to think the Remainers aren't going to take this lying down and we won't leave

[SybilEngineer]

A million plus more people voted leave than remain but still over 16 million voted in. And many of the people this will affect - the under 18s - didn't get a say.

The majority of our elected representatives want us to remain as does our capital city.

The EU wants us to remain and once the leaders have stopped throwing their toys around they will realise they need to reform the EU and make changes that will keep UK and all the other eurosceptic people in.

Today has been a body blow for us remainers but, we're shot of Cameron, so we can re-group and start the fight to remain in the EU but with changes that much of Europe wants.

It's democracy, I voted Remain and i'm gutted, but we can't just keep voting jntil we get own way.

justbogoff The argument is more subtle than that. Can it really be the best idea to go head if there is a strong possibility that a true majority for change does not exist? If it is not the settled will of even the people who voted Leave? I really want to know how many regretful protest vote Leavers there are. At the moment it is anecdotal but there are a hell of a lot of anecdotes.

To get legalistic about it all. It was a democratic vote on an advisory to the government. That was what people were voting on. Those were the terms outlined in the Act of Parliament which brought the referendum forward. It was not a mandate.

If the government come to know that there has been such a change in public attitude as to seriously suggest that a majority are no longer in favour of Leave (and I'm not saying that necessarily is, or will be, the case) it would be irresponsible and undemocratic of them to pursue exit.

Apparently only 25% of 18-25yr olds voted.

If you don't vote you don't get to complain!

Can it really be the best idea to go head if there is a strong possibility that a true majority for change does not exist?

So are we then supposed to have two votes now on every issue, just in case people aren't REALLY sure which way they want to vote?

I despair, I really do. All this nonsense. People need to accept that this is the way voting works. You vote, you either win or lose, you move on.

I agree we shouldn't have a second referendum. Even though I feel the result was a damaging loss for our country and is probably going to hurt us in ways we haven't even considered yet, it was valid. In every general election plenty of people vote without having any real clue what they're voting for, so I don't know why people expect to have had their hands held through this. It wasn't difficult to work out the bare bones of what was involved.

The only thing that makes me angry is the fraudulent way the Leave side acted. The likes of Nigel Farage had no right to make any kind of promise because he had no more power than any of us here to make his promises a reality.

I don't think that we can overrule the majority. I think it likely that in order to trade with the EU we will adopt all their rules anyway so will be in a similar position as before only with no say in what the rules are.

Frankly, both sides acted appallingly, but are we really surprised?

GingerIvy Under our system of democracy the electorate do not mandate parliament to do anything. The argument is that they have to be free to respond to emerging events. This can go very badly when incoming governments use it as an excuse to renege on their manifesto or implement things that are not on their manifesto. It can go well when public opinion forces them to change an unpopular policy.

People have to learn to accept that this is how the UK parliamentary system works. This is the form our democracy takes.

I think that parliament ignoring the results of this referendum will have much much worse consequences than leaving the EU would ever have.

people might have wanted the vote the cast, but not the results they got

I get that people might vote strategically in elections but this was black and white and was always going to be close. By what possible logic would you vote out if you wanted in?

Boris was always in favour of two votes.

His preference was to renegotiate the deal with the EU after the first vote then take that back to the country ( who would hopefully vote to remain on the new terms).

Agree tiggytape.

Boris was always in favour of two votes.

So you honestly think he can now say

"Funny thing, I'm not really sure that this is a good idea now, can have another think!".

I think we should do best of three.

Please stop this. However bad you think this individual decision is, damaging democracy is going to make things a lot worse.

It really is.

And contrary to a PP's rose-tinted view that right-wingers are somehow better, some members of this govt already show plenty of contempt for their own democratic system.

Classic example when right-winger David Freud tried to overturn three amendments hours after they were passed by the Lords, by waiting for most Lords to go home then tabling late-night amendments trying to reverse what had just been voted on.

The current govt is certainly not more democratic than previous govts, and my feeling is its instincts run the opposite way. I really would not like to encourage this.

Tell all that to Boris tiggy.

Another vote is absolutely ridiculous, you can't keep voting until they get the result they want, they people have spoken, that is that!

That should have said:

Please stop this trying to ignore the result or arguing for a new referendum.

I'm curious as to what exactly needs to be 'interpreted' about 'leave'. The question posed in the referendum was clear, and the EU has said 'leave means leave'. The only issue is how soon it can be brought into effect, within the 2-year deadline.

tiggy Please don't give them any ideas.

Oh, and I suspect that test would get rid of most of our politicians as well.