If there was another EU referendum...

It’s entirely possible Jalima ( said gravely.) ?

Probably about as many as Cindersdad Jura!

I don't like either "side" of this argument - I have as little faith in the integrity of our own system as I do in that of the EU. But I voted to remain because I could see that on health and safety, employment and the environment the EU did provide more protections....... and I envisaged even more unpreparedness and chaos if the decision was to leave. It seems on that point I was right and I find it all very depressing.

For those of you who may be wondering, Pollaidh has been posting on GN for quite some years across a range of topics.

I have marginally more faith in our system of government and less in the EU. The EU is too large and cumbersome. Too bueaurocratic. I am concerned that we seem to be heading for too big a compromise and we’ll end up being out but still in. All the disadvantages and no advantages.

Whatever our government suggests will be rejected. Brussels has to. Poland, Italy, and maybe others waiting to see what we come away with as they increasingly move towards the possibility of leaving.

And now the Scottish Assembly who are happy to only have fishing rights to 40% of their stock under EU quotas is objecting to having 85% under British quotas when we leave. They want total control.

It’s a mess!

I no longer live in the UK so I felt uncomfortable about voting in the EU referendum, although I still have many family members who live there and whose welfare and well-being are important to me. If there were another referendum, which I think is unlikely, I would vote this time.

We’re on a path that can’t be altered only tweeked.. There won’t be another referendum and the outcome of negotiations may leave us with a bad deal.

We’ll all just have to live with it.

I am still convinced that the good things about the EU (peace and co-operation in Europe, freedom to live and work in other EU countries, economic benefits of Single Market and Customs Union) far outweigh the things that need changing. Since the referendum I have learnt far more about the details of the way the EU works, especially from the blog of the erudite Leave campaigner Richard North. Nothing I have read there or elsewhere convinces me that the UK will be better off as a country trying to go it alone in the world of today.
As a British citizen living in the EU I have now had two years with a 15% loss of income and the worry of living with uncertainty about my future. I am still angry that my grandchildren will be denied the rights that we have enjoyed.
I have long since given up any attempt to argue with convinced Leavers. There is simply no point.

Posters who voted Remain have covered most of the points that concern me.
As a Scot I want to be part of Europe.
Food safety standards - based on recent discussions I fail to understand why would anyone choose USA standards over those of EU.
Northern Ireland suddenly coming into focus when this issue was one of my reasons to vote Remain.
Concern over university research funding and the Erasmus scheme.
So many reasons to regret this irresponsible referendum.
The fact that it was advisory has been fudged and now today's news about Vote Leave fiddling expenses indicate the total lack of integrity.
The manipulation of the less well-educated and elderly became clearer as discussions went on ( and yes I concede that some Leave voters have good qualifications).
It's blindingly obvious that the yob culture voted overwhelmingly to leave.I
All of the above plus so much more!

Um, are we joining the USA? Why would we have their food laws? The EU eat horse meat, but I’ve not noticed our butchers being forced to sell it. The USA chlorinate some of their chicken, but it doesn’t mean to say that we’ll have to.

The USA chlorinate some of their chicken, but it doesn’t mean to say that we’ll have to.

We would more than likely be forced to accept chlorinated chickend as part of a trade deal with the USA. Retailers and food manufacturers would have no hesitation in buying and using it because it would be cheaper than UK produced chicken. It would scupper any possibility of exporting chicken or chicken based products to EU countries because of the very real possibility of the UK products containing US chicken and so broaching EU standards.

You see, 'taking back control' isn't necessarily all it's cracked up to be. Especially when it leaves you vulnerable to disadvatageous trade deals.

PS. It would also be likely to wipe out a large part of our chicken producers who couldn't compete. Or, possibly they might just adopt US practice in order to survive

NfkDumpling, haven't you been keeping up with the (admittedly impenetrable) trade deal saga? If we want the marvellous deals that Liam Fox seems to think we can get, we are going to have to buy some things we don't to want as well as sell things we do want to. If people on very low incomes are offered cheap American chicken rather than dearer, UK-standard chicken, what do you think they are going to choose? We certainly don't have to bleach our own chicken, but it would still be there to be sold. It is not, as far as I know, illegal to sell horse meat here, but there is not a market for it for various reasons. I have eaten it in France but can't say it was so good thatI am keen to find it here.

By the way, just for your information, we have a Parliament here in Scotland, not an assembly.

Sorry, MaizieD, crossed posts!

So it is now official, the Referendum was illegal as the leave campaign acted fraudulently on 4 counts. Added to the fact that according to our OWN legislation and parliamentary democracy (not the EU’s), a PM was not legally allowed to say a referendum would be anything but advisory, and the tiny majority in favour.... a vote on the final deal just will have to be given to us.

Pollaidh, I guess that most Referendum voters were guided by prejudices not "logic". Or even reason and knowledge.

Perhaps older people are more inclined than educated younger people to be prejudiced about Little England, immigrants, and all that. Is this what you are investigating? Good idea! However there are other important variables such as precise age , social class, ethnicity, level of education, or financial interest.

If you look at the demographic maps of voting trends you will see that geographic areas correlate with preponderance of Brexit or Bremain votes.

of course, voting trends and stats look at the overall picture and not individual exceptions ..l but they are FACT, not opinion.

jura2, I agree really it seems completely unreasonable that, irrespective of agreement with the outcome, the results of the refendum can be allowed to stand, now that the official Brexit campaign is expected to be found guilty of four charges of breaking electoral law.

How can it possibly be right that, despite that, the initial referendum result is confirmed?

It seems that democracy involves people throwing money behind the policy they endorse using whatever methods they like, as even if they break the law they will have got the result they wanted, and the rest of us will have to put up with it. "The will of the people" means that the biggest spender and the biggest liars get their way.
The funny thing is that if this were happening in another part of the world we would be decrying it loudly as bribery and corruption, and proclaiming how great OUR democracy is.

It is not, as far as I know, illegal to sell horse meat here, but there is not a market for it for various reasons.
Of course, horse meat got into the food chain here despite any EU regulations. Some 'beef' burgers were 100% horse meat and others contained pork without being labelled as such.
There will always be those who break the rules for their own ends.

If we don't have a second refendum following this flagrant abuse of electoral law, it gives carte blanche in future for repeats of this, with the expectation that the perpetrators can expect to get a slap on the wrist, or even if the penalty is worse than that, it won't matter since they'll have achieved the desired end and there will be no political repercussions.

A sad day for democracy...

indeed..

Alexa most educated younger people that I know seem to have voted to remain because of the Erasmus scheme or because they are frightened they may have to face long queues at immigration when they go on holiday.

As an older, un-educated country yob I’ll just go back and crawl into my hole again.

As parliament agreed and passed the referendum being binding by a majority vote, how can that now be illegal? Can other things that parliament pass also be declared illegal two years along the line if certain people push hard enough?!
I would vote exactly the same if asked. My reasons are stated clearly on the now closed thread, in answer to Alyg, and, no, I'm not repeating them!