A comment was made recently at our local party AGM that people were sick of hearing about Brexit, and I know exactly what they mean!

But what exactly I am sick of is political spin about Brexit. That’s why I think this whole idea for a leaders debate is a bad idea. Yes, during a general election campaign it is good for the leaders of the main political parties to be put on the spot and questioned about their policies. But would anyone tuning into a debate between May and Corbyn be prepared to listen with open minds so they may change their opinions on Brexit? I don’t think so.

I think that’s where the previous referendum campaign went wrong. Instead of listening to facts about what exactly would have to happen if we left the EU, we were subjected to a series of sound-bites and politically spun opinions by politicians that people did not believe. It meant that instead of people making up their minds on evidence and reason they made up their minds on a mixture of gut instinct and propaganda. A lot of people simply wanted to give the establishment a good kicking. One person I spoke to said he voted the way he did because he wanted to ‘shake things up a bit’.

So is this the best way we can think of to inform people about one of the most significant issues of the century? Two politicians equally loathed by half the population trading their stale, often repeated sound-bites on Brexit?

I think if we do get a vote on this deal, May and Corbyn should be kept out of any televised debate. I would rather listen to people who know what they’re talking about, who know about trade and economic matters, not national politicians looking to win the next general election.

Who’s with me?

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