Date for debate on second EU vote set

The House of Commons will debate a petition calling for a second EU referendum on Monday, 5 September, the Commons Petitions Committee has said.

The committee, a cross-party group of MPs that is independent from the UK government, said its decision was swayed by the 'huge number of people' signing the petition.

More than 4.1million signatures were recorded, but thousands of names turned out to be fake.

The committee added that putting the petition forward for debate did not mean it supported calls for a second referendum and that it was 'too late' to change referendum rules - as the petitioner, a Brexit supporter, had demanded.

The petition - set up on 25 May, a month before the referendum - stated: "We the undersigned call upon HM Government to implement a rule that if the Remain or Leave vote is less than 60%, based on a turnout of less than 75%, there should be another referendum."

As reported, those who signed have received an email rejecting their demands, and saying that the government had 'been clear that this was a once-in-a-generation vote' and the result 'must be respected'.

The committee added that the debate, in Westminster Hall, 'does not have the power to change the law, and won't end with the House of Commons deciding whether or not to have a second referendum'.

"It will be up to the government to decide whether it wants to start the process of agreeing a new law for a second referendum," the committee said. The debate will be streamed live on parliamentlive.tv

Here is the Committee's statement in full:

"The Petitions Committee has decided to schedule a House of Commons debate on this petition. The debate will take place on 5 September at 4.30pm in Westminster Hall, the second debating chamber of the House of Commons. The debate will be opened by Ian Blackford MP.

"The Committee has decided that the huge number of people signing this petition means that it should be debated by MPs. The Petitions Committee would like to make clear that, in scheduling this debate, they are not supporting the call for a second referendum. The debate will allow MPs to put forward a range of views on behalf of their constituents. At the end of the debate, a Government Minister will respond to the points raised.

"A debate in Westminster Hall does not have the power to change the law, and won’t end with the House of Commons deciding whether or not to have a second referendum. Moreover, the petition – which was opened on 25 May, well before the referendum – calls for the referendum rules to be changed. It is now too late for the rules to be changed retrospectively. It will be up to the Government to decide whether it wants to start the process of agreeing a new law for a second referendum."

The decision to hold a debate on a second EU vote comes a day after 1,000 lawyers signed an open letter to the addressed to outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron, saying the referendum result is merely 'advisory' and not legally binding. They said primary legislation will be needed before Article 50 can be triggered

Meanwhile, a legal challenge to David Cameron’s assertion that he or his successor as prime minister can begin the exit process is due to be heard in the High Court next week.