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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

unsure about the petition

216 replies

wishfulthink · 25/06/2016 00:09

I voted to remain but I just don't know how I feel about the petition - it's a democracy and the voting is now done. The damage and hurt is already here, it won't go away if the petition is successful will it??

Not so much an AIBU as an is there any point? Please can someone explain it to me...

OP posts:
mrsmuddlepies · 25/06/2016 22:00

Taken from the BBC website
'However, there is talk around Westminster- in the wake of a plunging currency and falling share prices - of whether any deal on Brexit negotiated with the EU should then be put to a referendum further down the line'.
Please sign to show the strength of public feeling for further consultation on this issue......

MrsDArsey · 25/06/2016 22:26

Whether it has any direct and immediate result, I'd urge people who aren't happy with the way the campaign was conducted (ie dishonestly) to sign. Don't lose sight of the fact that this is history in the making. Some permanent measure of the extent of the discontent is a very good thing, IMO, and this is a far better way of doing it than taking to the streets with baseball bats.

AlpacaLypse · 25/06/2016 22:34

Not sure which Alpaca was highlighted upthread. (there are about four various AlpacaSomethings who regularly post! Smile) I've been offline living normal life for several hours... YY I was thoroughly annoyed by the Remain campaign's scare tactics. I was also very annoyed by Leave. The whole thing was just totally negative. I made my mind up to vote Leave in 1992 when John Major dragged us into Maastricht, and became even more certain in 1997 -> when Blair and later Brown kept on with it. I've been waiting for a chance to be asked this question for 25 years. I don't think I'm the only one.

howtorebuild · 25/06/2016 22:38

The petition is a joke. It makes a mockery of legitimate petitions.

It's invalidated due to multiple signings by the same person and being signed by those not eligible to vote on Thursday. It has signatures from all over the world.

Rach168 · 25/06/2016 22:44

It's invalidated due to multiple signings by the same person and being signed by those not eligible to vote on Thursday. It has signatures from all over the world.

How do you know? I couldn't see any personal information of the people who had signed it when I looked - Just the total number of signatures. Confused

alteredimages · 25/06/2016 22:49

It's invalidated due to multiple signings by the same person and being signed by those not eligible to vote on Thursday. It has signatures from all over the world.

How do you know people have signed multiple times? I live abroad and have signed. Any British citizen or UK resident is allowed to sign. Doesn't say which country you have to be in. And yes, I am on the electoral roll. There aren't very many states signatures from Poland, Romania etc but several thousand from France and Germany, pretty much in line with higher concentrations of British expats.

YourPerception · 25/06/2016 22:50

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/131215.json plenty signing from Korea.

Paperkins · 25/06/2016 22:55

Surely a democracy means you are entitled to your opinion and are able to continue to express that opinion? Signing a petition is an expression of that democracy, that's why we have the Government petition system set up I believe. It's not undemocratic to sign it. In fact, if people wanted to storm Westminster in anger at the result, this too would be democratic.

letthemdrinktea · 25/06/2016 22:59

In a way, it's almost irrelevant who signed the petition. The referendum was not like a general election; the result is not legally binding. Both the referendum and the petition are talking points for parliament with regards to public opinion facing Brexit. And unfortunately, Britain leaving the EU will affect many more people than just the British electorate. Those who are opposed to it have a right to voice their concerns and have them listened to in parliament.

Mistigri · 25/06/2016 23:00

There isn't any real point to the petition, but I think it's become a way for people to express their anger/disappointment/whatever.

I disagree with referendums (let alone referendums on referendums) but I have signed it because, as a disenfranchised Briton, it is the only way I have of communicating my opinion to the government. I don't kid myself it'll make any difference.

onemorecupofcoffeefortheroad · 25/06/2016 23:00

Jesus! Now you want the kids to vote 😁 I mean if u let 16 year olds vote.... My 13 year old nephew is gonna be livid. Where will it end, with my 9 year old having a say. My god

Not so ridiculous - 16 yr olds can vote in a general election and they were allowed to vote in the Scottish referendum - not so for 9 or 13 yr olds.

I signed the petition on the basis that so many brexiters are saying theirs was more of a protest vote, that they 'didn't actually think we would really leave the EU'. I will do anything I can to reverse this foolishness even though a part of me wishes to see them have to live with the consequences of their poorly thought through actions.

SeventyNineBottlesOfWine · 25/06/2016 23:01

Personally, speaking as someone who voted remain; I would not want this to happen.
The thought of a second referendum makes my blood run cold.
The hatred and division experienced throughout the first is more than enough for me.
Plus, if remain had won the vote and leave then demanded a second referendum, I'm quite certain all the remain voters would be up in arms about this and claiming how undemocratic it was.I think we need to instead look into the reasons people who voted leave voted the way they did.
From looking at the demographics of leave voters it certainly appears the case that many are from areas of economic deprivation and many are disillusioned with the government and the austerity measures introduced which have affected them increasingly and unfairly.
I've heard a lot of leave voters claiming they do not feel listened to and they do not have a voice.
By imposing a second referendum, surely this will confirm their opinion.
From my view as someone who is staunchly against the Tory ideology- I believe is is the Government that need to take a long hard look at themselves and realise the damage they have caused and accept that they are increasingly out of touch and effectively ostracising the people.

buttonfluff · 25/06/2016 23:09

SeventyNine - I agree, the prospect of a second referendum is terrifying. And it's a really difficult one to call from a democratic perspective. But ultimately, the problems we face with regards to losing faith in the government etc are only going to get 10x worse if we leave the EU and they're all we've got. It would be better to call for a general election & try to patch things up that way.

OrangesandLemonsNow · 25/06/2016 23:38

16 yr olds can vote in a general election

Errrrr no they can't!

They can register at 16 vote at 18.

pigsDOfly · 26/06/2016 00:06

Why on earth would anyone think it a good idea to have another referendum and get all the 16 and 17 year olds to vote as well?

So would all these 16 and 17 year olds be more thoroughly informed and more politically savvy than most of the adult population was for the original referendum?

Of course not.

And what happens if they don't vote the way the remains want them to and we get another leave majority vote, do we then have another petition to have another referendum?

I was one of the people who voted to remain but the majority of the country voted to leave so I have to accept the majority decision. Too bad if some of the leave voters now regret their votes or some people have decided they don't like the way democracy works. What's done is done.

We shouldn't have been given the option to vote on it in the first place, having another vote and giving the vote to bunch of kids in the hope of getting the answer some people want is definitely not the way to ensure democracy is properly served.

notamummy10 · 26/06/2016 11:22

The petition isn't going to solve anything!! What's done is done... I'm a remain voter and I'm disappointed that the majority voted leave however they aren't the ones to blame- the 30% that didn't vote are!

BluePancakes · 26/06/2016 16:05

Have you seen that the petition was actually started by a Vote Leave campaigner who was worried that Remain would win?
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/william-oliver-healey-referendum-petition_uk_576f8b28e4b0232d331e1b39

BeALert · 26/06/2016 16:23

Several of my friends have signed more than once using other family members' email addresses and names.

SukeyTakeItOffAgain · 26/06/2016 16:26

They LIED! Their campaign was based on lies.

This isn't X Factor. It's not even a General Election when they have to face the consequences of their lies in the next General Election.

Why doesn't this bother the "we need to accept it" lot? If we have another referendum, without the spin and the lies and the poison, and the result is the same - fine.

caroldecker · 26/06/2016 17:17

Sukey that includes the Remain lies about the economy as well - so they have to admit we will be better off out?

OrangesandLemonsNow · 26/06/2016 17:22

They LIED! Their campaign was based on lies.

Remain told the truth did they? No thought not.

KidLorneRoll · 26/06/2016 17:23

"So would all these 16 and 17 year olds be more thoroughly informed and more politically savvy than most of the adult population was for the original referendum?"

Knowing some 16 and 17 year olds... yes, they probably would be. I know some very turned on young people, and then you contrast that against the knobs who fell for Farage and Boris's lies and "I voted leave but I don't really want to leave the eu, it was a protest vote because I'm a fucking idiot".

If there is anything positive to come out of the turmoil of the last few days since the vote, it is that it is very far from certain that the UK will actually leave the Eu.

Littlemisslovesspiders · 26/06/2016 17:30

If there is anything positive to come out of the turmoil of the last few days since the vote, it is that it is very far from certain that the UK will actually leave the Eu.

Your evidence for that. Other than David Lammy no MP whether for Leave or Remain has said it. All have said they respect the vote which is more than can be said for many on here.

lljkk · 26/06/2016 17:35

I signed the petition because:

Parliament have to talk about it, they will be forced to acknowledge strength of feeling. Therefore it is a form of political protest.

Petition is badly phrased... but it has been signed by some eligible Leave AND huge number of eligible Remain supporters.

(does anyone know how many signatures there were before 23 June? Probably almost all Leave supporters since it was started by Leave?)

This along with Farage's statement that a 52:48 vote should not be binding, means a tiny chance that a referendum rerun might happen. Probably not under the petition terms, but still under some type of terms. I hate the idea of everyone being sick to back teeth of whole thing again... but I hate the idea of Brexit too.

yanbu to OP, but us who signed it are not U either.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 26/06/2016 17:36

If we have another referendum, without the spin and the lies and the poison, and the result is the same - fine

Unfortunately this is political, and I'm afraid "spin, lies and poison" go with the territory - most of us realize this, which is why we're perfectly capable of researching and deciding for ourselves. Nor would the atmosphere be helped by millions of very angry Brexit voters who'd seen their vote disregarded

It's also clear from some of the Remainers' foot stamping and tantrums that nothing but their own way would ever be enough; even one lie from one politician and they'd no doubt be off again, demanding yet another referendum Hmm