If Monday proved anything, it was that only 111 MPs represent the wishes of Britain’s citizens. These 111 stood up not just for their voters, adversaries and constituencies but also for democracy. What a disgrace then that 483 scuttled shamefully into the Commons to represent the view of their party leaders, and not the country.

Monday marked the date where the majority of our MPs proved once and for all that they aren’t working for us, but for themselves.

Whether an MP agrees or disagrees personally with our membership of the European Union is irrelevant. We vote for people in the hope that they can express effectively the fears and aspirations of their constituency.

Yet despite poll after poll showing enormous public appetite for a continental conversation, they thought they knew better and denied us the chance for a nationwide natter. It is sheer arrogance. Forget majority rules – MPs know best, of course.

In a day-to-day job, not following instructions from your employers will land you in hot water and soon out of a job. But our politicians, employed by us to represent us, believe they know what’s best for us – despite being as far detached from reality as they come.

Who do they think they are? We are sick of out-of-touch politicians telling us what’s good for us. Have they forgotten that it was us who put them where they are? They seem to think that being elected allows them to make decisions on our behalf that go against public opinion. How can this be justified? Without our vote, they would be powerless.

We’d be better off having YouGov pollers sitting in their constituency seats – at least they’d have a clue as to what we want.

The EU referendum for many wasn’t the choice between in and out. It was the chance for the British people’s voice to be heard around Europe. We aren’t heard anywhere. We may be able to trudge along to our local MP surgery for a moan about street lights or berate a politician in the street, but when do they actually stop, listen and do something?

It is as if our opinion doesn’t matter once the ink is dry on our ballot papers. Not so long ago people spoke of a humbler new era in the public’s relationship with MPs. But as soon as the dust settled from the expenses scandal they have again ridden roughshod over the people’s wishes. Frankly, it’s about time they were cut down to size.

It is not up to them to decide what is best for us – we make that decision when faced with a voting booth. We are not children, we are free-thinking adults, capable of going to the polls on issues of national importance. Yet this doesn’t stop them patronising us with sweeping statements saying that we don’t understand what the debate is about.

Actually, we do understand the debate and yes, we do still want that referendum. Obviously we can’t be that dim, because we managed to vote for you, surely? Or maybe that was our greatest mistake.

It is grossly disrespectful of our leaders to write off our heart-felt opinions as frivolous, half-hearted rants. We are not serfs, happy to facilitate our MPs’ vanity by granting them another 4 years and expecting nothing in return.

MPs are too busy protecting positions in their party to see the bigger picture. As I mentioned in my last blog, there is a general (and reasonable) concern over how much power the EU exerts over the nation. Yet this is not allowed to be discussed on a national stage. Why aren’t the public given a wider forum to say how they feel without being accused of xenophobia?

Why can we have referendums on less important issues such as AV but not on the things that really matter to ordinary people who aren’t hobnobbing in Parliament? AV wasn’t even on the public’s radar, yet we had a whole wasteful and expensive introduction to it when it was rejected.

Already a new petition on Europe has attracted thousands of signatures. Should this second referendum request succeed, all I ask is that Members of Parliament let the people decide their own fate – for it is high time it was taken out of MPs’ hands. Their responsibility will be to convince us why we should stay in the EU,  or not.

Just as it is up to us whether we choose to vote for them in future – or not.

You can find the new petition here:

https://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/20133

Tags: AV, E-petition, EU, EU REFERENDUM, EU referendum rebels, Eurosceptic