The Guardian view on Brexit votes: put nation before party | Editorial

MPs’ failure to come together increases the chance that hard Brexiters will frame the crisis as an opportunity to get people to vote against their economic interests

It is a matter of national shame that the civil war in the Conservative party led to the United Kingdom voting to leave the European Union. That war continues today. The split is now between those who believe Britain needs a new partnership to maintain links with the EU, and those who think what’s required is a clean break. The level of ideological commitment to the latter idea might surprise many who consider the Tories the natural party of government. Supposedly a party of sceptics who distrust dogma, it has been torn by ideology over the course of much of its history.

Theresa May has tried to keep both sides together with her Brexit deal. However, it has failed three times to convince enough of her own MPs, with resistance from both wings. Instead of seeing the referendum as a mistake to be ameliorated by wise counsel and sensible debate, many Conservatives have taken leave of their senses. There appears to be no limit to what the fanatics expect the rest of the world to do for Brexit Britain. In their world, nations will queue up to give us trading advantages and access to their markets, and abandon their instinct to protect their own industries in favour of the UK. This magical thinking has led Tory MPs to chase unicorns. A few think they have caught some.

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2UaT3RJ