So, in terms of the people's choice on the simplistic and binary question posed in the poll on this thread; May or Anyone but May the vox populus result was:

May: 42.5 DUP 0.9 (UKIP 1.8 if you like) = Total 45.2% (or 43.4% without UKIP)

Anyone but: Lab 40.0, LD 7.4 SNP 3 Greens and others 3.7 = Total 54.1%

So much for the will of the people and for half-arsed binary polling questions.

I thought I'd resurrect this as an offering to those suffering from brexit withdrawal symptoms because so many others out there have willed that it go away.. but we can't allow that to happen can we?

I dunno...the latest news about Wales and Scotland and other responses from the rest of Europe...sooner or later someone may just say sod this for a game of soldiers, let's forget it.

Nothing's going to happen over summer. Hopefully they'll turf Theresa by October, in time for a no-confidence election. Following which the UK/EU will agree a one year extension to the A50 negotiating schedule, and the whole sorry mess can be debated.

Pleased to hear Saint Vince (Lib Deb) speculating that Brexit might not in fact happen.

Is he finally coming out?

He's dead but he just won't lie down.
Tony Blair says EU could compromise on freedom of movement - BBC News
Why does this man think that anyone.. apart from this sad poster.. will take any notice of him when he opens his mouth?
Apparently misleading the nation before the Iraq war qualifies him to ignore the wishes of the british electorate over brexit, after all it turned out well the first time, didn't it.

Not many do pay much attention to him, which is a shame because despite his reprehensible decisions on Iraq, he has a good understanding of Britain, Europe and society. Given the enormous ignorance of the populace on matters of trade and justice, Westminster should indeed ignore the electorate regarding Brexit. Perhaps they still will.

There's a certain arrogance betrayed here, and we've seen it before, where anyone who disagrees with a view must be ignorant or mad. It was this arrogance, this 'I know better than you' philosophy that invited the brexit vote in the first place.

No it wasn't, it was the unassailable arrogance of the Conservative Party.

But that's the reality, I'm afraid. The fact is the complexity is far beyond the capability of the general public to decide, though admittedly, they don't think so. It's like asking the public to decide on nuclear energy policy, everyone will have a view, but most of the views will be highly uninformed. Better to leave it to the experts who will take the time to work out consequences and opportunities in a rational way.

Don't underestimate the stupidity of the voting public.
That said, one party can do fabulous things for the people/country and the public will still vote them out just to have a change.

Bit like getting rid of Bobby Robson and other very able England football managers....why? So you can hire a numpty for a period? That is the stupidity of so called experts at the FA..

The story of the human race is littered with small minded men who have insisted that their view was the only one that mattered. Religious fanatics have burned other religious fanatics because they disagreed with their beliefs and in living memory they continue to do so.
Politicians are created in the same small minded mould. Their dogma is like turkeys providing chickens for christmas, they'll make sure that turkeys survive no matter how many chickens suffer.
And you would identify these as experts and condemn the views of others, who have for decades suffered their self serving activities, as ignorant.
You have to understand that everyone has an equal voice in their future.. even if you disagree with them.

I don't know why you have such bee in your bonnet about politicians. They are not all bad eggs, in fact the vast majority (certainly in Britain) are hardworking public spirited individuals with some degree of competence. Occasionally a bad egg turns up, but on the whole, they are nowhere near as self-serving or incapable as you continually say. Perhaps in somewhere like Turkey or Nigeria your comments have a grain of truth, but not here.

The politicians themselves are not experts (generally) but they are part of an expert system, Parliament and the civil service which seeks to advance policy and strategy in an informed and considered way. Sure they get it wrong sometimes, and political power considerations can bias thinking, but on the whole it's "better than the alternative" (mob rule).

The views that I condemn are the under-informed ones, the views of people who have zero understanding of economics and migration, but are keen to take a punt on a chaotic future for nationalistic reasons. Imagine there was referendum on dispensing with 'that dangerous nuclear power' and bringing back solid British coal mining jobs and towns. Plenty would buy into that nostalgia, and yet, it doesn't fit the modern day facts. It would be a disaster in energy, environmental and economic terms. Experts know that, the public, not so much.

As Yorkie said below, don't underestimate the stupidity of the voting public.

I was just getting over the memory of that and you go and remind me of the one who shall not be named, nice man as he was.

This is what I've always pretty much believed.

It seems to me that they mostly start out as minor union reps in the work place; hold student union positions; research assistants; stumble into politics from some involvement in some sort of campaign that then becomes political; town hall positions; lowly Councillor roles etc

They do something out of interest and it develops. Ultimately it may lead to a certain amount of 'selling out' once there's a whiff of power in the air but they at least start out with good intentions.

I was just looking at the last few Premiers for NB and various people holding positions in the provincial government and it's notable the numbers who went straight from being a lawyer into being an MLA without any other involvement in local politics. Some even followed "in father's footsteps" immediately upon dad retiring. Almost inheriting their position in the legislative assembly. Note I said immediately as opposed to working through the system to the top.

It just looks a totally different career path to follow in the UK compared to Canada.

Ultimately they might all "be the same" at the top but in the UK principles (right or left) are at least more of a factor in getting there.