We've changed our mind on Brexit

During the first referendum, for which over 70% of the public turned out, many voters used their vote as a form of protest against the government of the day. At the time, Prime Minister David Cameron was one of the figureheads of the Remain campaign. Many viewed their vote as a way to protest his government. The latest polls indicate that if a Brexit vote was to be held today, around 54% of the public would vote to remain.^[1] In fact, every poll taken since the original June 2016 referendum has shown that the public would prefer to remain in the EU.^[2] Additionally, amongst young people who were too young to vote in the first referendum but are now over the age of 18, support for Brexit is very low. A second referendum would give these young people a say, after all, they are the ones that will feel the effects of the Brexit decision for years to come. Another explanation for the shift in voter opinion was promoted by Alvin Toffler. He suggested that at the time of the first referendum, the British public was suffering from what he calls “future shock”, the inability to adjust to excessive change in a short period of time. Now faced with the realities of Brexit and the prospect of Britain’s immediate departure from the EU, many people would vote differently in a second referendum.^[3] The second referendum should include the option to remain. Similarly, a hard Brexit is the one option that politicians and businesses alike are united in their opposition to. Therefore, it makes logical sense that it is taken off the table and the only options put to the public vote are Theresa May's deal, and the option to remain in the EU.

Public opinion has changed. The British people no longer want Brexit. Politicians and Business leaders don't want a hard Brexit. Elected officials should consult the public again to choose between May's soft Brexit and remaining in the EU.