I still don't really understand why Brexit even went to a national referendum. To allow the Tories to say "the people want it"? When everyone else in the world could see what a terrible idea it was?

They basically relied on the anti-immigration voters to push Brexit through. And have shot themselves in the foot, well and truly.

As for deporting refugees to Rwanda, don't forget that the idea for this came from Australia, from Tony Abbott etc, where the abusive treatment of refugees (and getting rid of them, no matter how genuine 99% of them were) became an artform under the Conservative government. Abbott has been an advisor to the Tories - Rwanda was probably his idea.