Topic: Referendum on Britain's membership of the EU

[Onions]

Is in England everyone who wants to leave the EU, a right-wing English nationalist?

[Garp]

I would assume not.

But I would also assume that the majority of those who voted leave are easily duped by those who have such political tendancies; their simple minds easily turned by references to immigrants taking their jobs and houses and they can't get an appointment with their doctor to get signed off work on invalidity.....

[Garp]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPXpFzXXEnA[/youtube]

[Sverige]

My interest is that of a concerned spectator, since I don't live in the U.K. anyway. I do wonder how many of those who voted leave knew what they were voting for. I'm sure the media barons and self interested politicians who made the case for leave are enjoying their gains.

[Peripatetic Phil]

The petition to require a second referendum in the event of a narrow margin and a low turnout has now reached almost 3500000 (three and a half million) votes within three days of being launched :  https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/131215, even after the fraudulent 77000 votes were removed.

[Garp]

As much as I'd welcome a second referendum (particularly where 16 and 17 year olds could vote, as they should have been allowed to), I don't see how you can say it was narrow or that the turnout was small.

You'll just have to live with it bud, or move up here and vote for independence

[Peripatetic Phil]

I agree that the turnout was not small, but it was smaller than the minimum turnout specified in the petition.  I most certainly do not agree that the decision was not by a narrow margin; a narrower margin is hard to imagine.  I believe that any referendum to change the /status quo/ should have required at least a 60:40 margin, and ideally a 70:30 margin, before a change was mandated.

** Phil.

[Dajoca]

I do wonder how many of those who voted leave knew what they were voting for.

Most of us mate.
We didn't vote with our eyes closed, or our brains switched off as the remainians would have you believe and no-one I have spoken to since, has regretted the way they voted.
The stars have not fallen from the sky, nor have we died painful deaths in poverty, as the naysayers predicted.
The remainians aren't happy, but that's democracy for you.

It does concern me that idiots like Garp can think anyone who voted leave is a simpleton, who lacks the ability to reason.
It is patronising nonsense like that from the remain camp that helped sway many undecided voters away from the shackles of the EU.

[ziggycat]

I agree that the turnout was not small, but it was smaller than the minimum turnout specified in the petition.  I most certainly do not agree that the decision was not by a narrow margin; a narrower margin is hard to imagine.  I believe that any referendum to change the /status quo/ should have required at least a 60:40 margin, and ideally a 70:30 margin, before a change was mandated.

** Phil.

Bloody remain voters and that petition.. a measly 22 signatures prior to the result then after the announcement of defeat its suddenly gains momentum.  The margin isn't big enough, the turnout wasn't sufficient...blah blah blah.

Unfortunately trying to change the rules of the ballot retrospectively is never going to have any weight to it.

Move on, it's done

.

[Peripatetic Phil]

The stars have not fallen from the sky, nor have we died painful deaths in poverty, as the naysayers predicted.

No, the stars are still in the heavens (thank the Lord) and most who were alive pre-referendum are still with us (ditto).  But just the /news/ of the referendum outcome was sufficient to wipe over TWO TRILLION POUNDS off stock markets worldwide and put the pound at a 31-year low.  That is how bad things are, just on the news of the referendum outcome alone.  And if we /do/ leave the EU, then things will be far far worse.  The stars will still be in their celestial orbits, but Little England will have been set adrift in a sea of uncertainty [1], with only three very unwilling (and even smaller) shipmates to help pull on the oars.  Believe me, chaps -- those who are ecstatic today at the news of the referendum result will really learn the meaning of a Pyrrhic victory if ever our Parliamentary representatives are so stupid as to regard that referendum outcome as binding and irrevocable rather than as simply advisory.

** Phil.
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[1] "In a classic British understatement, the chancellor opined: