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Whatever happens (No Deal Brexit Oct 31st, extension and then Brexit with a deal, extension and then no-deal exit[1], second referendum, confirmatory vote, straight revoke, etc) it's going to leave huge divisions in the country. It wouldn't be unique to the LD's plan of winning an election and revoking A50 based on a manifesto pledge.
I still think it's going to end up with A50 being revoked (after an extension) either due to a confirmatory vote or an outright second referendum, with the most likely appeasement to be a promise of a future referendum in 3-5 years.
Partially kicks the can down the road but at least there can be some proper planning and campaigning for both sides now they now what they are both up against.
- Note that the current legislation would not prevent this, but then I would expect MPs to push through a similar act to the Benn Act to prevent this.
- Note that the current legislation would not prevent this, but then I would expect MPs to push through a similar act to the Benn Act to prevent this.
Greenbank
No, I really don't think it does. Sure, the referendum was advisory, but that has not stopped it from being used as a powerful political football with which to sow divisions, with due apologies for mixing metaphors. I'm well aware that one can stand on the legal situation, but as you can see in perceptions of the Supreme Court judgement mentioned above, that fails to convince many people. What is needed is indeed a second referendum that either confirms or denies the previous referendum outcome, whatever the legal status of such a referendum might be. Even were a new referendum to deny the previous outcome, there would still be serious and meaningful work needed to address the perceptions of many that 'Europe' is the cause of much misery to many. I personally don't care too much about instinctive anti-Europeans, but rather about people who voted for 'Leave' out of a sense of grievance or believing false information that was spread.