D
Deleted member 202217
Guest
A second referendum would not be anti-democratic. This line of reasoning is absurd and is used repeatedly, usually in conjunction with a reference to Ireland being “forced” to vote again on the Lisbon treaty until they have the “correct” answer. That is simply untrue and a complete misrepresentation of why Ireland voted for a second time.
The reason Ireland did hold a second referendum is because the first time around, the explanation of what the treaty was doing was so poor that nobody had any idea what they were voting for. Fear of the unknown led people to reject it rather than vote yes to something they did not understand. This was fed back, and a great deal of effort was spent bringing clarity to the treaty. The subsequent referendum was comprehensively in favour of the treaty, because second time around, people had the knowledge needed to make a more informed decision. The reaction among my family and friends once they understood what they were voting for went from belligerent and hostile at a perceived attempt to pull the wool over their eyes, to accepting and a bit sheepish that everyone had got so worked up in the first place.
This is all a matter of public record but conveniently gets ignored when trying to score points against the EU. It also translates directly to the position some determined leavers are taking with respect to a second referendum on Brexit. Three years down the road and with people much more informed about what they’re voting for, it’s not unreasonable at all for some people to support another referendum. There would be absolutely nothing undemocratic about having a second referendum on Brexit, and if the more extreme leavers have the courage of their convictions, they should have absolutely no qualms about another vote, as the result would only cement their position.
(Personally I don’t think there’s much point in a second referendum because even if Remain won, it would just lead to more protracted infighting and keep Farage relevant for another generation...ugh. For me, the UK has made its bed and now needs to lie in it, come what may. I’m just sick of people suggesting that a further people’s vote would be undemocratic.)
Let's have a referendum every 3 months then.
That way as new information is learned we can continue to make informed decisions.