Should an election or a referendum come first? It is fair to say that there was a preceding white paper, but it shows that a speedy referendum is possible. Organising a referendum quickly would bring closure quickly, which would benefit everyone. The third obstacle is whether a referendum or election should come first. If it could be arranged as quickly as an election, even the superficial attraction of holding an election first falls away.

Source: The Guardian October 12, 2019 20:00 UTC