Can I ask why if the British people were lied to on the campaign for the referendum you don’t want another vote?

[Inkspellme]

I’ve been curious about this question a good while and it often pops up in conversation in my house. I live in Ireland and in this country when we have a referendum we have the referendum commission to monitor it. It’s role is to post through several media types unbiased information about the choice presented to the voter. Every person in the country who is registered to vote receives this information. We also monitor the radio and tv coverage to ensure each side gets equal time to campaign for the result they want.

Which is why when I look at what happened in the British referendum I am amazed at how the information was presented to you.

It’s been acknowledged that you were lied to in the campaign. And yet now I hear your politicians talk of respecting the vote of the people when the people were given such little respect by them.

Why not a second referendum considering the first was influenced by false information. In Ireland it would have been challenged through the courts and likely to have been deemed necessary to redo. I know as a Republic we hold referenda very often so are much more experienced but I am still amazed at how the voters were treated.

[bellinisurge]

I have an Irish born mum . Live here in UK. I fear a second referendum because I fear No Deal being on it. People are stupid and stubborn enough to vote for it.
I agree that Ireland does referenda much better.

[Yaralie]

It is a well established truth that it is far easier to fool people than it is to get them to admit they have been fooled.

[Doilooklikeatourist]

I voted remain , but , I don’t want another referendum
My feeling is you don’t keep having referendum until you get the results you want , we’ve had the vote many of us don’t like the result but we have to get on with it
Lied to by politicians? Doesn’t that happen all the time ?
People believe what they want , it’s not new
I just want to get on with it , let’s move on and make the best of it , keep Europe as our allies, our friends and our trading partners

[Inkspellme]

Thanks for the replies. Yes it does seem that it’s easier to fool than to admit you trusted someone who fooled you.

[Loletta]

People say that there have been lies on both sides so they kind of cancel each other out in some perverse kind of way. Of course I don't agree with this but it's another reason people give for not holding the result invalid.
As for why not another vote, I don't want it because I think it would be risky, divisive and not necessarily help with the final outcome. What questions would be asked? Even if remain won , people would call for a third vote. I also don't believe that decisions of this magnitude should be left to the public to have a say on. Basically I think a second vote would be repeating the same mistake.

[MyNameIsArthur]

I voted to leave but wish for a second referendum so I can vote remain. I am not happy with how the last two years have went but my views have changed a great deal since the referendum. I think alot of our problems with the EU have been because we have not embraced it. Our approach has always been negative and about what we can get out of the EU rather than what we can achieve together. I think if we have a second referendum and vote to remain and then embrace being European, we will be a happier nation.

[Lottapianos]

'I also don't believe that decisions of this magnitude should be left to the public to have a say on. '

Completely agree. The thought of another referendum makes me feel a bit sick. I'm so scared of more lies, more emotional manipulation, more crappy sound bites and so many people swallowing it all like they did last time

[Quietrebel]

I fear a second ref for the reasons bellini and doilook mention but it might be the only way to get out of the impasse if May's deal gets voted down. I can't see government simply revoking- nor will they go for no deal (despite the bravado).

[BumbleBeee69]

I voted in Leave, I would vote Leave again.

[EggysMom]

I really didn't listen to the pre-referendum propoganda. I've been through enough elections to know that what the politicians say before the vote, and what they do afterwards, are two completely different things. So I voted to Leave on the basis of my own thoughts and convictions, I was not persuaded or misled into doing so.

What surprises me is that nobody realises the poll results cannot be trusted. Before the referendum, the polls predicted Remain - but the result was Leave. The same polls now predict that a second referendum would result in Remain, but how are they any more accurate than two years ago? Perhaps - like me - the Leave voters simply cannot be bothered arguing again and again and again.

[Hesta54]

Inkspellme
Where has it been acknowledged that people were lied too, during the campaign?

[Crimebustersofthesea]

I am a huge remainer but I don't want a second referendum. Not because of any nonsense about democracy (we're allowed to vote on stuff again which is why we have general elections) but because the last referendum proved that people shouldn't be allowed to vote on something this complex. They clearly don't understand it and I doubt we'd get a better result at another referendum and end up with no deal. It's a horrible mess because people still don't realise what they've voted for. The best we can hope for is BINO.

[Joboy]

Every body I spoke before the referendum info was started told me they were going vote leave . I asked none of these people their views . We had never had a political conversation ever. They never asked my views just told me .
Now when i meet someone I ask and they all voted leave says stuff that has been in our papers for years.
Non of know what good the EU did just all tge papers it did against us.
I knew would vote before it all started.
The only reason we have news about Megan hating Katie in papers is that nobody gives shit about the brexit deal as nobody understands it .
So we will put up with what ever happen. MAY will get blame and that will be it .

[StealthPolarBear]

We were missold Brexit. We get compensation for missold ppi but for this we just have to accept it.

[Bunnybigears]

I voted remain. If another referensum just had the same two options leave or remain I would welcome it. I dont think such a close referendum should have been acted upon instead a referendum should have been scheduled for a few years time. How can you do something so monumental based on such a narrow margin.

[EggysMom]

We were missold Brexit. We get compensation for missold ppi but for this we just have to accept it

Funnily enough, I've never mis-bought PPI either. I do my own homework and make my own decisions.

[JennyHolzersGhost]

There was a general election last year. Two parties which both stood on Leave mandates took over 80% of the vote. I don’t understand why people think this can be ignored.

[dapplegrey]

The same polls now predict that a second referendum would result in Remain, but how are they any more accurate than two years ago?

I wonder that too, Eggy. Also iirc polls didn’t predict Trump would win and nor the result of the last GE in uk.
Why do people still have faith in polls?

[BubblesBuddy]

Clinton won the popular vote. She didn’t win the electoral college which is more difficult to predict.

More young people are now eligible to vote and they need a say in their future. Older voters tended to vote leave but it’s the young who will be suffering more in the future. They will be paying for this folly.

Democracy is defined as one person, one vote. It doesn’t define how often you vote! Of course there should be another vote: leave with the May agreement or stay.

I agree, OP. Many people could only grasp the strap lines. They didn’t understand the longer term economics, the loss to the GDP and that the Uk isn’t a global power now. We may wish to “take back control” but we won’t be listened to if we are not in the EU. I have even spoken to people who hark back to the days of Empire and the days before China and other Asian countries became major economic powers and think we can be “great” again and be influential in Africa and India. Just dreams and no reality. We cannot turn the clock back and on our own we will be sidelined.

[Inkspellme]

I see a lot of valid points made by lots of people - I think it’s interesting to hear them as the Irish have a completely different perspective on Brexit naturally. The point about embracing being European is something that’s a big difference between our neighboring nations. Europe tends to be viewed differently here. I’m very proud to be Irish but also happy to be seen as European. Without The EU Ireland would be a small island on the western edge of Europe with very little influence on anything.

I wonder about the views seen expressed about Britain being powerful again - is that really a commonly held belief? That Brexit will make that happen? That Britain will return to its empire days? Surely you need an empire to do that in the first place and the British Empire of old is gone. I struggle to understand the logic of it and think it is a reflection of how different two neighboring countries can be in their thinking.

As for the acknowledgment of lies - I was under the impression that it was acknowledged that the funds that would be available to your NHS which were advertised on the sides of buses are not actually going to be available and the politicians were aware of this. These are the lies I referred to. However - if this is not the case I am happy to be corrected.

[Peregrina]

I wonder about the views seen expressed about Britain being powerful again - is that really a commonly held belief?

Only with Leavers. Remainers know that this is a fantasy, but we get dismissed.

[NameChanger22]

The extent of the lies that were told by the leave campaign won't really be seen until we actually leave. People will regret not having another vote.

Can someone please tell me what lies were told by the remain camp? I don't know any.

[bellinisurge]

Nope, I don't know any Remain lies either.
Even if there were "lies", would you rather be totally fucked up by Leaver lies or a bit grumpy but generally the same from Remainer "lies".

[Loletta]

I heard people say that the lies Remain said were the doom and gloom forecasts and that immediately the economy would crash. Obviously I don't believe these were lies at all and I don't need to explain to you why but I'm just saying I heard on the radio phone ins Leave voters say that both parties told some porkies.

[bellinisurge]

If someone lies to you and the consequences are catastrophic (as No Deal would be ) that is still a dreadful and disgusting lie.
If someone lies to you and things aren't really much worse, I don't see the equivalence with the dreadful and disgusting lie. They don't cancel each other out.