**There are a number of very good reasons to have another referendum on Europe, but it won’t improve the underlying problems. Whereas if we fixed the problems we could easily justify revoking Article 50. **
The campaigns to remain in Europe are suffering. They’re years in and still unable to meaningfully coordinate, or to move the dial on public opinion. People are still angry at failed leadership, feel disconnected from power and purpose, and fear that the most serious challenges of our time — the very ones which led to Brexit — remain unaddressed. Our greatest hope seems to be that through disruption alone the system will be forced to evolve.
The campaigns have done some excellent rigorous and detailed work, most especially the legal challenges. These are powerful and useful, and prevented some damaging and dangerous precedents form being set. The efficacy of this work hints at what the solutions might be.
But first, let’s look at the Peoples’ Vote because it’s a useful showcase of the gaps in the broader strategy.
- What question(s) and options will be on the ballot paper?
- What changes have been made to referendum law to ensure that the same lies can’t be told by either side?
- Who is eligible to vote? Are the same people excluded?
- The EU is still an improvable offer. Is there appetite for reform from other countries?
- If it’s 52/48 in the other way, is that enough? What thresholds are required for turnout or majority? Are these margins related to the duration until the next referendum on the issue?
- What guarantee do I have there won’t be another referendum in a few years? How many referenda should there be before we accept the answer? // Or similarly what guarantee do I have that the EU has an appetite for improvement and won’t just rely on cold-shouldering dissent?
- If remain wins this time, ~40% of citizens will be upset. What will be delivered to them the soften the blow and improve their conditions?
The People’s Vote have directly addressed some of these questions. They have said: “it’s up to the MPs and electoral officials to do that.” Now technically that’s true, but would it not be useful and appropriate to give guidance showing what a fairer and wiser system looks like? Even if they were to just circulate a few infographics on how other countries (esp New Zealand) do referenda so that everyone can say: “oh.. yes.. right.. yes that obviously makes a lot more sense. Let’s clearly do it that way next time.”
If the People’s Vote were to take it upon itself to provide clear counsel on these questions it would demonstrate wisdom, clarity, fairness, and diliegent responsibility. It would be clear that they strive for engaged, just, and a more perfect democracy.
The country sent a very clear message on 23rd June 2016. That message was this: “Everything is NOT OK.”
Many well justified fears about our relationship with Europe (and each other, and the world) have surfaced in the last 5 years. These cluster into 4 main areas:
- **Europe isn’t reforming.**The majority of people wanted a degree of reform and improvement of the EU, but at no time did the EU seem to acknowledge that. If it wasn’t the UK it would have been France, Hungary, Italy, etc. Refusing to acknowledge this means we don’t explore solutions, becoming ever more brittle.
- Eg what’s wrong with a multi-speed europe? What’s wrong with countries having both the Euro and their national currency? What’s wrong with flexibility and autonomy? Counter-arguments appear to be driven by ideology and not reason. That’s bound to make people fearful.
- And indeed the inflexible dogma has led to the rise of the political right across Europe as people, from a matter of principle more than preference, exert their agency and freedoms.
- Political infrastructure is still out of date. The majority of people wanted a degree of reform and improvement of the EU. Very, very few people wanted 100% out or 100% no change. But the ballot didn’t give us that choice. A ballot which intentionally causes division and misrepresentation is foolish and irresponsible. It should never be allowed to happen again.
- existing law
- engagement
- Domestic issues which created the frustration remain unimproved.tax
- migration /
- fairness
- Biggest problems appear unaddressedclimate change
- globalisation
- automation
We can have another referendum, and perhaps the result will go the other way - maybe by as much as 60% vs 40%. But is that the best we can aim for? A solution which disappoints 40% of the people, leaving people frustrated and even more dismissive of politics as a solution to any of our problems.
No, we can do better than that.
has cost us £billions but given us nothing, and delayed all us by decades. And
But if we have one it will show us that the country is still in (at least) two minds on what is a very complex issue.
The message the country sent to our 23rd June 2016 was that “EVERYTHING IS NOT OK” will be lost, and all this will have been for nothing.
Neither do we want to go back to Europe with our tail between our legs, as if everything is okay there and it was all our fault. The European project will be emboldened, many people who voted leave will be frustrated, and no one will have any reason to reform. We’ll have lost.
Cast your memory back to referendum. The question was a stupid one. No one in the UK was stupid enough to think that the question was so simple as to be 100% leave or 100% stay. Instead every single person - leavers, remainers, and non-voters - were united in calling for a better deal for the people. We knew there were problems and we wanted solutions.
Back in 2016: austerity was failing to work. Migration was being dealt with poorly. The financial crisis of 2007 still hadn’t been punished. Big businesses were dodging their taxes. Zero-hours contracts were flourishing. Rents were climbing ever higher. Climate change was going largely ignored. We could see our future being neglected.
We were angry and we wanted better. We deserve better.
But instead we got a stupid, simplistic question which divided the nation. /(And some might say that that’s exactly what some people wanted.)/
Now there’s a call for a People’s Vote on Brexit. Another referendum. As it stands, no one has said what question’s going to be on the ballot paper.
It seems this is a good time to demand the upgrade we wanted back in 2016.