I’ve not really engaged with the argument about whether diehard remainers were to blame for the current U.K. disaster. I wasn’t in the U.K. or paying close attention after July 2016. But generally:
I think people should argue for what they believe. God knows, Brexiteers did for forty years and now they’re destroying the U.K. like they always wanted to. Never doubt that a small group of committed people… what’s that old line?
I *particularly* think those who want Britain to be part of a united Europe should argue for what they believe. The referendum was a choice between mild eurosceptic Cameron’s deal and the haters. It’s not surprising the enthusiasm levels were low.
The blame for bad policy choices lies with the people who pushed those bad policy choices, not the people who might have been better advised tactically to vote against their own beliefs and interests to do their political enemies a favour.
The corollary to the “inevitable rise of the populists” metanarrative is the “why don’t foolish internationalists compromise their values more?” While the rise of the populists is starting to look happily evitable, the other argument hasn’t gone away… yet.
I don’t think, as it happens, that those seeking a democratic united Europe are the entrenched elite – but not are we the Rebel Alliance. It’s a group of people seeking a deep and difficult political innovation, one that pushes against a huge number of entrenched power positions
Including in the European institutions themselves – and I don’t think anyone could confidently describe what the destination looks like. But we certainly won’t get there if we are persuaded that the bad choices of the other side are our responsibility.
