A controversial petition asking for a second EU Referendum will be debated in the House of Commons in September.
The petition now has over 4 million signatures.
Whilst the government has made it clear that the debate will not have the power in law to bring about a second referendum, it has hinted this morning that a change in the rules might be made for future votes, which could address issues such as minimum turnout and result thresholds.
The debate will take place on 5th September, 2016 at 4.30pm and can be watched online at Parliament TV.
The latest update is added below:
Researching Reform 
It will be a debate but not change that Brexit is now Brexit there will be no change from only how and when
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I want a second referendum. . . .on the result of the Battle of Hastings. The Anglo-Saxons should have won it.
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For the future however I think it wrong for “the people” to force a government to do something it does not want to do. On the other hand I think it right for “the people” to be able to PREVENT the government from doing something that they may want to do but what the people do not want at all !
I believe in referendums that block governments from carrying our unpopular measures (especially those that were not in their party manifesto like charging University fees for example !)
There should be more refendums carried out at the same time as local elections if enough people sign for and demand them but they should be confined to blocking governments from acting contrary to the will of the voters who elected them .
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Seems to me that no matter what happened if they Brexit half of England are split from the other half. If they have another Brexit and they narrowly chose to stay the pro leave/Brexit camp would feel robbed. Nasty dynamic either way. Prob with democracy is any moron can vote regardless of bias, stupidity, a total lack of understanding of the actual issues and complexities etc etc etc. Seems to me though the Brexit camp largely chose out on the xenophobia/racist vote which is about as dumb as it gets for a country that invaded 90% of the planet and now has a problem with immigrants and refugees. The same clowns are likely to be the ones who end up on dole ques because the English economy is def heading for a big fall at least in the short term. Anyway the UK got Brexit and the US got Trump. I’m betting Trump wins. Nuts !!
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Although probably much older than you, Grant, I’m not quite as cynical. Anyway, I don’t think anyone who holds a different view from me is necessarily a moron. Or even anyone who holds the same view as me! I don’t agree that the majority who wanted ‘out’ of the EU are xenophobic or racist. Some are. But in my view the vote was almost as much a vote against a political elite or class as it was anything else. And rightly so. For once, the people had a genuine choice. In most elections recently, there has been little to choose. Whatever candidate voters chose, they knew it wouldn’t make much difference. No-one was listening. So this time, most people didn’t listen to the politicians and their ‘project fear’. They voted with their hearts and minds.
The English economy way well be heading for a fall, but it will not be anything like the European one in a few years (or less) to come. We are much better off out of it, for when the EU falls as I believe it certainly will, it’s going to be very nasty indeed. And as for ‘project hate’ I find it odd that those who accused us ‘leavers’ of this have exhibited far more hate than I have seen for some time. Why anyone could support such a sclerotic, top-heavy, bureaucratic, meddling, corrupt and undemocratic institution I cannot fathom. It’s about as far from a socialist dream ticket where everyone’s equal and free, that I can think of. In my travels around France last year, nearly everyone I spoke with wanted out of the EU and lamented the loss of their own currency. They were not racists or bigots – and the ‘little people’ of France will be applauding the ‘little Englanders’ here – and if they get the chance, will follow us down the road we have forged.
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Roger if there is one positive I do see in the Brexit is it is the have-nots have taken it to the haves but that is the only positive – a protest vote does not necessarily make the outcome good for the country or the people. As you point out you are older. Notably, the younger generation voted in favour of remaining in the EU and it is them who will have the pay the ultimate price.
As for this statement – this pretty much sums up the distortions of Brexiters — ” those who accused us ‘leavers’ of this have exhibited far more hate than I have seen for some time” —- well no mate, I’m sorry, but it is Brexiters who have launched a wave of hate and violence against Mosques and the Polish etc and it was a Brexiter who murdered a good person who had a sound respect for human rights.
So no you do not get to drop that one because when put to the test it is shown to be utter crap. The thing I have also found in my life mate (and I expect you underestimate my age) is as an indigenous person whose country is illegally occupied by British invaders is that when you call someone out on being racist or a xenophobe they will always deny it so denying that one with me immediately becomes a mute point given I expect you are a white English person who began life in a different England than you are in now – hence kicking back and wanting the old England back. I.e. one whose population is more “English”.
As for this: ” It’s about as far from a socialist dream ticket where everyone’s equal and free,” —- mate you live in the most surveilled country in the world — the English Orwellian nightmare is a reality. It wasn’t the EU who did this but your own government. I’d also note your own government has tentatively said they’d perhaps like to stay in the EU with provisos – one of these being that Britain would not be subject to the EU Human Rights treaty which would basically leave the English without any obligations to respect international human rights norms.
And yes mate – I lived in Paris for a year. I was married to a French person. Perhaps find a better example to counter arguments of racism and xenophobia than the French little people:-) Actually, funny country. Much like England only there food and wine and culture are so much richer — more pertinently invades half the planet (in their case under the name of human rights) then gets upset when too many others from the countries they destroyed end up living in their country.
Watch out for history Roger. It has a way of coming back and biting you. I can assure you when the dust has settled and you are long gone it is the young of today that will pay for the choices of the Brexiters.
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Parliament is to bring in “Experts” to discuss high heels in the work place! Who are these experts? LOL! Where has common sense gone? What will be the overall cost of such a nonsensical debate?
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Grant is right to say I was born in a different England; to be precise, in 1948. And I’m white British, nothing I can do about that! So I was very much into the free-thinking and free-everything of the sixties, but I have no desire to return to those times. Many of today’s problems stem from our selfishness and the hedonism of those days. Grant is also correct in saying we are living in an Orwellian nightmare of surveillance everywhere, and that’s not the EU’s fault – but much is the fault of the EU.
Most Brexiteers are not, I think, racist or xenophobic but those that are, have committed the highest-profile acts of hate. I believe this has peaked and we’ll see a reduction now. I have seen lesser acts of hate by the Remainers, but more of it. It is not racist to be concerned about one’s country and indeed I love travelling abroad, revelling in the differences in our cultures, landscapes, and cities. The EU wants us to be all the same – ‘harmonisation’ – whilst preaching ‘diversity’. We should celebrate and respect our differences, but I am not a fan of ‘multiculturalism’ because it doesn’t work very well and takes away our individual identities. It’s boring! But I’ll take France’s wine and food (and Italy’s).
We shall see if Grant’s dire predictions will come true, or maybe I won’t of course. But where I am, the young people who voted were certainly not all for staying in the EU. A substantial minority voted ‘Out’. As an old git who also voted Out, I raise my glass of French Red to them!
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One result from the referendum shows how many rude, offensive and bigotted people there are in the Remain camp. They don’t get what they want so they march and almost riot, calling those who voted to leave racists. That is what they have decided we are and nothing we say will change their minds – they know it all and so are always right. The younger generation, many of whom voted to stay (although not my son at 27, he had the sense to vote Leave), do not have the advantage of history and living in the UK before the EU, not the Common Market that we joined, came into being and started introducing stupid laws and telling us what we could and couldn’t do. Remember the argument over selling goods in kilos instead of lbs? I have never known of such patronising, rude and condescending people as those who voted to remain but are now throwing their toys out of the pram because they didn’t get their way.
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“One result from the referendum shows how many rude, offensive and bigotted people there are in the Remain camp.”
You need to check the definition of “bigotted” Bridget. Biggotts don’t vote for immigration and humane refugee policy. Biggotts vote against this type of thing.
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I have been appalled and saddened by the vitriol flowing all too freely from the mouths and pens of so many people. The decision has been made. Accept it and get on with life. Such bile precipitates violence; it should have no place in a civilised society. Adults learn to accept the decision of the majority – it’s called democracy.
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Maureenjenner go to my first post – you’ll find I’ve pretty much said this. You now have a divided nation at one anothers throats. And agree 100 percent… Brexit is democratic by an extremely narrow margin and now the remain camp (about (50% of the UK population) need to decide whether to remain in England or leave.Call it Brexit part 2 lol. I’m betting Scotland finally gets their independence if the EU allows them to become a member State. What I don’t think will happen is that under the current Government ther ewill be another referendum. What may be interesting though is the next government that wins by democratic election would be wise to run on the platform that they will hold another referendum. At that point I expect that government will be swept into power and goodbye/good riddance to the conservatives:-) Pop corn time either way.
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@ Grant – Spot on!
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Reblogged this on World4Justice : NOW! Lobby Forum..
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It seems to me from the comments here that there are those who are so opinionated that as far as they are concerned anyone disagreeing with them is wrong. You cannot win with those who believe they know it all and are always right no matter what. If they say you are racist, then you are racist. No point in arguing the toss. And I know what bigotted means, Grant, not biggotted – never heard ot that one. I also stand by what I said about losers throwing their toys out of the pram. Fancy demanding another referendum. Oh, diddums.
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The issue regarding the Referendum as it is about the future of he Labour party and to less extent was about the future of the Tory party is about what is meant by representative democracy and participative democracy. In Greek cities for example every m\l citizen was allowed not just to participate in the referendum but speak decisions such as going off to war would taken by everyone wanting to take part. Because the girls were married as virgins at puberty decision the unmarried men took boys as partners who were not allowed o refuse if chosen. It took a couple of thousand years the concept of the universal vote took hold in the UK and we are yet to establish meaningful equality between those of he physical appearance gender female with male and I guess it may take another 100 years or so before the majority understand about what is in reality a gender spectrum where physical appearance is only one aspect. We also developed representative democracy in which we one of allow those elected a general election to become Prime Minister, no longer can the person be a member of the upper House Parliament and the Prime selects Ministers to form a government with convention that in order to get new laws passed Minister are from their own political Party unless as with the recent successful coalition they join with another Party and where the Upper House is expected to modify legislation and not reject it.. with back stop powers if they do.
In terms of any war this remains the personal division of the Prime Minister in consultation with the Head of State and professional adviser who will judge that if we do nor respond we could be dominated and or extermination. Parliamentary approval is not required or Cabinet if push comes to shove. Nor is Parliament approval required for conscription of anyone and everyone the declaration of Martial law control of the media control of movement control of food and drink clothing etc.
There was no need to hold a referendum or to be bound by its result. It was not a law making activity. The personal decision was taken by David Cameron and no doubt he will be several million pounds to give his official version of why and who he consulted. he chose to resign when he failed to get the result he wanted which he did not need to do. He could have chosen to more the result or hold a second referendum with consulting anyone. That is the power involved in office or he could put the decision to Parliament. We could if we wished have another referendum, or just do nothing or never invoke the article procedure to leave. Teresa May has achieved a great power coup…. she has already told the commanders of the four nuclear carrying submarines the procedure that will be followed if she wants them to fire and exterminate a population somewhere as well as instruction to head of the services similarly… The PM has chosen to widen the number of individual who advise when for example recently to launch a drone to execute an enemy of our state in a separate country
Those in Labour Party whose quietly and now openly plot to over throw depose their democratically leader by any means did not because he lacked leadership but they refused to accept his authority and are contemptuous of those who voted him into office As out head of state recently said .. ( that the post is heredity is irrelevant we should all calm down….. The Speaker of the House of Commons says this with greater regularity and go back to playing our role what ever that is and letting those with the power get on with. This participating in democratic process is a dangerous and upsetting activity which undermines their power and the privilege which goes with it. Colin Smart
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