We gain nothing by trading insults. We all know what the words mean. We all know that when a thread has a large sequence of posts just on trading insults it is liable to closure.


Let's get back to things of substance.

No need to talk about balance, Nigel
No need at all, since the balance of the article did not come into it. The only thing that mattered was that Ashcroft's exit poll of 12,369 voters found 49% of leavers gave sovereignty as their main reason and 33% gave some aspect of immigration. If you want to criticise it, there are valid ways: were the 12,369 representative? Were the questions clear? Were the questions designed with an agenda? These are fair questions and the right way to critique the finding. Asking whether an article quoting it was in was balanced is not relevant; it is real 'shoot the messenger' stuff.

Then, as Raggytash points out, there is a notable silence on the questions around stockpiling. Not least of these is whether it would work. Stockpiling is effective against a short term disturbance of some kind. How long will such disturbances be?

Then, once more, silence on the 'downgrading' of DexEU, and taking control of the negotiations.

Notable silences, I think.