At first, I accepted Brexit. Now it’s become clear that we must not leave the EU | Martin Kettle

The lesson of the past three years is that the referendum dream that voters were sold simply can’t be delivered

Though we don’t always admit it, lots of us pro-Europeans have spent the years since the Brexit referendum trying to juggle two essentially irreconcilable views of what should happen next. One is that, awful though Brexit is, the leave vote must be honoured in the least damaging way. The other is that Britain’s departure from the European Union is so mistaken that it must be reversed, once again with least damage.

More than three years on some of us are still juggling, even as Boris Johnson heads to Brussels. The thing that keeps the juggling alive is not, in the end, an inability to make up our minds. I am a remainer. Full stop. The question is how to respond to Brexit in the political circumstances of the moment, in the best long-term interests of the country as a whole? The answer has evolved. But it will soon be make-our-minds-up time.

Related: Brexit weekly briefing: all eyes on EU summit as deadline looms

Related: Brexit: Irish PM hints extra EU summit might be needed because 'many issues' still to be resolved– live news

Continue reading...