More than 1000 barristers have written to the Prime Minister to tell him that the referendum must be considered as advisory only. They say it is customary to accept such a vote only with certain provisos such as a 60% majority or a 40% turnout. They say Parliament could overturn the Leave vote. They even say that as the Leave campaign was based on lies and misinformation, it could be dismissed.
That might all be true, of course,although as we do not have a written constitution it will be a lawyer feeding frenzy. Wouldn't this prolong uncertainty? Wouldn't it set a precedent (say to overturn the Scottish independence referendum)? Above all,wouldn't it risk the stubborn electorate refusing to listen to the legal arguments? I am not at all sure the public would accept lawyers as experts any more than they would politicians, and it is hilarious to listen to lawyers condemning lies and misinformation but not their near equivalents special pleading or weaselling.
Elsewhere in the Guardian, someone is recommending a new federal Britain with some regions able to stay in the EU.This might be fun, with national borders between England and the other places. I have read that this might be EU policy too.
London remainers are encourgaed by the possibilities of independence too, says a writer
Another Guardianista writes about how Brexit has led to a low opinion of Britain in America,with a British accent now seen as a prompt for pity or superiority. Apparently quality American dailies have been peddling this line.
Yet another has discovered that Britain is a deeply divided country with substantial inequality. However, she feels that Brexit will only benefit the rich again.So what general conclusions might be drawn about the structured nature of inequality --silence from the Guardian
Finally, a person on Facebook who has been furious and in denial about Brexit has also moved to the next stage in bereavement - rationalisation. The poor voted for change, she insists, not for Brexit as such,but they won't get it. They will get fascism instead, and a reversion not only to Thatcherism but to the Victorian period. Remaining was maybe not so good either, with the neo-liberal agenda as the only alternative on offer.So what should be done -- we should ask the right sort of people (like her) what they want and then do it.. How sad that no-one is doing that.
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