Petition to rescind Article 50

[Etaina]

Just got an email from Avaaz with a link to a petition:

secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/no_deal_no_brexit_loc/?cNWBamb

"The government called an election to get a massive mandate for hard Brexit, but instead, it lost its majority. Now, as the French and German governments have confirmed that the UK can reverse Article 50, and it becomes clear that a ‘no deal’ Brexit would have devastating consequences for Britain, we call on you to commit to rescinding Article 50 if we fail to reach a deal with Europe."

I know a lot of people, including DF, who voted for Brexit but now regret that decision. Even the most positive amongst them say that they wish we could just stop the madness now.

[Peregrina]

Signed but no doubt the more extreme leavers will be on here screaming about 'what don't we understand about democracy'. Not accepting that Theresa May lost the mandate for the form of Brexit she suggested. We still don't know what, if any, other options a majority would prefer.

[Reow]

Signed.

[Motheroffourdragons]

I have signed too, but I really don't think these things make any difference. I think it is all too late, and goodness knows what this country will be like in 2 years time.

[Etaina]

Many people think that the GE results show that the majority want Brexit but I think they are just a reflection of dissatisfaction with the Tories and Brexit. Those who don't want Brexit didn't really have a party to vote for, or not one with any realistic chance of success and the aim became stopping the Tories in their tracks.

I live in an area where the population voted overwhelmingly for Brexit. A few admitted to doing so just as a 'protest vote' but nearly everyone else firmly believed it would be beneficial for the country in the long run. Now, everyone I have spoken to has said that they would vote remain if given the chance now.

If I believed that the majority of people still wanted Brexit, I'd be very happy to go along with that. But that's not what I'm hearing and I'm worried that the politicians seem to be ploughing on with this oblivious to the change in mood.

[Etaina]

I agree. I've signed so many peitions but I just feel that I have to do something.

[Clalpolly]

Remainer here. I'm sorry but this seems like a waste of time. Stupid and ridiculous as the referendum was and the outcome was, we are stuck with it.
I don't take the election result as anything like an anti hard Brexit result.
People weren't given the option for 50 Shades of Brexit. It'll be whatever we can negotiate.

[Motheroffourdragons]

Etiana - I agree, no matter how despondent, it is better to try to do something rather than nothing.

I don't take the election result as anything like an anti hard Brexit result

I think it certainly is an anti Tory having a huge majority result, which could be interpreted as anti austerity or anti hard brexit.

TM is one thing for sure - NOT the person to get us any kind of sensible brexit deal, if there were one to be had, and I am not sure there is.

[Clalpolly]

Try what?
The likelihood of a second referendum is so slim. It would be so expensive. And so unlikely to get us a Remain result. More divisiveness. More horribleness.
We are stuck with it. We just are.

[ModForLangQ]

That's the spirit, Clalpolly. Let the country commit economic suicide because, erm, well .....

[Clalpolly]

Because there is nothing we can do about it. We lost.

[Heratnumber7]

It's nothing to do with T May. She was an anti Brexit campaigner. She is carrying out the will of the people.

And FYI, Labour support Brexit too.

[twofingerstoEverything]

Because there is nothing we can do about it.
Jesus wept. Seriously?
I'm glad no-one's telling Gina Miller that. Her tactical voting campaign seemed pretty successful to me. At the very least, petitions like this can be used to show that there is still opposition. I write to my MP with regular monotony, too. I have marched, too. I want to be able to look my DC in the eye in the future and tell them I did everything I could possibly could to stop the madness.

[Peregrina]

It's nothing to do with T May. She was an anti Brexit campaigner. She is carrying out the will of the people.

Far from it. It's everything to do with Theresa May now. She could have got on with it months ago. Instead she decided to pursue one interpretation of Brexit, and went to the Country expecting a convincing mandate. Instead she is trying to form a Government, so the will of people is that no, we don't want your version of Brexit. She would have got her huge majority as in the past Attlee, Thatcher and Blair have when something is genuinely the will of the people.

But I knew that someone would rush in to apologise for her.
As for 'we can't afford it'. We managed to find a magic money tree for an unnecessary election!

I want to be able to look my DC in the eye in the future and tell them I did everything I could possibly could to stop the madness.
Me too.

[Bolshybookworm]

I don't get the "we lost" argument. It was one referendum, it wasn't written on a stone tablet and sent down from the heavens. If all the indications are that Brexit will make us a poorer country and destabilise the country then is it not sensible to step back and say "hang on, is this really what we want, what we voted for?". We already know that we will not get most of the things promised by the leave campaign so isn't it right that we look again at what we WILL get? Whether it's worth giving up our security and economy for it?

This blind plunging into the abyss gives the impression that your average brexiter (note- not Brexit voter) is at best delusional and at worst despotic.

[Clalpolly]

Not sure how many times I can repeat this. We lost the referendum. This is a democracy. We have to abide by it. We can continue to remind Leavers what a stupid decision this is. We can express our views. We can vote in elections.
There is no magic wand to overturn this. We have two years to get a good deal (or an average deal) and then we are out.

[Clalpolly]

"Her tactical voting campaign seemed pretty successful to me".
Did the Lib Dems win or even get enough to be power brokers in a coalition?
No.
What success, then?

[Clalpolly]

"I don't get the "we lost" argument. It was one referendum, it wasn't written on a stone tablet and sent down from the heavens. "

Actually, short of another referendum , it is set in stone. That's how our parliamentary system works. Don't show yourself up to be as ignorant as some of the Leave voters.

[Peregrina]

We lost the referendum. This is a democracy.

The leave side lost the 1975 Referendum which had a clearer vote to stay in, two thirds to one thirds approximately. This didn't stop Farage and co shit stirring in the subsequent years and it didn't shut him up when he thought he'd lost this time. I fail to why the latest Referendum was 'democracy' but the previous one wasn't.

[Pickerel]

Signed

[Tanith]

You can repeat it as often as you like, Clalpolly. You will still be wrong.

[Peregrina]

Actually, short of another referendum , it is set in stone. That's how our parliamentary system works.

You are sure about this? The legislation clearly said that it was an advisory Referendum, which is why the MPs saw no reason to put some sort of threshold in. May assumed that it was a mandate for a hard Brexit, but no where was that discussed.

[Clalpolly]

Shit stir all ypu like. I applaud you. And I was around for the other referendum.
If you think the EU will welcome us back in on the same terms with open arms you are kidding yourself.
Farage tapped into a groundswell of opinion against the EU which reflected his own and frightened the Tories. The Tories have been battling this internally for decades.
The time to be successful was the referendum- everything else now is just noise. Labour didn't fight hard enough for Remain. We are where we are.
You are embarrassing yourself if you think we can stop this.
I hope to God that I am wrong, but I can't see how I can be.

[RufusTheRenegadeReindeer]

Agree with the others

Referendums are advisory...as this one was

People were told it would be binding...that's exactly how our parliamentary system doesnt work

[Clalpolly]

Do you seriously think that we can turn this back?
Naive.

[RufusTheRenegadeReindeer]

You are embarrassing yourself if you think we can stop this.

I Dont think we can stop it either

They seemed determined to jump...safety net or not

History will judge them whether positively or negatively...who knows