I’m a Brexit “loser”.
It’s true. Like many others, I voted to remain in the EU.
That’s because I strongly believed – and continue to believe – that leaving the EU would be A Bad Thing.
I worried a “leave” vote would lead to a rise in racism and tension.
I worried it seemed to be economic bad news.
I worried that ignoring “experts” was being presented as a moral triumph. “Hurrah! Screw you, smart people who understand things! Let’s base our politics on sentiment instead!”
That said, 52% of those who voted didn’t agree with me.
Maybe you’re one of them. That’s okay – your life experiences mean you have a different view of the world. We can disagree.
However, I’m sure we would agree that Brexit was an ugly vote. It has stayed ugly.
“We won, so shut up already!” goes the rhetoric in some circles. Anything other than shutting up means I’m a “loser” or a “moaner”.
Get real.
It’s going to be years before we leave the EU, and years after that before the full consequences are known. Are we just supposed to not mention Brexit for the next decade, aside from waving virtual pom-poms and shouting, Yay, Britain! every so often?
When did it become unpatriotic to question the government? To hold them to account?
Does the fact that the Brexit vote happened mean the conversation is closed? Because if that’s the case, I missed a memo about fundamental changes to how democracy works.
I run a business that buys a lot of stuff that’s priced in dollars and euros.
Since Brexit, the pound’s value has collapsed. As a result, the cost of our newsletter software has increased by £60 a year. Our SEO data service by £97 a month. Hosted software by £15 a month.
Our hosting company bills us in pounds but buys in dollars. A few weeks ago, they had to put prices up by 10%, costing us around £500 a year.
Is it moaning to point this out? To say that we’re cutting spending elsewhere to offset those costs? Maybe long term this will all work out for the best. But right now? It’s a pain. It really is.
I don’t mind saying that the increase in racist attacks in this country chills me. Seeing my own country’s government talking about maintaining a list of foreign workers makes me shudder. Shouldn’t I voice those thoughts? Really?
I didn’t vote for this, but I have to deal with it. I will deal with it.
Just don’t tell me I’m unpatriotic. That I’m not trying hard enough, as though currency fluctuations can be magically cancelled out by a Union Jack and a can-do attitude.
We’re leaving the EU. I accept it. But right now? I don’t have to like it.
I agree with all of this, I was totally against Brexit. BUT – I have seen a lot of hatred against people who voted for it – and that’s not on either. I reserve the right to have a (frequent) dig at my dad for being spiteful in that he’s nearing the end of his life so he voted Brexit to ruin life for the rest of us. However, real hatred directed towards people who voted for Brexit is unacceptable, as is the increase in racist attacks that you mentioned. I feel lucky that we live in a democratic society but the more civil unrest that ensues from democratic decisions, the more I worry that we are edging away from the sort of society that we all want to live in.
Nat.x
I don’t like it either. I was shocked, and still am at the result. I don’t like what it says about us as a country and economically it sucks to having just been to buy some Euros and feeling my purse creek. I understand that some people did not like the power that Brussels had, and change is needed, but I don’t think that is what Brexit was about. I would have put up with an imbalance of power for the greater good, and I really think the vote was a bad idea for this country
Hear hear Sally. Brilliant well rounded piece.
Great article. I was also against Brexit, and I’ve been very upset to see the rise in racist rhetoric both before and after the vote. I also work for clients in different countries, and get paid in dollars and euros as well as sterling so I’ve seen a significant drop in earnings simply because of the fall in the value of the pound. I’m proud to be British, but I don’t feel that’s incompatible with wanting to be a European (and global citizen!) too.