Originally Posted by: mmatis 
One would only invoke Article 50 if one had an intention of offering a valid "referendum". What makes you think ANY of them are about to consider that, in light of all else they have done all these years? Do you presume that the Media shall make them do so? Or the major opposition parties? When the entire body politic is nothing more than one giant steaming turd, well...
I'd say on the part of the Conservatives there's some genuine confusion on this. They think that the EU has grown too big for its boots and stops them doing things such as minimum alcohol pricing and it could do with reform. They don't really have much idea about how it would be achieved, it would in a vague sense be a good idea.
However, there's no doubt that the leading core wants, and always has wanted, to stay in the EU, although they recognise there's a leakage to UKIP which needs something to stem it and flannel about renegotiation about our position in the EU is fine. Invoking Art 50 means getting out, the very thing they don't want to do. As far as the Conservatives are concerned, this has to be very carefully handled. They have to scratch the eurosceptic itch, but if they overdo it, say by making their position less vague, they are likely to whip up anti-EU sentiment, as more lose patience with them.
So we have almost the whole political and administrative classes pulling one way and a hard core of withdrawal sentiment (maybe 20% in the polls) which really has no way to register via general elections. We have a large section in the middle which thinks the EU has gone too far, or would be happy to stay in following successful negotiations, or don't feel that strongly about it. This is the section the discussion is aimed at.
The current political arrangement of two parties which are rival managers or dictators, and a huge administrative establishment with its own agenda, and large and important policy areas which people are lied to about, or there seems to be an agreement to avoid discussing, certainly isn't healthy.
I'd say that even with the present cozy arrangement, there's a level of public opinion which can't be ignored, although when you look at various things such as mass immigration, it's amazing how much people put up with.
However, since TPTB don't want to withdraw, it's no wonder they are avoiding discussing Art 50. I suppose the Poor Little Norway nonsense is a roundabout way of dismissing it without mentioning it.
