The Brexit campaign is about to be fought all over again
If you thought you would return from your summer holiday to find the country coming together behind a coherent Brexit plan, think again.
With the departure date just over 200 days away, one could have been forgiven for thinking that the old arguments about Leave versus Remain would have given way by now to something resembling unity, or at least resigned acquiescence. No such luck.
The closer we get to Brexit day, the more it seems like we're reliving the referendum campaign – supposedly settled over two years ago. Nigel Farage has announced, with ludicrous pomposity, that he is “returning to frontline politics” to ensure a real Brexit is delivered.
It seems he's missed the limelight, and is embarking on a national tour to whip up opposition to the proposed Chequers deal. He may be coming to a village hall near you. On the other side of the debate, the Best for Britain campaign, which picks up where the defeated Remain campaign left off, is ramping up its calls for a second Brexit referendum – something it insists on calling a People's Vote. The group claimed recently that their polling reveals a dramatic shift in favour of staying in the EU, and that there is growing public support for a fresh vote.
There is talk of any future referendum giving three options: staying in, leaving without a deal and leaving on the final terms agreed. Critics point out such a move appears designed to split the Leave vote, thus giving Remain the edge.
For now, this is a hypothetical debate. Ministers have ruled out any further vote, and in 2016 the government's official pro-Remain campaign material was clear: “the government will implement your decision.”
But with celebrities and heavyweight financial backers joining the campaign for a rerun, the possibility cannot be ruled out.
It would be a dangerous mistake to ask the people to vote again. Energy should instead be devoted to securing the best deal – one that retains strong and pragmatic links with the EU while restoring parliamentary and judicial sovereignty.
But with such an outcome still up in the air, hard-Brexit Leavers and determined Remainers are gearing up for a noisy autumn of campaigning. Let us hope the government can construct a deal that keeps these two extremes at bay.