To urge you to write to your MP today if you wish to remain

[SybilEngineer]

The margin by which Leave won is too small to base such a huge decision on. This needs to be debated further especially now it's clear many people based their decision on misrepresentations made by Brexit campaigners on immigration and spending on NHS or made a protest vote.

Johnson is continuing with the myths claiming Britain will still be in Europe. Of course we will be geographically but that's all!

The referendum was advisory and not legally binding. If you want to stay in the EU please email your MP today.

I voted remain. I'm angry, I'm disappointed, I'm frustrated. But absolutely no way should we have another referendum. I'm so embarrassed to be British right now, but I'd be even more embarrassed if Parliament, a democracy, overturns the will of the people. I'm disappointed that many who voted out are now thinking 'oh sh*t....' But no, no second referendum. Don't make it even more embarrassing than it already is.

So many of the posts here underline exactly what the issue is with this referendum: the idea that it's a one-off statement, rather than something that will have fundamental, long-term negative effects on our economy and on political stability both here and in Europe.

Let's just move on? Give it up? Calm down?

This is the start of something, not the aftermath.

If you're bored with the discussion, and your attention has already switched, and it's time to just get back to normal life... then you don't understand what's just happened.

If you think we should just make the best of what we've got, stay positive, stop whinging -- this is not bad weather. This was an avoidable disaster. There's absolutely no need to react to it with passive, lumpen stoicism.

It's easy to say 'democracy has spoken', but a referendum involving an extremely complex issue with far-ranging consequences, held in an environment where there is no penalty, no accountability, no disincentive for creating or disseminating provably false information, complicated by hapless party infighting and personal ambition... this does not produce some oracular voice of truth that we should all just sit down and respect.

If they'd just won a referendum to bring back capital punishment, I'd fight it. Ditto any referendum that went completely against my personal beliefs and values. If it was me versus 99% of the population, I wouldn't expect to get far. If it was me and 48.1% of the voting electorate, I'd hope that change or at least damage-limitation would be more achievable.

I believe this decision amounts to economic vandalism and will precipitate eventual collapse of political stability and long-held unions in both the UK and in Europe. So: nope. Not going to take a Valium. Not going to wait a few years as our economy shrinks, our country becomes smaller and more impoverished in every sense and say, well, I told you so, because a) it'll be too fucking late, b) I'm sure many Brexiters will be happy to scapegoat someone or something else, and c) I live in this country, and would prefer it didn't become an isolated little blip with a currency worth bottle-tops.

Democracy is a system of government with elected representatives.

Yes, a government that was elected on the promise of a referendum, the fair result of which citizens rightly expect to be upheld.

I think my MP is trying to make us forget she was a Remainer as she came OUT on Saturday. Big happy smiles and congratulations from everyone.

I have to admit she is a true optimist. She was still saying the result was too close to call at 4 am on Friday morning.

101 But you can express your feelings and ask how they will get us out of this

I'm not sure another referendum is the answer at all - I don't think I have any concrete ones apart from stalling and consulting the public properly - and possibly put it on a parties GE Manifesto to deliver article 50 - or not deliver it

That way we could understand the implications and impacts of doing so.

But it's not my job is it - it's theirs

held in an environment where there is no penalty, no accountability, no disincentive for creating or disseminating provably false information

As exemplified by George Osborne, who should resign ASAP.

By all means write to your MP if you wish, OP. That's what they're there for. It'll achieve nothing, but you probably know that.

Yanbu.

This is nothing like a general election, that's every five years. This will affect generations to come. I'll bash out something to my MP for what's it's worth.

A4 referendums are not binding - as I am sure you know - they are not within our limited written constitution

So nope as a citizen I don't want it to be upheld. Let's have a GE and understand what it all means, what can be delivered, in what timescales

That is democracy - and commonsense. Being told there is no plan to achieve anything but still wanting to forge ahead is utter madness

wow are you leaving presents? I don't understand your contribution to the discussion

Arumwith said it better than me.

It wouldn't achieve anything.

I voted remain and felt sick when I learned three result of the referendum, but we live in a democracy. Another vote would make a complete mockery of that.

Unless people start accepting what has happened - and I'm looking at the media here, with their (somewhat premature) talk of a 'disaster' and 'catastrophe' (I'll accept 'crisis'), then it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. It's the uncertainty and the bickering that fans the flames, so actually, yes. 'Calm down' is quite appropriate.

Emerald the country has no leadership. There is no plan on how to leave. The economy is tanking. There is no plan - none at all

David Cameron is still prime minister. When he leaves another will be appointed to lead negotiations. Our economy is going to be up and down whilst there's still much uncertainty.

To answer your question, yes I voted for this. Nothing thus far has made me regret my vote. Our future inside of the EU was just as uncertain as our future outside of it. The EU was always changing and I disagreed with an unelected commission deciding our laws. Who knows where it would end up.

That may not be enough to satisfy you personally or others who are angry and voted remain but that's fine because whilst we live in a democratic society, the majority will continue to have final say. I disagree with you and others completely who think there's nothing wrong with overthrowing the vote. Parliament would have to be insane to do that. It wouldn't just anger those that voted to leave either. All the hypocrisy of claiming leaving the EU would end many of our rights when the same people are calling for us to lose our democratic freedoms. No effect from leaving the EU worries me more than that.

It absolutely could achieve something. Haven't you heard the rumblings from various politicians? Even Boris has admitted that the majority wasn't overwhelming. In any case, it can't hurt.

And for what it's worth, this referendum itself made a mockery of democracy. Overturning or repeating it (properly) would hardly be undemocratic IMO.

I've already written to mine, it's Boris Johnson no reply so far though, but I did tell him that although I understood that the nation is on the brink of collapse and that he'll go down in history as one of the worst politicians to ever live, it's his duty as my MP to reassure his constituents & not ignore us like he has done the rest of the country.

I personally question the democracy of allowing a country to vote on a question so fundamental, so life-changing and so irrevocable as this one whilst there was so much misinformation and out-and-out lies being bandied around. There's enough anecdotal evidence from leavers, even from Daily Mail readers, that they feel duped and lied to already. They're not going to get what they thought they were voting for or against. How is that democracy?

^This.

The MP's should do what they are paid to do... listen to the country, look at options and then agree if, and only if, the outcome represents the best option for their constituents. Any potential new deal with Europe must be put through parliament. How that will work with Article 50 I don't know, but that is Boris's mess to sort out.

The UK and its people are too important not to get this right.

cait really - have you read the posts especially Arumwith ?

Yes it is self fulfilling in that so many experts, leaders and politicians were screaming last week that what is happening would happen

The vote to leave created this situation! Bangs head on table

And as for the lies from the leave campaign, do you honestly believe the remain campaign was much better? There's an awful lot of backtracking right now don't you think?

I'm not convinced article 50 will ever be actioned. Boris knows full well it's not only career but national suicide. Who else wants that responsibility?

In January he was saying leaving the EU would be a disaster. Privately he's proEU. He never believed his leave propaganda, it was simply a gamble to boost his popularity and challenge Cameron as PM.

Emerald, I'm a remain voter & I don't agree with overthrowing the vote, but how would you feel about what the Lib Dems are proposing, to run on a platform to remain in the EU? I think that's a fair way to change the outcome of the vote, if you want to remain then you'll be able to vote Lib Dems, if you want to leave, you'll I assume have the Conservatives to vote for. Lord knows what Labour is currently doing

I think what bothers Remain voters are the very vocal Leave voters who regret their decision, & the closeness of the vote, if we were pummelled in the vote their would be no debate but we lost by a small margin, a margin, Farage himself said he wouldn't accept if he lost, so it's no surprise his own words are being used against him.

What happens if we held a second referendum and the result is "remain".

Do we held a 3rd one to get a final decision?

But no, no second referendum. Don't make it even more embarrassing than it already is

You think a second referendum is more embarrassing than political and economic disaster? The loss of Scotland and NI?

We're a laughing stock in Europe now whatever.

I agree with every word ARumWithAView said.

caitlinohara "It's the uncertainty and the bickering that fans the flames"

Yes, it certainly would have helped the whole situation if anyone had had a fucking plan of what to do with a Leave result

Hell, it might have been just a little more democratic to not only have a plan, but to share it with the electorate before the fucking vote!