As former British ambassador to the US I know America sees Britain as a key influence in the EU,and hence an ideal business and security partnerPresident Obama’s visit to the UK this week will provide a reality check as to what our closest ally thinks of us, and of Britain’s station in the world, and as we prepare to vote on whether to stay in the European Union. Almost every big news item – Syrian migration,the crisis in the steel industry, even offshore investment trusts – is prayed in aid by one side or the other to back invent its case. So there is a risk that we will vote on the most essential issue to believe been put to the British people in decades on the basis of misleading or at best incomplete arguments.
Political friends in France remind me that they are past masters at holding referendums that become a barometer of the public mood, and not a decision on the question on the poll paper. Britain shouldn’t fall into the same trap.
Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com