To point out that not ALL people who voted leave are racist

[EsmeraldaEllaBella]

I'd describe myself as extreme left. I voted leave because the EU's undemocratic. Today I wake up to ALL of my Facebook posting statuses about how they feel sick etc. all my friends are liberal, some of them would hate me if they knew. But if I was asked outright I'd probably be honest. I've made new friends recently who would definitely never speak to me again if they knew though. I feel like everyone who voted leave has been branded a racist. I feel uncomfortable that probably lots of them are sad I feel very uneasy being lumped in with them and might come to regret my decision

Posted this elsewhere but in need of some hand holding I think! Or maybe someone who feels the same way? Anyone?

I'm sure that the majority of leave voters are not racist (although it has to be said that if you lie down with dogs, you risk getting fleas).

Was talking to my in laws yesterday - they are shy remainers in a demographic (retired in small town Middle England) which voted to leave. They said that yesterday they heard a supermarket cashier celebrating because leaving the EU would mean that the potholes got filled in. WTAF? And their mainly moderately educated and thoughtful friendship group has swallowed whole the lies about Turkey and Muslims - despite living in a part of rural Staffordshire where a foreigner is someone who comes from more the next town not the next continent.

My Algerian Muslim brother in law wasn't allowed to vote, being Algerian and all. But he stated that if he had been allowed, he'd have voted 'leave'.
Must be a fat old racist, eh?

Shelly I don't follow. Are you suggesting that because your BIL is not white British he can't be racist or have racist views?

As an immigrant myself I was shocked at the number of racist immigrants who voted leave. Smacks of hypocrisy.

No Algerian Muslim was ever racist apparently.

You didn't have to be racist to vote out, but it helped.

The amount of vitriol he gets from some foreigner-hating people is amazing. He supported Leave because he doesn't want to be lumped in with immigrants who do come over to claim benefits. People presume that ALL immigrants are benefit scroungers. As an African Muslim, he is presumed to be abusing the British system, because it's a fact that some immigrants do. Not to mention the 'terrorist' comments he receives, and the way he is always randomly chosen at airports for extra security checks and hand swabs.
He wants to live in a Britain where foreigners are respected because they're not seen as layabouts, because they've been allowed into Britain based on their merit. Fair enough really.

'No Algerian Muslim was ever racist apparently.

You didn't have to be racist to vote out, but it helped.'

Did I say that?

Well I'm sure since leave won, we will see much less prejudice and far more respect of people like him.

Sigh.

He supported Leave because he doesn't want to be lumped in with immigrants who do come over to claim benefits

Except, like him, the vast majority of immigrants work. If people's prejudices aren't based more on dislike of difference than fact why would they change?

Particularly as working immigrants are seen to be taking jobs.

Oops 'ARE based more on dislike of difference'

He's in for a massive shock if he genuinely thinks how he is treated at airport security is going to improve for him because we will have left the eu.

For what? Stupid people?

The problem is that I have been asking repeatedly on here and in real life for cogent, thought out reasons for Brexit, and people either go a bit shifty and evady or say things that aren't true or say vague sound bitey things which they then can't/won't back up. Or they say something racist.

You've done the same on here. "The EU's undemocratic". What does that mean?

I don't think most leave voters are racist. I think they have been encouraged to believe that a lot of the problems they face are caused by immigration and /or by the EU in general - e.g. lack of housing, problems with the NHS etc when in fact this is caused by our governments decisions. But the remain campaign failed to make this point choosing to downplay the problems rather than acknowledge them.
But i fail to see how anyone who is "extreme left" and educated could have voted this way. Lack of democracy in the EU? most decisions are made by an elected parliament or have to be validated by that parliament. Other bodies are elected from the sovereign states. Yes there is some bureaucracy but that is present everywhere and some degree of "insiders" but however you look at this compare to the UK.

1. All decisions have to be ratified by the Queen - i must have missed my vote for her
2. all decisions go through the house of lords - yup missed that one as well
3. Parliament elected on a first past the post system which effectively disenfranchises lots of people - I've never had an MP i voted for (not so with my MEP) Then add on all the layers such as academies for schools (removing LEAs from decision powers) which effectively move decisions from big business- and you have a system democratic in name only.

The EU isn't perfect democracy wise but the alternative you have voted for....

and now what happens? you lose the balancing effect of the EU which has to a small degree counterbalanced the right wing government here, you lose the support for workers rights etc, you lose Scotland and in doing so the chance of a Labour government for the foreseeable future.

As I type this I realise that I am more angry with people like you for voting this way than many of the racists - at least they were clear what they wanted.
the Campaign on both sides was dreadful - you needed to look at the bigger picture

This is illuminating:
lordashcroftpolls.com/2016/06/how-the-united-kingdom-voted-and-why/

Listen if you were aware that Leave were supported by Britain First, BNP, Le Pen, Putin, Trump etc and still voted with them then I will side eye you for possibly being bigoted.

No genuine left winger could see the lifeline the EU has given to our poorest regions as well as worker and environmental protections and side with those crackpots. You lay down with dogs etc etc.

That poll is rea

In the words of my dad "a triumph of bigots over brains"

Aargh! Really interesting, particularly that most working people voted to remain. I think more remainers were taking a pragmatic view about how they thought the result would effect them and more leavers were voting for any kind of change.

I also think Corbyn influenced people's desire to vote leave, both with his lacklustre support for staying and his support for free movement of people in the face of clear public opinion. If you are really going to argue for free movement of people in Britain in 2016, you have to be a hell of a lot more persuasive than Corbyn was.

He didn't offer a clear alternative to either the Tory vision of staying or leaving.

Hang on a minute! The Daily Mail backed Brexit and that's not racist! Oh, wait.....
www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jun/24/mail-sun-uk-brexit-newspapers
To me it's obvious.

Merry agreed . Hearteningly more labour voters than o thought voted for remain. But Corbyn didn't come across as giving a positive message to working class labour voters. Agreed - labour needs to address this issue. Either a more compelling case or means to address it

People from ALL parts of UK society, all races, classes, ethnic origins, beliefs and political persuasions voted for both "leave" and "remain".

They all had their own reasons for doing so which varied enormously from person to person. Most, apart from some very unpleasant extremists and silly impulse voters, meant well.

For example, I know of one lady, who is black and a devout Christian, who not only voted "leave" but campaigned for Brexit. I know of someone else, a white British born man who holds a lot of sympathy for UKIP's views, who wouldn't dream of voting any way but "remain", because he believed voting "leave" would damage our economy.

A lot of people, myself included, voted "leave" but now regret it, as we were voting tactically to send the establishment and Brussels a wake up call, but thought "remain" would win. I believe many people have voted with their hearts not their heads because frankly the information given by BOTH sides was poor quality.

To answer the OP's original question, if all "leave" voters are racists, does this mean all "remain" voters are communists...?

Blue I think you are giving the general public a bit too much credit. A lot of people didn't have a clue what they were voting for. It's a complicated subject and most people just don't do the research needed to make informed decisions. This applies to both in and out voters.

Based on complexity and importance it should never have gone to a public vote.