A referendum on the Lisbon Treaty

[timrollpickering]

What if the Blair/Brown government decided to put the treaty to the popular vote (and have all the arguments about whether it was or wasn't basically the EU Constitution rehashed in the referendum campaign itself)? Would the UK have voted for it or would the electorate have proved an insurmountable obstacle? And long term would we have had Brexit?

[LDCaerdydd]

I was planning to create a new thread on this, and then found this thread.


I’ve just started listening to the audiobook of “The Right to Rule” by Ben Riley-Smith (Daily Telegraph) on my morning commute.

He openly speculates about what could of happened if the 2016 referendum was never called and if the result had been different etc (things we’ve considered in other threads) but in interviewing William Hauge post referendum, Hauge says it was absolutely the right thing to do, however speculates that if Gordon Brown (so treat with a dose of party political scepticism and convenient hindsight etc) had called a referendum in 2007/8 on the Lisbon Treaty that the country (regardless of the result) would have been ‘satisfied’ on the issue of Europe and therefor there would have been no need for Cameron to announce proposals for a referendum in 2013 and call it in 2016.


I’m struggling to believe that if I’m honest.

Thoughts?

[observer]

Nov 21, 2016 20:52:16 GMT timrollpickering said:

What if the Blair/Brown government decided to put the treaty to the popular vote (and have all the arguments about whether it was or wasn't basically the EU Constitution rehashed in the referendum campaign itself)? Would the UK have voted for it or would the electorate have proved an insurmountable obstacle? And long term would we have had Brexit?

People wouldn't have voted for the Lisbon Treaty. Blair and Brown knew this which is why we didn't get a say
Typical of pro-eu high-handedness and rank arrogance

[uthacalthing]

I think we (the Brexit side) got extra-ordinarily lucky with the timing and the identities of who was in charge at all the relevant times. We would have lost at almost any other time

[greenhert]

Nov 1, 2023 16:27:16 GMT observer said:

Nov 21, 2016 20:52:16 GMT timrollpickering said:

What if the Blair/Brown government decided to put the treaty to the popular vote (and have all the arguments about whether it was or wasn't basically the EU Constitution rehashed in the referendum campaign itself)? Would the UK have voted for it or would the electorate have proved an insurmountable obstacle? And long term would we have had Brexit?

People wouldn't have voted for the Lisbon Treaty. Blair and Brown knew this which is why we didn't get a say
Typical of pro-eu high-handedness and rank arrogance

Most EU member states got no vote on it either. Ireland did hold a referendum on it but were persuaded (with guarantees) to rerun it when the first referendum delivered a "No" vote. The second delivered a "Yes" vote, with County Donegal the only county of Eire voting against that time.

[swingometer]

Nov 21, 2016 20:52:16 GMT timrollpickering said:

What if the Blair/Brown government decided to put the treaty to the popular vote (and have all the arguments about whether it was or wasn't basically the EU Constitution rehashed in the referendum campaign itself)? Would the UK have voted for it or would the electorate have proved an insurmountable obstacle? And long term would we have had Brexit?

I’ve been waiting for a thread on this, the opinion polls gave NO something like 80% I can’t see that happening in a referendum, but it would certainly be a two-thirds majority.

[swingometer]

Apr 9, 2024 10:37:05 GMT swingometer said:

Nov 21, 2016 20:52:16 GMT timrollpickering said:

What if the Blair/Brown government decided to put the treaty to the popular vote (and have all the arguments about whether it was or wasn't basically the EU Constitution rehashed in the referendum campaign itself)? Would the UK have voted for it or would the electorate have proved an insurmountable obstacle? And long term would we have had Brexit?

I’ve been waiting for a thread on this, the opinion polls gave NO something like 80% I can’t see that happening in a referendum, but it would certainly be a two-thirds majority.

Could we have constituency polling of Maastricht and Lisbon please, I think the Remain constituencies would’ve voted against the treaties, leaving aside the ghettos.