"It’s DEMOCRACY get used to it."

So said a tweet in response to an impassioned debate between myself and David Buik, the prominent city commentator who is a Brexiter friend of mine (I still have one or two of them even if the relationships have frayed). The aforementioned Twitter user blocked me when I politely suggested that they had a rather shaky understanding of what democracy actually means.

They are hardly alone. You’ll regularly hear similar arguments to the one they deployed from Brexiteers when those of us on the other side put our cases. Because 17m people voted “no” when asked should Britain remain a member of the EU they seem to think that should be the end of the discussion.

The result of a poll following a Leave campaign characterised by a tissue of lies, exaggerations, and, occasionally, out and out racism, is used to try and stifle any and all debate. Just look at the numbers! It’s democracy, so belt up.

The shouty tweet that appeared on my feed is actually mild in comparison to the Facebook post by Terry Nathan, a Ukip councillor, shortly after the referendum. He suggested that it was “time to start killing these people till article 50 is invoked, perhaps retainers will get the message then." He was, of course, referring to Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty which needs to be invoked before the formal process of Brexit is started. Nathan subsequently apologised and said his comments were “intended to be taken with a pinch of salt” as if that makes such violent and undemocratic statements alright.

Then there was the Tory MP Lucy Allan, who suggested that a 50,000 strong pro-EU march in London was "a protest against democracy". She appeared to have forgotten she got into Parliament despite having won just 39.6 per cent of the vote in her Telford constituency. These people, and their allies and fellow travellers really ought to enrol in some civics classes – elected officials in particular.

What experts have said about Brexit Show all 11 1 /11 What experts have said about Brexit What experts have said about Brexit Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond The Chancellor claims London can still be a world financial hub despite Brexit “One of Britain’s great strengths is the ability to offer and aggregate all of the services the global financial services industry needs” “This has not changed as a result of the EU referendum and I will do everything I can to ensure the City of London retains its position as the world’s leading international financial centre.” Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Yanis Varoufakis Greece's former finance minister compared the UK relations with the EU bloc with a well-known song by the Eagles: “You can check out any time you like, as the Hotel California song says, but you can't really leave. The proof is Theresa May has not even dared to trigger Article 50. It's like Harrison Ford going into Indiana Jones' castle and the path behind him fragmenting. You can get in, but getting out is not at all clear” Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Michael O’Leary Ryanair boss says UK will be ‘screwed’ by EU in Brexit trade deals: “I have no faith in the politicians in London going on about how ‘the world will want to trade with us’. The world will want to screw you – that's what happens in trade talks,” he said. “They have no interest in giving the UK a deal on trade” Getty What experts have said about Brexit Tim Martin JD Wetherspoon's chairman has said claims that the UK would see serious economic consequences from a Brexit vote were "lurid" and wrong: “We were told it would be Armageddon from the OECD, from the IMF, David Cameron, the chancellor and President Obama who were predicting locusts in the fields and tidal waves in the North Sea" PA What experts have said about Brexit Mark Carney Governor of Bank of England is 'serene' about Bank of England's Brexit stance: “I am absolutely serene about the … judgments made both by the MPC and the FPC” Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Christine Lagarde IMF chief urges quick Brexit to reduce economic uncertainty: “We want to see clarity sooner rather than later because we think that a lack of clarity feeds uncertainty, which itself undermines investment appetites and decision making” Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Inga Beale Lloyd’s chief executive says Brexit is a major issue: "Clearly the UK's referendum on its EU membership is a major issue for us to deal with and we are now focusing our attention on having in place the plans that will ensure Lloyd's continues trading across Europe” EPA What experts have said about Brexit Colm Kelleher President of US bank Morgan Stanley says City of London ‘will suffer’ as result of the EU referendum: “I do believe, and I said prior to the referendum, that the City of London will suffer as result of Brexit. The issue is how much” What experts have said about Brexit Richard Branson Virgin founder believes we've lost a THIRD of our value because of Brexit and cancelled a deal worth 3,000 jobs: We're not any worse than anybody else, but I suspect we've lost a third of our value which is dreadful for people in the workplace.' He continued: "We were about to do a very big deal, we cancelled that deal, that would have involved 3,000 jobs, and that’s happening all over the country" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Barack Obama US President believes Britain was wrong to vote to leave the EU: "It is absolutely true that I believed pre-Brexit vote and continue to believe post-Brexit vote that the world benefited enormously from the United Kingdom's participation in the EU. We are fully supportive of a process that is as little disruptive as possible so that people around the world can continue to benefit from economic growth" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Kristin Forbes American economist and an external member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England argues that the economy had been “less stormy than many expected” following the shock referendum result: “For now…the economy is experiencing some chop, but no tsunami. The adverse winds could quickly pick up – and merit a stronger policy response. But recently they have shifted to a more favourable direction” Getty

Democracy is about much more than simple rule by majority. To work effectively it requires freedom of speech. It has to protect the rights of minorities (Remain voters represent a very, very large minority) and it confers upon them the right to oppose.

When a political party, like Allan’s or Nathan’s, loses an election it doesn’t go to sleep for four or five years. It campaigns, it debates, and it criticises its victorious opponent. It tries to convince people of its case with the aim of winning the next election. Given that our Government still doesn’t have the faintest idea of what Brexit will actually mean in practice, the wide range of views among those in the Brexit camp and the misleading nature of the referendum campaign, there surely ought to be a next one when it comes to Brexit so the country can either endorse or reject the Government’s plan when it finally comes up with one. All the more so given that Brexit represents a major constitutional change that is being pushed through on the back of the votes of a minority of the electorate.

A sizeable number of people didn’t vote in June. I’m not making excuses for them; they should have turned out and made their views clear. But, like we Remainers, they too face being stripped of numerous rights and privileges they may value. Among them is their de facto European citizenship, their right to live and work wherever they want on the continent, their ability to claim healthcare if they fall ill while working or holidaying in Europe, the visa free travel they enjoy, and much more besides.

“Why don’t you just leave, then?” is a response you’ll often hear from Brexiters when raising points like this. Why the hell should I? And why the hell should anyone else who agrees with me? This is our home too.