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Here’s why the @LibDems and @RenewParty are right to favour revoking Art. 50 before a People’s Vote. Those advocating doing it the other way around are making two major mistakes THREAD.
The first mistake is the more unforgivable, and that is failing to learn the lesson of last time. This is the error Cameron made after the Scottish referendum. That mistake is the assumption that revoke would win. This is related to the second mistake....
...and that is the degree of damage already done to the public sphere in this country, including to democracy itself. It is becoming increasingly clear that it would be impossible to hold a free and fair vote. Referendums are inherently damaging to U.K. representative democracy.
We should not make an arrogant and high-handed assumption, à la Cameron that the result would go our way. Look at the polls. People haven’t changed their minds. We cannot trust that those pushing no deal wouldn’t repeat their immoral and illegal activities that won before.
What incentive do they have not to? Whatever the result, another referendum at present threatens seriously to exacerbate our current predicament, not resolve it. Fighting fire with fire just ends up with more fire.
Further, if we want to be serious about Brexit, and give people a genuine choice in a Referendum (which I would oppose, but I think has to be on the table in any remain alliance), then that means a deal. We cannot negotiate a deal now. We must therefore revoke and regroup.
Only then do we have the opportunity to restore our democracy and our negotiating position with our EU partners to make Brexit possible. That is, ultimately, the only way to respect the right of people to vote to leave the EU.
I refuse to accept the idea that the referendum result has not been respected. In starting negotiations with the EU, and by triggering the process to leave, our duty to the referendum result has been fully discharged (not that any such duty was owed due to electoral fraud.)
To suggest otherwise is to accept the Brexiter argument that it is we who wish to remain who do not respect democracy, not the Brexiters whose lies, cheating, treachery and criminality have so imperilled our constitution, democracy, rule of law and way of life. ENDS
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