The Government has now responded to this petition that currently has 187,042 signatures. It remains open until January so there is plenty of time to sign it if anyone is interested. The incompetence from the Government is in the response and whatever one believes is the right way forward following the referendum, the nature of the response to the signatories seems very disappointing and perhaps explains why the Governments negotiations have failed so badly, bearing in mind that the response to the petition has come from the same department which is responsible for the negotiations. This is the Department for Exiting the European Union. The points to bear in mind include the fact that our “own constitutional requirements” and the “open” democratic decision making should pay a great deal of attention to the concerns signed by the 187,042 people but possibly felt by some of the 16.141 million people who voted to remain and the many millions who did not vote or were not allowed to vote at the time but who would now feel that the breaking of electoral rules should demand at the very least an acknowledgement that our constitutional and open democracy was tainted. There will also be some amongst the 17.41m who may feel slightly uneasy about the outcome given the fact that it is now clear that rules were broken.

The reality is that in any credible negotiation depends on satisfying people on both sides of the decision or else later on there will be some consequences. The words below in bold and underlined are ones I have highlighted, the response did not emphasise any particular words. However bearing in mind this response was sent to all 187,042 people one wonders if the authors of this text are really capable of understanding how these people feel, or if they are simply sticking fingers up at people they judge to be their opponents.

The British people voted to leave the EU and the Government respects that decision. We have always been clear that as a matter of policy our notification under Article 50 will not be withdrawn.

The British people voted to leave the EU, and it is the duty of the Government to deliver on their instruction. There can be no attempt to stay in the EU.

The result of the referendum held on 23 June 2016 saw a majority of people vote to leave the European Union. This was the biggest democratic mandate for a course of action ever directed at any UK Government. Following this, Parliament authorised the Prime Minister to trigger Article 50, passing the EU (Notification of Withdrawal) Act.

In last year’s General Election, over 80% of people then voted for parties committing to respecting the result of the referendum. It was the stated policy of both major parties that the decision of the people would be respected. The Government is clear that it is now its duty to implement the will of the electorate.

This was not a decision made after just a few weeks of campaigning, but one that came after a debate that had taken place both in Parliament and across the country for decades.

We are committed to making a success of the British people’s decision to leave the European Union. And that is how we have always approached the negotiations – anticipating success, not failure. It is vital that we try to reach an agreement that builds a strong relationship between Britain and the EU as neighbours, allies and partners. Not just for those who voted to leave but for every citizen of the United Kingdom. We were given a national mandate and this Government is determined to deliver a deal in the national interest.

As the Prime Minister has said: “This is about more than the decision to leave the EU; it is about whether the public can trust their politicians to put in place the decision they took.” The British people can trust this Government to honour the referendum result and get the best deal possible. To do otherwise would be to undermine the decision of the British people. The premise that the people can trust their politicians to deliver on the promises they make and will deliver them in Parliament is fundamental to our democracy.

Our focus is making a success of Brexit and attempting to get the best deal possible. A deal that is in the interests of both the United Kingdom and the European Union. And one that takes in both economic and security cooperation.

It is the Government’s duty to deliver the will of the people and reach a desirable final outcome.

Department for Exiting the European Union.