SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Parliament must vote on whether the UK can start the process of leaving the EU, the High Court has ruled.
This means the government cannot trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty - beginning formal exit negotiations with the EU - on its own.
Theresa May says the referendum - and existing ministerial powers - mean MPs do not need to vote, but campaigners called this unconstitutional.
The government is appealing, with a further hearing expected next month.
- Rolling reaction to Article 50 court ruling
- Kuenssberg: Will this mean early election?
- The High Court's judgement in full
- Brexit: All you need to know
A statement is to be made to MPs on Monday but the prime minister's official spokesman said the government had "no intention of letting" the judgement "derail Article 50 or the timetable we have set out. We are determined to continue with our plan".
Plebiscites only count when plebes vote the way they're told.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by TheRaven on Friday November 04 2016, @12:39PM
I think most people simply lack the intelligence to decide on the faith of a country
I'm going to assume you meant fate there. I agree that direct democracy is a bad idea, but not for that reason. Direct democracy can far too easily descend into mob rule. The results from the Brexit referendum were a couple of percent apart. If 50%+1 of the population decide to disenfranchise 30%, that's fine in an unchecked direct democracy. You need some checks. If you require larger majorities, say 60%, then you can still be vulnerable to this but you're also vulnerable to whoever writes the question posing them in the way that the answer they want only needs 40%, the one that they don't needs 60%.
More importantly though, it's not about intelligence it's about time. Governing a modern country is hard. Ensuring that you're well informed on the relevant issues is a full-time job. It's debatable that our current representatives do a particularly good job at this, but they stand a far better chance than someone who is also working a full-time job.
sudo mod me up
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Friday November 04 2016, @02:25PM
From my reading "faith" would also work: e.g. if the country in question switches over to direct democracy and the people start immediately throwing out treaties because "the fuck is this? this doesn't help us at all! get rid of it!" as I'm sure would happen.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 2) by moondrake on Friday November 04 2016, @05:27PM
heh yes, sorry, meant fate. Though faith works somehow as tango says:)
I also guess that you formulated exactly what I meant much better. Perhaps it is frustration, or laziness on my part to equate intelligence with being informed of the situation.