Political

Majority of cross-party panel of voters says yes to referendum on terms of Brexit deal

Do we want the public to have a vote on the terms of the Brexit deal once its negotiated and we know exactly what’s in it? The majority of Victoria Derbyshire’s cross-party panel of voters says yes:

As she mentions, that means the majority were backing the Liberal Democrat position on Brexit. Here it is explained in more detail:

Liberal Democrats campaigned for the UK to remain in the EU. However, we acknowledge the result of the 2016 referendum, which gave the Government a mandate to start negotiations to leave. The decision Britain took, though, was simply whether to remain in or to leave the European Union. There was no option on the ballot paper to choose the shape of our future relationship with the EU on vital issues including trade, travel or security.

While much remains uncertain about Theresa May’s approach, it is now clear that the Conservatives are campaigning for a Hard Brexit. This means leaving the Single Market, ending freedom of movement, and abandoning the Customs Union – even though these choices will make the UK poorer and disappoint many leave voters who wanted a different outcome.

The effects of Brexit are already being felt. The value of the pound has plummeted. Inflation has risen. Growth in the economy has slowed, and the government is already borrowing billions more to fill the gap in lost tax revenue. Young people, who voted overwhelmingly to remain, are being told their voices do not matter. Urgent problems, such as the future of the NHS, are being neglected because of the sheer scale of the challenge posed by Brexit.

A Hard Brexit will make all these problems worse. It is the wrong choice for the country. Liberal Democrats will fight to prevent a Hard Brexit.

At the end of negotiations, there will be a decision on the deal. The Conservatives want the decision to be taken by politicians. Liberal Democrats believe the British people should have the final say.

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6 responses to “Majority of cross-party panel of voters says yes to referendum on terms of Brexit deal”

  1. Remain a full member of EU?
    If leaving deal is so bad it seems sensible option. Better to really annoy a minority than go against wishes of majority, IMHO

  2. If we leave with no deal, how quick will it be in getting the equivalent deals with WTO countries which equates with our present GDP?
    There is so much emotion around Brexit that the reality of the decision is lost in the clouds.

  3. Sadly the main problem is the Right Wing Press
    .Theresa May sticks to their mandate to the letter so there is no adverse press in huge headlines grabbing the public who do not read beyond the headlines.
    She is incredibly weak and dull with no vision or passion. The EU will walk over her and she is stubborn and stupid enough to walk over that cliff not having a clue or care about the consequences for the masses. She and the Right Wing press barons have made shedloads of money in the stock market. So no problems in their bank balances

  4. Being hell-bent on getting a good deal will be far more damaging to the country than accepting to bear the cost of leaving the EU.
    Britain is already in diplomatic decline. Political decline is evident in the sharp rise of populism within the established parties. Cultural decline also seems imminent; the combination of shrunk resources and deteriorating image of the country from within and from the outside may yet cause hemorrhaging in the cultural industry, so precariously dependent on image.
    We can not afford to be seen as “difficult”, “uncooperative”, “unhelpful”, “self-centred”… Service and culture industries outstrip manufacturing and agriculture in the contributions to the exchequer.
    We may have to accept whatever the EU offers. Now is not the time for brinkmanship, for bluffs or genuine threats, and certainly not the time for appeasing the Brexiters. They have had their day. Now is the time to play a humble, cooperative, neighbourly and friendly nation willing to shoulder her burden and pull her weight of responsibility, not just to herself, but to others. May has had a poor start in Europe and alienated many with her confrontational approach. Time to hand over to diplomats?

  5. Do voters want a vote on the terms of Brexit? Yes? Well the voters’ panel might, but I don’t believe any wider conclusions can be drawn from it. The panel exercise is an example of a hypothetical question posed to participants in an artificial setting that produces a positive response. A second referendum would be a nice idea, since you ask. But do the voters really care about, want or expect one? I’m not so sure. Wishful thinking about attitudes to Europe and Brexit among the wider public has helped run the Lib Dem election campaign into deep trouble.

    Looking at some polling figures, it is clear that there never was a 48% pool of anti-Brexit voters to call upon. As far back as 26-27 October/ 13-14 November 2016 YouGov reported that the 48% Remain opinion bloc – even then – could be divided into two roughly equal groups: those who accepted Brexit, (the so-called Re-Leavers), and those who wanted it reversed. On 13-14 March 2017 YouGov further reported that only 27% of all GB voters, (albeit 48% of Remainers), were in favour of a second referendum. I would put my money on YouGov’s findings over a voters’ panel any day.

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