The Summer 2016 UK Political and Constitutional Crisis

[mongers]

There were at least two weekends when my area had remain people at the major junctions and on the day of the vote I think I saw 5-6 (remainers) on my way to and from work telling people to vote.

Around here at least it was more than during an election and I've seen plenty of Remain signs in people's windows too - same in Lewes.

Oh I don't doubt it, that's the impression I got from the media, just that outside London things seemed very different in the areas that voted leave.

I don't know why Remain campaigners weren't more active across the whole country, especially as it being a referendum, every vote counted, so no marginals or need to carefully deploy resources, if you could persuade one voter it didn't matter where you did it.

[alfred russel]

Wow that would have been a very moving march had it been made a few weeks ago.

Is it normal in the UK to start campaigning for elections after they have already occurred? I mean it was no surprise this was a close election yes?

Exactly.

To people who consider other citizens votes invalid, then I guess it would make 'sense'.

They probably weren't outraged at the time as 1) their economy wasn't taking a beating and 2) before the vote happened there wasn't an upsurge in racism about the country.

Is the economy really taking a beating? Last I saw the FTSE was actually above pre brexit levels.

[Admiral Yi]

Is the economy really taking a beating? Last I saw the FTSE was actually above pre brexit levels.

It's down about 11% in dollar terms.

[jimmy olsen]

Yeah protest marches aren't really a part of any political campaigns I can think of - as opposed to protesting something.

Which is probably for the best because in general they're a shit way of either changing people's minds or getting the vote out.

What surprised me was the lack of engagement in the political process during the referendum campaign. In the weeks before the vote I travelled around 1500 miles on public transport and spent some time in several major UK cities and yet I saw very little campaigning, billboards/leaflets or political activists.

Turnout was 72%. That's some pretty damn high engagement  in my opinion.

[mongers]

Yeah protest marches aren't really a part of any political campaigns I can think of - as opposed to protesting something.

Which is probably for the best because in general they're a shit way of either changing people's minds or getting the vote out.

What surprised me was the lack of engagement in the political process during the referendum campaign. In the weeks before the vote I travelled around 1500 miles on public transport and spent some time in several major UK cities and yet I saw very little campaigning, billboards/leaflets or political activists.

Turnout was 72%. That's some pretty damn high engagement  in my opinion.

Low (American) expectations.   

[frunk]

Turnout was 72%. That's some pretty damn high engagement  in my opinion.

I'm pretty sure if the US had a popular referendum on staying in NAFTA or the UN our turnout would be in that range and that we'd vote to leave.  There's a lot of impassioned people that think everything that's wrong with the country can be traced to foreigners telling Americans what to do.

[Sheilbh]

Is the economy really taking a beating? Last I saw the FTSE was actually above pre brexit levels.

It's down about 11% in dollar terms.

Before Brexit the IMF thought Sterling was over-valued by about 15-20%, so we've got a way to go yet. For a country with a big current account deficit, in a deflationary world devaluation isn't all that bad an idea.

[Richard Hakluyt]

I'd imagine that the USA will be looking at ways of weakening the dollar.

[Sheilbh]

I think at the minute everyone's looking for ways to weaken their currency. We've just found a way of doing it by accident and in such a way that no-one can accuse us of 'competitive devaluation' or currency wars

[Agelastus]

Yeah protest marches aren't really a part of any political campaigns I can think of - as opposed to protesting something.

Which is probably for the best because in general they're a shit way of either changing people's minds or getting the vote out.

What surprised me was the lack of engagement in the political process during the referendum campaign. In the weeks before the vote I travelled around 1500 miles on public transport and spent some time in several major UK cities and yet I saw very little campaigning, billboards/leaflets or political activists.

Turnout was 72%. That's some pretty damn high engagement  in my opinion.

Low (American) expectations.   

It was still the best turnout since 1992; may the trend be continued at our next General Election.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Still a very poor turnout from the young..........understandable in the general elections with the fptp system, but quite baffling in the context of the referendum.

[Agelastus]

Why do you consider the poor turnout of the young to be understandable at any vote or under any voting system?

I don't think I've missed a vote since I turned 18.

[Richard Hakluyt]

There are many seats with huge majorities for one party or the other, most votes are wasted under that system.

[Agelastus]

There are many seats with huge majorities for one party or the other, most votes are wasted under that system.

How many of those seats with whopping majorities actually amount to more than 50% of the local electorate? I suspect it's a lot less than people think, particularly with voter turnout below 70% for the last few elections.

Voting may prove to be pointless but not voting is definitely pointless. Why the young can't seem to grasp this is beyond me.

Or maybe I've just been over-influenced by a Colleen McCullough book; I think the quote goes roughly "truthfully, there was no one I wanted to vote for, but not voting at all just avoids the issue." (like a coward would do being the subtext.)

[Sheilbh]

PR! PR! PR!