We see “respect the will of the referendum” everywhere from Leavers.
Not only the diehard Brexiters.
Labour leaders and activists love to roll it out too as some magic bullet when their unofficial alliance with the Tories on Brexit is questioned.
“Labour respects the result of the referendum”, a stock response.
Well, here’s a counter to that tired and empty phrase be it from a Torykipper or a Labour person. My focus is more on Labour because it’s reasonable to assume that Brexit can be stopped by Labour…
You respect the result of the referendum?
I’m not trying to stop you doing that.
But if a friend tells you they’re going to harm themselves, do you respect their decision so much you try to assist them in doing it?
Or are you able to both respect their decision and try to stop them?
If you just let them carry on, how good a friend does it make you, if you could have intervened and didn’t?
How good a friend to the United Kingdom is Jeremy Corbyn MP at the moment?
Is Theresa May MP?
Are all the many MP’s who we know believe Brexit will be an horrific act of self harm by this country good friends to the United Kingdom?
As they respect the narrow margin/will of the referendum…and quietly tug the forelock to the leader?
Be a friend.
Respecting the decision, for its serious intent, does not stop you trying to stop a friend (an entire country in this case) from a determination to self harm.