even for those of us who don't have a fact-based opinion, this guy's arguments sound undeniable-like Britain does not have a written constitution, that is true!; only a vote in Parliament can make or change law-That is true, too!; MP's favor continued EU membership IF CALLED UPON TO VOTE, WHICH THEY ARE NOT!; referenda cannot change British law-True!
Frigging ergo: "The whole thing is a bit of a sham."
Well, frigging ergo me! Why are they frigging doing this?! Are the Proms supposed to be so boring this year they have to spice up their summer a bit? Jo Cox just got ASSASSINATED OVER A SHAM VOTE?!
There has to be more that would change if Britain votes "Leave" than Mr. Arends "opinion" allows. If this is really the equivalent meaningless of...the Iowa straw poll, say!...They just had a Member of Parliament murdered over the Iowa straw poll?
Opinion: The dirty secret about the Brexit vote: It’s all a sham
By Brett Arends
Published: June 21, 2016 1:58 p.m. ET
Opinion: The dirty secret about the Brexit vote: It’s all a sham
By Brett Arends
Published: June 21, 2016 1:58 p.m. ET
Either way the U.K. votes, skeptical Britain will remain as part of Europe
Reuters
LONDON (MarketWatch) — The eyes of Europe and the world are fixed this week on Britain and its referendum on whether or not to stay in the European Union.
But pro-EU Remain voters shouldn’t be too smug either.
Even if Britain votes to stay inside the EU, the doubts that led to this referendum in the first place will still continue. Thursday is very unlikely to deliver a resounding victory or moral mandate for the European Union. Instead it will probably reveal the British are evenly divided. A majority of Prime Minister David Cameron’s ruling Conservative party is almost certain to vote to leave. A majority of England may do so as well.
The bottom line: The referendum is likely to result in a heavily euroskeptic Great Britain remaining inside Europe-no matter which side wins.
LONDON (MarketWatch) — The eyes of Europe and the world are fixed this week on Britain and its referendum on whether or not to stay in the European Union.
Poll numbers have caused violent swings up and down in financial markets around the world. Trillions of dollars ride on the outcome. Political leaders and financiers say the outcome will be momentous either way. A vote for Brexit could plunge the world into recession and crisis, some warn. It could cause the breakup of the European Union, say others. Or it could mark a heroic return to national independence and freedom for Britain, say still others.
On June 23 the U.K. votes on whether to stay in or leave the European Union. It’s difficult to know exactly what will happen if voters choose leave, but that hasn’t stopped both sides of the debate predicting the future.
But here’s something that everyone in power here knows, but no one is saying in public.
The whole thing is a bit of a sham.
The referendum result won’t change anything legally by itself. And the consequences will be far less momentous than anyone on either side wants to admit.
Even if Britain votes on Thursday to leave the EU, it’s dollars to donuts — or, more accurately, pounds GBPUSD, +0.1365% to peanuts — that the government will instead craft a face-saving formula that gives the illusion of Brexit without much substance. Britain will end up striking deals with Brussels to stay within the single market. In return it will have to keep making contributions for access, just as it does now.
A highly placed political insider joked to me recently that Britain could end up retaining even the same voting powers in Brussels it has already.
There might be a few symbolic changes in order to placate the public and maintain a big show of Brexit. But in reality little would change.
Why should we be surprised? The British government and political classes are overwhelmingly in favor of the European Union. So, crucially, is the country’s powerful civil service. British businesses are closely intertwined with the European single market. Attempts to disentangle them could lead to chaos. And the British economy is propped up by huge inflows of foreign capital, buoying everything from industry to London house prices.
Furthermore, Thursday’s referendum has no constitutional standing whatsoever.
Great Britain has no written constitution. By convention, theory and practice, sovereignty actually lies in the parliamentary House of Commons. Britain could only leave the EU by an act of Parliament. And it would be entirely up to Parliament to craft the terms of Brexit, and the shape of whatever followed.
The referendum result won’t change anything legally by itself. And the consequences will be far less momentous than anyone on either side wants to admit.
Even if Britain votes on Thursday to leave the EU, it’s dollars to donuts — or, more accurately, pounds GBPUSD, +0.1365% to peanuts — that the government will instead craft a face-saving formula that gives the illusion of Brexit without much substance. Britain will end up striking deals with Brussels to stay within the single market. In return it will have to keep making contributions for access, just as it does now.
A highly placed political insider joked to me recently that Britain could end up retaining even the same voting powers in Brussels it has already.
There might be a few symbolic changes in order to placate the public and maintain a big show of Brexit. But in reality little would change.
Why should we be surprised? The British government and political classes are overwhelmingly in favor of the European Union. So, crucially, is the country’s powerful civil service. British businesses are closely intertwined with the European single market. Attempts to disentangle them could lead to chaos. And the British economy is propped up by huge inflows of foreign capital, buoying everything from industry to London house prices.
Furthermore, Thursday’s referendum has no constitutional standing whatsoever.
Great Britain has no written constitution. By convention, theory and practice, sovereignty actually lies in the parliamentary House of Commons. Britain could only leave the EU by an act of Parliament. And it would be entirely up to Parliament to craft the terms of Brexit, and the shape of whatever followed.
A strongly pro-EU Parliament would surely find a way to minimize the impact of a Brexit vote.
But pro-EU Remain voters shouldn’t be too smug either.
Even if Britain votes to stay inside the EU, the doubts that led to this referendum in the first place will still continue. Thursday is very unlikely to deliver a resounding victory or moral mandate for the European Union. Instead it will probably reveal the British are evenly divided. A majority of Prime Minister David Cameron’s ruling Conservative party is almost certain to vote to leave. A majority of England may do so as well.
The bottom line: The referendum is likely to result in a heavily euroskeptic Great Britain remaining inside Europe-no matter which side wins.
