I disagree with Steve Shaw in just about everything except beer and pubs in Manchester, but in this case even I can see the difference between saying that the act of leaving the EU would be irrevocable and saying that the verdict of the referendum was irrevocable.

I understood him to be saying say that having left the EU getting back in would be nigh on impossible. I had also heard, before the vote, that a referendum was 'advisory'. I also understood that the government was committed to implementing the result, although that was when they expected the result to be 'Remain'.