What the Brexit vote demonstrated IMHO is that you should not make profound systemic changes based on 50% + 1 vote. You really need a super-majority, otherwise the country is at the mercy of any campaign or latest fashion. This vote is not like electing a new PM, as it caused changes that will ripple across generations and dozens of PMs. Such changes should require a true mandate--which Brexit's 51.9% was not.

I think part of the problem was a lack of follow-up. Each of the issues raised in the article should have been discussed and voted on nationally, Switzerland style, instead of bubbling up to people in funny wigs only when the problem is too large to ignore.

But then Switzerland is surrounded by progressive governments instead of inbreeding on a small island, which could influence decision-making.