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Is there any point in having a referendum?

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Original post by Phoebe Buffay
I'm willing to give a rebuttal to some of the arguments you've presented if you like. It just sounds like you have argued this many times, and have made up your mind.





I don't doubt that they exist, just not in the quantities that you described.


I have argued it many times, but I'm open to new arguments. Please, go ahead.
Referendums are awful and the current referendums campaign so far have only hardened that view. People with minimal knowledge are being fed spurious crap from both sides.

They are however a great way of helping politicians avoid responsibility.
Original post by BasicMistake
As seen with the Scottish referendum, it is highly likely that if the UK votes to stay in the EU, the entire issue will refuse to go away and the Leave campaign(s) will vow to keep fighting.

So is there any real point to this referendum at all?


Well there hasn't been one for 4 decades, the institution has completely changed in that time and anti eu feeling has continually grown over the last 25 years.

So yes there is a point, I agree that an eu remain vote is more likely than a leave I predict a low 40's out vote.

As you say this will encourage the issue to go on. Crucially however it requires the government of the day to sanction another so just like the one in Scotland they will say you had your chance you won't get another for a long time now and we can debate it in another 20 years plus


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Original post by BasicMistake
As seen with the Scottish referendum, it is highly likely that if the UK votes to stay in the EU, the entire issue will refuse to go away and the Leave campaign(s) will vow to keep fighting.

So is there any real point to this referendum at all?


And if the UK does not vote to stay in the EU, then it will leave the EU... the EU vote was not orchestrated by the pro-EU establishment as an attempt to destroy EU sentiment forever. It was forced by the anti-EU faction as a genuine attempt to take us out of Europe. If the government had any choice in the matter it would not be having the referendum.

Think of it from David Cameron's point of view. The 'point' in having an in-out referendum (or rather, promising to have it) is that if he didn't promise it then 20-30% of his voters would have voted for UKIP, and the Tories wouldn't have a majority right now (they might not even be the party of government at all). So the point is not settling the EU debate. The point is that David Cameron didn't want to lose his job as prime minister.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Copperknickers
And if the UK does not vote to stay in the EU, then it will leave the EU... the EU vote was not orchestrated by the pro-EU establishment as an attempt to destroy EU sentiment forever. It was forced by the anti-EU faction as a genuine attempt to take us out of Europe. If the government had any choice in the matter it would not be having the referendum.

Think of it from David Cameron's point of view. The 'point' in having an in-out referendum (or rather, promising to have it) is that if he didn't promise it then 20-30% of his voters would have voted for UKIP, and the Tories wouldn't have a majority right now (they might not even be the party of government at all). So the point is not settling the EU debate. The point is that David Cameron didn't want to lose his job as prime minister.


Yea probably more like 20% but not 30% enough for a few more seats for ukip but I still think you would just still have a majority conservative government


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