Again, hopefully with my neutral hat still on, votes not cast have never counted in UK elections/referenda/votes for committee members at Unions/Sports Clubs/Political Parties etc. Why should they count now in the EU referendum? That is the status quo in the UK.
IMO this is an issue that isn't going to go away any day soon. Whatever the eventual outcome there will be people wanting it overturned.
Some of those will be anti a no deal Brexit.
Some will be anti a Brexit that sees us leave both the Customs Union and Single Market.
Others won't accept a deal that sees us still in the CU and SM.
If we end up not leaving others will be against that because of 52/48. Some point to 63/37. Others to 34.73/65.27.
This whole episode will divide people for a long, long time.
My opinion on it? It was a good idea ruined by 2 years of total inactivity, apart from some in-fighting, on behalf of the government. The closeness of the vote was always going to lead to argument, especially with the 50% + 1 rules applied. In many votes which have far-reaching impacts, in many countries, you need 66% and sometimes as much as 75% of the votes cast to have a valid vote. It was an error not to have that kind of ruling in place for something as huge as Brexit. Finally, I think Cameron came out with his "I will abide by" comment and the 50+1 voting system simply because he was 100% convinced that Leave didn't have a cat in hell's chance of winning and 50+1 gave him a better chance of winning.
As it is, everybody loses out, especially the Dutch and the Germans as they are the only 2 countries left who can fill the hole left in the EU budget by Brexit. Ireland can't. Portugal, France, Italy, Spain and Greece are all as bankrupt, financially, as a country can get or very close to it. The former Eastern Bloc countries are being very protectionist and who can blame them. That, however, will see the Western countries being less forthcoming towards the East's wishes. Are we seeing the beginning of the end of this Monolith?
or just delete it as we've heard it over and over again!!