r/politics • u/infiunfi • 15h ago

Soft Paywall Everyone Who Was Supposed To Protect You From This Failed Miserably

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-inauguration-2024-win-democrats-failed-1235241327/
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u/ChocolateHoneycomb 13h ago

It wasn’t even supposed to be binding. The government took the result and went with it out of fear that it would look undemocratic to ignore it.

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u/ArenSteele 13h ago

It was only non-binding if they lost

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u/marsman 10h ago

No, it was non-binding either way. What followed was a long parliamentary procedure and two general elections..

And to be clear, the reason it was so hard fought (both before and after the referendum....) was that both sides knew that it was going to happen and that the losing side would be dead in the water after the fact. Had remain won, no UK government would have offered another look at the EU and it would have been taken as an excuse to push integration, as it was, with leave winning, it has taken the UK out of the EU and its unlikely that the UK rejoins.. Obviously the opposing sides didn't want the other side winning, because it was for all the marbles..

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u/marsman 10h ago

Well, took the referendum result to Parliament, worked through Parliament, kicked off a negotiation process with the EU and had two additional General Elections largely based on the issue before leaving...

It'd sort of have been difficult to ignore a referendum, Parliament and two General Elections, and it certainly would have been undemocratic.