Two Stages
If we could vote on “common market” and “ever-closer political union” separately then I suspect the entire discussion would be very different and much less fraught.
We are attempting to do that in two stages. The first is to leave the EU, which dumps the political union part. Then, assuming reasonableness all round (hah!) we can negotiate a sensible common market agreement.
Much of the Remain argument has been about how the EU is going to be nasty and mean to the UK in the event of a Leave vote. Do we really want to be associated with such a group of people? I'd rather leave on principle if they're that obnoxious. On the other hand, if they are indeed sweet and reasonable people (see above) then there's nothing to lose and everything to gain from voting to leave.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
