Madam,

As much as Mr Brown may be happy to revel in the fact that his view ‘won’ the referendum, (at least in Chester but not in Gwynedd), the fact remains that over 16 million people voted for the UK to remain part of the EU.

It is not democratic for the wishes of the significant minority to be ignored.

Nor is it ‘pedantic’ to expect that the government will always seek to act in accordance with the law and the best interests of the country as a whole and not slavishly follow the will of a small majority of citizens, expressed after a bad-tempered, misleading and disingenuous campaign on both sides of the argument.

On 23 June the Tory party conducted what is, in our constitution, no more than a massive opinion poll and some who consider they ‘won’ the argument now appear hell bent on implementing its decision regardless of the consequences.

Direct democracy by referenda in other places like Switzerland has safeguards built into it which protect the significant minority.

Just as he had no plan for Brexit, it is clear that Mr Cameron also had no idea how to run a fair and democratic referendum and we are now reaping the consequences.

By way of analogy, if any of us were to go to the doctor and were told that we had a life-threatening illness which would be made worse by continuing with a particular course of action or lifestyle, most of us would heed the advice, consider our position and adjust our behaviour to make things better, not proceed down a road which could lead to further problems.

It is just this scenario facing the country now and it is clear that the Tories are coming to this realisation and will now delay pushing the ‘Article 50 leave button’ until they have a plan and know the prognosis for the ‘patient’, ie us, including the 17 million who voted leave, who also stand to lose out.

Mr Farage himself set the tone when he made it clear prior to the vote that for him a 52/48 margin the other way would have meant ‘unfinished business’.

As far as Remain voters like myself are concerned, the fight to save the union, the pound, our jobs, the values of our homes and the reputation of our country in the eyes of the rest of the world is still ‘unfinished business’ and we will not rest until we have achieved ‘the all clear’.

Yours etc,

Phil Griffiths, Arthog Terrace, Arthog.

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