The UK after the Referendum: All That Is Solid Melts Into Air…..
This piece makes some important comments.
The EU referendum result came as a shock to just about everyone, including the leaders of the “Leave” campaign (and me).
The aftershocks of this earthquake in British politics are still being felt.
Three of the central antagonists – the Prime Minister David Cameron, the leader of “Leave” Boris Johnson and leader of UKIP Nigel Farage – have all ‘resigned’. The leader of the Opposition is clinging onto office by his fingernails.
These individual dramas and excitements are, however, mere sideshows.
The real tragedy is the way the British constitution has been turned on its head.
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In the Dark 
July 8, 2016 at 3:08 pm
I don’t think the referendum should be ignored. On the other hand it should not be taken as a mandate to introduce a version of post-BrExit politics that nobody voted for either in the referendum or in a general election. My biggest fear is that this will simply end in what is effectively a right-wing coup. It will certainly be that if Andrea Leadsom is elected leader of the Conservative Party and thus installed as PM.
July 8, 2016 at 3:49 pm
Unfortunately the Fixed Term Parliament Act does not allow the governing party simply to call a general election, even if they wanted to. Whoever comes next can make arbitrary decisions without any mandate.
I don’t like Theresa May but I think she is intelligent enough to not make a stupid decision to trigger Article 50 before clear options are available. Andrea Leadsom, however, is a hard-right zealot (and a proven liar) who will probably trigger Article 50 right away. If that happens we’re totally screwed, and I don’t mean just science and universities. I mean everything.
July 8, 2016 at 4:26 pm
To have a referendum, binding or not, on such an important topic and to use a simple majority to decide the outcome, is a recipe for disaster. For such momentous decisions, most other democracies use a supermajority to decide the answer.
I have to admit that I am still reeling from this whole Brexit affair. The ineptitude of the country’s leaders and their dereliction of their responsibilities is staggering and beggars the imagination.
I have to admit that, although I have read a great deal about this decision, I have yet to see a rational, defensible argument for leaving the EU. The economic arguments are extremely dubious at best, the sovereignty arguments are either so subtle I’m missing something, or they are ridiculous. The only two things that seem to hold any water are a) xenophobia and racism, and b) “Britain flourished on her own before, she can do it again”, combining myth and jingoistic nostalgia for a time that was very different.
Last night my wife asked if she, as an American, had a better grasp of European/British economic issues and politics than most UK citizens. I had to admit that she does.
I can only hope that Americans learn from what has happened in the UK and do not elect Trump as president.
July 8, 2016 at 6:19 pm
It shows the need for a written constitution that is difficult to change. The US has a complicated scheme involving consent by Congress and also by individual states. Many organistaions require 2/3 or 3/4 majority for constitutional-scale changes. Because we have no written constitution it seems nobody even knows what the rules are – whether an Act of Parliament is required or not. Basically, Constitutions should be difficult and slow to change and it should not be possible on a simple majority.