Jump to content








Former UK minister calls for second vote on Brexit to end stalemate


webfact

Recommended Posts

Former UK minister calls for second vote on Brexit to end stalemate

 

2018-07-16T065542Z_1_LYNXMPEE6F0IJ_RTROPTP_3_BRITAIN-EU.JPG

FILE PHOTO: Justine Greening, Britain's Secretary of State for Education, arrives in Downing Street for a cabinet meeting in London, October 17, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah Mckay/File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - A former senior British minister called on Monday for a second referendum to solve a parliamentary stalemate on Brexit, saying Prime Minister Theresa May's proposals for new ties with the European Union were a fudge that satisfied no one.

 

Justine Greening, an ex-Education Secretary who quit the government in January, said May's negotiating strategy would neither please those who wanted a clean break with the EU nor those who opposed Brexit altogether.

 

"We'll be dragging Remain voters out of the EU for a deal that means still complying with many EU rules, but now with no say on shaping them," Greening wrote in the Times newspaper.

 

"It's not what they want, and on top of that when they hear that Leave voters are unhappy, they ask, 'What's the point?'. For Leavers, this deal simply does not deliver the proper break from the European Union that they wanted."

 

May has ruled out a rerun of the 2016 vote in which Britons voted 52-48 percent to leave the bloc.

 

Her Brexit negotiating strategy, which aims for a close relationship with the EU after Britain leaves the bloc in March 2019, was only agreed with her cabinet earlier this month after two years of wrangling. Two senior ministers resigned in protest shortly afterwards.

 

May is now facing a possible rebellion from Brexit supporters in her Conservative Party who want her to ditch her plan when lawmakers vote on amendments to legislation on the government's post-Brexit customs regime on Monday.

 

However, she has told unhappy lawmakers that they needed to back her or risk there being no Brexit at all.

 

Greening said that with divisions in the Conservatives and the opposition Labour Party over how to proceed with Brexit, there should be another vote, with the public able to choose between May's plans, a "no-deal" break with the EU or remaining in the bloc.

 

"The only solution is to take the final Brexit decision out of the hands of deadlocked politicians, away from the backroom deals, and give it back to the people," she said.

 

(Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Kate Holton)

 
reuters_logo.jpg
-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-07-16
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites


20 hours ago, Blue Muton said:

So you're saying that we should have stuck with the result of the original referendum where 67% voted to join Europe, and that those who lost should have just lumped it?

Even Farage said he'd demand another referendum should the result of the last one be close.

Since then some people have actually woken up and realised just what "Europe" means.

 

What Farage said is irrelevant. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

So what is the problem? A slender majority was secured 2 years ago - if you are correct, a final referendum on the proposal will firmly underscore the mood of the people and take the wind from the sails of the remainers. What is not to like about that?

What is not to like is it guarantees a bad deal because the EU will know that the worse they make it for us, the greater the chance of it being voted down by the British public is, with the outcome of us returning to them, tail between legs.

 

Absolutely no incentive for them to give us a good deal, if they know there will be another referendum.

  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

So what is the problem? A slender majority was secured 2 years ago - if you are correct, a final referendum on the proposal will firmly underscore the mood of the people and take the wind from the sails of the remainers. What is not to like about that?

What proposal?

Edited by nauseus
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, rixalex said:

What is not to like is it guarantees a bad deal because the EU will know that the worse they make it for us, the greater the chance of it being voted down by the British public is, with the outcome of us returning to them, tail between legs.

 

Absolutely no incentive for them to give us a good deal, if they know there will be another referendum.

Thank you for pointing out the obvious, very clearly. (Edit - I was struggling to point out the obvious, to those demanding another referendum.)

Edited by dick dasterdly
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2nd referendum would really be go day to get rid of this gridlock. Please make it happen and make it happen fast. 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

43 minutes ago, rixalex said:

What is not to like is it guarantees a bad deal because the EU will know that the worse they make it for us, the greater the chance of it being voted down by the British public is, with the outcome of us returning to them, tail between legs.

 

Absolutely no incentive for them to give us a good deal, if they know there will be another referendum.

Lol, you think the negotiations are going well so far? Do we have a good deal on the table? If so it would be accepted in a referendum almost unanimously, surely.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, dick dasterdly said:

I agree as long as the options are:-

 

1) accept the 'deal' agreed by the govt.

2) no deal.

 

Edit - Anything else leaves the govt. and other wealthy remain supporters even more opportunity to increase the 'fear factor', in the hope that it will result in a remain vote....

 

Not really into this democracy thingy are you?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 hours ago, dick dasterdly said:

I'm assuming she is a remainer?  If so, suprise suprise....

 

Having said that, I'm inclined to agree with this part of her statement:-

 

"there should be another vote, with the public able to choose between May's plans, a "no-deal" break with the EU ".

As I said on another thread, I am not advocating a second referendum, even though Justine Greening pretty much cut and pasted what I suggested on here about a year ago.  But we are heading towards the scenario where the government is in such disarray that it will come down to those options or even a straight No deal or No Brexit.

 

None of this is what people voted for but some still think we should carry on down the road on inevitable failure to achieve any sort of positive deal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 hours ago, dick dasterdly said:

I'm assuming she is a remainer?  If so, suprise suprise....

 

Having said that, I'm inclined to agree with this part of her statement:-

 

"there should be another vote, with the public able to choose between May's plans, a "no-deal" break with the EU ".

As I said on another thread, I am not advocating a second referendum, even though Justine Greening pretty much cut and pasted what I suggested on here about a year ago.  But we are heading towards the scenario where the government is in such disarray that it will come down to those options or even a straight No deal or No Brexit.

 

None of this is what people voted for but some still think we should carry on down the road on inevitable failure to achieve any sort of positive deal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I would think it is obvious even to the most blinkered Brexiters that we should remain. Let the people decide!

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

The Brexiteers will fight tooth and nail against having a second referendum.  Is it because they don't believe that people would vote leave the next time?  Anyway we been here before so let's not have that debate again.

 

Lets instead look at a possible unfolding scenario.  May trots off to put her proposals to the EU and they reject them as not being workable.  She would struggle to get further concessions through parliament because of opposition from JRM and his boys.  At that point all we are left with is leave with no deal or scrap Brexit.  Whichever option is taken will mean the end of the Tory reign.  A general election and a probable open door for Labour.  Unless out the ashes of the Brexit disaster a new party is born!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Brexiteers will fight tooth and nail against having a second referendum.  Is it because they don't believe that people would vote leave the next time?  Anyway we been here before so let's not have that debate again.
 
Lets instead look at a possible unfolding scenario.  May trots off to put her proposals to the EU and they reject them as not being workable.  She would struggle to get further concessions through parliament because of opposition from JRM and his boys.  At that point all we are left with is leave with no deal or scrap Brexit.  Whichever option is taken will mean the end of the Tory reign.  A general election and a probable open door for Labour.  Unless out the ashes of the Brexit disaster a new party is born!
I like that scenario.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...