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Originally Posted by Damien
I don't think we should have another referendum but Brexit supporters do seem to think the result was more emphatic than it was when they say 'will of the people'. It's the will of just over half the people, and almost certainly less than that when you consider the under-18s who'll be in their twenties when we actually leave couldn't vote.
It was a legitimate result and it should be respected but the 'will of the people' overlooks just how divided the country is and a better understanding of that would help explain to them just why this is difficult and why the country isn't 'rallying behind Brexit'. Brexit doesn't actually have 'the people' behind it, it has half of people behind it and the other half passionately against it.
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Not sure I totally agree. I for one voted remain and wish this whole thing wasn’t going ahead but if it has to, then a Brexit that is as painless as possible for the economy and country should be the aim. With a decision of this importance, we should hold the government to account. What is happening now will affect the country for years to come. It’s not like a manifesto promise that you can ride out for 5 years. This is pretty much permanent. So am I passionately against Brexit? No, I would rather it didn’t have to happen but if it does, let’s make it work.
At this point, 17,410,742 votes for leave and there are 17,410,742 opinions on what Brexit actually means down the line. When you add all the remain voters who accept the result, it gets even more complicated. Differences in opinion on how the process is going cause reactions way beyond the import of the opinion. Look at the motion to allow giving MPs a vote on the deal - not one of the Conservative rebels has tried to thwart Brexit, they supported a motion asking for parliamentary scrutiny of the deal, holding government to account. Yet now they are ‘traitors’ receiving death threats. John Stewart Mills ‘Tyranny of the Majority’ is writ large here.
Should we and can we rally around Brexit? The answer is ‘it depends’. What is the plan? What is the end point? How will we be affected? Can we trust the government to work in our interests? I have asked on this forum for members ‘fantasy Brexit’ with their ideal answers to the above and got no answer. Until this is clear, it is difficult to support. It’s not like supporting a football team blindly, give people a reason to support the process beyond simply the idea of Brexit meaning Brexit.