Put it to the people march - are you going?

Years ago I used to work with parents whose children were about to be adopted and if they wanted to challenge the adoption decision I always encouraged them, on the basis that it was good for them, and for their offspring, to know that they had really tried, and done everything they could, to keep their children.

I feel the same way about leaving the European Union. I need to know, and I want my children to know, that I did everything I could to act in what I consider to be the best interests of the UK. I don't believe that the government will listen, I don't believe that a march will result in a change of policy, but I do think it is right to challenge what I consider is a wrong decision. So, I will travel up from Devon and join the throng on March 23rd and when the numbers of marchers are announced I can be satisfied that two of that number were me and The Wonderful Man.

Good for you Granny Activist. My husband will be there, I can't, and he feels exactly the same as youdo.

Well, well ....

A growing number of Labour rebels are said to be queasy about the possibility of a second EU referendum as Mrs May tries to woo them ahead of next week's make-or-break vote.

Labour Brexit-supporter John Mann says that the group willing to vote with the PM in the Commons has increased from a handful of MPs to approaching 35.

Mr Mann, who represents Bassetlaw in Nottinghamshire, believes that 70 of his colleagues are opposed to holding another referendum - and 'possibly half as many' may back the Tory deal with Brussels.

(Seems these Labour MP’s are waking up to the fact that their constituents want OUT).

ga - I think it is important to define what the march is about before committing to going. Is it asking for a second referendum like the first? Is it asking for a referendum on an entirely different question or questions (e.g. directly about the deal on the table)? Is it OK for the same question to be asked again? Is it OK for the [parameters to be as before (e.g. no min. turnout/margin)? Is it to be legally binding?

It is a great deal more subtle than a "People's Vote."

And if the "People's Vote" goes the "wrong way" - will it be accepted by the marchers?

And if it goes for remain, what will the marchers be doing about the ensuing riots?

It is a very complex situation, that cannot be approached in simplistic terms.l

Marchers wont be doing anything about riots - strange question - not their job - what did marchers do about poll tax riots? Someone said to me that the only time the government did anything was when there was violent protest. maybe if the Iraq war million protesters had stormed parliament we wouldn't have got involved.
I'm going on the march, not because I think it will change anything on this self destructive Brexit pathway, but just to demonstrate this path is not the "will of the people " by any means, and the 70% or so of the population who didn't vote for this curtailment of our freedoms are still out there. TMay may well blackmail MPs to accepting her deal, but that is hardly cause for celebration from anyone except the most toadying of May supporters.

DD is seriously thinking of going, not sure if I will be able to.

In October 700,000 law abiding people marched peacefully to Westminster. Whether the number this time is bigger or smaller, there is no reason to suppose it should not be peaceful.

By contrast, disturbances have been caused by 100 or so neo-nazi brexit thugs who attacked the police and threatened MPs like Anna Soubry.

It is quite outrageous that any British government should give into these neo-nazi thugs. It did not happen eighty years ago and it should never happen in the future.

I am quite clear what I am marching for Luckygirl; it is that the eventual Brexit deal, if there is one, should be put to a public vote for final approval.

When we were asked to vote 'in or out' we knew what 'in' looked like, but had no idea what 'out' might mean in practical terms. By 23rd of March we will know and so a meaningful vote could then be held, not for an idea or an ideal, but on concrete plans.

As for riots; I have never seen one, nor been involved in one whilst attending any previous marches. I can only assume that the police and armed forces have contingency plans ready for such an eventuality. It saddens me enormously that this whole sorry debacle has resulted in such animosity across the country and once the deed is done (as I am almost certain it will be) I shall put away my marching shoes and get on with making the best of what I believe is a very bad job indeed. I won't be rioting.

The idea that politicians should give in to those who threaten violence, is often voiced alongside claims that Labour MPs should think about all their leave-voting constituents.

The fact which is hardly ever mentioned is that only about one third of Labour voters supported brexit. Quite apart from the fact that an MP is elected to act according to his or her conscience and good judgement, why should the other two thirds be constantly ignored?

The vote was leave, end of.

I think Luckygirl poses some valid questions.
In any case, marching for another referendum because you don’t like the results of the first referendum and hope to overturn it ..... sour grapes!
It may be dressed up in other terms, but essentially it remains sour grapes.
There were about a million and a half more votes to leave the EU than there were for remaining in it and that means that we leave.
We were not asked how we would leave, and we left that for the government and Parliament to sort out ( we didn’t imagine Parliament would go full throttle at each others throats.) Even now, if there are legal assurances about the Irish backstop, we can leave with a deal.

Stop and think for a moment ( Remainers) that we too voted with a view to getting the best for the future for not only ourselves, but our DC and DGC.

Exactly- that is why I am fighting it.

How can it be sour grapes to fight for an informed democratic vote- on an advisory Referendum (OUR own Sovereign Law) based on lies, fraud, dodgy money, targetting and NO information whatsoever as to consequences- and the vilification of all experts who tried to inform?

Of course the 'only just' majority who voted leave will be trying to discredit the significant minority who voted to remain.

Nothing surprising in that. It is sadly how politics works.

I will keep saying that the referendum was flawed, based on half truths, unknown factors and a lot of myth. That is not very democratic .
If we were to be offered a vote on leaving membership of EU it should have been on the deal negotiated not asked to vote on a pig in a poke!

If I could walk I would be expressing my democratic right to oppose the current policy decision by joining the march.
I don't care which MPs voted what way. As a citizen I have every right to express my dislike of current government policy on the EU.

I would not endorse deliberate actions of vandalism or violence.

Guess who has issued a warning bout the dangers of not taking instructions from the neo-nazi brexit thugs? - none other than our most reliable politician - Chris Grayling. We can always rely on him to say and do the wrong thing.

"Chris Grayling under fire for saying a second EU referendum would fuel threat from far-right"

Read more at: inews.co.uk/news/brexit/chris-grayling-claims-we-shouldnt-hold-a-second-eu-referendum-because-it-would-cause-far-right-surge/

I thought that the first referendum had done that, according to so many posters on here?
So he is probably correct.

Yes he probably is but that doesn’t mean we should change to accommodate the thugs.

ga - I think that is an entirely valid question to be asking - but whether people feel confident of fully understanding what the deal entails is a little dubious. Ideally, if such a vote were to happen then the government should issue a detailed leaflet quoting impartial experts (not politicians!) about the implications of such a deal. Even then, many people would vote in a "tribal" fashion - which is of course the objection to all referenda.

I think you misunderstood my comment about riots - I was not talking about the potential for local riots around the march; but about the riots that might ensue if the referendum happened and the decision to leave were reversed. This would engender a great deal of anger from both thoughtful leave voters and right-wing racists and trouble-makers, and the latter are not likely to sit on their hands - they are more likely to be out on the streets. I think if people demonstrate for a "People's Vote" then they need to have some thought for what these negative consequences might be.

The initial referendum was indeed hugely flawed - I do not think Cameron felt any need for it to be properly thought through s he had assumed the vote would go "his" way. If there is to be another vote, then let us at least learn from the flaws from before and correct those that can be corrected. The sort of backlash that might occur in what is now a sadly divided nation does not bear thinking about. I am very concerned about it all.

As I've already said, I won't be going. I want out and have spent ages looking for good energy deals online as mine come to an end on 19th April.
I want it all sorted before the end of next week.

So you think we should just give in to the right wing racists and thugs?

You cannot not do what you think is right because other people might break the law. People stayed too quiet in the late 20s and 30s and look what that led to!

Why should parliment respect this any more than they are respecting the referendum? What do you actually hope to achieve.

I hope the bill for policing this event will be sent to Open Britain.

Urmstongran just to know I have had the chance to show what I feel., done what I can , within the law, to influence decisions. I see it as a responsibility.
Also I could not moan about it later if I had not been active in opposition!!

varian it was actually 135428 poeple who marched then dear, you must be thrilled we re leaving,, out out