EU proposes second Brexit referendum

Being reported here:

and in the ever reliable Express

Anyone know what is going on?

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The way I read that article from Euro Weakly (sic), is to suggest that any future exit has some verification process before being advanced. I can’t see for one minute that Brexit would be impacted as it is already done and dusted and enshrined in EU law.

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That’s pretty much how I read it - both articles are poor and lack detail to say the least.

As you point out, there is no legal mechanism by which the EU could trigger a further referendum in the UK.

The AFCO document that is the root of all this is here

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2021-0357_EN.docx

It actually doesn’t even go as far as suggesting that a withdrawing member state holds a second referendum - it merely makes the observation

Which hardly seems very controversial if you ask me, even Jacob Rees-Mogg suggested much the same.

One slightly surprising thing is that the Express article is not more froth at the mouth “Evil EU tries to overturn Brexit” stuff.

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“The Protocol is not only protecting Northern Ireland from the worst of Brexit, economically, but it also offers far greater potential than many would have expected.”

Many did expect and hoped for it, especially in the Republic. It’s great for the people of NI, which is currently an economic basket case on life support from London (and the EU in the day).

IMO the best way to prevent a return to violence is through shared economic success across all communities. People with a vested interest and a stake in society don’t tend to want to destroy it. So winding up the old tensions is more difficult for the extremists on both sides when everyone is doing well.

This is an urgent problem for unionists because with each passing day more and more normal people in NI realise the NIP, albeit with a few teething issues, is working.

Economic success in NI is also a longer term issue for unionists because if there was a vote today in the Republic on a united Ireland I doubt it would pass. Voters would worry about the impact on the Irish economy of funding the current annual NI handout of ÂŁ5B from London. Should the NI economy flourish then this issue would recede.

NI economic success is a problem for Johnson too, because it gives a benchmark against which to measure the negative impact of Brexit on the rest of the UK.

Fun, isn’t it :slightly_smiling_face:

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I read some other articles in the Express :scream: I need a lie down in a darkened room to recover.

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They should suggest it, even if it was just to really piss Farage off🤣

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But would that mean out, would now vote remain and in would vote leave? As the situation is now :joy:

I spent a wonderful day marching in London 23/3/19 for a second/final vote.
Of course the powers that be knew a vote could never be repeated with the same result.

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Maybe we should have a best of three ?

Then penalties….

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If that’s what it takes to reverse this utter shambles it would be a price worth paying - particularly bearing in mind how the polls are and that they are only going in one direction.

A recent poll showed the age 20+ group (can’t remember the upper age) as 80% in favour of rejoining - so as time goes on the UK will become more and more pro-EU.

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I very much wanted to go, it would have been my very first march. Unfortunately it was the weekend before we moved to France - so had a few things to sort!

I was there for the 2nd march. I’m glad I went, even though it did not change much in the end.

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Likewise :+1:

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Already had the penalties Peter. Every day is a penalty for many/most of us.

As referendums are a snapshot in time, is it fair to have an all-and-be-done-with one at all? Perhaps they should be on a rolling 15 year cycle to confirm or change earlier decisions according to the wishes of the younger generations coming up? Something similar happens in Switzerland.

The mention this morning of the Crimean annexation is a case in point. A place that was given to Ukraine by Russia before being taken back years later, but had been taken into the Russian empire by conquest and annexation from the Ottoman Turks beforehand, and was possibly largely inhabited by descendants of the Mongol Hordes. I know that Russian referenda cannot be totally reliable but perhaps, before the connection is attempted by a Ukraine invasion, they should be asked now?

I am at least being half serious, but something to think about. :thinking:

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What planet do people think that the Uk will become a member again in the next 20 years live on…the best that just might happen is entry back into the Single market or CU…but even that is unlikely in the medium term.
The EU membership boat has sadly sailed

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Hi Dave, yes I agree that there should be a regular referendum at least every 15/20 years to follow the generational changes which happen naturally.

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a/ Remaining european citizens are in a mood to require a referendum from EU citizens if GB would ever apply to come in now,

b/ They would certainly not consider such a come back if any exception to the european adhesion is required from GB this time.

c/ UK citizens had “their money back”… please keep it :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

Won’t that just turn into the hokey cokey?

I doubt we will ever rejoin the EU, rejoining the single market and customs union is more likely - but not, I suspect, in the 2020’s

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Completely agree…maybe in the 2030s