UK government rejects calls for second EU vote

The British government has rejected a petition for a second referendum on the UK membership of the European Union, saying the Brexit referendum was a once in a generation vote and must be respected.

The Foreign Office responded on Friday to a petition signed by more than four million people to call for a second vote.

“We must now prepare for the process to exit the EU and the government is committed to ensuring the best possible outcome for the British people in the negotiations,” it added.

Britain voted to leave the EU after 43 years of membership in a referendum last month. Some 52 percent (17.4 million) of British voters opted to leave the EU, while roughly 48 percent (16.14 million) of people voted to stay in the union.

According to a new survey by the Opinium, at least seven percent (1.2 million), of the anti-EU voters say they would vote for “Remain” if they get another chance, almost removing the Brexit’s margin.

The research released late last month, also found that three percent of the “Remain” voters were unhappy with their choice.

The post-Brexit anxiety, dubbed “Bregret,” emerged as the value of the pound tumbled and the markets crashed.

The Brexit result also caused political turmoil in the country where Prime Minster David Cameron announced his resignation hours after the vote and left exit negotiations to his successor, who is expected to be appointed in October.

SS