To admit I didn't vote in the Brexit Referendum?

[WeAreTheCrystalGems]

I'm one of the 28% who didn't vote. Anyone else?

In a democracy everyone who is eligible has the right to vote or NOT vote. That's our privilege. I think everyone should vote, but I also defend someone's right NOT to.

Your choice to not vote but I hope you don't voice any opinion about Brexit now ... as you have forfeited the right to do so.

Working for a waste processing company I am aware of the enormous amounts of food we already waste. I don't think we are going to starve just yet.

We have many single sites from which we collect dozens of wheelie bins of food 3x a week and this is just scratching the surface. Most of this is food which wasn't sold before the bb date but was perfectly edible when collected.

I also doubt we're going to starve @TheVoiceOfRaisin but that food you process is with you rather than in people's cupboards because, in part, there is generally little storage space in people's homes for massive food storage. Also there would only be enough for meals if you pooled what was thrown out. I rarely throw out enough ingredients for a full meal but I and my neighbours together probably do.
People will need to a) store more and b) use everything they have in different and creative ways until the very last crumb/drop.
Hand on heart most people don't at the moment.

Most of this is food which wasn't sold before the bb date but was perfectly edible when collected

So commercial waste collection then? Shame there isn’t a local scheme where this food could be used, especially as best before dates are not the same as use by dates.

You don't have to vote, but also therefore don't really get to have an opinion. Or not one that you offer to other people.

Didn't Churchill say 'the best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter'?

Referendums are a bit like an opinion poll...usually

I think thats what this one should have been used for until cameron fucked up

I think tha as a whole the British public shouldn't vote on things like this, there is a reason we dont vote on stuff like capital punishment

You don't have to vote, but also therefore don't really get to have an opinion. Or not one that you offer to other people.

Rubbish. People having and expressing opinions is what happens in a functioning democracy.

Rufusthebewilderedreindeer Agreed, Cameron totally fucked up. First of all, in calling an in/out ref to begin with (gifting OUT the space to not propose a plan), and secondly, in stepping in to take over the remain campaign.

It became 'Cameron's campaign' plus his cronies, so everyone took one look at the ballot paper, recalled the previous term of austerity and the remarkable GE15 win (because of our flawed fptp system) and they all said 'nah'.

I deliberately didn't vote in the referendum. I have some reasons for this:

I taught A-level politics. Many of the 16-17yr and 364 days old politics and economics students couldn't vote, despite knowing more than a lot of the surrounding population. They have to live with the result for decades, many who were permitted to vote do not.

The electoral system referendum had a high proportion of campaign material riddled with basic factual inaccuracies over the two proposed systems - to say nothing of deliberate misdirections. The EU referenda was exactly the same - except it was far too complex for anyone to understand. The more you know about the politics and economics, the more you realise you don't know anything like enough.

The UK has a representative democracy. We election people to positions to understand issues like this better than we can through research in our spare time. An issue of this magnitude should never have gone to a popular vote.

Finally, it wouldn't have mattered what the result was. Leavers win, we move to brexit. Remainers win, UKIP et al fight tooth and nail in subsequent elections to keep the issue alive and moving in their direction.

But @AdamNichol - if you wanted status quo or non-chaos change you should have voted Remain.
If you wanted to Leave at any cost you should have voted Leave.
Opting out means other people have made the decision for you.
Which do you prefer- endless UKIP whining or actual food supply difficulties?

I taught A-level politics

So would it be just the referendum you didnt vote in then?

Ds1 was 17 when the vote took place...i told him that i would vote whatever he wanted me to

Thank Christ we were on the same wavelength!!

An issue of this magnitude should never have gone to a popular vote

Abso-bloody-lutely

@AdamNichol
Do you vote at every other election (MEP down to Parish Council) ?
Do you encourage your students to vote?
Are your students aware that you did not vote in 2016?

But it did go to a popular vote and you @AdamNichol apparently didn't see it as appropriate to participate.

adamnichol I'm surprised that you didn't vote. I taught 6th form students A Level Law, which has an element of politics in it. The one thing I drilled into those 16 and 17 year old's is that they had to vote when they got the chance- vote for anyone, even if it's for a comedy party, because that's the only way anyone will take any bloody notice of them! I agree you should have voted for the status quo if you were unhappy about referenda. I agree with you, it was a stupid decision to have a referendum on such a complex issue with no plan, but we had one, and to protest about it by not voting when millions of other people did vote and made the decision for you was a bit silly. My mother asked me who she should vote for, because she said she would vote on what I thought was best for my children. You should have used your vote for what you thought was best for those 16 and 17 year old's who didn't have the chance to vote.

Me too but my son would be horrified if he knew, he's very much a Remainer. So am I in theory but allowed other stuff to get in the way of me voting - he thinks I did vote. Husband voted.