We’ve been told that the people have spoken and that this is the democratic majority. However, the reality is very different and many questions about Brexit remain unanswered:
- Does the referendum mandate the UK Government to take the UK out of Europe?
- The referendum was explicitly and expressly advisory.
- The Government acts as if Brexit is an automatic consequence of the referendum.
- According to the 2015 Referendum Act, the Government must consult Parliament.
- Parliament must challenge being side-lined.
- ‘The will of the people’ is a misstatement – 51.9% voted Brexit in a turnout of 72% – which represents just over 36%of the electorate, which in turn represents just over 25% of the UK population (including Gibraltar – which was included in the vote).
- Brexit voters are an absolute minority not ‘the people’
- The Government is by-passing Parliament and is arguably unconstitutional.
- Parliament sees its sovereign authority dismissed and by-passed.
The Government has turned an advisory referendum into a hard line mandate to exit Europe. However, Brexit should not mean ‘put up and shut up’ and there should be a robust challenge to the Government on the above issues. It is beyond irony that the Brexit campaign that upheld the sovereignty of the UK Parliament as critical, now sees fit to by-pass the same institution on Brexit terms and conditions.
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