If it goes to a second referendum and remain win, then that is the "will of the people", not politicians/Westminster elite/EU telling people how to live their lives, it's the fellow man and woman on the street making the decisions just like it was the first time.
Resorting to violence is extremely unlikely. There are always nutbags around but I can't see this turning into anything more.
...and if it did I would remind those considering violence that the vast majority of the remain vote were young and healthy adults, while the leave vote was predominantly from those aged over 54 (1). Every year more and more leavers die, yet the remain ranks just get stronger and stronger as more kids turn 16. No amount of rose-tinted blitz spirit is going to help with those gammy-knees, dicky-tickers, and bad-backs if it comes to the rough stuff.
Someday, you too will be old. Guess how you will vote. :-) Some young person, much like yourself today, will be thinking that your death would make the voting turn out better and will be eagerly awaiting it. Eventually, they too will be old... and so it continues on forever.
As for how effective a 18 year old Vs a 65 year old would be (all other things being equal) in a fight I guess could be considered ageist, and for that I apologise.
So, the decision making is kept as hostage by 17m angry people who won't accept that their side winning was based on pretty much fraudulent arguments? Maybe, just maybe, it could be in the long run worth paying the price of their anger and show that the modern democratic society has some backbone against these kind of people?
Remember, we don't have a codified constitution. A system such as our requires trying to find middle ground consensus above all else.
The people who want to Leave are way, way, way angrier than those who want to Remain. It's easier to just let them discover the lie in their deathbeds in 20 years...
It's entirely outside of the UK's hands right now. The best option will have to be to let the no deal Brexit happen, allow a binding Irish unification referendum within the next five years, and let the British people learn from their own mistakes.
The ECJ has said that the UK can just revoke article 50 and stay in the EU[1]. I understand how this might be political suicide for some in the UK, but there is the option of takesies backsies (although that would happen to e.g. the EMA is unclear).
So one option is to hold another referendum, and see if the "stay" votes carry it this time around. If they do they revoke article 50, if not it's back to square #1.
1. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/dec/10/uk-can-unil...
It being legally possible is not the same as it being even remotely possible at this stage.
What needs to happen is the Leavers need to realise that No Deal isn't acceptable (they don't), and that more time is needed for a better deal or that it gets democratic backing.
Unfortunately, Parliament has already kind of voted no deal into law, and seem to have forgotten that, a fact the "European Research Group" - a bunch of Leavers in Parliament chaired by Jacob Rees-Mogg - is keen to remind them of that. Constantly.
What's the polling like?
to whom?
That's interesting, as it also could have had one question, with three possible answers: What option do you prefer: Leave, No Deal Brexit, May's Deal Brexit?
I can very well imagine the presentation of these questions influencing the outcome (with Remain being more likely in my formulation), and I wonder how such things get considered when designing a referendum.
Improving voting systems would be great (especially looking at the US, if you ever want more than two real parties), but doing it on the back of such an important decision would be problematic at best.
Here is a cutesy video for those new to FPTP voting issues: https://youtu.be/s7tWHJfhiyo
Don't think that's going to be enough to swing 230 votes.
There is no chance of that.
This is not appropriate.
The UK doesn't have enough guns to have a proper civil war. (It's amazing how far one has to reach for good news in this situation!)
- A motion of no confidence has been tabled and will be debated and voted on tomorrow
- If the motion carries (i.e. the Government loses):
1. Theresa May must resign as Prime Minister
2. There can be a 14 day window in which a new government is formed, which must be approved by a motion of confidence. This is likely to be waived
3. There will be a general election. Theresa May will remain leader of the Tories. The Tories will lose
4. Corbyn will then seek a deal that retains customs union. This is likely to take time, so he will likely seek a delay from Parliament on Article 50 for such a deal to be agreed
5. We leave with a customs union probably in Autumn of 2019
- Most Tories know this, so will support the PM in a vote of no confidence, and the Government may win it. In that scenario:
1. Theresa May stays Prime Minister
2. She will go back to the EU and demand a new deal, likely with a hard time limit on the NI backstop, the main issue that caused tonight's defeat
3. At the same time, she will ask "senior Parliamentarians" what they would need if that were not possible
4. The only thing that will carry a vote in Parliament right now other than a customs union deal (which she has personally refused to engage with), is a second referendum
5. If the backstop isn't removed, it's therefore quite likely Article 50 is rescinded and a new referendum happens this Summer. It's likely such a referendum will have two questions: Do you wish to leave or remain?; and, in the event of a vote towards leave, would you accept the backstop or would you prefer "No Deal".
6. This will either result in a Remain vote and possibly a civil war (no, seriously), or a Leave vote that risks breaking up the UK with the NI needing to align with the Republic and, so, a civil war but contained to NI, or a Leave deal with support for "No Deal" and a default position of WTO rules
All outcomes have downsides. There is no winning here, and there is no situation in which we get to revoke Article 50 and the UK remains in the EU and all is well. It will leave 17m people in an absolute rage, and they have already murdered one MP. It'll get worse.