London: The UK government has officially rejected a petition signed by over 4.1 million people calling for a second referendum for Britain to decide on its fate in or out of the EU, saying the people's decision must be "respected".
The petition that was the most-signed government petition since the process was introduced in 2011 and built momentum in the wake of Brexit, or Britain's exit from the European Union (EU), in the June 23 referendum.
However, in an official reply, the UK Foreign Office said this week 33 million people had had their say and "the decision must be respected". "We must now prepare for the process to exit the EU," it said.
In the wake of the Brexit vote, the petition was shared widely on social media by Remain supporters. British government petitions which reach over 100,000 signatures must be considered for debate in parliament.
"The EU Referendum Act received Royal Assent in December 2015. The Act was scrutinised and debated in Parliament during its passage and agreed by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords," the Foreign Officesaid. The Act set out the terms under which the referendum would take place, including provisions for setting the date, franchise and the question that would appear on the ballot paper. The Act did not set a threshold for the result or for minimum turnout, it said.
"As the Prime Minister made clear in his statement to the House of Commons on June 27, the referendum was one of the biggest democratic exercises in British history with over 33 million people having their say," the Foreign Officesaid.
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