My One And Only Referendum Special

It's been a horrible and lengthy referendum campaign, and the opposing sides seem to have missed almost all of the important points while throwing their poisonous barbs about. Somehow, the simple question of whether to stay in or leave the European Union has become conflated with the question of whether we want to be in Europe or not. They are fundamentally different concepts, after all. Europe is the collection of peoples of the continent and that physical landscape on which they (and we) live, and the other is a political construct whose governance is at best appointed at three steps removed from any actual electorate, and one which cannot be removed by anyone.

In any case, it's almost over. There's only a week to go and the ultimate question of the referendum remains to be answered. Should Britain stay or should it go, without actually going anywhere? Some people seem to think we'll suddenly be teleported out into the middle of the Atlantic, never to see the continent again, isolated global hermits. Others seem to think that the electorate will respond to being scared witless, or that a decision to leave will take effect immediately, with catastrophic effect. Is the status quo good enough to duck a decision on change? Is the status quo even going to be the status quo?

It's much nicer to watch 'Sapphire And Steel', to be honest, even if dear Mr Tully is about to be sacrificed by the cold time agent Steel. He wouldn't have a problem making silly decisions. Of course, the problem with the EU is that it wouldn't even have given people a referendum itself. It takes an elected government to do that.

Around here, in Carmarthenshire, there are many many projects that were made using EU money, most of them of environmental benefit. Worker's rights are bolstered mightily by EU regulations. There are good aspects to being in the EU, except for the glaring problems that it's utterly out of control, elected by no-one, and ruining many of the poorer countries on the continent. Maybe it's more like 'Sapphire And Steel' than I thought, as the sacrifice is made. Which sacrifice should it be? Is doing the right thing more important than the consequences that might - might! - follow.

O.