Democracy in Action!

Behold, I will tell you a mystery.
The European Union has a Rule. The Rule is that when changes are mooted in its constitution, all the members have to agree, or the changes shall not be made. But Rules in the EU are not what you might think, children. Oh no. In the EU rules are different from everywhere else.

Here is an example. Some time ago the people of the Irish Republic held a referendum on the latest proposed set of changes to the EU constitution. Many of their people took the view that they quite liked being in the EU as it was, and didn't want to change things; so in accordance with their imagined rights under the EU rule, they voted No, and fondly expected that the proposed changes would be set aside. But that is not how things really happen in the EU, children. The Irish were mistaken. The EU does not want to act reasonably; it only wants to sound reasonable.

The Irish No vote should have been the end of the latest proposals. But the Great Men of the EU were not happy that little Ireland dared to obstruct Change (which must always be Good, must it not, children?) So they decided to clarify their Proposals (which is another way of saying that they repeated exactly the same things again, only louder). And explaining how hurt they were that the Irish did not like their Change, they said they would take it away for a while, and give the Irish time to lie down in a dark room for a few months, and perhaps come back later and ask them how they might feel about the great Change if it was called by a different name.

Meanwhile a lot of people inside and outside of Ireland, who wanted to have the Change to be made, went about declaring that the ones who didn't must be wicked folk who did not like the EU at all, and were ungrateful for its many benefits. Thus the Irish learned that it was not possible to like the EU as it was and just not want it changed. They must either be completely against it, or entirely for Change.

The great men have (as usual) forgotten their EU rule, and demanded that the Irish should now have another referendum. And this time they have to get the answer to the question right, or Offsted will be sent in to inspect them. (This is called Democracy, children).

The Irish will probably follow the sensible example of the French, who merrily agree with everything, until something happens they don't like, whereupon they just ignore it, drive all their tractors to Calais, and carry on as if nothing had changed. They will probably vote 'Yes' this time, for as everyone knows, Children, that is the right answer to the question, isn't it?

And then perhaps the English will have to have a referendum too;
but we all know what the right answer will be, don't we?