Governments response to revoke article 50 petition

[Olivetoil]

This Government will not revoke Article 50. We will honour the result of the 2016 referendum and work with Parliament to deliver a deal that ensures we leave the European Union.
It remains the Government’s firm policy not to revoke Article 50. We will honour the outcome of the 2016 referendum and work to deliver an exit which benefits everyone, whether they voted to Leave or to Remain.
Revoking Article 50, and thereby remaining in the European Union, would undermine both our democracy and the trust that millions of voters have placed in Government.
The Government acknowledges the considerable number of people who have signed this petition. However, close to three quarters of the electorate took part in the 2016 referendum, trusting that the result would be respected. This Government wrote to every household prior to the referendum, promising that the outcome of the referendum would be implemented. 17.4 million people then voted to leave the European Union, providing the biggest democratic mandate for any course of action ever directed at UK Government.
British people cast their votes once again in the 2017 General Election where over 80% of those who voted, voted for parties, including the Opposition, who committed in their manifestos to upholding the result of the referendum.
This Government stands by this commitment.
Revoking Article 50 would break the promises made by Government to the British people, disrespect the clear instruction from a democratic vote, and in turn, reduce confidence in our democracy. As the Prime Minister has said, failing to deliver Brexit would cause “potentially irreparable damage to public trust”, and it is imperative that people can trust their Government to respect their votes and deliver the best outcome for them.
Department for Exiting the European Union

Not unexpected. Thoughts on wording?

If we keep saying it's the will of the people one day you will accept it.....yeah right piss off TM

I think the leave MP's will be terrified of this petition indicating how strong the remain voice is and worry we have given them a push to accept any deal instead of risking another people's vote!

If its the will of the people then I think another referendum should be held. Because from two years ago, many people are much more knowledgeable about what they are actually voting for. And if its still the will of the people, then that would show, so why would there be anything to worry about. I would feel much more confident in a vote, whichever way it went, if a referendum was held now.

I think the leave MP's will be terrified of this petition

What's to say that those not eligible to vote have signed, ie those under 18? Or that those who have signed are not part of the 16.1 million who voted remain in 2016, ie no change in the number of remain voters?

If its the will of the people

An unregulated petition that has no way of checking whether or not those who are signing are eligible to vote can't be said to be the will of the people, particularly as it is only 5 million. which is not even 10% of the population.

many people are much more knowledgeable about what they are actually voting for

What do you think people know now that they did not know in 2016 that will encourage those who voted leave to change their vote to remain?

What do you think people know now that they did not know in 2016 that will encourage those who voted leave to change their vote to remain?

That they were lied to.

Quite a poor response. I just can't get my head around this 'overwhelming majority' they keep stating in speeches or the 'will of the people' as in the response. 52% vs 48% is hardly landslide for such a huge decision. Why are they so afraid to double check in the light of more info? It keeps things democratic but makes sure we end up doing what the majority think is best now. If leave is still the result with all we know bow then fair enough, but check first.

It's meaningless, they hope it will calm the revolting masses whilst saying nothing of any substance.

Now I have had an email saying that Parliament will debate on April 1st. Early April fools?

What do you think people know now that they did not know in 2016 that will encourage those who voted leave to change their vote to remain?

Well the owners of Indian restaurants have found out they were lied to, many told their staff to vote leave in the belief they could bring in workers from Asia.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/feb/15/brexit-lies-curry-vote-leave-restaurant-industry

scroll.in/article/902744/after-supporting-brexit-britains-curry-house-owners-are-left-with-a-bitter-taste

Workers at Nissa and Toyota might feel differently now.

One difference is that people who live overseas could sign the petition - many were denied a vote in the referendum, despite being clearly affected by the result. I haven't looked at the numbers, but if there was a significant number of signatories outside the UK, that would be an interesting indicator for a possible result if we ever managed to hold a fairer referendum.

The government is treating the referendum as if leave and remain were candidates in a FPTP election, and leave won, so all votes cast for remain don't count. I don't think that's the right way for them to be thinking of this, but it does explain their approach, including the airbrushing away of 16 million people...

Lonelyplanetmum - quite right, a lot of people realised the very next day that they had been lied to when Farage himself said the money for the NHS promised on the side of a bus was not true. My parents for example feel this way and would now like to vote remain in a new referendum.

Could you imagine what the Quitters would say if it were the other way around. They are so terrified of us not leaving it is almost hilarious. If it weren't so sickening.

96% in the uk muminbrussels

What's interesting is they say 'this' government. Normally it says 'the' government.

I'm clutching at straws btw.

work to deliver an exit which benefits everyone

Yeah that's not going to be possible... how exactly can an exit benefit those who don't want to leave.

Now I have had an email saying that Parliament will debate on April 1st. Early April fools?

This process has made fools of many, many people.

duh! @IceRebel - Brexit Koolaid. Unicorn rainbow vomit coloured.

It's the maybot in action. Just like her speech last week it's completely tone deaf.

What do you think people know now that they did not know in 2016 that will encourage those who voted leave to change their vote to remain?

For a start the finding that the way leave campaign was conducted was illegal and if the referendum had been legally binding the leave actions would have resulted in it becoming void.

Also that many of the things said by the leaders of leave campaign have been shown to be complete bollocks, here are a few examples:

1- The 350m sent to the E.U. a week.
^this has been shown to be incorrect, and took no account of the money we received back and other monetary benefits.

2- Getting a deal would be the easiest thing ever, so we don't need to worry about no deal.
^we cant even get past the supposedly easy stage of the negotiations without dangling over the no deal cliff edge.

3- The EU will give us whatever we want
^Well that certainly is not true is it?

4-Turkey joining the E.U.
^not happened.

5- The EU will impose the euro on Britain.
^Nope, we had a veto.

6- We would be forced to join an E.U. rise army.
^Nope, we had a veto.

7- We can't do anything about migration from E.U. to UK.
^We have lots of powers, our government has chosen not to use (largely because of the economic benefit of the status quo).

8 - no harm will come to the economy/there will not be job loses, anyone saying so is just project fear.
^The number of large business and service organisations that have changed their plans is astounding.

Those are a few off the top of my head. There are loads more things people thought leaving the E.U. would solve which has been proven to not be the case.

What Brexit would be and mean was not defined before the referendum. All of the different factions of the leave campaigns had a different vision for Brexit. Everyone voting had their own vision of what Brexit would like. Hence why no one in the government can agree with the way forward. No one really knows what "The will of the people" looked like.

Now we are in a position that has more details of what Brexit is and what it really means, so I think checking back in the public would be a good idea.

If I were to organise the vote I would go for a two question vote, with the first question being a binary should we continue to leave or revoke.

The second would be preferential vote on the achievable leave options, if leave wins the binary vote of the first question.

I think this would give people the say on what Brexit they actually want, instead of the government trying to follow a path of the hardest style Brexit they can get, despite a very close referendum vote.

I am glad they won't just revoke A50, it would be wrong for leave being overturned on the basis of a petition but I do think there is a huge mandate (not just because of the petition) for a confirmation vote. There is nothing at all undemocratic in asking the nations to confirm this is what they want and anyone who says there is either has another interest in mind or doesn't understand democracy.

I wonder if the majority of leave voters will be happy with the eventual outcome when we leave. It's clear there are almost as many ideas of what leave should be, as there are leave voters.

The only sure thing you get from a petition is a debate in Parliament.

That has definitely happened!

The vote that mattered was to leave, and that cannot be wished away

That they were lied to

That seems to be the view of those who voted remain.

The second would be preferential vote on the achievable leave options, if leave wins the binary vote of the first question

That would never get through as there are many leave alternatives, including leave with no deal.

That they were lied to

This has been proven by the investigations to the campaign. Ha seven lead the possibility of prosecutions...... but sure, it's just remainers.........

The vote that mattered was to leave

But even the leave campaign didn't want to just plough on without any idea of what the outcome would be.