‘We have done this’ A second vote on Brexit would be ‘DISASTROUS for democracy’

Campaigner Gina Miller, Labour MP Chuka Umunna, economist Gerard Lyons and journalist Isabel Oakeshott took part in the debate chaired by the BBC’s Nick Robinson.

Speaking at the Intelligence Squared debate in Westminster, Ms Oakeshott said: “People have voted, the vote was clear.

“Leave got the biggest mandate in history. Politicians can like it or not, but it’s their democratic duty to carry out Brexit.”

The pro-Brexit journalist said it would be disastrous for politicians to not carry out the vote of the people and it was “insulting” to say Leave voters did not know what they were voting for.

She said: “This was not supposed to be the best referendum of three, people have not changed their minds.

“People knew what they were voting for, it may have been an emotional vote not but that is no less valid.”

Ms Oakeshott, who wrote The Bad Boys of Brexit, also said: “We have had the people’s vote, we have done this.”

But Remain campaigner Ms Miller asked why there should not be another vote.

She said: “A company has regular audits, the public should have the right to vote over the results of the negotiations.

“Why would we not have a public vote?”

She also said to the audience: “When you buy a house, you do reports and then decide if it should go ahead”.

Leading economist, Mr Lyons, said: “Referendums force people to think, we should embrace the result, we should embrace democracy.”

Labour’s Mr Umunna said: “Democracy is not static, we are talking about our future.

“It shouldn’t be an elite in Westminster that determines our future, the vote should go to the people.”

The MP added: “In the EU referendum we had a hypothetical debate, but now we are faced with real facts.

“Let the people have their say on the final deal”.