This is a continuation of the diary I wrote yesterday, UK wants a do over - and it could get it. In that diary I told about the petition for a 2nd referendum on Brexit, how it was doing (with updates) and a little bit of why. I am writing this in anticipation, and will publish when the signatures hit
One of the “benefits” to getting older is that I have to get up during the night. Last night (actually wee hours of the morning) I would check to see how the petition was progressing. Around 5:45am EDT the petition hit 1,000,000 signatories (Badlands noted it in the comments of the last diary.)
The petition has now drawn 1 Million signatures in less than 9 hours.
The petition has been getting more and more notice inside the UK and out as its signature count gets larger and larger, which in turn makes its signature count larger. The speed of growth of signatories is amazing.
There is also a feeling that Leavers have been lied to.
Pro-Brexit MEP Daniel Hannan faces a backlash because after the Brexit win he said that immigration numbers into the UK would not change even if the UK left the EU. While there is evidence he never personally said that all immigration into the UK would halt if they left the EU, many Leavers were left with that impression. That was one of the reason they voted to leave.
I wonder where people in the UK got the idea the money not sent to the EU would go to the NHS
Another is that the words plastered all over the big red Vote Leave bus that implied that the EU contribution savings of £350m would be applied instead to the National Health Service(NHS), and schools was a “mistake”. It won’t be happening. This “promise” was another reason Leavers voted for Brexit.
Apparently no one really paid much attention to the idea that the United Kingdom might come out much, much smaller as a result as Scotland and Northern Ireland, both pretty firm in their desire to stay with the EU (none the least of which is that is blunts bullying from England) are looking now to leave. London, a city dependent on the EU passport, wants to declare itself independent from the rest of England and Wales and maintain EU membership. Not to mention deep divisions now within families and communities.
Nor, it seems, was much attention was paid to the actual costs of leaving the EU. Vote Leave seems to have taken an Alfred E. Nueman stance (“What, me worry?”), even as Britain lost £35billion on Friday. The Remainders seem to have been too assured (and arrogant) of their win to hammer on important details, or even go into disaffected communities and listen to them.
Many now feel lied to and manipulated. At least one MP wondered allowed what will happen if Leavers feel that this has all been for naught, that they’ve been used again. What will be their response? What will be the safety valve?
There is also a suggestion that Article 50 will never be triggered. It will just hang there as a threat to the EU. And there isn’t much the EU can do about it, they have only one legal recourse to make the UK official start the process
Interestingly though Nigel Farage and Brexit supporters (Leave) would not rule out a second referendum vote if they LOST narrowly. So the question is will they allow the Remain supporters the same 2nd vote.
“In a 52-48 referendum this would be unfinished business by a long way. If the Remain campaign win two-thirds to one-third that ends it.” — Nigel Farage
Even though Cameron said that he would not authorize a second referendum if Remain lost, he didn’t think they’d lose nor did he count on a petition like this. If that petition garners 5 million signatures by the end of the weekend (and at this rate that is a distinct possibility) he may have to rethink that.
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
Farage might complain about it, but how much more of a hypocrite does he and the Vote Leave campaign want to look like. That hypocrisy is fueling the change of mind in many Leave voters.
Legal blogger Jack of Kent notes:
It is perfectly possible the Article 50 red button is never pressed – for example if there is a “new deal” and a second referendum. There is, after all, a tradition of EU-related referendums being repeated in Member States until there is the “correct” answer.
As towns an cities in the UK get more and more orange then red on the signature map and if signatures reach 8.4 million (which is half what Leave needed to win) and possibly go over, a second referendum vote with a 2/3 majority to win, and put the matter to soundly to bed one way or the other, it may be the only safety valve the UK has. The ever growing numbers of signatures makes ignoring the petition and not authorizing a second referendum difficult if not impossible.
Granted though, last Thursday’s vote has changed the landscape forever. Maybe the UK can put itself back together again.
