'Brexit': Is it worth the hassle?

A 'United States of Europe' - largely a British Conservative Government idea, is a living paradox and connumdrum, because sovereignty is not divisible. Either it rests in Brussels or Westminster and the respective capitals.

The United States seems to have achieved a system that works but the problem keeps cropping up all around the world, most recently in Scotland and Barcelona.

Even the sovereign state can and does bind itself in bi-lateral and multi-lateral treaties.

Had the EU adopted a much looser and less bureaucratic trade federation arrangement, instead of pushing for complete political and monetary unification, it might not have produced the present wave of disenchantment and disintegration.

As it is, if as seems to be the case, we are leaving, it needs to be a genuine leave with no strings, or ransom attached.

The EU will still set its own standards, and British companies will have to comply with them if it wants to export there but this is nothing new, they do this for every export territory as does every other country. It is clearly both in Britain's and the EU's interests to remain close in terms of trade, in fact more for the EU than us.

Corruption is rife in that unaudited body but let no one be under any apprehension that Britain is not just as susceptible to that evil, as company collapse and bank rate rigging etc. have proved.

Nevertheless the British goverment is at least a shade more democratic and accountable perhaps? Whether it is worth all the pain of separation is still the moot point.