On democracy: Remember that in 1979, Scots voted 51.6% in favour of devolution — but didn't get it (then) and the Scotland Act was repealed.

Why?
1/12

Because the turnout was too low. For such a big and irreversible change, which could happen at any time, we needed 40% of the electorate to turn up and vote in favour — not just to stay at home because they're OK with the status quo, and not bother to engage.
2/12

That is the democratic precedent in this country.

So, why didn't the 2016 vote have that same threshold?
3/12

Well, Parliament explicitly discussed it, and other safety checks on electoral fraud or requiring a ⅔ supermajority.

But decided that they didn't need to predict all the pitfalls in advance because MPs themselves were the safeguard — because the referendum was advisory.
4/12

So when people say the referendum was advisory and MPs aren't bound to implement the result, that isn't just weasel words.

If it'd been binding, it would've had extra conditions which it would have failed, like the Scottish 1979 vote.
It would have been behind us long ago.
5/12

Don't let people lie to you that "democracy is at stake", and that ignoring the result would set a bad precedent.

It would be entirely in line with precedent, and also with the letter of the law and the spirit of our representative democracy.
6/12

And in fact, the result was honoured at the time anyway. MPs didn't have to, but they chose to trigger Article 50 and negotiate our departure from the EU.
7/12

But you don't send a negotiator in with a blank piece of paper, signed and postdated three years. It is absolutely right and proper that they come back to us with what they've negotiated, for us to approve (or reject) it.
8/12

The result of the referendum HAS been respected, despite the fact that they didn't need to. Now in 2019 we have the right to choose what to do next; whether to proceed. There is no sense in claiming that the 2016 result binds MPs' choices now; it didn't even bind them then.
9/12

Remember, we are a sovereign nation and we can leave the EU at any time we want to.

The Scots waited a little bit longer, came back with a better plan that actually had enough public support, and got their devolution.
10/12

Even if it makes sense to leave the EU, it doesn't need to be now, after the government have spent three years incompetently frittering away the negotiating time without a plan, even coming up with ideas like the backstop, agreeing to them, then going back on their word.
11/12

Much better to call it off for now and try again with an actual plan, in a few years time.

And there is certainly no "democratic" reason not to do just that.
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