If you're Welsh & voted Leave - Why?

[Cjamm]

I posted this in chat but zero responses so thought it'd best to move it here.

I was really surprised by the Welsh vote, Wales has really benefited from being in the European Union e.g

Swansea University's new Bay Campus was only possible because of the £40 Million from the European Structural Funds which came from a finance package of £60 million from the European Investment Bank.

The National Waterfront Museum, which includes a gallery, exhibition and library, benefited from £3.7m of EU funds when it was constructed.

5.8m of EU funds was made available for Quadrant Intermodal Transport Centre, led by the City & County of Swansea, which replaced the outdated and rundown bus station.

£9.6m EU funds were invested as part of Neath Port Talbot Regeneration project which included schemes to help make improvements in and around the town centres as well as a purpose built Community Enterprise Centre.

1. When you voted did you not care/consider about the financial benefits Wales receives from the EU?

1. Do you think Westminister (that only cares about London/SE) will honestly make up the funds instead?

1. Was it really immigration and if so why? Was it fear of job loss/overcrowding or was it the refugee issue on the mainland. Do you really believe immigration can be capped/slowed down just because we're leaving the EU?

1. The EU army is not a legitimate answer, it doesn't exist & it never will!

1. Are you worried at all? This doesn't mean you regret your choice but are you worried about the economy or the possible breakup of Great Britian? Did you expect that Scotland/N.Ireland might leave because of the vote?

The situation for Wales is very sad. Scotland and the north of Ireland will have all the righteous anger on their side by having voted to remain, and for that reason as well as not risking a Scottish independence/NI peace process their funding will need to increase. At a time when the economy will most likely get smaller, that leaves Wales missing out majorly.

It's very hard to understand the motivations of the leave voters in Wales. I agree.

I'm in North Wales in an area that voted leave. A high proportion of the population is retirees from over the (English) border.

Freedom of movement hasn't done the Welsh employment situation any good.

I've explained my reasons, as requested. Having thought about pros and cons I made my choice - it's not a perfect one but it was the one I had. I would have preferred a trading arrangement rather than a closer political union and I would have liked to see Cameron get a better deal for us. None of that was happening so I made my choice.

Not abandoning this thread but I promised to take dd out.

Agree Somerville, Westminister will want to appease Scotland & N.I , so will take steps to make sure they don't give them any more reasons to leave , London will be perfectly fine, Westminster would never it let go through much hardship, ironically it's the rest of England & Wales, those who won the Leave vote that I feel will suffer the most.

HopeArden, do your really think Freedom of movement will stop? The Leave party has already backtracked & said they can't do much about immigration. I personally think any new deal with the EU will include freedom of movement.

I'm not sure how fine London will be. We've got lots of friends in Paris, and they're shocked by the result but also rubbing their hands with glee at the influx of financial services jobs.

Between that and Calais, unless I'm missing something (??) I can't see that the French are going to be our friend in these negotiations.

Just crossing my fingers for Brexit-lite. Some kind of Norwegian deal. Which will mean retaining freedom of movement of course, which all the leave voters will hate, but the Tory right seem a bit worried by what they've done. It might happen...

Boris / Gove seem absolutely petrified, I genuinely believe we'll keep freedom of movement, if we want any sort of decent deal with the EU they'll fight us on it. Which we'll mean the Tories are in for some well deserved anger from the Leave voters heading their way. They shouldn't have lied so boldly

Thanks for explaining hope. As you say the EU isn't perfect, I do dispute the undemocratic part as it is proportional representation and every five years we vote toe our representatives and can get rid of them if we wish. Britain is hardly a model of democracy with an unelected House of Lords and monarchy.

As PP said freedom of movement won't end either and in all likelihood there will be fewer jobs to go round.

For not toe! Pushing pram and typing at same time

I'm just trying to make sense of why people would do this to themselves? Were their racist, stupid views so important to them that they've done this to all of us.

Aaaaaand OP only took 3 posts to get to the crux of what she really wanted to say.

Mango, I was hoping my beliefs would be proved wrong, that racism wasn't the reason this has happened but I can't see any Leave voters giving decent non racist answers

The investors are pulling out of Tata. That's Neath Port Talbot gone.

I live in one of the very few areas of Wales to have voted Remain, which I did too. Absolutely gobsmacked that as a whole we voted to leave, as you have all said that's our funding gone so no new by-passes, coastal paths, regeneration etc etc.
As for why they voted to leave, I can only go on the few who have openly commented on facebook pages and I'm ashamed to say it is for racist reasons, including posting memes of the Welcome to Wales sign (Fit in or Fuck Off), No Sharia Law here etc etc. They haven't remained on my friends list, I don't want anything to do with people with those kinds of beliefs.

I am personally and professionally devastated by the decision. I live and work in the South Wales Valleys my son attends a college that was built with help from EU funds, I drive to work on a road (still being) built with EU funds and work with people funded by EU funds. This money WILL NOT come from anywhere else. I can only hope Carwyn can work with WEFO to help to extend or even get them to commit to the funding that was ear-marked but I'm not optimistic.
I've also read on here today about the possible effect on HA properties. With so many people living in RSL homes many of which haven't yet met the WQHS I'm not sure what happens there.
I am genuinely scared for our future.

For those who live in Wales if what we predict will happen does indeed come to pass will you leave or stay to try to do everything you can for the country? I am really stuck on this.

Lolimax what do RSL and WQHS stand for?

Night- I cannot and will not leave though I suspect my DC's will now.
And sorry Welsh Quality Housing Standard that all Registered Social Landlords (Link, United Welsh Homes etc...) have to get all their housing stock up to.

Thanks for the info lolimax, forgive me for my ignorance but what is the deal with HAs and Brexit?

I have a 5 month old son and am worried about what will be available to him. What will the educational system be like? What public services will be available? Rhetorical questions btw!

Cornwall has done the same thing. I have been following a thread on Facebook where they genuinely believe that Cornwall puts more money into the EU than we get out so we can now spend it all on ourselves, forgetting completely that it goes to Westminster and will most likely never make it back to Cornwall. There are numerous posts asking what the EU ever did for us - housing, colleges, environment, Eden, lands end... There are a scary number of posters rejoicing that we can now get rid of all those immigrants. It would be laughable if it wasn't so bloody depressing.

Siencyn you turf people off your friends list for saying no to Sharia law? Nothing wrong with objecting to that imo

I don't want to talk for siencyn but I imagine they were turfed because they were getting worked up (and working other people up) about something that isn't going to happen...

Still not a comment I'd turf friends off fb for saying.

indy100.independent.co.uk/article/the-mail-has-explained-what-brexit-means-and-its-readers-seem-shocked--Z1772TI4aNW

The article I just read has really made me sad, this isn't fair, idiots voted for their own selfish reasons & now that they realise they'll be negatively effected they give a shit.

We can't go through with this, not if so many Leave voters are regretting it.

I can't see any Leave voters giving decent non racist answers

Ok then.....

http://www.wsj.com/articles/brexit-a-very-british-revolution-1466800383

This is an article which explains an awful lot of 'non-racist' reasons why people voted to Leave the EU.

Basically repeats a lot of posts I've read on MN by Leavers.

I have emailed my MP and AM this morning to try to understand if there is a plan going forward and what commitments Westminster have made.