Why revoking Article 50 would not be undemocratic if Jo Swinson is elected PM

Many people have already labelled the decision by the Liberal Democrats to revoke Article 50 if Jo Swinson is elected as Prime Minister as being undemocratic but let us examine what that actually means.
Liberal Democrat leader, Jo Swinson   (Photo by Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images) 775406950Liberal Democrat leader, Jo Swinson   (Photo by Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images) 775406950
Liberal Democrat leader, Jo Swinson (Photo by Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images) 775406950

In order to become Prime Minister Jo Swinson’s party will have to win 326 seats in an election which is 308 seats more than they have at present.

At the 2015 election David Cameron’s Conservative Party won 330 seats and nobody complained that his calling the referendum was undemocratic, the reason being that the referendum had been a manifesto pledge.

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The Conservatives had won a parliamentary majority and were perfectly entitled to enact their manifesto pledges.

That is how our parliamentary democracy works. So, if the Liberal Democrats win the election with a manifesto pledge to revoke Article 50, it will be with the support of the British electorate.

What is undemocratic about that? If anything is undemocratic it will be Boris Johnson taking this country out of the EU without a deal having been voted into office by just 92,000 Conservatives.

Graham Heap

Dunvan Close

Lewes