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Brexit
Original poster

If we just cancelled Brexit....

479 replies

GraceGrape · 27/06/2017 22:55

...do you think there would really be that much fuss?

I posted on the id card thread that it would be much less hassle if we could just cancel Brexit. It got me wishful thinking that this could actually be possible!

Even the most ardent leavers are starting to downplay its likelihood of success. Key figures like Gisela Stuart have admitted it's all been handled disastrously. The economy is starting to look a bit shit before we've even left. According to the pro- leave camp, we all apparently knew there would be a recession but it would still be "worth it" if you're independently wealthy like Garage, IDS or Bojo maybe.

Anyway, I think it would be typically British if we just harrumphed a bit and said "Well, maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. The referendum was only advisory y'know."

As a nation, we don't tend to like big changes so I think a lot of people would be secretly relieved. There might be a bit of grumbling, and maybe Farage would leave the country in disgust as an added bonus. We could then sweep it under the carpet and pretend it never happened, as the Brits tend to do with some of the more unsavoury parts of our history anyway. It would also save us the humiliation of seeing David Davis try to do any more negotiating.

OP posts:
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time4chocolate · 28/06/2017 13:54

Missmoon - what should be used as a gauge to be able to say that the majority have changed their minds? it's impossible without a re-run of the whole referendum again.

DadOnIce · 28/06/2017 14:09

What's the worst that could happen if it were cancelled? A bit of dummy-spitting and frothing from Kipper types who will be dead soon anyway.

What's the worst that could happen if it goes ahead? Well, where do you even start?!

The "democratic" result is irrelevant. It was just an opinion poll. It has no legal binding. This is even there in the briefing paper for all to see. It isn't a big enough majority to justify constitutional change.

And - crucially - Leave isn't the diametric opposite of Remain. Leave - or what most Leavers seem to want, i.e. total severance from the EU and everything to do with it - is the diametric opposite of full-on federalism, joining the Euro and a Europe-wide army. Imagine the outcry if we'd gone headlong into that following a 52-48 vote in favour of Remain. (A lot of Remainers are happy where we are and don't want federalism or the euro either.)

DadOnIce · 28/06/2017 14:11

Just in case anybody thinks I am making it up about the Referendum briefing paper saying it wasn't legally binding.

If we just cancelled Brexit....
missmoon · 28/06/2017 14:12

time That, precisely, is the problem! I don't know. All the solutions are imperfect. We should never have had a referendum in the first place.

InfiniteSheldon · 28/06/2017 14:15

? A bit of dummy-spitting and frothing from Kipper types who will be dead soon anyway.

Nice that attitude might be why you're struggling to understand why you lost

Clalpolly · 28/06/2017 14:19

Trouble is, Dad, we ok'd the decision in Parliament (thanks Jezza) and sent The Letter.
Can't unring a bell.

DadOnIce · 28/06/2017 14:20

Infinite - I fear the inability to take a bit of comic satire without frothing is typical Leaver behaviour!

FaithHopeCharityDesperation · 28/06/2017 14:21

what should be used as a gauge to be able to say that the majority have changed their minds?

If only there'd been a party which stood on an anti-Brexit ticket in the GE Time4...
Then all those regretful leavers could have voiced their change of heart, alongside the 48%.

That would have been a good gauge of strength of feeling, wouldn't it?!
Sadly there was no parties who did so.^^ Wink

DadOnIce · 28/06/2017 14:22

It can probably be reversed actually. A lot of people in the know say so. Here's the state of play:

uk.businessinsider.com/can-brexit-be-reversed-2017-6

They just don't (at the moment) want to. That can change.

time4chocolate · 28/06/2017 14:47

FaithWink

FaithHopeCharityDesperation · 28/06/2017 17:46

"...Brexit and immigration
• More Eurosceptic than ever: In the immediate aftermath of the Referendum the public has become more sceptical about the EU than ever before. Three in four (75%) feel that Britain should either leave the EU or that if it stays the EU’s powers should be reduced, up from 65% in 2015. Only one in five favoured the status quo or EU expansion..."

Extract from the British Social Attitudes Survey 2017.

Weirdly, it would seem that the MN EU Ref board's posters are out of step with the majority across Britain ShockShock
Shocker!

woman12345 · 28/06/2017 18:15

Don't think it's quite as clear as that^
Three in four (75%) feel that Britain should either leave the EU or that if it stays the EU’s powers should be reduced, up from 65% in 2015. Only one in five favoured the status quo or EU expansion

@britainelects Jun 17
On a referendum to accept or reject the final Brexit deal when negotiated:
Support: 48%
Oppose: 43%

LurkingHusband · 28/06/2017 18:28

We live in a democratic country;

A democracy which cannot change it's mind is not a democracy ...

borntobequiet · 28/06/2017 18:55

The actual numbers in the report are 41% leave, 35% remain but reduce EU powers, 16% remain with no change, 4% remain with increased powers, 2% an EU state.
A rather different picture. More like Mumsnet, perhaps?
(Not sure where the missing 2% went though).

missmoon · 28/06/2017 18:56

born The 2% must be don't-knows

Tanith · 28/06/2017 19:03

Do you mean the survey in the headlines today?
"A total of 2,942 people in England, Scotland and Wales were questioned between July and November last year by social research organisation NatCen."

There are over 65million people living in this country (and in NI!) and a lot has happened since last November.

From what I see day to day, a lot of people really couldn't care less who rules them. It's all the same to them: they believe that all politicians lie, they all screw the people over. These people won't bother if Brexit is cancelled. What they really voted for last year and in the Election is Change. Someone who will listen to the difficulties they face in their lives and will actually do something to help.

borntobequiet · 28/06/2017 19:18

Sadly, they will be disappointed. Only more than they usually are.

Original poster
GraceGrape · 28/06/2017 19:31

Some interesting points about having to accept the result because that's democracy. At what point would it be acceptable to ignore the result if it was clearly causing damage to the country, politically or economically? Never? Do we have to plough on regardless?

OP posts:
Clalpolly · 28/06/2017 19:34

We had a sweet deal. And we have flushed it down the toilet.

woman12345 · 28/06/2017 20:40

Clalpolly that's the truth, ruth.

LurkingHusband · 28/06/2017 22:08

We had a sweet deal. And we have flushed it down the toilet

I have MN to thank for one of the best retorts I have seen a Leaver get:

Leaver: "I just want the best deal from the EU !"
Retort: "We had it. It was called the EU."

WhatToDoAboutThis2017 · 28/06/2017 22:21

We had a sweet deal. And we have flushed it down the toilet.

Incorrect. What we had with the EU was fast becoming poisonous and we are much better off out of it.

woman12345 · 28/06/2017 22:26

poisonous?

WhatToDoAboutThis2017 · 28/06/2017 22:29

Yes. The EU forces their agenda on everyone.

Take the refugee situation, for example. They're wanting to fine countries that don't "take their fair share".

Fuck that. Each and every country should have the right to decide how many (or few) refugees they want to take in.

Same with every decision; it should e up to the country.

We are much better off out of it.

woman12345 · 28/06/2017 22:33

We must all choose our moral compass WhatToDo.

Who is your MEP, and have you thought of standing for election?