The referendum was basically a squabble within the Tory Party, which is still ongoing. The referendum was called by a weak and ineffective, but arrogant Prime Minister. It was quickly hi-jacked by hard-line right wingers who told a stream of blatant lies and rubbished sensible advice by experts. The very marginal result should not, in the national interest, stand.

Forgive me if I am speaking out of turn, or incorrectly but I believe that Parliament has let us down, big style, regarding the E.U. referendum. I hear and read lost about how the leave voters were lied to, misled, conned, are stupid, ignorant, racist, bigoted, didn’t know what they were voting for but how true is that of those who voted the opposite way? How much did they know and whose fault was it that the campaign went as it did?
My understanding is that it was Parliament that voted for the referendum and that it should be binding, rather than advisory. Given that this was a monumental decision, given how much as changed since the last referendum, why was the referendum allowed to proceed without there being any plan in place? Why were the campaign groups given no remit? If there were remits, where were they published? Where was the accountability? Were the parameters and responsibilities agreed and put into law? Again; accountability. Was the purpose of the campaigns agreed? Were their rules drawn up, which could be applied and adhered to so that, in the event of them being broken, charges could be brought? Again; accountability. Where was the scrutiny? Was there an independent body to oversee the campaign groups and ensure that they stayed within their remits and upheld their responsibilities? Had these things been done, I believe that we would not be in the position in which we now find ourselves, with people talking about a second referendum, others claiming that those who voted to leave are wrong and others saying that people should be able to change their minds, certainly in the event of not liking the deal. What is the point of that, if the E.U. remains the same and what we don’t know about it hasn’t changed?
Why was there not public information and education programme about the E.U., what it is, what it does, what it’s supposed to do, how it works, what benefits, or otherwise, we get solely because of our membership, what benefits, or otherwise, we lose solely because of our membership, the effect of the treaties and other changes that have taken place since the previous referendum? How much more do all of those who still want us to remain know about the E.U. than they did at the time of the referendum? What has changed for those who voted to leave?
We were not asked to vote on the potential consequences of leaving the E.U. we were asked about our membership so, why was there almost NO information about it? All of the broadcast debates were about immigration, security, economy, sovereignty… what do people know about those things and what have they to do with our membership? I am sick of M.P.s complaining about what was and what wasn’t on the ballot paper and telling us what we did and didn’t vote for; they had the opportunity to influence that BEFORE the referendum was called and they failed and in doing so, they failed us.
I have, for a long time, said that Call-Me-Dave should be in prison for Treason, having offered this referendum with no plan, no pertinent information and subsequently jumping ship, however, he was but one man and he should not have been allowed to call the referendum without having first had a plan in place, for whichever result prevailed; it was for Parliament to insist on this and I cannot envisage a situation whereby such a motion would not have been carried, unanimously. Setting out the parameters, the responsibilities, the remits, scrutiny, accountability etc. were all for Parliament. In my opinion, both campaigns were wanting but Parliament could and should have ensured that that was not the case, before the horse left the stable.
What we can do, to call a halt to this deeply divisive issue, is to find out as much as we can about the institution and ask all of the questions that our politicians ans media failed to; that way, we will have a deeper understanding of it and, with any luck, a better understanding of why people voted contrary to the way that we did. We must stop calling our neighbours wrong, or claiming to know why they voted as they did. People voted for myriad reasons and they must be respected, even if we don’t agree with them. It is not too late to educate yourself and if you are thinking that, perhaps, you made the wrong decision, find out for sure and see what exactly about the E.U. and our membership of it most influences you; the same applies to those of us who think that we are sure; if nothing else, in the event of another referendum, we will be better informed, no thanks to our politicians, who seem only to want to call another referendum but tell us nothing.
Finally, some of you may, or may not know but during the referendum campaign, I wrote to both campaign groups, several M.P. among whom was, at the time, the Minister For Europe and my local £abour campaigner and asked a series of pertinent questions, regarding our membership of the E.U. Not ONE person (who bothered to reply) was able to answer a single question. Shameful.