If pro-remain
forces manage to overturn the result of the June 2016 referendum, which is
quite clearly their intent, it will represent a betrayal of both the will of
the British people and the most basic, fundamental democratic values which define
us as a nation.
There can be no
justification whatsoever for overturning the June 2016 result. 52% voted to
leave and 48% to remain. While there was no official tally of the outcome by
constituency, independent analysis has shown a clear majority of Parliamentary
constituencies voted ‘leave’ – for instance a study by Royal Holloway College (Prof
Hanretty) suggests 64% of constituencies were in favour of ‘leave’.
So politicians – all politicians – must accept the
result and the inevitable consequence has to be that the UK leaves the EU –
with or without a ‘deal’. That is what people voted for.
It is unacceptable
to suggest that the result of the referendum would have been different had voters
known that the UK would start trading under WTO rules upon exit from the EU.
Voters were warned in no uncertain terms by everyone from the Governor of the
Bank of England to the President of the United States of America, of the likely
economic consequences of voting ‘Leave’ – and yet they still voted ‘Leave’. So
who is to say that, had they been told the UK would have to revert to ‘third
country’ status and WTO rules, they would have voted differently?
The fact is
people voted to ‘Leave’. Therefore Parliament, not just Theresa May and the
Tory party should respect that decision – and if there is no other acceptable deal
by 29 March, then we should still leave the EU and revert to WTO rules – regardless of the economic consequences.
13 January 2019
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