Brexit makes it hard to be objective

I hear where Huw Merriman is coming from, but the trouble with being middle-of-the-road is that you are likely to get run over (‘Leaving the EU: Devil in the Detail, July 20).

I also find it truly ironic that the one party with a vested interest in remaining, is the only party pitching for Brexit, albeit badly.

The EU is fixated. Key directives on freedom of movement and market participation forbid even modest government intervention – principally public ownership – and restructuring of the economy and services. This fits in with Conservative philosophy, hence the irony of the situation.

It is difficult to be objective. There is a relentless and vociferous drive to overturn the referendum result. From international players to homegrown institutions, vested interests and the media, all have weighed in with warnings of dire consequences. Remain’s triumph has been to paint Brexit as negative.

And there is more. We learn that the government is to issue weekly “bundles” of advice, etc, in preparation for a “disorderly” Brexit. Although denied, there is also much talk of stockpiling food! Which brings to mind the late Claude Cockburn’s dictum: “Never believe anything until it has been officially denied.”

As a former civil servant, I can tell you that everything is on the table.

But where is the government in all of this? There has not been a single upbeat or positive indication; why not just come out and bat for Remain?

You’ve got your work cut out, Huw, or will you put your hand up like the rest of them?