Should the electorate have the final say on Brexit?

"The problem that the left has is the gap between the apparent position of Labour’s leadership and that of its rank and file. In the most authoritative poll yet done, research published this week by Queen Mary University shows that a whopping 72% of Labour members back a fresh Brexit referendum – substantially more than Jeremy Corbyn received in either leadership election."

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jan/03/labour-vote-jeremy-corbyn-left-grassroots

A cross-party grouping of MPs has pulled a proposed amendment that would legislate for a second referendum on the Brexit deal on Thursday, blaming the Labour leadership for not backing the plans. One of the architects of the amendment Dr Sarah Wollaston, the Conservative MP for Totnes, said in a statement that the plans had been halted, conceding, “until we have the leader of the opposition’s backing, it would not pass”.

Surrounded by Labour and Conservative MPs, another member of the grouping, Luciana Berger, Labour MP for Liverpool Wavertree, urged party leader Jeremy Corbyn to “do the right thing and back a people’s vote”. “Labour should be clearly setting out a different course, not facilitating a job-destroying Brexit.” “Yet at a time when Labour could be championing a People’s Vote, the leadership avoids answering that call. This is not good enough.”

She said that Labour could lose support from pro-EU supporters, many of whom back a second referendum. She said: “I believe if Labour doesn’t back a People’s Vote we will haemorrhage support right across the country and we will suffer at those election boxes whenever the next general will come.” When she was asked if it could split the Labour Party she said: “We want to see a resolution.” “This is the most critical issue facing our country are we are all here to come together in the national interest because we think this is most pressing thing that we should be resolving at this time.”

Read more at: inews.co.uk/news/politics/second-brexit-referendum-peoples-vote-amendment-pulled-mps-group-jeremy-corbyn/

The likelihood of a second Brexit referendum being held to break the political deadlock over the issue has “risen sharply”, data has suggested.

Forecasting group the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) put the probability of another poll at 50 per cent, up from 30 per cent following similar analysis two weeks ago.

It predicted that Prime Minister Theresa May’s “plan B” for Britain’s departure from the EU will not be sufficient to secure parliamentary approval.

www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/brexit-news-latest-likelihood-of-second-referendum-has-risen-sharply-data-shows-a4047241.html

Dominic Grieve, the former Attorney General, has tabled two bills for Wednesday which call for a European Union Referendum.

One bill seeks to launch preparations for a referendum while the other seeks to carry out the vote. “Bill to provide for a referendum about the United Kingdom’s future relationship with the European Union,” reads the wording of the second bill.

inews.co.uk/news/brexit/brexit-second-eu-referendum-dominic-grieve-bills/

Yesterday 117 Tory MPs rejected Theresa May's leadership of their party, yet only last year all of them stood for election on the basis of a manifesto endorsing her leadership.

It appears they have changed their minds.

If they are allowed to change their minds on this, why should the British People not be entitled to change their minds on the question which was put to them in 2016- whether to Leave or Remain in the EU?

Leaders and senior political figures from six parties today issued a triple challenge – to Labour, the Government and the European Union – to recognise that a People’s Vote is the only real way forward in the growing Brexit crisis.

At a People’s Vote campaign press conference in Westminster, the Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable, Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, SNP leader in Westminster Ian Blackford MP and Plaid Cymru Westminster Group Leader Liz Saville Roberts MP, were joined by Dame Margaret Beckett, the Labour MP and former Foreign Secretary, and Anna Soubry, the Conservative MP and former Business Minister.

The challenge to Labour:-

Sir Vince, Ms Lucas, Mr Blackford and Ms Saville Roberts will say they have written to Jeremy Corbyn ahead of today’s Shadow Cabinet meeting asking that the Labour Party joins them in moving a motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister. At a time when this Government does not have a majority in the House and has lost control of the single most important issue to face the Commons for a generation, there is an overwhelming case to test to the confidence of MPs and to do so now, before more valuable time is wasted. Recognising Labour’s policy is to seek a General Election as early as possible, the letter calls on Labour to move a vote of no confidence. If it cannot succeed in that objective, it urges Mr Corbyn to work with other parties in Westminster to fulfil the demands – shared by the overwhelming majority of Labour voters and members - for a People’s Vote: now clearly the only way forward for the United Kingdom in this current crisis.

The MPs issued two further challenges on behalf of the campaign:

The challenge to the Government:-

Theresa May, announcing her proposed deal on the steps of Downing Street, said that the alternatives were either “to leave with no deal, or no Brexit at all”. Yesterday, in the Commons she told MPs that they need to “face the fact that there will be a choice between a deal, no deal and no Brexit.” We do not doubt that the Prime Minister has set her face against both. But, given her repeated suggestions that both are possible outcomes to this crisis, it would be the height of irresponsibility to prepare for one and not the other.

Amid this constitutional crisis, the Government should begin drawing up the necessary legislation and how Parliament can be given the time and space to properly debate and set the question, the rules, the franchise and the date of the vote.

The challenge to the European Union:-

We share the view of the President of the EU Council who said yesterday that the there is no better deal that can be negotiated. Both this – and every other form of Brexit that might yet be proposed - will be damaging for the livelihoods, life chances and sovereignty of those we represent here in the UK. It will also, of course, be a grim prospect for our friends and allies across Europe. Consulting the British people on these terms in a referendum is a process that cannot and should not be unduly rushed. While we hope that a decision by Parliament to deliver a People’s Vote and to put the necessary legislation in place will happen swiftly. But we recognise it will not be possible to hold the vote itself before the end of March.

Today, the People’s Vote campaign is calling on European leaders to allow for an extension of the Article 50 timetable to allow the United Kingdom to go through a democratic process as a sovereign nation that could culminate with a result that would be of a benefit to the entire family of European nations and its peoples. This matter is a matter that should be discussed by European leaders at this week’s Council Summit. And, in time, we would hope that were such a request be made to allow the necessary time for our democratic process to play out, it would be looked upon favourably by our allies in the European Union.

www.peoples-vote.uk/people_s_vote_campaign_issues_triple_challenge_to_labour_the_government_and_the_european_union

Chris Leslie [who I have great admiration for] has said that, if a People's Vote' in which people are given the full facts about how leaving the EU will affect them, results in another win for leave than he will fully back that decision and do everything possible to make a success of it. As it stands I still maintain that people, both leave and remain didn't really know the full implications of what they voted for.

If we have another vote it will be putting the onus on the 'people' then if it all goes wrong it will be declared 'it is what the people want'
It will be a form of passing the buck as the government can not sort it out at the moment.

Labaik
Your probably not the only one in the country, but you sound as if you are the only one posting on here airing your opinions on Brexit.

Almost certainly the law will be changed so that a 'people's vote ' (sounds cosier than a referendum!!) will have two questions :- Remain, or leave with a deal. Leave on its own will not be an option. Obviously Remain will win, ( well its rather bound to!!) as to try for an deal that parliament and the EU can agree is completely impossible! A humiliating experience indeed!! Cheers David Cameron for fielding a question that if taken up was actually a no goer, a fact you must have known!. Frankly I now don't care which way it goes as in the event I won't be voting anyway, but I do care at this country being made such a laughing stock. I do care about that very much.

i am a 59 year old so i laugh at your insulting comments.. what part of majority do you not understand?

I adore the UK totally

but remain will not happen...

Oh and the empty vessels make the loudest noise...

how many votes and referendum would you all like....

Do get back under your bridge, andy

Or are you putting off doing your homework?

varian do stop your silly ranting.

we won ,, leave ..end of thats it. it will happen..hard brexit... out out out it is in law

So, am I the only voter in this country that doesn't understand single markets, customs unions and now WTO rules and regulations? Can someone who is happy for us to trade under those rules explain very simply what they are and why they are better than being in the EU? Oh, and can I have a simple explanation for the latest term 'the backstop' because I don't understand that either.

The frightening thing is the number of people who think leaving with "no deal" means everything stays the same except we're not in the EU. They think we'd save money, keep out immigrants and the whole world would be queuing up to trade with us, but otherwise things would be the same as now. Any suggestion of chaos, shortages and a trashed economy is "project fear". It will be fine!!!

Honestly I'm not making this up- we've all heard it- and the level of ignorance is terrifying.

No responsible national government would subject us to WTO. It's a completely lunatic idea. Even WTO leaders have said it would be 'difficult', which is diplomatic speak for 'bloody hard'.

We have had an in or out vote.

If there is to be a second referendum the only things on the ballot paper should, in my opinion be the deal that has been negotiated or leaving with no deal and continue under WTO.

Not so newnanny we have not an given informed answer on in/out. That should definitely be part of a second vote.

If a second referendum we have already answered the in out question. Now MP's are focusing on May's deal or leave on WTO terms.

The deal is a bad deal for UK as permanently keeps us in Customs Union unless EU give us permission to leave. Whilst in Custom's Union we won't be able to do free trade deals with other countries who are not aligned to EU. May's deal needs to be voted down. She needs to go back and tell EU no backstop. She is handing over £39 billion of our cash without any guarantee of a good trade deal. She needs to say £20 billion now and the rest once the trade deal is negotiated. It would make the EU speed up as they sometimes take 15 years to agree a trade deal.

I love Tom Brake! Yes; if we do get out of this almighty mess, we have the LibDems, SNP, a handful of Labour MP's [now including Rosena Allin Khan] and a few Conservatives to thank. Plus Gina Miller, of course.

LibDem Brexit spokesman Tom Brake says-

"Liberal Democrats have fought tooth and nail to give the people the final say on Brexit. We are now closer than ever before.

The ECJ has made clear that the UK can stop Brexit unilaterally. The Government can, therefore, prevent a chaotic no-deal. For the sake of people’s livelihoods, the Prime Minister must end the uncertainty and rule out a no-deal.

It is clear any Brexit will make people poorer and reduce the UK’s standing in the world. MPs should not only vote down Theresa May’s deal, but back a People’s Vote with the option to remain in the EU."

The European Court of Justice has ruled the UK can cancel Brexit without the permission of the other 27 EU members.

The ECJ judges ruled this could be done without altering the terms of Britain’s membership.

A group of anti-Brexit politicians argued the UK should be able to unilaterally halt Brexit, but they were opposed by the government and EU…

The ability for a member state to change its mind after telling the EU it wanted to leave would last as long as a withdrawal agreement had not been entered into, or for the two-year period after it had notified the bloc it was leaving.

If that two-year period gets extended, then a member state could change its mind during that extra time too.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-46481643

It seems logical to have a second referendum where we can vote on something concrete rather than simply a principle.

But....I firmly believe that many votes were cast as a protest against austerity and the imbalance in society that has been further strengthened by government policies. I cannot see that changing.