Many commentators have pointed out that the government is pursuing the kind of Brexit more in keeping with a huge majority having voted in favour of leaving the EU in June 2016. In fact it was a narrow win of just 1.9%. Rather than offering an olive branch to those of us who voted remain, Theresa May is bent on taking us out of the single market and the customs union in what looks like a pretty hard Brexit.
I think this has been massively counter productive. Had she announced her policy would be to keep close to the EU and negotiate to become a member of the EEA it would have taken the edge off the anti Brexit campaigns and gone someway to healing the divisions that we see every day.
Instead, official government policy has energised opposition and deepened the divisions. More than that it is creating huge policy and administrative problems not least in Ireland and on trade matters. This would be a hard job with skilled political leaders with gravitas and experience. Instead what we have is a bunch of incompetent chancers who don't even understand the problems let alone the solutions.
Business is worried (HERE), as it's entitled to be, that there is going to be tsunami of flawed legislation, bad policy decisions and a lack of proper planning as we go into the transition period that will lead to a chaotic Brexit.
Against this background is a diminishing in support for leaving the EU and an increase in those who think the vote to do so was a mistake. You would think the government would at least begin to take this into account but no, it is still intent on alienating the 16 million (and rising) who do not want to leave. Perhaps we should be grateful. If anything is going to stop Brexit it is public opposition and I really don't think a significant minority of leave voters want the kind of Brexit Mrs May is heading for.
