Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Crazy_Ivan80]

but abolishing the EU is not the solution in my opinion.

full agreement there.

[alfred russel]

Returning to the EEC is obviously not possible as it does not exist anymore. Its successor is the EEA and membership in that would not address any of the points of Leave (net contributions, freedom of movement, regulations).

Norway and Switzerland are doing alright outside of the EU. Zurich is even a financial capital.

It seems there were lots of points brought up by the Leave campaign--and the vote was quite close. It is hard to ascribe any mandate to the referendum other than a very narrow mandate to be outside the EU.

[Josquius]

Returning to the EEC is obviously not possible as it does not exist anymore. Its successor is the EEA and membership in that would not address any of the points of Leave (net contributions, freedom of movement, regulations).

Norway and Switzerland are doing alright outside of the EU. Zurich is even a financial capital.

It seems there were lots of points brought up by the Leave campaign--and the vote was quite close. It is hard to ascribe any mandate to the referendum other than a very narrow mandate to be outside the EU.

They are pretty much in the EU in all but name though.
Its a big shame this referendum didn't happen a year later. Switzerland is trying to challenge the freedom of movement at the moment and its not going well for them

[The Brain]

Any chance of a do-over in 6-12 months?

There better not. These things are supposed to be binding for a generation and they freaking better be.

It seems highly unsound to me for a referendum to have a temporal reach longer than a regular election.

[Legbiter]

Britain will be fine.

[Lettow77]

Attitude to Britain's secession from the union has gone from surprised happiness to a sort of revelry. There's absolute jubilation in some of the comfier corners of the internet, and a sense that history is changing. "The triumph of illiberalism" say some, "the fire rises" say others. Either way, the tenor is infectious, and harkens back to the beautiful feverish tumult in which South Carolina so triumphantly crowned herself and consigned the nation to a consecrated destruction. Events abroad have disrupted my placid torpor deep within the hollers of rural Japan. It is uncommon the outside world is cause for such excitement.

[garbon]

Johnson better not win

If Corbyn isn't booted, we could have both major parties headed by Islington.

[Zanza]

Returning to the EEC is obviously not possible as it does not exist anymore. Its successor is the EEA and membership in that would not address any of the points of Leave (net contributions, freedom of movement, regulations).

Norway and Switzerland are doing alright outside of the EU. Zurich is even a financial capital.

It seems there were lots of points brought up by the Leave campaign--and the vote was quite close. It is hard to ascribe any mandate to the referendum other than a very narrow mandate to be outside the EU.

Norway and Switzerland still have to follow the EU regulations, have to pay a net contribution to the EU budget and have to accept freedom of movement. I don't see how a British government can claim public support for a deal like this.

[alfred russel]

Returning to the EEC is obviously not possible as it does not exist anymore. Its successor is the EEA and membership in that would not address any of the points of Leave (net contributions, freedom of movement, regulations).

Norway and Switzerland are doing alright outside of the EU. Zurich is even a financial capital.

It seems there were lots of points brought up by the Leave campaign--and the vote was quite close. It is hard to ascribe any mandate to the referendum other than a very narrow mandate to be outside the EU.

They are pretty much in the EU in all but name though.

With a win so narrow, a mandate for more distance from the EU can't be assumed.

[Zanza]

With a win so narrow, a mandate for more distance from the EU can't be assumed.

Leave means Leave. Not 95% remain.

[Josquius]

Returning to the EEC is obviously not possible as it does not exist anymore. Its successor is the EEA and membership in that would not address any of the points of Leave (net contributions, freedom of movement, regulations).

Norway and Switzerland are doing alright outside of the EU. Zurich is even a financial capital.

It seems there were lots of points brought up by the Leave campaign--and the vote was quite close. It is hard to ascribe any mandate to the referendum other than a very narrow mandate to be outside the EU.

They are pretty much in the EU in all but name though.

With a win so narrow, a mandate for more distance from the EU can't be assumed.

Thats what I'm praying.
"OK, so you voted out, thats fine, but more than half of the population didn't vote out, many actively voted against it, so its clear we do want some relationship...."

[Richard Hakluyt]

Returning to the EEC is obviously not possible as it does not exist anymore. Its successor is the EEA and membership in that would not address any of the points of Leave (net contributions, freedom of movement, regulations).

Norway and Switzerland are doing alright outside of the EU. Zurich is even a financial capital.

It seems there were lots of points brought up by the Leave campaign--and the vote was quite close. It is hard to ascribe any mandate to the referendum other than a very narrow mandate to be outside the EU.

Norway and Switzerland still have to follow the EU regulations, have to pay a net contribution to the EU budget and have to accept freedom of movement. I don't see how a British government can claim public support for a deal like this.

There is the problem here that no deal that is acceptable to Leave will be on the table. Which takes us back to the hyperbole and lying that was so characteristic of the campaign.

[Agelastus]

Returning to the EEC is obviously not possible as it does not exist anymore. Its successor is the EEA and membership in that would not address any of the points of Leave (net contributions, freedom of movement, regulations).

Norway and Switzerland are doing alright outside of the EU. Zurich is even a financial capital.

It seems there were lots of points brought up by the Leave campaign--and the vote was quite close. It is hard to ascribe any mandate to the referendum other than a very narrow mandate to be outside the EU.

They are pretty much in the EU in all but name though.

With a win so narrow, a mandate for more distance from the EU can't be assumed.

Thats what I'm praying.
"OK, so you voted out, thats fine, but more than half of the population didn't vote out, many actively voted against it, so its clear we do want some relationship...."

More than the absolute percentages, Scotland's (and to a lesser extent Northern Ireland's) position will be absolutely central to the degree of distance our future negotiatiors will try for.

[I'm not trying to minimise Northern Ireland's importance here, but a major party and several voting areas went for leave in that region - Scotland was universally for remain with every major party agreeing so will require much more careful handling and have more influence on our negotiations.]

[The Brain]

Returning to the EEC is obviously not possible as it does not exist anymore. Its successor is the EEA and membership in that would not address any of the points of Leave (net contributions, freedom of movement, regulations).

Norway and Switzerland are doing alright outside of the EU. Zurich is even a financial capital.

It seems there were lots of points brought up by the Leave campaign--and the vote was quite close. It is hard to ascribe any mandate to the referendum other than a very narrow mandate to be outside the EU.

They are pretty much in the EU in all but name though.

With a win so narrow, a mandate for more distance from the EU can't be assumed.

Thats what I'm praying.
"OK, so you voted out, thats fine, but more than half of the population didn't vote out, many actively voted against it, so its clear we do want some relationship...."

If you vote Leave you leave, not kinda-leave-but-not-really. Surely the UK will stand by its richly scented pile.

[Zanza]

There is the problem here that no deal that is acceptable to Leave will be on the table. Which takes us back to the hyperbole and lying that was so characteristic of the campaign.

The Leave campaign appealed to both a global trade, anti-bureaucracy crowd ("we can have more FTAs with upcoming economies") and an anti-immigration, nationalist ("Breaking Point!") crowd. I doubt they can even within Leave find a consensus what they actually want. What the British did here was a destructive, not a constructive referendum. You didn't pick a solution alternative, you only said that you don't like the status quo. I predict you'll not find a solution that will actually command a majority public support. This will fuck up British domestic politics for years to come.