This shouldn't be news for anyone who's lived here a few years, with a basic understanding of UK politics. The acrid stench of arrogance and righteousness that emanates from Westminster travels to the far corners of these isles.
I know HN loves its skin deep political analysis but this really is weak.
However, a few officials did offer their opinions, but it was mostly to leave, with Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage getting considerable media coverage. There was also Michael Gove, Ian Dunken Smith, Chris Grayling, Zac Goldsmith, and all those Grassroots Out guys. They were very vocal and on radio and TV nearly every day.
Just because Cameron quit office and a few other politicians said once or twice that we shouldn't leave doesn't make it a "campaign". Trust me, when the UK government campaigns they are very good at it (smoking ban, traffic safety, more surveillance less rights for people).
So no, I really disagree with your claim the government "campaigned" against leaving EU. Maybe you're right and they didn't outright support the plan, but definitely didn't put a lot of effort trying to stop it.
I'm sorry, this is just blatantly false. You simply must not have been in the UK during the referendum campaign.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/22/david-camer...
> David Cameron criss-crossed the country on Wednesday in a final effort to warn Britain’s voters against rejecting the EU in the historic poll, that will also be read as a referendum on his premiership.
> Appearing in his shirt sleeves, and with his voice breaking at times, the prime minister issued an impassioned personal plea to the public to reject the “untruths” of the leave campaign. He pleaded for voters to “put jobs first, put the economy first”.
The referendum was purely advisory, so it's up to the government to decide how they want to interpret the result. There is no "custom and practice" of requiring 2/3 or 75% supermajorities in the UK, and judicial review is pretty limited here anyway. The goal of the referendum was to deliver a blow to Ukip and the eurosceptic wing of the Conservative party - anything that made the referendum seem biased against them would have just made them more angry and self-righteous.
For years the UK at least had the EU who has some laws protecting people, but they've even convinced these obedient lemmings to leave the only union protecting their rights.
One of the biggest problems with government and law is that the people will only fight for what they want, not what they already have. Meaning history will always repeat itself, laws will be passed when people become repressed, then repealed as soon as people forget.