Ross Miller wrote:
If we cannot bury these differences, the fracture lines in our society will only widen and lead to more and more of what have seen today, what is proposed for Monday etc.
Quite right. Sadly, inevitably, in high level politics there will always be fractures, both open and from behind closed doors.
Leaving aside any political bias on either side of the BREXIT or PARTY divides one thing is crystal clear in my mind. David Cameron called the referendum, declaring, as Prime Minister, he would respect and be bound by the result, and carry it out. He was right to try to negotiate a better deal within the EU and right to put that deal to the people. Having then stated his preference to REMAIN, he should have left campaigning to others in order to comply with his earlier stated position. He made, as it turned out, a fatal and terminal mistake by not doing so.
Nevertheless some areas of the political scene have not changed. Cameron remains PM for the time being and the Conservative Party continues to govern this Country. It has a full mandate to continue the business of government, representing all our citizens, and this Country in matters abroad. Scotland, Wales & N. Ireland continue to be part of the UK and, like it or not, and irrespective of the way they voted on 23 June, they, like the rest of us, including Tonbridge Wells and all the other regions that voted REMAIN, should accept the majority decision in good grace. Not to do so would deny the very essence of the democracy that we cherish so dearly.
I can see no reasonable argument on behalf of anyone who, out of free choice, did not vote, to complain about the result. Reg, #461 couldn't have put it better. The question as to why some were turned off from voting would take up as many pages as the EU directive on pork pies.
Cameron should not have gone. He should have stood by his initial stance - accepting and implementing the decision of the British people - instead of passing the helm ('Captain of the Ship') to a new leader. This is total abrogation on his part whatever his preferred view of the outcome.
Because of that decision there is an unnecessary void that only makes the path to BREXIT more difficult than it would otherwise have been.
Few will be surprised at the repercussions and uncertainties that followed last Thursday's vote. Many would now like to see a calmer, less confrontational view of the way forward.
Let us hope that a sense of political proportion is restored and we - all of us in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar - pull together to show the rest of the World that we are one, we are, and remain, GREAT BRITAIN and NORTHERN IRELAND.
To do that means the views of those outside of Westminster and London, must be listened to and not ignored; particularly those in Scotland whom we must convince, by deed as well as words, that they are just as important, just as much needed and respected within the UK, as the rest of us.