2. Forty years to convince us

Quite clearly there were multiple reasons why the British people voted to leave the EU in 2016. It would be wrong to suggest that 17.4mn all had exactly the same reason for wanting to put an end to the UK’s 40 year relationship. But what we can say is that if that relationship was working and had produced benefits, there would have been no referendum movement in the first place.

Contrast the EU with the NHS. The NHS came into being in 1946. The NHS is far from perfect. It is not held in in high regard - indeed from the start it has attracted criticism. But, aside from sporadic calls for its abolition, and despite its many failings people have accepted it. There has never been any suggestion that we should have a referendum on whether or not to abolish it. Why is that? Because, give or take, the NHS works. The EU, on the other hand, has had 40 years to convince the British people of the benefits of EU membership and yet, from the outset it has singularly failed to achieve widespread popular support among the ordinary people of this country. It is hard to imagine that any anti-EU movement would have gained any traction if the people’s perception and experience of the EU was overwhelmingly positive. Had the experience of the last 40 years been positive, the result on 23 June 2016 would have been overwhelmingly in favour of remaining in the EU – or rather there would never have been any call to hold the referendum in the first place. The fact is that our collective experience of the EU has not been positive. Worse than that, rather than improving over time it has deteriorated to the point that by June 2016 the majority of voters, despite all the risks, were prepared to reject it.   - Blind Stoat 31 March 2018