Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Berkut]

How did the entire Brexit thing come about?

I mean, I am surprised that there is even a referendum on such a thing - how does that even happen?

[OttoVonBismarck]

Parliament passes a law providing for a referendum, which sets the election process in motion. After the result, Parliament then can do what it pleases, but presumably will pass laws to implement the will of the electorate.

It isn't binding like State-level referendums in America that "self-execute" and actually become legislation (or prompt things like removal from office for recall elections.)

I researched this after some confusion of my own.

[Zanza]

How did the entire Brexit thing come about?

I mean, I am surprised that there is even a referendum on such a thing - how does that even happen?

There was constant bickering about the EU and Britain's role in it in the Conservative Party. When he became the leader of the Tories, David Cameron set the goal to pacify these malcontents in his own party. The way to do that was to promise renegotiation of Britain's status in the EU followed by a referendum.

He now suffered a total and utter defeat of this plan.

[LaCroix]

There was constant bickering about the EU and Britain's role in it in the Conservative Party. When he became the leader of the Tories, David Cameron set the goal to pacify these malcontents in his own party. The way to do that was to promise renegotiation of Britain's status in the EU followed by a referendum.

He now suffered a total and utter defeat of this plan.

jesus

[mongers]

How did the entire Brexit thing come about?

I mean, I am surprised that there is even a referendum on such a thing - how does that even happen?

There was constant bickering about the EU and Britain's role in it in the Conservative Party. When he became the leader of the Tories, David Cameron set the goal to pacify these malcontents in his own party. The way to do that was to promise renegotiation of Britain's status in the EU followed by a referendum.

He now suffered a total and utter defeat of this plan.

Will he be compared to Napoleon III in future?

[Duque de Bragança]

Napoleon III had successes early in his reign, so this seems unfair. 

[Berkut]

How did the entire Brexit thing come about?

I mean, I am surprised that there is even a referendum on such a thing - how does that even happen?

There was constant bickering about the EU and Britain's role in it in the Conservative Party. When he became the leader of the Tories, David Cameron set the goal to pacify these malcontents in his own party. The way to do that was to promise renegotiation of Britain's status in the EU followed by a referendum.

He now suffered a total and utter defeat of this plan.

In hindsight that seems like a poor idea.

[Phillip V]

How did the entire Brexit thing come about?

I mean, I am surprised that there is even a referendum on such a thing - how does that even happen?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_withdrawal_from_the_European_Union

[Sheilbh]

He did hope that by settling the issue he could stop them from 'banging on about Europe'

[mongers]

Napoleon III had successes early in his reign, so this seems unfair. 

[mongers]

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the decision showed the UK's unhappiness with migration and security.

[Sheilbh]

One reporter described the mood among Labour MPs as 'the country's fucked, the party's fucked, might as well take out the leader'

[Valmy]

let it brew for a 1000 years and you'll see how strong a local identity can be. We'll revisit the many political entities of North-America during the second semester of 3016.

I would rather we stick with individual rights instead of giving priority to tyrannical ethnic groups. I find it baffling that you read that as some kind of Imperialism.

But I doubt things would ever develop as you claim. People move around a lot these days. It is rare that people live in the same location their great-grandparents lived in. Hell it is not uncommon to live in a radically different place than your parents. So I don't see how those kinds of identities could easily develop where they do not already exist. At least in this country.

[mongers]

One reporter described the mood among Labour MPs as 'the country's fucked, the party's fucked, might as well take out the leader'

One other bright spot, other than the turnout, is the now inevitable end of George Osborne's political career.   

[Legbiter]

He did hope that by settling the issue he could stop them from 'banging on about Europe'

He did win on the Scottish independence referendum but it was a high-wire act and sooner or later your luck runs out.