[jaxie]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

The issue isn't really whether or not these votes have been needed or it's right to have them, though... The issue is that they are repeatedly assuming that they can predict the outcome of the vote before they call for it. So all of their plans are focused on their assumed outcome, without any safetynets or contingencies in place for alternative outcomes.

It's overconfidence, arrogance and complacency. Several high profile members of the party - including David Cameron himself - were badly burned by exactly that last summer and you would assume / hope those who opportunistically jumped in to take up those roles would actually have learned from those mistakes... But there's little sign of that. If anything, the apparently collapsing labour party and polls showing "landslide majority" have lead the Tories to feel practically invincible. Even talking up the most distasteful and similtaneously pointless of old-tory policies like fox hunting, as they were under the impression that nothing could even put a dent in their lead.

In regards the referendum of course there should have been a plan for a leave outcome and clearly there wasn't. But a general election is a very different beast, not sure how you have a back up plan for that.