Fair Vote Campaign

I understand your strength of feeling on this matter but there will not be another vote and the UK is leaving the EU next year. I believe that when a decision of constitutional significance is made, it is important that democratic processes are followed. That is why Parliament gave the British people the final say on the UK's membership of the EU and why the result must be respected, even if it was unexpected by some.
 
The ballot paper presented voters with an unambiguous choice to remain in the EU or to leave. The consequences of either decision were communicated by campaign groups through a variety of print, audio-visual and digital media. The Government also sent a document to every household in the UK on the benefits of staying in the EU. 
 
As in every election, it was up to the electorate to judge the merits of the different arguments and over 17.4 million voters decided to leave the EU. Both main political parties also pledged in their manifestos at the General Election 2017 to respect the EU referendum result and these parties received over 80 per cent of the vote.
 
Allegations that Vote Leave did not satisfactorily declare campaign spending is a matter for the Electoral Commission. The Electoral Commission has previously declared that the referendum was delivered without any major issues and that final result was clear.
 
The Information Commissioner is currently undertaking a formal investigation into the use of personal data during political campaigns. As I am sure you can appreciate, I would not want to comment on an ongoing investigation.
 
The Government is committed to defending the UK from all forms of malign activity conducted by foreign states. I am not aware that any evidence has been received detailing successful interference in the UK's democratic processes.
 
MPs from across the political spectrum voted 494 to 122 in favour of invoking Article 50 in 2017. The exit negotiations are now well under way and I am confident that an agreement will be reached to the mutual benefit of the both the UK and the EU. MPs will vote on the deal when it comes to Parliament.
 
The Government is clear that there must be no attempts to remain inside the EU, no attempts to re-join it through the back door, and no second referendum. The country voted to leave the European Union, and it is the duty of the Government and Parliament to make sure we do just that.
 
The franchise for the EU referendum was based on the UK Parliamentary franchise. The choice of franchise was debated and agreed by Parliament. The referendum was an issue of national significance and Parliament decided that the general election franchise was the right franchise to use.
 
The Government has said that a vote will be held in both Houses of Parliament as soon as possible after the negotiations have ended. If MPs and Peers vote in favour of the deal, it will then be put into UK law where they will again be able to debate what has been agreed. The Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 also makes clear that if Parliament resolves against a treaty it cannot be ratified by the Government. 
 
A minister will make a statement to Parliament in the event that MPs reject the deal or if no deal is reached with the EU by 21 January 2019 or if the Prime Minister announces by that date that no deal can be reached. There will be a vote on a motion on the Government's proposed next steps in each of these circumstances so that Parliament can have its say. Given the good progress that we are continuing to make in the negotiations, however, it is very unlikely that a no deal situation will arise.
 
EU law sets out that the withdrawing member state leaves the EU two years after notification of Article 50. Unilaterally extending the negotiating period is not in the power of the UK Government.
 
I understand that many people felt strongly that the UK should remain in the EU and signed petitions to bring about a second referendum. MPs debated petitions on a second referendum in Westminster Hall, the second debating chamber of the House of Commons, in 2016 and in 2017.
 
During these debates, the Government was clear that there would be no second referendum. The referendum was one of the largest democratic exercises in British history and at 72 per cent, voter turnout was the higher than at any general election since 1992. To attempt to remain in the EU would undermine the faith of the British people in the democratic process. 
 
The petition in 2016 made reference to imposing a minimum turnout threshold. Such a threshold was never put to a vote during the many debates in the House of Commons. The European Union Referendum Act 2015 was passed 6 to 1 and it is important for democracy that we respect the result of the referendum. Changing the rules after the referendum would severely damage democracy.