Bermuda Signatures Listed On UK Brexit Petition

June 25, 2016

According to the statistics associated with the petition, as of this writing over 200 people who listed their location as Bermuda have signed the petition on the UK Parliament website calling for a second referendum on EU membership.

The petition — which has over 2.6 million signatures overall — says, “We the undersigned call upon HM Government to implement a rule that if the remain or leave vote is less than 60% based a turnout less than 75% there should be another referendum.”

The UK referendum turnout was 71.8%, with the referendum seeing 51.9% of voters that turned out backing an exit vote, while 48.1% voted to stay.

Screenshot from the petition website:

Fullscreen capture 25062016 90516 PM

The UK Parliament will consider the matter for a debate, as Parliament considers all petitions that get more than 100,000 signatures for a debate.

However according to an analysis from political correspondent Iain Watson via the BBC, while the petition calling for a second EU referendum has attracted a lot of attention it has “zero chance of being enacted.”

“The main reason is that it is asking for retrospective legislation. It suggests another referendum is required because the winning side got less than 60% of the vote, and there was less than a 75% turnout,” says Mr Watson.

“You can have thresholds in referendums. The 1979 referendum to set up a Scottish parliament failed because a clause was inserted in to the legislation requiring more than 40% of all eligible voters – not just those taking part – to agree to devolution before it took place.

“But that clause came in advance – everyone was clear about the rules. You can’t simply invent new hurdles if you are on the losing side,” said Mr Watson.

The BBC also report that “David Cameron has previously said there will be no second referendum,” while the Telegraph reports that the demand to sign the petition was so high the website crashed temporarily.

Bermuda’s referendum — which was on the same day — was declared to not be answered due to our turnout being 46.89%.

This was stipulated in advance in the Referendum Act 2012 [PDF], which stated that the turnout needed to be at least 50% for the referendum question to be “taken to be answered.”

The Act said, “A referendum question shall be taken to be unanswered if less than 50 per cent of the persons who are registered in the parliamentary register, published under section 9(b) for the referendum, vote at the referendum.”

Premier Michael Dunkley [link], Shadow Minister of Home Affairs Walter Roban [link] and Bermuda’s business community [link] have all commented on the UK voters decision to leave the EU.

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Comments (18)

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  1. Family Man says:

    Brexit shows the rise of the less educated, xenophobic, isolationist phenomenon a la Trump in the USA, Le Pen in France and our very own PLP in Bermuda. All blame their problems on the “foreigner”.

    Truly frightening.

    • OBSERVER says:

      It is true. Can’t speak for anywhere else.
      In Bermuda, the foreigners are greatly to blame.
      The foreign bosses have systematically and deceitfully set out to destroy Bermudians’ lives.
      Ask several Bermudians and you will get an honest response.
      This garbage approach MUST STOP!!!!!!

      • Zevon says:

        It’s the only thing the PLP stands for. Hate of foreigners. That, ultimately, is all they believe in.

        • OBSERVER says:

          TO POOR ZEVON:
          You are obviously NOT Bermudian.
          Your ridiculous comment to blame the P.L.P. is utter foolishness.
          If those are YOUR sincere thoughts, perhaps this is not for you or for those who have a truly warped and crazy perception of the P.L.P.
          Look at your choices,choose and MAKE YOUR DECISION!!!!!
          WHOOOOOSH!!!!

          • Zevon says:

            I am Bermudian. Whether I would qualify as a “real” Bermudian by you hate people is another question.

        • Whistling Frog says:

          The PLP don’t hate foreigners… You should go and read the history of the PLP. We are all foreigners in this country, including most black Bermudians who’s forefathers and mothers came here involuntarily.. To this day, black people have to play catch-up for the 400 years of free labour forced upon them and still have to struggle in this twentieth century regardless of having a good education. The OBA will take black people back 500 years by giving your hard earn tax dollar back to the wealthy elite. That’s their way of stumping on the lower working class while helping to create more unemployment…

          • Zevon says:

            Nope. The PLP have only one idea in their heads. They hate foreigners. That is all they stand for. Nothing else.

      • Family Man says:

        I think the great Doctor is a born Bermudian, not a foreigner. Same for the Colonel.

    • Onion Juice says:

      How de F!@# P.L.P
      be in a Brexit conversation, this is about U.K. and her refugees here.

  2. Here we go! says:

    Xenophobia here we go again! Anyone from overseas here came on a CONTRACT invited in by BERMUDIANS & is a WORKER…Can we say the same of the spongers living on social security in the UK from here? Contributed NOTHING taking plenty!

    • Beeva says:

      First of all the Bermuda Government does not keep data on how many Bermudians have exited the Island and where in the big wide world they are residing whether it be the UK or elsewhere. Second to say that every Bermudian residing in the UK is simply there for the purpose of “social security” and are “spongers” is ridiculous and true “xenophobia.” What data do you have to support this claim? We all know none because you are a foreigner and what you say about Bermudians has to be true right? Not. There are many highly qualified and competent Bermudians living and working in the UK and around the world making contributions to societies other than their own. Many of them on “CONTRACT” invited by overseas companys. If you are ever able to shake off a little of your own apparent “xenophobia” ask the Onions.

    • OBSERVER says:

      TO:
      Here we go:
      Bermudians ARE NOT xenophobic. Those from ELSEWHERE are too cagey, looking out for their own well-being. ALL of you know that the oba/U.B.P. are doing what they want to do for all of you, not for BERMUDIANS!!!
      Those from other countries want BERMUDIANS to put up and shut up. As soon as we voice our concerns or collectively protest, we are sooo BAD.
      Does this make all of you GOOD???????
      Haha!! An emphatic, “NO!”

  3. the truth will set you free says:

    Family man what is happening in the United States of White Supremacy (known as USA) and in Europe is completely different from Bermuda. We have foreigners coming here and trying to force their culture down our throats. They act as if this Island belongs to them and we are the foreigners and second class citizens. And you have those who own businesses who are intentionally not hiring qualified Bermudians. During the Pathway to Status protest you had individuals of European descent saying the police should have put dogs on the peaceful protesters harkening back to the sixties.

    Don’t get it twisted.

    • Jim says:

      You have plenty of Bermudian employers hiring foreign workers too, I guess you choose to ignore that..

      If you think people are trying to ‘force their culture down our throats’, I would say you are just an idiot who is not open to any outside cultures. Plain and simple.

  4. bluebird says:

    The Limes decided to take there country back and have borders like we have and immigration like we have.
    Can you imagine the SCREEMS we would have if we had open borders like the US has at the moment.
    And without the 11,000 expats on work permits we would not have an ECCONOMY that works like we have then there would be more complaints.
    The world is changing try and get used to it cause it ain’t going to wait for you.

  5. ImJustSayin says:

    Just because a country wants to protect it’s citizens by taking it back and controlling their borders doesn’t make them hater’s of foreigners. There are some foreigners who wanna do harm. Leaving the EU was the best decision to make in order for their Parliament to take back control of their country. People stop all the hate and scare tactics. Come on wake the H… up! It’s not the end of the world. Things will be back to normal once the dust settles.

  6. ImJustSayin says:

    I hope you all realize that result is none binding.

  7. Ash says:

    And this is why Britain needs to tighten up their borders, we shouldn’t be able to have an effect on their political system.