To ask if Leave voters would still vote the same way, knowing what they know now? And what people who didn't vote now feel?

[longestlurkerever]

I think I'd find it easier to accept the result if I knew that the majority of the country were still happy with the decision to leave, now that they realise that the economic predictions were not scaremongering, that there really is no fallback plan for how to forge a new deal with the EU and now that the leave campaign appear to be backtracking on many of their claims.

No judgment, it's just that the decision is not binding yet. There are reports in the media of people regretting their vote to leave but I don't know how widespread a feeling that is.

I moved to Australia 6 months ago and was so tied up with household illnesses I didn't vote. I sorely regret that decision and wish I had voted remain. Judging by my fb 90% of my friends voted remain so I was surprised by the result. I appreciate that my fb is not representative of the general population and that was no excuse not to vote. I have now signed the petition for a second referendum but appreciate this is very unlikely to have the desired result. I am shocked, sorry and a bit angry about all the leave voters now coming forward and saying they regret their vote.

I voted remain. I am completely shocked by everything. I will no doubt be leaving the country within the next year. I hope everyone has a plan B if plan A doesn't work out.

Hi Flapping.

Well, of course I'm not Mystic Meg so I don't know if piss poor services will get worse or improve.

Yes, I think we may all agree that jobs lost over decades will not return but then, I think most of knew that circa 2008.

You may have been away over the past couple of days but on Mumsnet, the received information and general position is that anyone who voted to leave is stupid and should never be allowed to vote again, unless they are, at this moment weeping, rending their clothing and regretting their vote.

Apparently, millions of them are. The rumour is that if you seek unicorns and hens that have full sets of teeth, you'll find them.

Yes.

Louisa are you basically saying that there are no leave voters regretting their vote and it's all just made up?

There will be a few voters on both sides regretting their votes. Indeed, there will be regrets amongst those who didn't vote.

Are there thousands, millions, regretting a Leave vote? Of course not. Always best to ask yourself who does it benefit to put that misinformation out there though. Something to think about, maybe, as you go to sleep.

Night night.

Louisagradgrind, the point I am trying to make, but not clearly, is that many people have been left behind by globalisation, de-industrialisation and so on. I fail to see how Brexit can improve any of this. Investment in the UK will reduce, exporting goods and services will be more difficult. We will become more insular and inward looking

Can you explain your final paragraph, I don't understand how the metaphor relate to this debate.

Gladly, flapping!

I mean that there may be a few Leave voters who regret their vote but they are as rare as unicorns and hen with teeth.

Now, I really must turn off the computer and go to sleep!

Fair enough. I would hazard a guess they will be regretting it in a year's time when taxes are up, interest rates are up, public services are cut and inflation is rampant.

But at least we will have a Prime Minister with nice blonde hair

Flapping, I think Louisa meant that the stories about lots of leave voters regretting their choice are untrue and if you look hard enough of course you'll find regrets on both sides. I don't agree with this though as why would a remain voter regret their choice? If they really wanted leave they've got it anyway. none of the remainers I know regret their choice. I don't really know any leave voters. I massively regret not voting at all.
Night Louisa although it's only morning here in oz 😆

HaHa, Correct, Norway is not in the EU and prospers. Norway has vast reserves of oil, a huge income from oil, which a socialist gvt has carefully saved and squirrelled away , and has a population of a mere 5 million amongst whom to spread the bounty. The fantastic parental leave etc.

What is our plan to 'be like Norway'? Reduce our population to under 5 million, perhaps? Suggestions as to how, on a postcard.

The Norway plan is as follows:
Beer £10 a pint
Wear helmets with horns
Be tall and blonde
Try to be as cool as the Swedish

Do things such as a breakdown of the Calais agreements not worry leave voters?

I think it would help me if someone set me out a sketch of their vision for the future and a plan to help get us there. Thank you Bellysqueak for outlining yours. This has been the most enlightening thing I have read. I disagree with your logic, but I share your hopes.

There are just so many unanswered questions about next steps, never mind uncertainties about the future. Who do we expect to lead us in the negotiations with Europe? Should we have another general election to stop an unelected leader of a damaged Conservative party being in charge of the negotiations? Who will lead the Labour party in that case?

How are we going to get Europe to put trade and co-operation with us against self-preservation? People have said they won't cut off their nose to spite their face but from their perspective it's more like amputating an infected limb - painful but necessary. Germany may feel positively about trade with the UK but there are 26 other countries to convince. As someone else has said, Norway has particular reasons that it's an able to go it alone, and wasn't faced with the politics of having left. And then there's the uncertainty over the UK and the lack of a stable /government - I can't see the rest of the world being desperate to invest here either.

I am not going to bang on about all the many reasons I am heartbroken about the vote here - I've done that elsewhere and it's made me feel no better. I'm trying to accept it and make the best of it but I have no idea where we're supposed to be heading next. All I can see is disaster heaped on more disaster.

Louisa!

I voted leave happy with it, and would vote again, especially in light of the behaviour of some of a lot of the remain camp, stamping their feet and trying to alter what has already been done as they are unhappy with it.

Seriously I doubt that Brexit would have behaved like that if they had not got it, just accepted it and move on, not call a petition and stamping their feet.

Oh and brain drain. I can see this happening already even in my small acquaintance. Overhearing conversations from EU citizens about whether to stay, making contingency plans, putting off buying a house. This worries me perhaps more than anything else - not just from an economic perspective but also from an arts, science, almost every walk of life perspective. There's no plan at least in the immediate future to give these people, or any other people who might have considered coming to live here, the certainty they need to do so.

I felt torn...I voted leave. I'd vote leave again. I wish we could stay in an EU that was more democratic, less wasteful, smaller and with no threat of an EU army or more countries (particularly Turkey) joining...

^This but am not 100% sure I'd vote Leave again if I could turn back the clock - purely because I was completely on the fence and could've gone either way. I realise this is a very scary time. I also understand Remainers fear and anger - but the comments about Leavers have been beyond the pale. Just awful. Snobbish, unfair, untrue, hateful, elitist and offensive. From people I know in RL and on here.

Louisa ace post.

Voted remain but wild vote leave the next time.....absolutely due to the hateful nastiness of other remainers on this site

This is one of the most astonishing things I've ever read.

Thank you belly for taking the time to explain your reasons so clearly and I fully agree with them and the logic. I voted Leave and I don't regret it all and maybe I must be watching the wrong news programs (I like flicking through lots of different ones to amass different opinions) but I haven't come across this deluge of regret that posters are going on about. The copy of the Times I read on the 24th was edited before the result was in and they clearly expected a Remain result with Giles Coren being petulantly offensive in his column on the 25th. Maybe I should get the Mail today.

The only thing that has me shocked is the reactions of Remain voters to the Result. The only advice I can give them is that Keep Calm and Carry On is actually more than a fashion statement - it's pretty good advice. And then they may have some positive influence on the Brexit process and help to form it in ways that they feel happier about.

As for racism - check out flapping's post above - re Norwegians.
That is not a very nice thing to say at all.

There's some level headed articles coming out now Float - about moving forward and being positive.
They're still being drowned out a bit though.

I am utterly flabbergasted by this attitude of "I voted Leave and I don't have to explain it to you"

Because it's already been explained over and over - the Remain camp just don't accept the reasons as valid (otherwise they too would have voted Leave) - and that's fair enough because it works both ways - the Leavers don't accept the justification for the Remain vote.

In an ideal world, everyone would have the same opinions and everything would be easy. In the real world, that's not the case. The answer to it is agreeing to disagree - kudos to longestlurkerever for recognising this, but many people still don't. Many people who didn't get the result they wanted are continuing to challenging the people who don't share their view and goading us when we can't sway them because they're minds are already made up. That's a futile exercise for both sides and one that's getting tiresome - hence the reluctance to engage.

I am utterly flabbergasted by this attitude of "I voted Leave and I don't have to explain it to you

No one has to explain anything to you. Their vote is their own vote. Their reasons are their reasons.