Tuesday, November 08, 2016
The futility of challenging the referendum result
There is no doubt in my mind that the referendum on whether to remain in the EU was won on a false prospectus.
That misrepresentation included the high-profile claim that the EU was costing £350 million a week, a claim that Vote Leave continued to use despite repeated ticking offs by the UK Statistics Authority.
There was also the alleged threat of 76 million Turks on our doorstep, a mixture of racism, muslim-phobia, and downright misrepresentatoin that swayed many voters in the final week.
However, whereas misrepresentation on that scale is illegal in a General Election, or indeed any other election, the UK Government failed to include such a measure in the legislation that triggered the Brexit referendum.
That is why I am puzzled by this report in the Independent that a complaint against Vote Leave and Leave.EU campaigns has been submitted by academic experts in electoral law, who have suggested “corrupt campaigning practices” were used by campaigners and that the Crown Prosecution Service is considering that complaint.
The Crown Prosecution Service have to look into every complaint of course and it is not for me to tell them how to do their job, however I cannot see any scenario whereby the referendum will be re-run on the basis of those falsehoods.
Politically though it is a different matter. The fact that a narrow majority for Brexit was secured on a false premise legitimises those who want full Parliamentary scrutiny of the process and a vote by MPs on Article 50.
The people spoke in large numbers after a long and heated campaign, it is now time for cool scrutiny of what follows and a further vote by the population of the UK on an actual proposal that will not be so suscepitble to distortion by cynical popularists.
That misrepresentation included the high-profile claim that the EU was costing £350 million a week, a claim that Vote Leave continued to use despite repeated ticking offs by the UK Statistics Authority.
There was also the alleged threat of 76 million Turks on our doorstep, a mixture of racism, muslim-phobia, and downright misrepresentatoin that swayed many voters in the final week.
However, whereas misrepresentation on that scale is illegal in a General Election, or indeed any other election, the UK Government failed to include such a measure in the legislation that triggered the Brexit referendum.
That is why I am puzzled by this report in the Independent that a complaint against Vote Leave and Leave.EU campaigns has been submitted by academic experts in electoral law, who have suggested “corrupt campaigning practices” were used by campaigners and that the Crown Prosecution Service is considering that complaint.
The Crown Prosecution Service have to look into every complaint of course and it is not for me to tell them how to do their job, however I cannot see any scenario whereby the referendum will be re-run on the basis of those falsehoods.
Politically though it is a different matter. The fact that a narrow majority for Brexit was secured on a false premise legitimises those who want full Parliamentary scrutiny of the process and a vote by MPs on Article 50.
The people spoke in large numbers after a long and heated campaign, it is now time for cool scrutiny of what follows and a further vote by the population of the UK on an actual proposal that will not be so suscepitble to distortion by cynical popularists.
Comments:
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I believe we were misled by for and against but mostly by the brexit.
I'm sure I am not alone in not being sure of what it really was all about and very being very confused. I voted to leave, more like tossing a coin. How many others did that?
All we want is for our MP's to be honest with us.
How often are they and now we have an unelected PM
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I'm sure I am not alone in not being sure of what it really was all about and very being very confused. I voted to leave, more like tossing a coin. How many others did that?
All we want is for our MP's to be honest with us.
How often are they and now we have an unelected PM
# posted by 
: 12:41 PM
: 12:41 PM<< Home
