Owen Jones’s Argument of Why He’s a Remainer Who Accepts the EU Referendum Result (Stripped of Rhetoric and Repetition)

JONES (edited for simplicity):

"Although the referendum was technically only advisory, the government, the Official Opposition and the official Remain campaign all made it clear that they would honour the result, so if the result is rejected, it could cause a backlash and loss of public faith in democracy, especially because one factor which drove the Leavers was their disillusionment with the political elites.
 
The argument that the referendum result was illegitimate because campaigns on both sides were full of lies doesn't hold water either, because election and referendum campaigns all over the world are often full of lies. 

One-off single issue referendums are unlike parliamentary elections, as these happen every few years to give us the chance to reject an elected government. That doesn’t mean that a referendum result is permanent, but we would have to convince enough of the electorate that another referendum is necessary before holding another one with the same question. 

Labour does not owe its unexpected success to support for the Remain cause. Labour held the same position on Brexit during the election as it does now. Attempting to reverse the referendum was clearly not a priority for Remainers, as they still voted Labour. Younger voters, who are predominantly Remainers, had the option of voting Lib Dem, who promised to hold a second referendum, yet hardly any did. Remaining must therefore not have been a priority for them, and at least Labour has pledged to guarantee EU citizens’ their existing rights. 

That’s why I think Labour should honour the referendum result. They are right to show leadership on the issue -  even though Labour MPs representing Remain constituencies had no choice but to defy the whip over Article 50. 

It’s bad for our country, but we have no choice but to honour the referendum result unless there is a decisive shift in public opinion, in which case we can think again. 

This is why I think the debate now has to be what Brexit we should have  -  rather than whether we should have Brexit at all."