Leaders of Britain, what did you do?

Leaders of Britain, what did you do

When the EU referendum was lost and won?
Oh that your counsel had been honest and true.
Leaders of Britain, what have you done?

Welcome to Number 10

So it is early 2016, and you are a very senior minister in David Cameron’s Conservative administration. You are not one for groupings and cabals within your party, but without being a Machiavellian figure you have an astute grasp of strategy and tactics. The EU referendum campaign is about to begin. You expect the result to be close, with the balance of probability being towards Remain. This expectation of closeness is mirrored in your own thinking. Doctrinally, you lean towards euroscepticism, but your natural instincts are always cautious ones. You can see the potential long-term benefits of becoming independent from the EU, but you are concerned about the shorter-term economic damage (which could become long-term damage) caused by Brexit, to say nothing of the potential danger of a break-up of the United Kingdom.