Huge demonstration for a second Brexit referendum
Hundreds of thousands of people - the organisers claim more than 600,000 turned out - demonstrated for a second Brexit referendum in the People's Vote March in London on the weekend. Prior to the march Prime Minister Theresa May made it clear that she would oppose a second Brexit vote. Where is Britain headed?
May on the wrong track
After the huge demonstration the chances of Britain's staying in the EU have considerably improved, De Morgen believes:
“The European Union is the only institution with sufficient critical mass to protect us from the negative effects of globalisation. May knows that all too well, but after getting on the wrong track with her political dogmatism she can no longer be guided by her common sense. That means discord and strife will increase in the coming weeks and months, and that the tensions will become unbearable. The good news is that with every passing day it grows more likely that Britain will simply remain part of the club.”
Early elections more likely
Kauppalehti doesn't believe a second referendum is the way to go:
“The EU would naturally be happy to reverse Brexit but in the UK matters are more complicated. The prerequisite would be a new referendum. ... However, a new referendum couldn't be organised before the end of March, when Brexit comes into force. An extension of the deadline defined in Article 50 would necessitate the consensus of the EU member states and the approval of the British parliament. The latter would create a political storm in the country. Theresa May's position is so weak now that the fall of her government and new elections are more likely than a stop to Brexit.”
What are a few marchers against 17 million?
There is simply no reason to hold a new Brexit vote, The Sun argues:
“We have had a 'people's vote'. It was in June 2016 and 17.4 million people voted to leave the EU. That puts the few hundred thousand on yesterday's march in perspective, doesn't it? Just because those voters didn't get dressed up for an afternoon stroll doesn't make their democratic input any less significant. The Remain propaganda leaflet sent to every household before the Referendum - at the cost of millions of pounds to the taxpayer - laid out what that vote meant: 'The Government will implement what you decide.'”