Any type of Brexit is better than no Brexit at all

It’s a strange beast, the internet. On Monday night, I was slightly reluctantly dragged onto Newsnight to discuss Brexit. Attentive readers will know that I very rarely write or speak about the subject. There are many reasons for this, one of which is that I said most of what I had to say three years ago when I cast a vote in a referendum.

Another reason – I must admit – is that I have wanted little to no part in the bile-fest of the last three years. I would like us still to have a country after this, and there seems very little chance of that if both halves of it continue to spit at each other. 

In any case, on Monday I was asked on to discuss the ‘deeper issues’ underlying Brexit, but found myself in a studio with Matthew Parris in a discussion about ‘no deal’.

I mention the internet because one of the write-ups of the resulting headlines about the interview read ‘Brexiteer brilliantly savages Remainers on BBC Newsnight’, and I would like to record that I think that’s wrong on most counts. 

Firstly, because although I voted Brexit I am not especially a Brexiteer. At any rate it isn’t what I put as my job description.

Secondly, I don’t think anything I said was especially brilliant.

And thirdly, I don’t think I particularly ‘savaged’ anyone. Certainly I have savaged some people in my life, and have occasionally been savaged in return. So I know what I’m talking about in the savaging stakes. My Monday evening exchange with Matthew Parris and Emily Maitlis was not such an occasion, and I think viewers might be disappointed if they clicked on something that we used to call a discussion in the expectation of a full-on, blood-drenched mauling.

Yet the exchange did highlight one of the reasons why I chip into all of this discussion so rarely.