To be getting more not less depressed about Brexit as time goes on

[teneastereggs]

It all seems so pointless doesn't it, I feel sorry that some- probably many- people were duped into voting for it, I feel annoyed that the 48 percent who voted remain have been completely ignored, annoyed about all the divisions it has caused our country and all the rows, and overall just really fed up with the state we are in now. I thought it would be getting better by now but actually feel worse about it now than I did at the time.

I agreed with you up until the last sentence, which was totally unnecessary. That type of comment smacks of superiority and nastiness.

@tescocreditcard can I ask, why did you vote to leave and what made you conclude leave voters/you had been lied to?

Because there is no viable alternative on the horizon right now?

Do you remember at the time of the referendum result, all the Brexiteers were confidently predicting that other EU memembers would follow the UK's example. There was a lot of talk about Frexit.

Never came to pass. Funny that.

There are just two groups of winners: tradies like builders and truckers who no longer compete with Europeans and have had huge pay rises as a result (hence inflation for everyone and no decent builders available and rotting veg). And millionaire Tory MPs who can continue off-shoring money without scrutiny. Everyone else - farmers, fishers, students, academics, importers, exporters, travellers, workers, anyone with a modicum of ambition - was shafted by a load of gullible xenophobes.

@Viviennemary You don't know what you want.

It's irrelevant now anyway because it's done.

But Jesus you'd have to be some kind of extra-moron to think that we won't feel it for a long time. And while we feel it, of course we're going to talk about it.

If you don't like that, I can't help you.

This thread has just reminded me to sort out my son's Irish passport. I'm not entitled to one but my husband and son are thankfully.

I'll be encouraging my son not to to settle here. I think this country is fucked.

As Loria said: "I'm not going to "get over" something that my economy will not "get over" when I am paying the price for it every day."
The British were Europeans, with all the freedom and opportunity it entailed on an individual level, and the advantages it afforded business, trade, research and international collaboration, and now we are not. Neither are our children, and for this I feel truly sorry.
The thing I predicted with most certainty was that we'd likely see rapid curtailment of laws protecting labour, the environment and civil liberties. No surprises there.

Rejoining the single market (whilst I agree is unlikely due to politicians refusing to even discuss Brexit and its effects) is a viable option. We would have to negotiate, but since vote leave said that Brexit didn’t mean leaving the single market then it could be done. It’s not just Brexit, but the hard Brexit we have, which is soooo damaging.

I'm even more furious. Especially as the people who led this are still running the country despite the shitshow it clearly has been. What pisses me off even more is that they're not really affected, being rich and connected. It's the rest of us that suffer from the effects.

Also the number of people who refuse to recognise what a disaster it's been.

And the fact I knew all along it was a pack of lies and couldn't do anything about it.

Yes. All of this.

Sorry, I'm trying to get past that. But I am just so frustrated and worried and yes I am exasperated at people who said yes to something without knowing what it was. I mean, why would you??! How can you possibly vote for a concept?

Remember those endless late night emergency debates in parliament, all the circular "brexit means brexit" sloganeering? Even once they'd voted for it no one actually knew what the fuck it was.

Likewise. All of this.

I guess we all need to make our feelings clear at the ballot box each and every time we can.

I do. I have never not voted. And I protested strongly at the time to make it clear how much my European citizenship and the rights of my children were being affected.

Many people predicted at the time that Brexit would mean the gradual decline of the UK and so it has proved to be. Not a cliff edge, but general economic decline and loss of political influence. Even cultural things are affected, like the difficulties British music artists are facing touring.

Most depressing though is the limit on opportunities for young people. It makes me sad and angry that my kids won't have the same easy opportunities to study, work and travel in Europe as I did.

Childish response. Do you have any other thoughts about this?

I voted to leave because Boris Johnson said the NHS would receive an extra £300 million a week or something like that - I don't have access to NHS finance information but I'd hazard an educated guess that that hasn't happened.

Some of us did not get the chance!

Thank you everyone, this has generally been a constructive set of responses. Lots to think about as I continue to try and work out my thoughts on this very complex issue.

Makes me angry when Brexity people around me moan about poor service from companies, eg banks, solicitors, GPs, and can't connect the dots back to their fucking stupid vote

I also agree that rejoining the Single Market would undo at least some of the damage. No chance of that while some in the population are so fearful of the term "Freedom of Movement". Despite the fact that immigration levels are higher now than ever.

But this will always be an issue one way or the other.

We have.

And, well, here we are.