It is not surprising the good people of Richmond chose Ms Olney. Firstly they seem to make a habit of electing LibDems (I seem to remember the redoubtable “Vice” Cable holding the seat). But secondly it is thought (though not known as results were not produced by constituency) that the constituency was one of the top half dozen or so “Remainers” in the country. Richmond is an affluent area and not for nothing is it known as “Hollywood-on-Thames”. Many of the people living there are unaffected by the problems the UK’s membership of the EU has visited upon the country. On the contrary, it is that very institution and its rules which provides a steady stream of cheap labour that the well-heeled residents can take advantage of to service the large houses they inhabit or to work for low pay in the businesses they run. In fact, looking at the demography of the area it seems relatively unencumbered by many of the problems which were said to push people towards voting to leave the EU. So, given the choice between a fiercely anti-EU Mr Goldsmith and a LibDem party that would retain membership of the EU whatever, it is no wonder they voted the way they did. Such a voting choice is unlikely to be offered in the 400-odd constituencies that are said to have voted to Leave.
“ The huge majority of 'Leave' voters did not think the way you do TTT. They expected to stay in the European Customs Union and the EEA but out of the EU. “
I most certainly expected no such thing, Eddie. The Customs Union is in many respects one of the worst aspects of EU policy. It means that all members must apply uniform tariffs as determined by the Euromaniacs. This means if the EU determines that a 50% tariff must be applied to the import of widgets from Utopia then the UK must impose that tariff even if we are the only country in the EU importing widgets from Utopia. The EEA was designed as a “waiting room” for those countries seeking EU membership. It imposes all the conditions of EU membership (including free movement of people and hefty membership fees) with no representation in the EU Parliament (not that that matters particularly). I expected (and indeed still expect) the UK to break free of the EU and all its institutions. Doing so does not mean the UK will resemble a European North Korea because, as I’m sure you realise, many countries are not EU members and the only one of them that I know resembling North Korea is North Korea. Presumably that lowers my IQ considerably.
“Pulling out is proving to be a legal and financial minefield which anyone who did some research could see.”
Nobody believed it would be easy (though it should be a lot easier than we are led to believe if politicians did not try to retain the best of both worlds). But because it’s not easy is not a valid reason to decline to do it.
“A hard Brexit will be a disaster and the electorate WILL punish whoever delivers it.”
Have the goalposts of the “project Fear” game been moved, ikky? Before the vote leaving (whether “Hard” or “Soft”) was going to be a disaster. Now it is only the “Hard” version that will be so. No doubt if and when details of the Soft version are announced, that too will be said to prove disastrous.
To return to the question (and bearing in mind my first paragraph) a “Hard” Brexit (i.e. “Brexit”) is exactly what many people voted for. Only a fool would believe that advantages (such that they are) of EU membership could be retained whilst membership is lost. If they are it will be in the gift of the EU and that’s the way it should – we will no longer be members. Delivering a “Soft” Brexit (i.e. an unnecessary fudge) will cost the Tories far more dearly because it will be they who have presided over the codsing up the greatest opportunity the UK has had for fifty years.