The imbroglio that is Brexit (as horrible a compound word as you are likely to hear) continues and seems without an obvious solution. The central problem stems from this - a simple yes/no choice to a very complex question was offered up to the British public by politicians who did not think it had a chance of getting up. It got up, though narrowly. It got up with a sizeable proportion of the Yes vote being either ill-informed or uninformed.

I know that that seems like an elitist view. In fact, I have just heard a bearded fellow say so on UK Sky. Doubtless many Yes voters were informed and very motivated to see the UK leave the EU. The Tory Party has been at war over membership for decades and lots of people see this as a matter of national sovereignty and the reclaiming of ancient rights. That is not an unreasonable position.

What is unreasonable though is the folly of using referenda to do the job of the elected parliament. The latter is the place where difficult and sometimes labyrinthine matters are examined, discussed and evaluated as a precursor to developing legislation. This is not a case of determining whether a single issue should be shopped to the public, but where a deep and consequential matter to do with the economic life of the the UK, the peace in Northern Ireland and the very makeup of the UK is vitally at stake.

So there you are. The polity, with the exception of a section of the Tory Party, wants to stay in Europe and knows why this is a good thing for Britain. They have been handed a poisoned chalice and are trying by diverse means to dilute the contents or hide it behind a convenient arras.

It is a very sorry sight indeed.