What About Brexit

I'm curious about what is happening in the U.K. concerning Brexit.

BBC World News is available here in the U.S. While the programs are made for an American audience, the source material originates in the U.K. One of the programs is a Saturday evening half-hour on the previous week's events with Brexit.

I have relatives in St. Helens, England, some of whom voted to stay, while others voted to leave. All of them are very worried about what may, or may not, occur.

It seems to me the best option is to allow a second referendum on the issue, before there is no turning back.

Thoughts? Comments?

Thanks.

My fear is that holding a second referendum will just cause more resentment. If it goes the other way this time, seventeen million leave voters will simply feel that their votes were worthless and their opinions are being ignored. The country was asked to vote, and it voted. The government had an obligation to carry out the will of the majority, and they are now desperately trying to avoid doing so. That isn't democracy.

tony ingram wrote:My fear is that holding a second referendum will just cause more resentment. If it goes the other way this time, seventeen million leave voters will simply feel that their votes were worthless and their opinions are being ignored. The country was asked to vote, and it voted. The government had an obligation to carry out the will of the majority, and they are now desperately trying to avoid doing so. That isn't democracy.

But how many of those people had no clue what they were really voting for, or what all it would involve?

If the original vote was really the "will of the majority", shouldn't a new vote just reaffirm the original results?

MajorHoy wrote:

tony ingram wrote:My fear is that holding a second referendum will just cause more resentment. If it goes the other way this time, seventeen million leave voters will simply feel that their votes were worthless and their opinions are being ignored. The country was asked to vote, and it voted. The government had an obligation to carry out the will of the majority, and they are now desperately trying to avoid doing so. That isn't democracy.

But how many of those people had no clue what they were really voting for, or what all it would involve?

If the original vote was really the "will of the majority", shouldn't a new vote just reaffirm the original results?

The remainers have been pushing the idea that leavers voted through ignorance for months. I find that quite offensive. From those I've spoken to, most weren't even listening to much of what the various campaigners were saying; a lot of the older generation, including my own father and in-laws, voted leave for the simple reason that they never believed we should go into the EU in the first place, but had previously had no say in it. There's been a lot of talk about us having voted in the 1970's, but that vote was on membership in the EEC, a trade partnership only. The EU in its current form has only existed since the signing of the Maastricht treaty in 1992. There was no consultation on that. The whole Brexit issue has caused a massive schism between those who grew up in the EU post '92 and those who recall life before it.

As much of a mess as US politics is at the moment, can i just say I really hope Britain comes through their current troubles well and whole? Take care, British friends!

Mbast1 wrote:As much of a mess as US politics is at the moment, can i just say I really hope Britain comes through their current troubles well and whole? Take care, British friends!

Thank you. Right now, we have no idea what's going to happen next, but whatever it is, it won't be pretty.

That's why I worry. For you, but we're also more than a bit chaotic. So, let's hope both countries do well. The world needs the stability.

tony ingram wrote:

Mbast1 wrote:As much of a mess as US politics is at the moment, can i just say I really hope Britain comes through their current troubles well and whole? Take care, British friends!

Thank you. Right now, we have no idea what's going to happen next, but whatever it is, it won't be pretty.

Can we add "we have no idea when anything's going to happen next"?
I thought I heard that any final resolution may not be until January of 2020 now?

MajorHoy wrote:

tony ingram wrote:

Mbast1 wrote:As much of a mess as US politics is at the moment, can i just say I really hope Britain comes through their current troubles well and whole? Take care, British friends!

Thank you. Right now, we have no idea what's going to happen next, but whatever it is, it won't be pretty.

Can we add "we have no idea when anything's going to happen next"?
I thought I heard that any final resolution may not be until January of 2020 now?

Nobody knows. Boris Johnson was adamant that we'd leave by October 31st with or without a deal, because he believes he has an obligation to keep the promise made to the electotate three years ago. The MP's basically manipulated the law in order to prevent leaving with no deal from being a possibility, then, when Johnson secured a deal after all, voted against accepting it. Johnson stated he would not ask the EU for another extension; they manipulated the law to force him to do so. It's all aimed at preventing Brexit. The fact that the majority voted for it doesn't matter to the politicians. It's disgraceful.

Now 31 October has passed but, from what I understand here from old Italy, European Union now will have to wait for what happens after next Uk elections so basically the situation is in a limbo now, awating for what comes next...

Barry_Allen wrote:Now 31 October has passed but, from what I understand here from old Italy, European Union now will have to wait for what happens after next Uk elections so basically the situation is in a limbo now, awating for what comes next...

It's a mess. At this point, nobody knows what's happening, least of all the government, it seems.

So the English electorate who voted yesterday gave the parlamentiary majority to that Clown with the bulldozer (did you see that small movie, right?)   now we only have to wait for the signing of the consensual separation from EU....how sad!

Barry_Allen wrote:So the English electorate who voted yesterday gave the parlamentiary majority to that Clown with the bulldozer (did you see that small movie, right?)   now we only have to wait for the signing of the consensual separation from EU....how sad!

NOt sad in the opinion of a lot of people here. And the whole of the UK voted, not just England.

tony ingram wrote:

Barry_Allen wrote:So the English electorate who voted yesterday gave the parlamentiary majority to that Clown with the bulldozer (did you see that small movie, right?)   now we only have to wait for the signing of the consensual separation from EU....how sad!

NOt sad in the opinion of a lot of people here. And the whole of the UK voted, not just England.

Still have to wait and see if it becomes a "done deal" or not when all is said and done.
(Hey, it's politics . . . who knows if / what theatre we may still be in for when they're trying to tie a bow on the package!)

MajorHoy wrote:

tony ingram wrote:

Barry_Allen wrote:So the English electorate who voted yesterday gave the parlamentiary majority to that Clown with the bulldozer (did you see that small movie, right?)   now we only have to wait for the signing of the consensual separation from EU....how sad!

NOt sad in the opinion of a lot of people here. And the whole of the UK voted, not just England.

Still have to wait and see if it becomes a "done deal" or not when all is said and done.
(Hey, it's politics . . . who knows if / what theatre we may still be in for when they're trying to tie a bow on the package!)

And that's the problem. More waiting, more wrangling, more backbiting from both sides of the fence...

So, it sounds like tonight (Friday, January 31st, 2020) is when Britain's withdrawal from the European Union officially begins?

Double message by me, sorry, just cancelled it!

MajorHoy wrote:So, it sounds like tonight (Friday, January 31st, 2020) is when Britain's withdrawal from the European Union officially begins?

The UE Parlament has voted yesterday in that way, although all practical things should (hopefully) stay the same until next 31 December..

Barry_Allen wrote:

MajorHoy wrote:So, it sounds like tonight (Friday, January 31st, 2020) is when Britain's withdrawal from the European Union officially begins?

The UE Parlament has voted yesterday in that way, although all practical things should (hopefully) stay the same until next 31 December..

Screw the EU Parliament. We voted that way. The EU has no say in it.