Re: 1984 !
There were various options available in the wake of a slight majority in an advisory vote. A sensible one as for any major undertaking, would have been to undertake a feasibility study and/or an impact assessment. An impact assessment might have looked (amongst other things) at what would be the likely impact on, say, the order book of Scunthorpe steel plant and the knock on effect on the viability of the plant and the direct and indirect consequences for employment. At that point people could have been asked to vote in a binding referendum once they knew whether or not their vote might cost them their job.
So what happened? Refusing to acknowledge that the country was deeply divided on the matter it was eyes closed and charge. Invoke Article 50 without any significant planning at all. Now we're in a hole but never mind, keep digging.