Friday, September 30, 2016

Brexit and the Will of (2.7%) the People


It is unfortunately true that the Brexiteers obtained a majority on June 23rd, but I feel a bit queasy when I hear people from both sides of the argument saying that Brexit is therefore "democratic".

17.4 million people voted for Brexit, partly on the basis of believing lies like "£350 million a week for the NHS". This number is commonly quoted by commenters as being the "Will of the People".

17.4 for Brexit, but 16.1 million voted to Remain.

The majority was therefore 1.3 million votes. 1,269,501 to be exact, out of an electorate of 46,499,537. That is 2.7% of the electorate.

2.7% is hardly the Will of the People. It is more like the Will of 2.7% of the People.

Before the election, Farage said that a 48/52 result would be "unfinished business" in his view.
Not one broadcaster or journalists has raised this with him after the election.

In the 2015 General election, the Green Party of England and Wales got 1,157,613 votes - pretty much the same as the Referendum majority. The Green voters were rewarded with 1 (one) MP. The Leave voters were rewarded with the biggest plunge into constitutional and economic unknowns in UK history.

All votes are equal, but some votes are more equal than others, it seems.

PS still, never mind - it may never happen:

PPS Brits in the EU were denied a chance to vote in the Referendum. If they had been given a voice, the margin would have been even more slender.






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