Letter in the Financial Times

The Financial Times had on 17 January published a letter under the title "Britons have spoken - there is no point in another vote". On 21 January, they published a response from London4Europe Committee Member Michael Romberg under the title "Decisions are conditional until there is a plan". The letter is reproduced below as printed.

The letter had been cut down by the Editor. As submitted it also included a fuller argument for a referendum including that all options that had significant support in the country should be on the ballot paper so that all people would feel they had had a fair chance. That would help to heal the country. The letter suggested a way of structuring the ballot where Round 1 chose the best available Brexit and Round 2 was the choice between that defined Brexit option and Remain.

Jim Pimpernell (Britons have spoken, there is no point in another vote - letters - January 17) starts well when he recognises that what "leave" meant in 2016 was not defined. But his belief that Parliament is now bound to implement one Brexit does not follow.

  

Inevitably, in a vote where every elector could choose what Brexit they hoped for means that the support for any one Brexit will be less than the total Leave vote. That was part of the reason why the Leave campaign avoided having a plan. Polls confirm that some voters who prefer Brexit A to Remain also prefer Remain to Brexit B. Given the slim majority in 2016 it is likely that no one Brexit would be chosen over Remain. But there is only one way to find out. Ask the people.

  

Decisions are always provisional until there is a plan. I decide to go to the cinema. I look at the films showing; there is none that I wish to see. I am not obliged by my earlier decision to see a film I won't like; I am certainly not going to hand over the choice to the cinema manager.

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