Was anybody actually discussing EU membership before 2016?

[Garageflower172]

I'm just wondering why (other than Tory party in-fighting), the government thought anyone actually cared about whether we were in the EU or not. I don't remember people marching in the streets about it or lobbying their MPs about it? Nobody was talking about it in the pub? Why couldn't we have a referendum about something that people genuinely cared about?

[BubblesBuddy]

Because UKIP were on the March and the Conservatives feared them. Farage was always in the pub with his toxic views! You have a very short memory. Margaret Thatcher and John Major we’re continually harassed by anti EU MPs! It’s why Major was ousted! Read up on it! We had a quiet period during the Labour years. I’m grateful for that now! It was a holiday from these idiots who now are just about to ruin us.

[Glasscrab]

Were you alive and living in the UK before 2016?

[Garageflower172]

Yeah, but did anyone actually care? I mean normal people? I can't remember ever having deep and meaningfuls in the pub about Europe? Iraq, Rwanda, the Balkans, equality, whether tequila was a good idea....y'know, that kind of stuff - never our membership of a trading block...we just were European. Only the right wing elite seemed to object. C*nts.

[Quellium]

Basically nobody cared. It is absolutely ridiculous that we are putting the entire country through this because of Tory in-fighting and some kippers.

There were no mass protests. I refuse to believe 98% of people gave it more than even a passing thought.

[PostNotInHaste]

Yes my Dad (who married an EU citizen) complained a lot about our membership on an extremely regular basis. I’ve just emailed him to ask if He has read anything that sheds light on the position of DD’s partner if he goes to his EU home country at Christmas given FOM now ending 1st November.

He’s getting what he wanted but has an incredibly passed off family. We’re trying to sort insulin for DH.

[Quellium]

Funny how it all coincided with the EU Anti-tax evasion laws though, eh?

I await the arrival of the Brexits who have been absolutely desperate since the 70s for their glorious Brexit though. I'm interested to know how many protests, petitions and letters they wrote to their MPs and completed.

[PuffHuffle5]

I completely agree OP and have said this a lot too when discussing Brexit - I never heard anyone online, in the news or in real life complain about the EU and blaming it for all our ills before the actual vote was mentioned. I don’t think many people who voted Brexit gave a shit before (about the EU or politics in general really - and if we had voted to stay in they would have gotten over it pretty quickly - not because they ‘respect democracy’ but because they just didn’t really care that much in the first place.)

[Quellium]

I would also imagine the amount people grumbled about the EU was directly proportional to how much Mail, Express etc they had consumed that week. Most of the lies made up by our terrible Prime Minister, Johnson. Of course.

[DippyAvocado]

I have seen a poll somewhere that showed voter concerns at the time and the EU membership was way down the list. I'll see if I can find it.

[maidenover]

dippyavacado I’ve seen the same poll on twitter and yes that’s right basically barely anyone cared. The new European tax laws (Dac 6) are not a red herring.

[Garageflower172]

Am I right in thinking the reason May's deal was voted down by so many Brexiters was that it kept the new tax laws in place after Brexit?

The whole thing has been a masterclass in propaganda - the way they have made people truly believe that they have always wanted us out of the EU is quite staggering.

[Wavyheaded]

Nobody cared. It was on the news occasionally whenever Farage farted but no one talked about it IRL. The difference is when social media and the media started getting overrun by far right trolls posting on Every. Single. Site going about immigrants and the EU. It became a 'thing'.

Eg. I used to have an innocent fluffy, crochet blog and some idiot managed to turn one of my posts into a reason for a far right rant about the EU! Like WTF. Get off my site!!

I have to say the trolls' strategy was right - it's all anyone ever talks about now, they've influenced the country for the worse and our lives are going to be fucked up forever.

[Quellium]

The propaganda coming out of Downing Street and the micro targetting of Facebook users is currently pretty terrifying as well.

I don't see how we will have a 'clean' election or referendum ever again.

You are right OP, an absolute masterclass.

Why else would people be fetishising rationing and blitz spirit instead of saying 'Excuse me, WTAF, you are saying my food and medicine access will very likely be limited from November onwards. WTFF?!".

Instead it's "We won the war and we can grow potatoes in the garden and live off the land". Yeah Harold and Doreen, like shite you can.