South West Hertfordshire Liberal Democrats

51.9% Have Decided - We're On Our Way Out of Europe. Nick Hollinghurst Comments.

By a margin of just 3.8% the majority view in the Referendum was that we should "leave the European Union". I cannot, and you would not expect me to, conceal my bitter disappointment at this decision.

Whilst I respect that a small majority voted to Leave, whilst I accept that the result cannot be ignored and whilst I realise that a new Conservative government will probably implement this decision, I have the right to continue to maintain - along with 48.1% of the voters - that this decision was profoundly mistaken. It was contrary to the national interest of the United Kingdom and it is likely to be deeply damaging to our economy, culture and society.

The last significant harmonisation between the EU and the UK of laws and regulations took place in 2013 and 2014. It involved policing and judicial co-operation between member states. All Europe benefited from British innovations that were introduced concerning crime-fighting measures and arrest warrants. However, a parliamentary mandate was sought beforehand and parliamentary approval of the resulting agreement was sought afterwards. So, as usual, a change sanctioned by the British Parliament - not one of Leave's imaginary "Brussels diktats".

In the UK we have a parliamentary democracy. We elect people to represent us in Parliament and to take decisions on our behalf. This is somewhat modified in the UK since we are also a monarchy. In many areas - mainly involving foreign policy - the monarch's rights can be exercised immediately, personally and without notice by the Prime Minister. This is referred to as the "Royal Prerogative" and the most obvious example is a declaration of war.

The Prime Minister could use the Royal Prerogative to invoke Article 50 (the treaty clause that gives notice that UK would leave the EU). However in situations involving war or significant military action, the custom whereby Parliament debates the issue and votes on the matter has recently developed. This strengthens the principle of parliamentary democracy.

Within this framework, referendums are additional tests of democratic wishes. They must be taken seriously but are not binding on Parliament unless the matter is debated and voted on. However, this referendum could perhaps be used to justify Article 50 being invoked under Royal Prerogative, without reference to Parliament at all. I believe that would be wrong.

It was of course right to involve Parliament in those decisions involving the police and the judiciary that I mentioned earlier. But is it not also right to involve parliament in the far more important decision as to when Article 50 is invoked - as well as in the approval of any subsequent alternative deal that might be negotiated?

The Referendum resulted in the resignation of the PM and a leadership contest within the Conservative Party (membership 150,000). Their new Party Leader will become the new Prime Minister. She will choose her own cabinet and we will then have a new government run by a new set of Conservatives. But such a new government would not have a mandate except on the narrow issue of leaving the EU. A general election should be called so that the people can decide on the wider proposals the different parties.

In such a general election the Liberal Democrats would campaign on a number of social and economic issues, as well as on the best and safest way to re-calibrate our relationship with the EU. Such issues would address the genuine concerns about the EU, while seeking to limit the damage to our economy, to our security and to our future - especially that of our young people. The referendum result must be respected, even if it was very close - but if people feel they want to change their minds and accept some way in which the UK could retain membership, then that too should be respected. If a general election were to take place, then that would be a legitimate way to give people a chance to think again.

The Leavers campaigned to "take control" and indeed have taken control of the state, but they have not taken control of our minds or of our sense of right and wrong. Nor can they airbrush 16 million voters out of the political picture.