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AFAIK, Brexit has won the votes, but that doesn't mean it will happen. >Referendums are not legally binding, so legally the Government can ignore the results;

AFAIK, Brexit has won the votes, but that doesn't mean it will happen. >Referendums are not legally binding, so legally the Government can ignore the results; for example, even if the result of a pre-legislative referendum were a majority of "No" for a proposed law, Parliament could pass it anyway, because parliament is sovereign.[0] [0]: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Referendums_in_the_United_Kingdom https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Referendums_in_the_United_Kingdo...

stuaxo 10y ago
It would be electoral suicide for a government not to follow through with this though.
- simplyinfinity 10y ago
  I think it won't be, the margins are too close, only 2% or so. so basically you are ignoring 48% of the people over 52% of the people... if it was something like 30/70 that would be suicide
  - ManlyBread 10y ago
    You're ignoring the fact that among these 48% there are people who strongly believe in democracy and if you undermine that you suddenly can have the 30/70 scenario you're talking about.
    - chii 10y ago
      many people only consider it undemocratic when it's working against their point of view. The 48% would not argue against their own point of view with democracy, when it clearly benefits them!
  - ozim 10y ago
    I second that, difference is too small and I don't know what the attendance was. Was it 100% of people who can vote voted?
    - burkaman 10y ago
      72% turnout
      - mrec 10y ago
        Higher than any UK General Election since 1992.
      - ozim 10y ago
        Ok that is quite high. I thought it was less. It makes some difference in way I see it now.
  - lucozade 10y ago
    The only conceivable way that a UK government can ignore this result is if the EU comes back with a substantial offer of change including a significant compromise on free movement. That could be used as a reason to trigger a second referendum. I can't see that happening though and all the rhetoric from the EU and EU nations has been "goodbye and thanks for all the fish". I expect the government to drag its heels for a while before it invokes Article 50 while it sorts itself out but industry will be clamouring for clarity so it won't drag on indefinitely.
    - largote 10y ago
      Setting such a precedent would be terrible for the EU though. Before too long every country will threaten to "leave".
    - Xylakant 10y ago
      > if the EU comes back with a substantial offer of change including a significant compromise on free movement That's not going to happen - not because of the "gooodbye" rhetoric, but rather because freedom of movement has been embodied as one of the core principles of the EU. Free movement of goods and people are inseparable. This is even laid down in the bilateral agreements with Switzerland and Norway. The Swiss just tested the waters with the latest referendum on curbing EU-immigration but they haven't followed through. The EU has drawn a line in the sand here and I seriously don't expect them to concede this point.
      - Kristine1975 10y ago
        >Free movement of goods and people are inseparable. Only when talking about people as goods, i.e. as human resources. When talking about people as humans, the borders inside EU are closed real quick when there's a G8 summit et.al. and politicians want to keep protestors from other countries out.
      - lucozade 10y ago
        I don't agree that free movement of goods and people are necessarily inseparable but I completely agree that this is the line in the sand that the EU won't cross under any circumstances. The flip side is that it's the main reason for the exit vote so I can't see how we could join EFTA, for example.
- ZeroGravitas 10y ago
  Follow through with what though? With removing "red tape", with cutting immigration, with not being part of a European Superstate? The text of the vote was about being a member of the EU, but you'd need to discern why people actually voted that way to keep them happy, as, for example, following the Norway model would be out of the EU (at least in name), but still have uncapped immigration, the requirement to follow lots of EU regulation, paying money to the EU, et..

stuaxo 10y ago

It would be electoral suicide for a government not to follow through with this though.

simplyinfinity 10y ago
I think it won't be, the margins are too close, only 2% or so. so basically you are ignoring 48% of the people over 52% of the people... if it was something like 30/70 that would be suicide
- ManlyBread 10y ago
  You're ignoring the fact that among these 48% there are people who strongly believe in democracy and if you undermine that you suddenly can have the 30/70 scenario you're talking about.
  - chii 10y ago
    many people only consider it undemocratic when it's working against their point of view. The 48% would not argue against their own point of view with democracy, when it clearly benefits them!
- ozim 10y ago
  I second that, difference is too small and I don't know what the attendance was. Was it 100% of people who can vote voted?
  - burkaman 10y ago
    72% turnout
    - mrec 10y ago
      Higher than any UK General Election since 1992.
    - ozim 10y ago
      Ok that is quite high. I thought it was less. It makes some difference in way I see it now.
- lucozade 10y ago
  The only conceivable way that a UK government can ignore this result is if the EU comes back with a substantial offer of change including a significant compromise on free movement. That could be used as a reason to trigger a second referendum. I can't see that happening though and all the rhetoric from the EU and EU nations has been "goodbye and thanks for all the fish". I expect the government to drag its heels for a while before it invokes Article 50 while it sorts itself out but industry will be clamouring for clarity so it won't drag on indefinitely.
  - largote 10y ago
    Setting such a precedent would be terrible for the EU though. Before too long every country will threaten to "leave".
  - Xylakant 10y ago
    > if the EU comes back with a substantial offer of change including a significant compromise on free movement That's not going to happen - not because of the "gooodbye" rhetoric, but rather because freedom of movement has been embodied as one of the core principles of the EU. Free movement of goods and people are inseparable. This is even laid down in the bilateral agreements with Switzerland and Norway. The Swiss just tested the waters with the latest referendum on curbing EU-immigration but they haven't followed through. The EU has drawn a line in the sand here and I seriously don't expect them to concede this point.
    - Kristine1975 10y ago
      >Free movement of goods and people are inseparable. Only when talking about people as goods, i.e. as human resources. When talking about people as humans, the borders inside EU are closed real quick when there's a G8 summit et.al. and politicians want to keep protestors from other countries out.
    - lucozade 10y ago
      I don't agree that free movement of goods and people are necessarily inseparable but I completely agree that this is the line in the sand that the EU won't cross under any circumstances. The flip side is that it's the main reason for the exit vote so I can't see how we could join EFTA, for example.
ZeroGravitas 10y ago
Follow through with what though? With removing "red tape", with cutting immigration, with not being part of a European Superstate? The text of the vote was about being a member of the EU, but you'd need to discern why people actually voted that way to keep them happy, as, for example, following the Norway model would be out of the EU (at least in name), but still have uncapped immigration, the requirement to follow lots of EU regulation, paying money to the EU, et..