Since the fateful day of 23 June 2016, I have never been able to respect the result of the Brexit referendum.
At first, my lack of acceptance was due to my reaction of shock, anger and sadness. It was then exacerbated by the emerging lies and misinformation of the Vote Leave campaign, which persuaded so many people to vote the way they did, through no fault of their own.
Over time, it has become increasingly clear that the people behind the lies and misinformation were complicit in breaking the law, including some senior members of government.
The Vote Leave Campaign were fined the maximum amount possible by the Electoral Commission, having exceeded legal spending limits, especially in the run-up to the referendum. Vote Leave was subsequently referred to the Metropolitan Police and National Crime Agency to answer possible criminal charges.
Several months later, we still await the outcome – or any news whatsoever – of those investigations.
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Recently, I took Theresa May to court, through the UK in EU Challenge, to question the validity of the referendum result. The premise of our case, known as “Wilson vs. The Prime Minister”, was that the illegal activity renders the result of the referendum unsound, and that the Prime Minister made an error of judgement in activating Article 50 in the belief she was acting on the “will of the people”.
Our legal team believes that Leave’s overspend directly affected the referendum result and, even if it hadn’t, the result was still invalid.
Just think: if an athlete won an Olympic gold medal and was later discovered to have taken drugs, they would forfeit the medal and the win, even if they claimed that they would have won anyway, without cheating.
When electoral rules are broken in a general or local election, the result of the election is overturned. Had the Brexit referendum been binding in law, those same rules would apply.
However, it was an advisory referendum, so was not bound by those rules. The fact that the government decided to act as if it were binding was considered irrelevant by the justices hearing our case.
Accusing pro-Europeans of being undemocratic or of failing to respect the referendum result is a favourite argument of Brexiters. Despite the narrowest of margins, our country and parliament have been asked to accept the referendum result, even though many consider it unsound.
Ironically, we don’t hear mention of respecting the result of the first ‘meaningful vote’ by parliament, despite May’s defeat by the largest margin in British political history.
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Rather, parliament is being given another vote to see if it has changed its’ mind, while the public is being denied the same opportunity.
Furthermore, rumours coming from Westminster suggest that if May’s second vote fails, as expected, on March 12, she’s already considering a ‘meaningful vote’
mark III.
Many Leave voters would accept any version of Brexit, regardless of the potential damage to their country, so long as the UK leaves the EU – such is their desire to cut all ties.
These voters are entitled to their views, just as I am entitled to my view – that Brexit is complete and utter madness.
Then there are those who voted Leave directly because of lies and false promises. May’s current version of Brexit bears no resemblance to what Farage, Johnson, Gove and others led them to expect.
Meanwhile, some Remain voters are so sick of the current scenario that they simply want Brexit to be over, no matter what. With speculation that negotiations may go on for the next five to ten years should we proceed, the only logical way to avoid Brexit dragging on for years is to halt it altogether.
Whatever kind of Brexit you voted for, or against, I’m pretty sure that none of us wanted a major change in the UK’s future to be determined by criminal activity and foreign funding.
If it’s reasonable and appropriate to give parliament another say, surely the British public should be given another chance to answer the question?
I have never, can never, will never respect the result of the 2016 Referendum result.
I will, however, respect the result of the next one – if it is conducted in a fair, honest and legal way – even if I don’t like the result.
We may have lost our court case, but the issues we raised are now in the public domain.
The media and politicians are finally starting to ask the right questions and hopefully the guilty parties will soon face the full force of the law.
When we finally achieve another referendum – this time on the content of the deal, rather than a fantasy version of Brexit – the least we should expect is that it will be conducted under much stricter scrutiny.
Isn’t it high time we “took back control” of the referendum process to establish if leaving the EU really is the “will of the people”? If it is, so be it – I will have to live with that – but more likely we’ll soon discover it’s no longer what the majority wants, if it ever was.
By Sue Wilson – Chair of Bremain in Spain, a member of the British in Europe coalition.
LOL Freddy, now you want to limit voting rights to certain age groups? You really are a Little Lord, eh? Maybe you want to enact some “breeding” laws too, as you mentioned?
And then you have PTB who claims “WHAT ABOUT THE 45 MILLION WHO DIDN’T VOTE LEAVE” – this person is giving voting rights to babies and children. Totally daft – it’s as if she thinks democracy is like running a nursery. As if a child should have the same influence in our society as our elders…. It’s a world upside down!
Honestly, the anti-democratic inclinations of those who want a 2nd referendum – and their total obliviousness to this fact COMBINED with their smugness – is astounding. A postponement by Parliament takes the decision out of the hands of the people! Brexit this month!!!
Cannot agree more. What a great shame there was not age cut-off point in the referendum…it will really impact on younger people. Talking to many people who voted to leave the EU , many now have deep regrets. One hears excuses such as…”I wanted to protest against Cameron”………”protest against immigration ” etc etc. This was not a time for stupid protest voting…or thinking “we survived the Blitz..we can cope with anything “. Now the real issues are more obvious and the mess deepens. Just about every poll indicates a very different result in the event of a second referendum. No one could have knowingly voted for the present messy situation…could they ?
Such a sad exchange of personal trivia when we have such a serious situation before us. The social, economic, and cultural factors here are crucial. I would be very interested in the age profiles of the keen protagonists on both sides. But the key people to give their opinion are the younger generation. My 21 yr old son is a student, a British and French citizen by birthright, doing an internship in France, but unsure where he’ll try to work after graduation. He certainly wants and needs the complete flexibility to live and work anywhere in the EU as it is now, not forced to choose between “the Continent” (as described by the Daily Telegraph in the 1930’s), or the island of Great Britain.Let’s think a bit more about our offspring and less about “me,me,me” and then reflect more calmly on staying or leaving
We keep having the 17.5 million voters have to be respected line shoved down our throats, but nobody says WHAT ABOUT THE 45 MILLION WHO DIDNT VOTE LEAVE. No referendum on such an important issue should have been acted upon with such a narrow margin based on lies. And since then the right wing of the most Ring wing Tory party in years along with the DUP are ruling events. And N.I voted overwhelmingly Remain. Brexit is economically and socially a disaster and has to be stopped. All in the name of a few ultra rich wanting to avoid eU tax evasion laws, and its sod the rest of you! If it’s such a good thing why have Brexiters like Jacob Rees-Mogg and Dyson moved their finances and business out of the U.K., along with a long list of other industries and investments!
Well, what can I say. The “arguements” that Mr.Boggy puts forward says it all about Brexiteers !
Thanks Chez Moi,
My House Master at Harrow always said ” Buon sangue non mente ” (Good blood never lies)
I think the English equivalent is ” Breeding will out”
Poor Mr. Boggy is upset? Insulting others is a great way to get your way.
Did he read “how to make friends and influence people?”
Any more than Mrs. May did?
Oh dear….Mr. Boggy sounding a bit rattled. Thank goodness some of us “bloody tiffs” and Barristers are there to save Britain from such militant rubbish. Perhaps many Brits decided to live on the Continent to escape such right wing illiteracy!
It is inherently condescending to say Leavers were “misled” – we were not, because we are just as intelligent as Remainers. They don’t believe that, surely, arrogant as they are to keep calling us all mere dupes.
Sue Wilson and her hogwash claims that Brexit was determined by “foreign funding”. Blaming Putin now, is it Sue? Well that may work with Sue and her rich expat mates in Spain, and with the Americans, but it doesn’t fly back home in England! But it’s Leavers who are the stupid ones, is that right?
We won’t let the anti-democratic EU ignore THIS anti-EU vote, as they did with all the other ones, no matter what the EU’s 5th columnists try in England! Remain lost and the UK WILL ABIDE by democracy. Brexit is this month, finally!
Quit throwing a wobbly and go back to enjoying your gilded expat life on the Continent – leave the running of the UK to us, as you already all did, eh? Bloody toff wankers, banksters and barristers driving up the price of homes over there and fugh all else. Right menaces you are, wherever you are! Brexit is upon us, saints be praised!!!
Hardly a legitimate voting process when people were deliberately misled with so much false information on the so called benefits of Brexit. Perhaps the accusation of “self-interest” should be leveled at the “Exiteers”. How can they honestly justify that leaving the EU can be good for Britain and its people. Do I sense a class war argument here….the under-classes being exploited !!! I hope that more intelligent thinking will prevail, as I am confident it will.