If I understand well (and of course I might be wrong), legally the referendum as passed into law by Parliament was only advisory. Hence all the irritating comments from remainers about why it doesn't need to be honoured.

It was the Government who said that they'd act on the result. So there's a clear moral, democratic & political obligation on the Government to fulfill that promise but no legal responsibility on the part of Parliament to do so.

Not sure that Article 50 leaves Parliament under any obligation to do anything. In fact now that the keepers of the EU's rule book have spoken, Parliament can vote to withdraw Atricle 50 without any legal or constitutional consequence.

Someone messed up.

Edited by steve1984 (11 Dec 2018 1.41pm)

Actually I would have more respect for Parliament directly deciding to renege on the vote rather than them voting in a second referendum.

Don't get me wrong, I would still be donning the metaphorical yellow-jacket and hurling petrol bombs but at least MP's would have shown a modicum of back-bone, even if I loathed them for it.

But the vote on June 23rd has to honoured because the downsides simply do not bear thinking about, as I suspect you acknowledge. Everybody as far as I am aware voted on June 23rd in good faith and to have that betrayed would be the effective end of the democratic compact that exists.

What we are still left with though is the reality that many, many people, who would have prior to the referendum vote, portrayed themselves as wedded to the core principles of the democratic process have displayed no qualms about their open desire to see the process sidelined. The vote on June 23rd was democracy in almost its purest form, with every vote equally weighted and a simple, binary, choice on offer. No small print. Leave or Remain. Yet supposedly bright people want to tamper with that. A real eye-opener.

"The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." - 1984 - George Orwell.

It is. As a Remainer why do you think such a vocal group of people who shared your choice on June 23rd struggle with that? Of everything that has happened since the vote, it is their reaction that has puzzled/angered/sickened me the most.

Campaign for us to rejoin, that I get. A perfectly legitimate political aspiration. And make a good enough case and you never know, I might even support it in the future. But to try and have the vote on June 23rd ignored offers nothing other than enraging people.

So why are they so willfully ignorant of that? Or do they simply not care?

"The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." - 1984 - George Orwell.

Somewhat.

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

How is anyone's understanding different to what it was at the time of the 2016 referendum? The arguments are exactly the same. The remain-voting establishment ramping up the scare stories doesn't alter anything. The one reason why the whole thing has fallen into chaos is because of the reluctance and piss-awful negotiation skills of May and her cabinet in implementing the 2016 result. A remainer Prime Minister clearly out to frustrate the process.

You want to re-run a race that's already been run and won. I don't buy it.

It's why we should have a people's vote

The Brexit deal satisfies no one and solves nothing.
It shows that what was promised can't be delivered.
It's a much worse deal than the one we've already got in the EU.
If approved it means Brexit will go on forever.

We don't have to follow the result if it brings self harm, everyone agrees on both sides this is not what we voted for so we should have a vote on exactly what people want in full view of the possible and actual outcomes and try and deliver a deal that is the best interests of everyone

Paua oouaarancì Irà chiyeah Ishé galé ma ba oo ah