The pestilence of Brexit and the failure of the political class

The latest confirmation of the sickness evident in British politics these days comes courtesy of political scientists at the universities of Edinburgh and Cardiff whose latest research reveals, once again, the risks voters from across the great Brexit divide are willing to accommodate in pursuit of their preferred political objectives.

Fully 71 per cent of Leave voters in England (and 60 per cent in Scotland) think the risk of violence against MPs is a ‘price worth paying’ for Brexit. It is important to note that the research, conducted as part of the long-running ‘Future of England’ project led by researchers at the two universities does not ask if voters would approve of violence directed against Members of Parliament. Meanwhile, not to be outdone in this race to a dismal bottom, a majority of Remain voters are also prepared to live with political violence if that helped produce, or was the price of, a political settlement they preferred.