Here I have collated various addresses I have come across or been sent during the past few weeks. They link to various initiatives and/or reflections which I find interesting and helpful, following the referendum decision and the course – “Brexit means Brexit” – which appears to have been set for our unknown destination on the far wet edge of Europe. Is there anything here of lasting worth ? Let’s see.
1/ An initiative which says Brexit can be triggered and made legal only after a debate of MP’s in the House, in order to forestall legal challenge. Mishcon de Reya is a well-known law firm :
2/ An initiative that has raised nearly £150,000 to pay for lawyers to take Brexit politicians to court for lying during the campaign :
3/ An initiative to balance the dire news of racist attacks around the country following the referendum result, by mapping the incidents and examples of kindness that have also occurred. But the piece below is noteworthy for the foul and intolerant comments that followed it :
4/ A very impressive Ted talk given by a social scientist called Alexander Betts, soon after the Referendum. Two findings that stood out for me : a/ The very large divide of mutual ignorance and lack of contact between the populations which voted the different ways ; and b/ how the fear of immigration seemed to be largest in the areas in which immigration was actually experienced least. The areas with greatest experience of it had greatest acceptance of it and tended to Vote Remain. Alexander Betts is Leopold Muller Professor of Forced Migration and International Affairs and a Fellow of Green-Templeton College at the University of Oxford :
https://www.ted.com/talks/alexander_betts_why_brexit_happened_and_what_to_do_next?language=en
5/ An article from an EU perspective which suggests there might still be a change-around of some sort :
https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/reversing-brexit-referendum-by-anatole-kaletsky-2016-07
6/ An interesting podcast putting the EU referendum and its issues into a historical perspective. In this case it is compared to the Reformation of Henry VIII’s reign, when England broke away from Rome and became constitutionally a separate and to some degree a secular entity :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07m50lt
7/ An individual and a movement looking to change the way politics is done in the UK, involving the individual and constituent more closely in decision making :
http://www.flatpackdemocracy.co.uk/
8/ Two pieces by Andreas Wittam Smith of The Independent, suggesting that the referendum result was affected and skewed by recent developments in our political system, creating a “political class” that now uses PR techniques borrowed from commerce, rather than communicating properly. I have already responded to his pieces on this blog. Whittam Smith suggests that both developments are enemies of good decision-making and also democratic accountability. He too is looking for ways to reform democratic politics :