Soft Thinking, Hard Truth

No, no one ever voted for Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell, of all people, as an expression of love for the European Union.

No, the areas that decided the EU referendum for Leave did not then re-elect their Labour MPs, often with greatly increased majorities, because they wanted a Soft rather than a Hard Brexit. That is just as well, because Labour is not offering a Soft Brexit.

No, the Remain heartlands did not either re-elect Theresa May and other Conservative MPs, albeit often with greatly reduced majorities, or else elect new Conservative MPs in Scotland, because they wanted a Hard rather than a Soft Brexit. That is just as well, because the Conservatives are not offering a Hard Brexit.

And no, Philip Hammond, we did not join a free trade area that then "changed" while "we didn't". Peter Shore, Tony Benn, Michael Foot and Barbara Castle explained it all to you at the time. But you chose not to listen, and your party gave us the Treaty of Rome, the Single European Act and the Maastricht Treaty. The people who have never changed on this issue surround, and are, Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell.