Imperializt Russia wrote:New Chalcedon wrote:
1) 51.9% isn't a "consensus" - even Boris Johnson has acknowledged that a "softly, softly" approach is called for to preserve national unity.
2) Just because the nation voted Leave doesn't mean that each constituency did. Labour and SNP MPs can vote Remain in Parliament with a clear conscience, because that's their party platform and they were elected on it. Tory MPs whose constituencies voted Remain can follow suit, on the basis of their constituents' expressed wishes. Good luck stitching together a majority out of what's left.
3) I believe that, as it is, the Lords can't "block" most bills per se - they can only delay them, and by no more than month (in the case of budgets) or one year (for most other bills). What's more, the Salisbury Convention would most likely apply, meaning that most of the Lords would refuse to block an Act to invoke Article 50, whatever their personal feelings on the matter.
Paradoxically, you're likely to have more trouble assembling a Commons majority for an immediate invocation of Article 50, than you will one in the Lords.
Yeah 52% is so not a consensus it's not even funny.
Yes, it is a majority. It is not a consensus.
consensus
kənˈsɛnsəs/
noun
noun: consensus; plural noun: consensuses
a general agreement.
"there is a growing consensus that the current regime has failed"
synonyms: agreement, harmony, concord, like-mindedness, concurrence, consent, common consent, accord, unison, unity, unanimity, oneness, solidarity, concert More
"there was consensus among most delegates"
general opinion/view, majority opinion/view, common opinion/view
"the consensus was that the Government should act now"
antonyms: disagreement, minority view
51.9=consensus.