Happy in Cyprus wrote: ↑Fri Apr 28, 2017 11:53 am
The "instant gratification" (as you put it) or "living for the moment with no thought for the future" relates
not to the length of the negotiation process, but rather the relatively brief period in which people were forced to make their choice as to whether to leave, or stay in, Europe.
On 22 Jan 2013, David Cameron pledged an "In/Out Referendum" before the end of 2017 on our future in the EU (subject to being returned to power in the 2015 General Election). This commitment was included in the Conservative Manifesto in 2015 and the EU Referendum Act was part of the Queen's Speech on 27 May 2015 which detailed her new governments' plans for the Parliament. The date of the Referendum was announced on 20 Feb 2016 after David Cameron's rather pathetic 'renegotiation of our position' with the EU and the date he announced for the Referendum was 23 June 2016.
So Lloyd, the intent to hold a Referendum was announced 3½ years before the Referendum. Between the announcement of the date for the Referendum there was a full 4 months. Yet you claim that there was not enough time?
Maybe what you mean is that the intelligentsia made up of the great and the good (which presumably includes your good self) had more than enough time to decide 'Remain' but the poor stupid Brexiteers needed far more time to digest the arguments, and were unable to make the 'right' choice in the timeframe given...
Happy in Cyprus wrote: ↑Fri Apr 28, 2017 11:53 am
A decision not helped by the questionable and damaging claims made by charlatans Farage and Johnson.
...and of course David Cameron, George Osborne et al told the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth when they said that the UK housing Market would collapse, unemployment would reach the astronomical level of 3 million, industry (especially the car industry) would leave the UK in droves, inflation would become unsustainable and we would be a step closer to WW3 should we vote Brexit. Were these lies not equally questionable? Were these lies not equally damaging? Nigel Farage stated during the campaign that the EU wanted to create an EU Army. Nick Clegg called it a 'dangerous fantasy' yet that's exactly what Junckers announced within 3 months of the Referendum. Did you conveniently forget that? What about the oft quoted '
gross contribution of £350 million a week' which Farage stated
could be spent on the NHS. The Remainers seized on this with glee but they could not tell the difference between 'gross' and 'net' so simply accused Farage of telling lies about the amount. They also ignored his words which specified 'could' and twisted it to say 'would'
...so let's not hear about Brexit lies without the Remain lies.