What no politician has said in this election

With less than a week to go before the third general election in under five years, I have found myself getting increasingly frustrated by what I have not heard from any politician of any party on the subject of Brexit.

When will someone have the courage to say that the 2016 referendum result did not produce a democratic mandate for us to leave the European Union. At best it was the bogus outcome of a flawed process that was mired in lies, confusion and allegedly some illegality. I am longing to hear someone say that 16.8 million voted to remain, meaning that the outcome was decided by around 300,000 people only. Many of these are people who thought the outcome was a foregone conclusion and therefore, voting no, was an opportunity to have a pop at David Cameron. Many more of those 300,000 will not have been aware of the potential impact on the break up of the United Kingdom or seriously believed that we would leave within a week and retain all of the previous benefits of membership. Add to that the fact that another 16 million or so either couldn't vote or just didn't for one reason or another and the outcome is even more questionable. I just want to hear one politician clearly state that there is no real majority for us to continue on this path and there probably never has been.

Why is no one highlighting the fact that the whole debate over the last three years has been around how we can mitigate the harm the Brexit will bring. I have yet to hear anyone clearly identify any positive benefits that are waiting for us once we have left

I watched the two debates involving all the parties (I refuse to watch the BBC head to head debates that are highly undemocratic) yet not one person challenged Nigel Farage on why he does not support having a confirmatory referendum. If he is so convinced that there is still a majority to persist in this act of self harm then he should be at the forefront of calls for a clear choice between a no deal Brexit or the alternative of remaining. The fact that he is terrified of putting the choice back to the people should tell us everything. As a passionate remainer, I would accept the outcome of a People's Vote now that we are all better informed. I cannot and will not accept the outcome of that ill informed and ludicrous exercise that took place in 2016.

Turkeys that have been invited to Christmas dinner only to find that they will be that Christmas dinner, will at least have the sense to turn tail and head in the opposite direction. Yet we, now we know what damage and uncertainty lie ahead, continue full steam ahead. Just because a tiny majority made an ill informed decision some years ago. As a project Manager, I would be foolish to continue with a project that was going overtime, over budget and where quality standards are failing and would be recommending to my sponsor that we need to take a step back and think again.

Much has been made of the Liberal Democrats commitment to revoking Article 50, but only where they form a majority government. Yet wouldn't the sensible thing to do, even at this late stage, be to revoke Article 50, identify a credible withdrawal agreement, subject that to a plebiscite of the people with the option to remain. Then if the result comes back that people still wish to leave on that basis then it could take place in a matter of weeks, if not days. Even leave supporting colleagues of mine agree that this would be a credible option. Again, why did no one put this forward as a sensible approach, before embarking on a general election that will do nothing to bring people together.

Perhaps we will come to rue the fact that parliament failed to unite around a Kenneth Clarke, or a Hillary Benn so that we would be engaging in a People's vote now rather than yet another general election. Again, where are the politicians shouting from the rooftops that if it is alright to have three elections in five years then why can we not have a sensible, better informed vote on the single biggest issue of a generation before continuing any further down this destructive path

One last thing. When you watch any Tory politician speaking in this election, they seem incapable of talking about their policies or their record in office. Instead they continually raise the spectre of Corbyn in Downing Street or having another referendum. Is this not the real project fear that we are seeing played out time and time again?

I am sad to see what has happened to this country. I cannot remember any other time when both the Tory and Labour parties seem to lack a strong credible leader that can unite those in the middle ground. Instead we are becoming more polarised and divided. If we are in the midst of a political revolution then please lets find a politics around which the majority can come together with unity of purpose. Now is the time for politicians of conviction and courage to step forward and fill the void that has been left by the two big parties. Now is the time to use your vote tactically to support Liberal Democrats, Greens or Independents and to reject the politics of division and fear,