Weird Granny Slater wrote:Well, yes the UK is a parliamentary democracy (and I for one sure wish it wasn't), but the decision was made by referendum. It's then a matter for the executive simply to implement it, and not for parliament to put spanners in the works.
Sorry WGS but you are wrong. I'm sure we've been through this loop in previous threads. Whether you like it or not, that the 2016 referendum took place required in itself a new act of parliament. That act was only passed by our parliament on the basis that it was an advisory referendum.
Nobody has ever argued that the act would have met with majority support had it been on the basis of making the result a legal requirement to be enacted.
It therefore follows that it's not "a matter for the executive simply to implement it" as you so glibly put it. This was further re-enforced by the Gina Miller case which made it unambiguously clear that any act requiring the UK to leave the EU must be approved by parliamentary democracy. You may be against that principle but it remains the basis of our government and I for one sincerely hope it never changes. Only parliament can make changes in UK law. Ironic, isn't it, that so much of this needless act of self mutilation was based upon the desire to take back control.
We can all hurl as much abuse at our parliamentarians as we like but the fact remains that they are under no obligation whatsoever to vote in proscribed way. Even the whip system cannot change that in the last analysis.