Brexit is not actually about brexit

[Snog]

I think that the leave vote was substantially an anti establishment protest vote for millions of people who are not doing well out of the status quo and see no prospect of things getting any better.

So the obvious thing to do is to change the status quo. Sure it's a risk, things may get worse, but if you feel there is no future for you at the moment then taking a risk is attractive. Besides which nobody actually knows what will happen and there has been a lot of catastrophising.

When people can't have any confidence in either Labour or the Tories then what they want is more radical change. We are starting to see it happen. The brexit vote wasn't really about brexit, yet we are blindly carrying on as if it is. We need a radical change to politics which the brexit vote is driving whether or not brexit actually happens. Brexit is not the point it's just the vehicle for change.

[Kezzie200]

It was about Brexit but there was not one partucular fear. Fishermen voted leave for the promise of imprived rights. People affected by immigration and those who feared they would be by media voted leave. Many older people have seen the changes since they voted for the common market and took the chance to vote to be out as its wasnt what they voted to be in. Then there were the moans about how much we pay and how we would do better saving that money.

A lot of this country dont like being part of the EU as they have ignored the good things (or maybe the good things dont matter to them).

Personally although I see where they are coming from I feel they are taking a backwards step in a fast moving world.

[1tisILeClerc]

{A lot of this country dont like being part of the EU as they have ignored the good things (or maybe the good things dont matter to them).}
I don't think this is quite true. Most haven't realised the 'stuff' that the EU does in the background that has actually improved most peoples lives but were also fed 'anti EU' propaganda by the tabloid press and some politicians as a continual drip feed over the last 40 years.
You may think that food in the UK is expensive but it is pretty cheap compared to much of Europe. Being part of the EU has helped the UK.
Think in terms of 'Tesco' foods but at a bit more than 'Waitrose' prices.

[BorisBogtrotter]

I think the vote was actually a broad church of grievances built up over time, much of which was little to do with the EU.

Fishing for example has been very much to do with how the UK government allocates fishing quotas, mechanisation reducing jobs, but a major difference between now and the fishing Heyday is that we lost the cod wars in the 1970s, and have had to give up the areas traditionally fished by UK fishermen.

Immigration, mainly an issue in areas of low immigration and blamed for all of the things brought by austerity and the inequality brought by 40 years of neo liberal policies.

[Kezzie200]

I see your point. People thought it was about the EU but it was domestic policy, leave campaign and media negativity that caused it.

So leaving wont help anyway because the EU was never the real problem, our own politics was.

[BorisBogtrotter]

"So leaving wont help anyway because the EU was never the real problem, our own politics was"

Nail. Hit.Head on.

[1tisILeClerc]

And, to make matters better/worse, the government has spent a massive amount on this Brexit charade (estimates vary) and in doing so has pissed off the countries that the UK depends on and is well on the way to trashing significant chunks of wealth production for the UK (manufacturing and financial services) and STILL not addressed the real problems.

[BorisBogtrotter]

The areas that voted leave, and the poorest within them will be hit the hardest.

I've no idea why people voted for a bunch of people who regard them as lazy scumbags.

But hey each to their own.

[Peregrina]

I agree it's not about the EU - apart from a small minority. It was almost certainly a protest against austerity and a Home Counties moneyed elite.

A better PM than May would have recognised this, and realised that they had to get to the heart of the issues. But then, the EU has been a jolly good excuse for those in power. I suspect that those who still support Leave on the grounds of too much money being sent to the EU, would be perfectly happy with the amount being sent, if their own communities saw more money. Austerity was a Tory choice, it's by no means necessary.

[Kezzie200]

No, Cornwall sees a huge amount of EU money and voted Leave

[Talkinpeece]

The sooner the UK moves to a form of Proportional Representation the better
as that would allow the parties to split
it would allow every vote to count
and it would stop big parties being derailed by the extremes

but it would put a lot of the front benches out of office
so it won't happen

[BorisBogtrotter]

"Cornwall sees a huge amount of EU money and voted Leave"

And then immediately begged the UK government to keep the money it gets.

Cornwall is yet another place that will be fucked over by its leave vote.

The irony.

[1tisILeClerc]

A bit like a significant number at the Nissan plant in Sunderland, not equating 'Leave' with the continuation of their jobs, DESPITE management explaining it to them.

[bellinisurge]

It may not have been about Brexit for many voters but it bloody well will be if we have No Deal.

[MrsWhiskersen]

Think you’ve got a good point.

I also actually think discontent has been deliberately and dishonesty whipped into anti-EU sentiment by certain parts of the media and sections of the political classes for a long time. It’s both a diversionary tactic and an attempt to dismantle some regulations that are actually in our interests.

[PigeonFromHell]

Yep, I agree entirely. A lot of people voted leave because they were (rightly) pissed off but now they'll be pissed off, poorer and listened to even less.