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Re:UK triggers the official Brexit process in a letter to EU by sangnoir on Wednesday March 29, 2017 @09:46AM (#13986129)
Is there any that evidence the optimal administrative size for people not to feel "detached from the political process" is at state level? Why not further devolve sovereignty further to the british isles, regions, cities or counties?

The absurdity of it all is that the Tories say "It's good to leave the union" when the subject is Brexit, while also saying "It's not good to leave the union" when the subject is Indyref 2

Re:UK triggers the official Brexit process in a letter to EU by paulajohnson on Wednesday March 29, 2017 @11:09AM (#13986986)
The Nordic states are about 5M people each, and they routinely top the score cards for general wellbeing. Some people (who?) have suggested that 5M might be an optimal number.
Re:UK triggers the official Brexit process in a letter to EU by Symbiote on Wednesday March 29, 2017 @11:23AM (#13987137)
Yet Sweden, Denmark and Finland are in the EU, and Norway and Iceland are in the EEA.

There's no big group wanting to change this.

Re:UK triggers the official Brexit process in a letter to EU by lordnacho on Wednesday March 29, 2017 @03:52PM (#13989940)
> Why not further devolve sovereignty further to the british isles, regions, cities or counties?

That's a great idea, and precisely what they do in Switzerland. Stuff that's local is decided locally. What days are holidays? Depends on what canton you're in. How are schools organised? Local. What are taxes? Local.

That doesn't mean you can't organise some things on a national level, for instance the military, and federal projects like the excellent technical universities. And there's a federal tax to go with it.

If little regions had more power it would be a lot easier as an individual to shop around for the area you like, and for experiments to be made.

Re:UK triggers the official Brexit process in a letter to EU by mstade on Wednesday March 29, 2017 @10:45AM (#13986686)
Not to mention the hypocrisy of voting to remain and then championing the effort to leave.

UK politics is so broken right now.

Re:UK triggers the official Brexit process in a letter to EU by sangnoir on Wednesday March 29, 2017 @11:21AM (#13987115)
> Not to mention the hypocrisy of voting to remain and then championing the effort to leave.

I'm not sure if you're referring to Scotland/Indiref 2 - but there's no hypocrisy if the voter's intention in both cases is to remain in the EU. Maybe you're referring to Theresa May? If so, I fully agree.

Re:UK triggers the official Brexit process in a letter to EU by mstade on Thursday March 30, 2017 @04:52AM (#13993855)
I'm indeed referring to Theresa May, sorry for the confusion.
Re:UK triggers the official Brexit process in a letter to EU by nfbush on Wednesday March 29, 2017 @11:10AM (#13987002)
The poll was legally binding, they had to leave. Not that politics isn't broken ofc. EDIT I was wrong
Re:UK triggers the official Brexit process in a letter to EU by eyko on Wednesday March 29, 2017 @11:25AM (#13987162)
The referendum was not legally binding.
Re:UK triggers the official Brexit process in a letter to EU by djmobley on Wednesday March 29, 2017 @12:21PM (#13987777)
It would have been untenable, however, for a government to defy the will of the people as expressed in the referendum.
Re:UK triggers the official Brexit process in a letter to EU by afandian on Wednesday March 29, 2017 @01:02PM (#13988297)
I have no desire to re-hash this particular argument, but the margin, 48/52 was very small. Very close to 50/50. And the turnout wasn't perfect. I've heard that only something like 30% of the eligible voters voted to leave.

There was no "will of the people". The people were undecided.

Re:UK triggers the official Brexit process in a letter to EU by another-dave on Wednesday March 29, 2017 @03:01PM (#13989507)
And then there's the fact that Britons settled in Europe didn't have a vote.

Whatever you can say about voting rights for overseas citizens in general elections, this vote was explicitly removing rights that they are currently exercising as part of EU membership — arguably they are the most affected by the outcome, yet were disenfranchised.

Re:UK triggers the official Brexit process in a letter to EU by millak on Wednesday March 29, 2017 @02:19PM (#13989089)
Indeed, it's frustrating to see it constantly said that the "decisive will of the British people" has spoken!
Re:UK triggers the official Brexit process in a letter to EU by random_comment on Wednesday March 29, 2017 @04:46PM (#13990414)
> It would have been untenable, however, for a government to defy the will of the people as expressed in the referendum.

I may have missed something but at no point was anything resembling the current 'plan' ever put forward to be considered as 'the will of the people'.