How Australia dealt with a popular urge for unspecified change (ditching the monarchy for.. something else, 1998-1999):
Give the activists what they wish for: a convention to come up with an alternative
Watch the activists fighting each other and come up with an alternative that no one really wants
Put it to the people, who wanted change but do not have one single idea of change.
The people reject it because all concrete alternatives, being earthly constructs, are imperfect. The status quo is strengthened.
How New Zealand dealt with a popular urge for unspecified change (ditching the union jack on the flag and replace it with... something else, 2015-16):
Give the activists what they wish for: a convention to come up with an alternative flag
Watch the activists fighting each other and come up with an alternative flag that no one really wants
Put it to the people, who wanted change but do not have one single idea of change.
The people reject it because all concrete alternatives, being earthly constructs, are imperfect. The status quo is strengthened.
How Chile dealt with a popular urge for unspecified change (ditching the old Constitution for.. something better, 2019-2022):
Give the activists what they wish for: a convention to come up with an alternative
Watch the activists fighting each other and come up with an alternative that no one really wants
Put it to the people, who wanted change but do not have one single idea of change.
The people reject it because all concrete alternatives, being earthly constructs, are imperfect. The status quo is strengthened.
Perhaps... some lesson that the UK should have learnt in 2016? If we had put Gisela Stuart, Jeremy Corbyn, Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Nigel Farage in a committee to come up with an alternative to be voted for, we might be still in the EU. Indeed, the committee might still haven't come up with a draft yet.