Labour frontbencher Barry Gardiner warned against holding a second referendum on the question of Brexit Tuesday morning, arguing the importance of supporting democratic norms and legitimacy.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, the shadow International Trade Secretary said if the government decided to ignore the referendum and call a new vote to get a different result it would undermine faith in democracy.
Warning that if the public lost faith in democratic processes they could turn to other means, Gardiner noted this could include “socially disruptive” civil disobedience, but rejected the suggestion by the BBC host that he was implying this could involve violence.
In a transcript of the radio conversation reported by the Daily Telegraph, Gardinier remarked of the: “I was a Remainer, you know. What we said on the doorstep to people whether Leave or Remain was please, go out and vote on Thursday because what you decide will determine the future of our country for the next 30-40 years.
“If you then say to people… we the Remainers lost the vote, but because you were stupid enough to do what you wanted rather than what we wanted [we’re going to have another vote]… That undermines the whole principle of democracy in this country.”
Despite the success of the Leave campaign during the Brexit vote, and the promise of the government to deliver Brexit in the snap general election, there are growing calls to hold a second referendum among those who do now wish to see Britain leave the European Union. Prominent among those urging for a so-called ‘people’s vote’ are former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair and his spin doctor Peter Mandelson.
Blair went so far as to remark in June that he now believes the chances of blocking Brexit are as high as 40 per cent, when he said he believed that by taking back control of Britain’s government and borders would actually make citizens less free. In July, the so-called ‘prince of darkness’ Mandelson expressed his confidence that there would be a second referendum, making a pretence that he cared for the “principle of giving people a vote” — apparently forgetting there already had one.
In May, Breitbart London reported on the support giving to second referendum campaigns by Hungarian-American billionaire speculator and political activism funder George Soros, who told an audience that: “Brexit is an immensely damaging process, harmful to both sides.”
Speaking of how he wanted to see the British people change their minds and reverse the process, Mr Soros said: “That’s the goal of an initiative called the ‘Best for Britain,’ which I support.”
Oliver JJ Lane is the editor of Breitbart London — Follow him on Twitter and Facebook
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