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| Brexit petition: More than a million people demand change to EU referendum rules to force second vote | Brexit petition: More than a million people demand change to EU referendum rules to force second vote |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| More than 1.7 million people have signed a petition demanding a second EU referendum as the UK continues to reel from the vote for a Brexit. | |
| Signatories are calling for a new rule to be implemented stipulating that polls on the European Union with a majority under 60 per cent and turnout under 75 per cent must be re-started. | Signatories are calling for a new rule to be implemented stipulating that polls on the European Union with a majority under 60 per cent and turnout under 75 per cent must be re-started. |
| The petition started by William Oliver Healey, reads: “We the undersigned call upon HM Government to implement a rule that if the Remain or Leave vote is less than 60 per cent based a turnout less than 75 per cent there should be another referendum.” | The petition started by William Oliver Healey, reads: “We the undersigned call upon HM Government to implement a rule that if the Remain or Leave vote is less than 60 per cent based a turnout less than 75 per cent there should be another referendum.” |
| It passed the million mark on Saturday morning, with votes most concentrated in London, Brighton, Oxford, Cambridge and Manchester. | It passed the million mark on Saturday morning, with votes most concentrated in London, Brighton, Oxford, Cambridge and Manchester. |
| The pattern largely followed that of the strongest votes for Remain in Thursday’s referendum, which ended with a result of 48 per cent, to 52 per cent for Leave, on a turnout of 72 per cent. | The pattern largely followed that of the strongest votes for Remain in Thursday’s referendum, which ended with a result of 48 per cent, to 52 per cent for Leave, on a turnout of 72 per cent. |
| Such was the petition’s popularity on Friday morning that it crashed the government’s website, and its popularity means that it must be considered for a Parliamentary debate. | Such was the petition’s popularity on Friday morning that it crashed the government’s website, and its popularity means that it must be considered for a Parliamentary debate. |
| It was unclear if such a rule, if created and inserted into UK legislation, could be applied retrospectively. | It was unclear if such a rule, if created and inserted into UK legislation, could be applied retrospectively. |
| Some were interpreting the petition to mean there was a pre-existing rule that could be applied to the result, although The Independent understands that no such provision exists in British or European legislation. | Some were interpreting the petition to mean there was a pre-existing rule that could be applied to the result, although The Independent understands that no such provision exists in British or European legislation. |
| When a Remain vote was considered likely in May, Nigel Farage suggested he would support a second referendum if his side lost by a narrow margin. | When a Remain vote was considered likely in May, Nigel Farage suggested he would support a second referendum if his side lost by a narrow margin. |
| The Ukip leader told the Mirror: “In a 52-48 referendum this would be unfinished business by a long way. If the Remain campaign win two-thirds to one-third that ends it.” | The Ukip leader told the Mirror: “In a 52-48 referendum this would be unfinished business by a long way. If the Remain campaign win two-thirds to one-third that ends it.” |
| He made no mention of the sentiment on Friday, when he triumphantly hailed “independence day” for Britain. | He made no mention of the sentiment on Friday, when he triumphantly hailed “independence day” for Britain. |
| David Cameron's office slapped down Mr Farage's suggestion at the time, with a tweet from the Prime Minister's official account reading: “The Leave campaign is wrong to say there'll be a 2nd referendum if we vote to remain in the EU. This is a referendum and not a neverendum.” | David Cameron's office slapped down Mr Farage's suggestion at the time, with a tweet from the Prime Minister's official account reading: “The Leave campaign is wrong to say there'll be a 2nd referendum if we vote to remain in the EU. This is a referendum and not a neverendum.” |
| After the Scottish independence referendum in 2014, the 45 per cent of voters who lost started a similar campaign for another vote, and could now get their wish after Nicola Sturgeon said there had been a “significant change” to the circumstances of the original poll. | After the Scottish independence referendum in 2014, the 45 per cent of voters who lost started a similar campaign for another vote, and could now get their wish after Nicola Sturgeon said there had been a “significant change” to the circumstances of the original poll. |