The obvious conclusion we can draw from this is that the government believed that a binding referendum would require these checks and balances. David Cameron then proceeded to change the status of the referendum to binding by promising to implement the result but failed to change the majority criteria. We do not believe that a 3.8% majority, after a shameful campaign, is a mandate for such a huge constitutional change, nor the dismissal of 48% of the electorate, Scotland and Northern Ireland.