EU referendum - what if the UK votes to stay in?

[rs1952]

Just a thought that crossed my mind, given that the majority of views around here fall squarely into the anti-EU camp. What if we did have a referendum on continued EU membership and the UK voted to stay in? What would you do then?

Any thoughts?

[davepoth]

Shrug my shoulders. Such is the nature of democracy.

[Spiritual_Beggar]

davepoth said:

Shrug my shoulders. Such is the nature of democracy.

This.

At least if we had the vote we'd know where the majority of the population stand and could move on.

I'd stand by the outcome, whatever it is.

[Happy82]

Rip up the EU flag, burn an effigy of Von Rompuy and fire an AK47 wildly into the sky while chanting in Ye Olde English to the glory of Farage and his crusade of honour for Holy Britain.

[Jasandjules]

Make them take another vote.

Well, that is what they would do if we vote to leave anyways.....

[speedy_thrills]

It is surprising how quickly opinion seems to be narrowing among those few sources that have been polling throughout. YouGov ran an interesting bit if now a little dated (polling has narrowed more since).

I see it as not only possible but likely the UK would vote to remain an EU member short of another Eurozone calamity (which doesn't seem forthcoming).

[rs1952]

Spiritual_Beggar said:

At least if we had the vote we'd know where the majority of the population stand and could move on.

I'd stand by the outcome, whatever it is.

But we had a vote in 1975, and the majority of the population voted to stay in. But apparently that wasn't the end of the matter then, hence where we are now

[davepoth]

rs1952 said:

Spiritual_Beggar said:

At least if we had the vote we'd know where the majority of the population stand and could move on.

I'd stand by the outcome, whatever it is.

But we had a vote in 1975, and the majority of the population voted to stay in. But apparently that wasn't the end of the matter then, hence where we are now

That's not what that vote was about - it was on whether to join the EEC. Any treaty that causes a major change to the UK's unwritten constitution (such as joining the EEC) should be put to a referendum really. There should have been one for Lisbon, and probably one for Maastricht too.

What Cameron is doing is effectively asking for a new treaty, so we can have a vote on that.

[powerstroke]

Sell my overvalued house and move to bugeria and marry one of those dark and sultry looking girls !!!!

[RealSquirrels]

a straightforward in/out question would give very different results from a continue as is/renegotiate a bit. of course the latter two are the realistic options.

[anonymous-user]

RealSquirrels said:

a straightforward in/out question would give very different results from a continue as is/renegotiate a bit. of course the latter two are the realistic options.

This.

There is little chance of us being allowed to vote to come out. Our politicians have to many vested interests in staying in. We do need to take the opportunity to get a better deal and try to get some common sense back into the whole, shambling mess that it has become.

However, if Labour get back in its all irrelevant. They won't hold a referendum and in any case will make us a basket case inside one Parliament.

[Eric Mc]

davepoth said:

That's not what that vote was about - it was on whether to join the EEC. Any treaty that causes a major change to the UK's unwritten constitution (such as joining the EEC) should be put to a referendum really. There should have been one for Lisbon, and probably one for Maastricht too.

What Cameron is doing is effectively asking for a new treaty, so we can have a vote on that.

The UK joined the EEC (as was) in 1973. The vote in 1975 was therefore to "stay in" or not. Britain had already been a member for over two years before the referendum was held.

Unlike Ireland, who had a vote whether to join or not in 1972 - in advance of joining.

[MOTORVATOR]

davepoth said:

That's not what that vote was about - it was on whether to join the EEC. Any treaty that causes a major change to the UK's unwritten constitution (such as joining the EEC) should be put to a referendum really. There should have been one for Lisbon, and probably one for Maastricht too.

What Cameron is doing is effectively asking for a new treaty, so we can have a vote on that.

Very much this Dave. Without a new treaty that secures the voting public's future wishes being upheld then a vote to stay in will be giving Europe mandate to walk all over us.

The simple in or out maybe is problematic as if we don't manage to separate trade from governance in a treaty then we may well be seeing Presidente del Gobierno Blair in short order.

[Eric Mc]

I think the atitude to the EU vaeries quite a bit throughout the UK. My impression is that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would very likely vote to stay in. England is more difficult to call - with a probable North-South divide.

Of course, if Scotland is no longer part of the UK at the time such a referendum is called, that would change the landscape as well.

In ten year's time we could have a situaton with Scotland in the EU, NI and Wales PROBABLY in the EU and England outside the EU.

What a messy scenario.

[The Black Flash]

REALIST123 said:

There is little chance of us being allowed to vote to come out. Our politicians have to many vested interests in staying in.

In a nutshell. There will never be an "out" choice if there is the slightest chance that the people will vote for it.

[Globs]

rs1952 said:

But we had a vote in 1975, and the majority of the population voted to stay in. But apparently that wasn't the end of the matter then, hence where we are now

We didn't have a vote, we were too young.

[Eric Mc]

How often should succeeding generations get the chance to overturn decisions made by their parents or grandparents?

I was too young in 1975 too - which kind of shows how long ago 1975 really is.

I was living in the Republic of Ireland back then so that would have hindered me voting in a UK referendum too

I was DEFINITELY too young to vote in the Irish EEC referendum of 1972 (I was only 14).

[Dr Jekyll]

rs1952 said:

But we had a vote in 1975, and the majority of the population voted to stay in. But apparently that wasn't the end of the matter then, hence where we are now

But that vote wasn't on the EU, it was on the common market. We never voted to join a European superstate.

[Mr_B]

Eric Mc said:

How often should succeeding generations get the chance to overturn decisions made by their parents or grandparents?

What was being voted for back then is massively different to what it has been allowed to run away with and change into. Back then it was, and still is, a rare one off chance to vote on something specific outside of a general election. So if it changes so massively from what the vote was for, then yes, it should then be up for being voted on again by later generations.

[xstian]

The Black Flash said:

REALIST123 said:

There is little chance of us being allowed to vote to come out. Our politicians have to many vested interests in staying in.

In a nutshell. There will never be an "out" choice if there is the slightest chance that the people will vote for it.

This ^^^^. You have to be pretty naive to think that this EU referendum is any more than a vote gaining exercise. He can't lose. The stupid who vote for the likes of UKIP will change there vote, because the tories have actually got a chance of getting voted in and making the referendum happen. When and if the referendum day comes, the likes of Cameron will be ranting and raving about how great the EU is and how we are getting a great deal. Of course we will probably be shot of the recession by then and being told we could be pushed back into it if we vote out.