Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Josquius]

And checking up seems my MP was one of the anti democracy cunts

[garbon]

Jesus Fucking Christ. Even the 2 weeks extension was being too nice to those idiots. Rip the band-aid off and good luck to ye.

Agreed.

[The Larch]

The really important thing is to let British citizens living outside the UK vote.

That's also something that kinda bugged me about the original referendum, that UK citizens abroad were not able to vote, yet Commonwealth citizens in the UK were able to. Can somebody clarify why that was that way?

[Josquius]

Considering its a vote on European matters really EU citizens in the UK should be able to vote.

As to why commonwealth citizens could vote, its an imperial hold over. And it helped give the tories the vote they wanted so...

[Richard Hakluyt]

Cameron's feckless stupidity in not even setting the parameters of the referendum properly never ceases to amaze me 

[garbon]

I mean I feel like that conversation had its time and place (like 2-3 years ago ). Now it is, wtf is parliament doing?

[The Larch]

Considering its a vote on European matters really EU citizens in the UK should be able to vote.

As to why commonwealth citizens could vote, its an imperial hold over. And it helped give the tories the vote they wanted so...

I'm not really bothered by non UK citizens not being allowed to vote, it's not their country after all. But UK citizens abroad not being able to vote, I think that's problematic. Allowing CWers to vote is nonsensical.

[The Brain]

Wait, you can be a UK citizen and not get to vote in a referendum?

I'm reading a book about Europe in the 19th century. Seems bizarre today to imagine a world where the UK political system was considered an example to follow.

[The Larch]

Wait, you can be a UK citizen and not get to vote in a referendum?

AFAIK UK citizens living outside the UK were not eligible to vote in the Brexit referendum. I'll go check wiki...

Edit: Ok, so here's what wiki says:

The right to vote in the referendum in the United Kingdom is defined by the legislation as limited to residents of the United Kingdom who were either also Commonwealth citizens under the British Nationality Act 1948 (which include British citizens and other British nationals), or those who were also citizens of the Republic of Ireland, or both. Members of the House of Lords, who could not vote in general elections, were able to vote in the referendum. The electorate of 46,500,001 represented 70.8% of the population of 65,678,000 (UK and Gibraltar).[52] Other than the residents of Gibraltar, British Overseas Territories Citizens residing in the British Overseas Territories were unable to vote in the referendum.[53][54]

Residents of the United Kingdom who were citizens of other EU countries were not allowed to vote unless they were citizens (or were also citizens) of the Republic of Ireland, of Malta, or of the Republic of Cyprus.[55]

So, voters had to be residents in the UK who were either UK citizens or citizens of Ireland, Malta, Cyprus or Commonwealth. So yes, UK citizens that didn't reside in the UK were not eligible to vote, but, for instance Irish or Australians in the UK were.

[celedhring]

That is odd. UK citizens living in the EU were affected massively by that vote, yet they didn't have a say in it. 

[The Brain]

So Cameron wanted Brexit after all?

[Tamas]

It is comical, in a tragic way, that the government depends on DUP votes. The only party, whose real agenda (wrecking the Good Friday agreement so the danger of uniting Ireland disappears) would benefit immensely from a no deal crash out.

[Oexmelin]

That is why the Conservatives - and really, the MPs - should have recognized this situation long ago and ditched these assholes. Govern with whomever is dedicated to an actual deal, regardless of party. I am baffled by the fact that MPs seemed to think that Brexit would be easy, simple, and would allow them to continue mediocre party politics as if nothing happened. 

[crazy canuck]

That is why the Conservatives - and really, the MPs - should have recognized this situation long ago and ditched these assholes. Govern with whomever is dedicated to an actual deal, regardless of party. I am baffled by the fact that MPs seemed to think that Brexit would be easy, simple, and would allow them to continue mediocre party politics as if nothing happened.

Reoccurring theme in this thread, I know, but I doubt many of the MPs understand how a Parliamentary Democracy is supposed to work.

[mongers]

Tomorrow looks set to see Mary's deal defeated a third time.

Maybe she'll claim it was only half-defeated, as she's only presenting the Commons with the first part of the deal?