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11.01am
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20 August 2013
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Sky999 said
This might sound stupid, but…Could someone break down the Brexit to me. I normally somewhat try to keep up with international news, but between the latest shootings and what not and my father in law dying Ive been thrown out of loop until last night. What’s going on? Why do they want to leave? What’s going to happen? It all sounds very scary to me. I know the UK voted to get out of the EU. Well, the majority not Scotland or London. Scotland wants to break away from the UK. I know it was mostly older folks who swayed the vote. I know stocks have fallen and the pound has fallen. The Prime Minister is resigning. Apart from that I’m still trying to pick up the pieces for it to make sense.
From what this outsider understands:
Many people (as it turns out, a very slight majority) in Great Britain were fed up with the EU telling them how to run their country. They wanted to be able to make their own laws, rules, and regulations.
I agree with ewe2 about the inequality bit. British workers have been complaining that Eastern Europeans come to Britain and work for a very meager salary in jobs that Britons would do if they were paid a decent wage to do them. I’m not sure the new people in power will change the policies that make that situation a reality. From what I understand, the folks at the top don’t want to share their wealth with the peasants/people who toil away in the jobs that line the pockets of the CEOs and shareholders.
At least that’s the way I understand things from what I’ve seen/read in the media. I’ve not been there to hear it from Britons themselves.
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4.44pm
10 August 2011
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52% to 48%….
That’s a 2% (not 4%) difference [it’s a 2% change off a dead heat; phrased differently, you start with 100 people, 50 on each side. If just 2 switch sides you get 52/48]
Seems like an awfully small difference to affect such a huge result. You’d think that to create such a momentous change you’d need more than a simple majority.
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7.26pm
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20 August 2013
Offline I just heard on the BBC that Parliament can set the Brexit result aside and keep Britain in the EU. Is that true?
There is a petition going around to do a revote and require a larger win than just a simple majority.
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8.53pm
3 November 2015
Offline I hope there’s a referendum. Everyone is affected by this–the world is so interdependent that they’re causing everyone to lose money.
I respect others’ opinions but here is my own: A country wanted to rule itself because of pride and not democracy. Controlling immigrants is practically impossible; we are all essentially immigrants. This nativism has been going on long before these other issues. The peace treaty the EU is supposed to be will fall apart if Britain is not in it. When the US didn’t join the UN, it contributed to WWII.
Whatever ends up happening with the vote, this is a perfect example of a wake-up call for Americans NOT to vote for Trump. Choose a person (Hillary) who at least understands minorities and wants the people’s best interest and not egotistical whims.
Only music can save us.
8.54pm
1 November 2013
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I say no, majority rules. They shouldn’t just take away the choice from the people just cause they didn’t like the choice.
12.00am
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17 December 2012
Offline Could the UK Government choose to ignore the result of the referendum? An interesting question, @Ahhh Girl.
At it’s most basic, the answer is an unequivocal yes.
The referendum was provided for by a specific Act of Parliament which set out the conditions of it, including its legal standing. It was set up as an advisory referendum with no obligation that the Government follow the advice given by the people.
The real question is whether they would. The vast majority of our MPs are not in favour of this, and could block any moves needed to enact it. That would, however, throw us into a constitutional crisis, and possible rioting on the streets.
We have made our bed…
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5.37am
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1 May 2011
Offline It’s a public vote, we can’t decide to ignore the result because we didn’t get the result we wanted. We have voted out so we leave. Simple as.
Then again Scotland might veto and stay. But then we voted no 
.
Meanwhile Labour in meltdown with members of their shadow cabinet handing in resignations to try and get Corbyn to resign – here’s the ‘Who!!!?, Never Heard Of Him/Her‘ list of those in the Shadow Cabinet. Interesting to see that those defending him are using his half-hearted leadership thru the EU referendum campaign as a positive.
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7.51am
1 November 2013
Offline The UK still does first past the post voting correct?
8.36am
Reviewers
17 December 2012
Offline @Starr Shine? said
The UK still does first past the post voting correct?
In elections, yes, and I get the point you’re making.
However, a referendum is not an election. I am not offering an opinion on the rights or wrongs of Parliament rejecting the referendum result should that happen (unlikely in my opinion), merely whether it was a legal option. Parliament can set up two types of referendum: “binding” or “advisory”. A “binding” referendum would require the Government and Parliament to enact the policy being debated, while an “advisory” referendum offers an opinion for the Government and Parliament to consider. The EU referendum was set up as an advisory referendum and, therefore, the vote to Leave has no legal standing.
The UK Parliament is highly unlikely to reject the advice though. As I stated above, that would result in a constitutional crisis.
The more interesting question about how things progress will be what the Scottish Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly choose to do. Both areas voted remain, and may reject passing any laws Westminster may need to withdraw the UK.
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9.30am
31 March 2008
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The UK Parliament is highly unlikely to reject the advice though. As I stated above, that would result in a constitutional crisis.
Well since we have no written constitution, we have to go with precedent. MPs can (and often do) switch between trustee and delegate mode: sometimes following constituents’ wishes, sometimes acting in the interest of the party or the nation, sometimes voting according to their own conscience. They are not automatically bound to follow the will of the people, and can vote against the wishes of their constituents for the greater good or national security. This is why, for example, we don’t have capital punishment, despite more than 50% of people being in favour of it.
If MPs were given a vote and rejected Article 50 and Brexit, it wouldn’t result in a constitutional crisis. It would, however, engender what I believe the venerable constitutional expert Vernon Bogdanor might describe as “an almighty shitshow”. There would be celebrations in some quarters and sighs of relief audible beyond the atmosphere; but also a very real sense of disenfranchisement, anger and potentially rioting and an increase in far-right activism among some of those who voted Leave.
Incidentally, the EU cannot kick us out, and according to these constitutional lawyers the PM cannot act unilaterally either. It needs to be a parliamentary process. https://ukconstitutionallaw.or…..able-role/
At the moment we have a political vacuum at the top of government, and decisive action is needed quickly. I’m sensing the appetite for kickstarting the Brexit process isn’t there within the cabinet, and I suspect Boris Johnson doesn’t want to be that guy either. Giving MPs a chance to debate and vote might well result in rejection of the whole thing, which would help stabilise the markets and our currency, stem the flow of jobs out of the UK, and allow us to carry on as before. Although I think our relationship with other EU member states is now irrevocably soured. Also, the Conservative Party would probably remain as divided as Labour is right now.
Either way, it’s going to be a bumpy and interesting ride. I’m also fairly sure we’ve seen the last of referenda for the foreseeable future.
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1.53pm
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1 May 2011
Offline Utterly bizarre what is going on with UK politics and especially the Labour party. Currently a senior Labour minister, John McDonald, is speaking on a lorry to the crowd around and below him thru a PA system that Jeremy Corbyn (Labour’s leader) is staying on after mass resignations of the shadow cabinet and other ministers and Lords have ripped the party apart in a bid to get Corbyn to resign.
I’ve never seen anything like this. The Conservatives will be delighted.
Ooh, Mr Corbyn is coming.
England are playing Iceland. Pah!!
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4.24pm
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1 May 2011
Offline I was wrong.
England lose. Roy Hodgson quits.
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6.28pm
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20 August 2013
Offline FWIW, Paul didn’t vote in the Brexit referendum.
snippets from the article
So where did Paul McCartney land on Brexit? The legendary former Beatle told The Washington Post that, in the end, he couldn’t decide whether the United Kingdom should stay or go.
“I think like a lot of people, I was very confused,” McCartney said Monday from a tour stop in Denmark.
Despite saying he wouldn’t have voted, “I think I would have come down on the remain side because people like the Governor of the Bank of England, a lot of financial experts, were saying that,” McCartney said. “I think the strongest argument that I heard, a friend of mine who was a political journalist said, [is that people] shouldn’t forget this is the longest sustained peace in Europe.”
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4.50pm
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17 December 2012
Offline There have been very many moving remembrances of the 100th anniversary of the first day of the Battle of the Somme, one of the bloodiest battles in history, with over a million combined dead by its end in September.
On this first day, 100 years ago, the British Army and its Empire forces had 19,240 dead and another 40,000 injured.
My Grandfather on my Mother ‘s side was too young to have served, but he was from a big Irish family that had migrated to work on London’s docks. My Grandfather was one of 13 children: 7 boys and 6 girls. He was the 9th child and the 6th boy.
Two of his older brothers were among those who fell 100 years ago today. By the time the war ended, my Grandfather was his parents oldest surviving boy.
It is important we do not forget these things, that we try to make a better world, and do not forget their sacrifice.
“We will remember them.”
RIP Great-Uncle George. RIP Great-Uncle John (I am proud a part of my name is in your memory).
Thank you for your sacrifice this day in history.
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4.20am
8 January 2015
Offline Another kind of sacrifice is all the people who volunteered to do that most nebulous of duties, handing out How To Vote cards in our federal election today. I’ve done it before, it’s a very long day and you don’t get much joy from the people you serve, and you don’t get paid like the election officials but you make a contribution, so this is a thank you whatever party you support. Democracy is something we need to uphold, whatever our opinion.
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8.02am
1 November 2013
Offline Can’t they teach that in school?
10.39am
8 January 2015
Offline Historically, teaching our children how our political system works has been the 2nd choice if they didnt want to learn a language. It might have changed since I was in school, but we’re not very well educated about our system. However, we seem to have rat cunning about voting and at the moment the election result is so unclear as to literally be not a great loss for the loser and a Pyrrhic victory for the winner.
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12.23pm
1 November 2013
Offline If a country has a voting system, then they should teach it’s people how to vote.
4.43pm
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20 August 2013
Offline Ahhh Girl said
FWIW, Paul didn’t vote in the Brexit referendum.snippets from the article
So where did Paul McCartney land on Brexit? The legendary former Beatle told The Washington Post that, in the end, he couldn’t decide whether the United Kingdom should stay or go.
“I think like a lot of people, I was very confused,” McCartney said Monday from a tour stop in Denmark.
Despite saying he wouldn’t have voted, “I think I would have come down on the remain side because people like the Governor of the Bank of England, a lot of financial experts, were saying that,” McCartney said. “I think the strongest argument that I heard, a friend of mine who was a political journalist said, [is that people] shouldn’t forget this is the longest sustained peace in Europe.”
Ringo knows what he thinks about the vote.
Ex-Beatle Ringo Starr says Brexit Britain can work it out
From the article
Ringo Starr has praised the UK’s decision to leave the European Union, saying Brexit will allow the country to get back on its “own feet”.
The former Beatles drummer said he was “huge fan” of the EU when it started but it had failed to turn into a “love fest”.
Reacting to the referendum result, Ringo told the Press Association: “I think (it’s) good. Get back on our own feet.
“I was a huge fan when (the EU) started. I’ve lived all over Europe so I thought ‘how great’. But it never really got together, I didn’t think.
“Maybe in a business way it got together but everyone kept their own flags … it didn’t really turn into a love fest.”
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