Second referendum 'pointless'

I believe firmly that the Prime Minister’s deal is a good one. It fulfils the instruction that the British people gave when we decided to leave the European Union. It gives security to European Citizens here and UK Citizens in the EU. It ensures we stop spending vast sums of money to the EU.

Most importantly it allows the debate to move on to the important work of negotiating and deciding our future relationship with the EU. This is where the debate should be.

This week Parliament has spent many hours debating and questioning the government position on Brexit. It spent the week before that doing the same thing, and the week before that, and the week before that.

Parliament has explored all the options, everything that can possibly be said has been said. The final analysis has been reached many times. In all the verbiage over the past week, nothing has been added.

A second referendum would unleash more of the same pointless debate, divide the country and create a disillusionment with our democracy. Referendums are inherently a bad thing, they unleash division and hatred.

The country does not need more debate and discussion, it does not need MPs to talk more. It needs them to listen and it needs them to compromise.

That is why the Prime Minister spoke for so many of us last week when she expressed her frustration with parliament. History will judge harshly the obsession with arcane procedure and those who make unjustifiable, unobtainable demands.

In Theresa May we have a Prime Minister who has a more difficult job to do than any other in peace time. Her fortitude and strength are remarkable and conspicuous.

It is a shame that so many of our elected representatives are unable or unwilling to listen and compromise. Entrenched opinions are bad for everyone and those who spent their political careers campaigning to leave the EU may lose that goal in pursuit of what they perceive as perfection.

Let us not forget what is at stake here. Our future as a country hangs in the balance. There are those who are not interested in solving problems, but in creating them.

Chaos is being used as a weapon in our country today.

Chaos, purposefully created, is fuelling nationalism. This is happening in Scotland today. We are in a situation where SNP Cabinet Secretaries revelling in uncertainty, exacerbate an already febrile atmosphere by calling their opponents traitors. A political point that justifies nationalist hatred.

In Stirling we have the local SNP MSP, Bruce Crawford and SNP MEP Alyn Smith sowing confusion and panic by an irresponsible and reckless letter to EU citizens. At first this letter looks like it was badly written by someone who didn’t understand the simple ways that EU citizens can have their status confirmed. However, the complexity and confusion it creates is part of the nationalist agenda. They knew exactly what they were doing.

SNP nationalists see chaos as a stratagem, one which reaches their goal of independence. They are the only ones who benefit. The people of Scotland, UK citizens and EU citizens alike suffer.

The deal that will be put back before MPs next week is one which offers certainty. It offers a release from the repetitious Brexit argument the country is stuck in. It offers an opportunity for the country to move on. All Unionists should support the deal to put Scottish and English nationalism firmly behind us.