It's been a stitch up from the start
Absolute correct. The referendum was not held for the benefit of the people. The people frankly didn’t particularly want a referendum on the EU.
The referendum was offered in order to unite a divided Tory party for long enough to prevent Labour winning an election.
David Cameron figured he couldn’t win a majority but either as a minority government or with a liberal coalition the referendum would be voted down in parliament. So, he felt free to offer it confident that he would not be able to deliver it to the people.
But he did win a small majority and having no real choice but to put it to parliament it was voted through with that small but workable Tory majority. Still he felt no real need to worry as with a solid remain campaign the people would not be daft enough to vote to leave. So, they didn’t even consider the consequences of a leave vote.
Once held and the result over the UK as a whole (not Scotland and Northern Ireland) was to leave, well you know the rest. With May’s disastrous snap election we were delivered into the hands of the ruthless aristocratical and monied wing of the Tory party whom quickly moved the goal posts and have held the country to ransom ever since.