Perhaps so. That still doesn't mean it did anything to worsen matters during the past three years. Britain is the best EU country at managing change, we should be doing just that not blowing up our markets.

Powell was not Prime Minister.....should have been but unfortunately the best minds rarely attain the top.

Prime Minister Edward Heath, television broadcast on Britain’s entry into the Common Market, January 1973

Here is a direct quote to the nation:

'There are some in this country who fear that in going into Europe we shall in some way sacrifice independence and sovereignty. These fears, I need hardly say, are completely unjustified'

[Link]

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

The debate about loosing access to the single market has already been had and Britons have said they’d rather try and have an alternative. Remainders must stop regurgitating old arguments that were doing the rounds before the referendum. If we do have a second vote, and promote the same arguments, it will get the same result (also if the vote is reversed leavers will be up in arms and we’d be no better off).

I disagree about the EU not making anything worse. If a member state wants to leave, then clearly something is very wrong with the organization. EU leaders an MEPs have just buried their heads in the sand and tried to blame the situation on racists, liars, and power hungry politicians. Most people in the UK, don’t know what the EU voting system is, who their MEP is, how the EU works, or what they do. The EU has major problems which it needs to address as soon as possible.

Yes, the move from industry to financial services proved very lucrative for some people, God Bless the Bankers. And membership of the EU bolstered our service industries like never before.

Out of interest... to the Boris supporters in here. If 15 or so tories rebel against him tonight and vote for this bill. Would you think him weak if he doesn’t follow through with his threat to remove the whip?

I wonder how many of you, and the people as a whole, watched the key points of the debate and vote tonight and if so what you made of it?

I watched a fair bit and although mostly predictable in the various arguments being put the surrounding mood music didn't go well for Johnson, in my view anyway.

He came over as arrogant and blustering, and not the least bit Prime Ministerial. As for Rees Mogg, he shot himself in the foot by lounging on the front bench, a picture that is bound to haunt him.

These things ought not to matter but as many people form opinions based on little else then they do.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.