Anyone feeling the country is dividing?

[Maz2444466]

I voted to Leave because I think the EU is anti-democratic and bureaucratic. I have absolutely no problem with immigration. I do believe though that integration is key for community cohesion.

I live in London and ALL my friends voted to remain. My best friend voted to Remain, I told her I voted to Remain as she thinks everyone who voted to Leave is racist and evil.

I feel like this referendum has created divides that were never there.

Is this just human nature? For people to follow the pack? I looked for a Facebook Leavers group tonight and everyone in it said how they love Nigel Farage. I don't.

I feel I can't relate to either side. I know this is a first world problem and I probably need to just get over myself but does anyone else feel like this?

I wish the government had made this decision for us!

The links above show a very good example of what pees me right off. So people of Sunderland have voted to leave because they are "uneducated" and the "elite" voted remain because they're educated?

Neither of those articles use the word 'uneducated'. The New York Times one does use the word 'educated' as it compares and contrasts between the working and middle classes;

The outcome of the vote in the large section of industrial northeast England that includes Sunderland exposed deep regional divisions and a rift between classes — a working class that feels it has lost out from globalization, and a more mobile, educated class of people who have prospered from free trade and movement.

I thought it was a pretty good assessment from the other side of the Atlantic. And Ian Jack has nailed the issue for a certain segment of the electorate.

And

The outcome of the vote in the large section of industrial northeast England that includes Sunderland exposed deep regional divisions and a rift between classes — a working class that feels it has lost out from globalization, and a more mobile, educated class of people who have prospered from free trade and movement.

has been vividly illustrated on MN this week. Not least by the strikingly large number of posters who talked about their feelings that their "childrens' futures had been 'ruined' " by Brexit, who, when asked to clarify, went on to explain that their children would now find it a bit harder to work and study in Europe as adults. One can only imagine what the average voter in Sunderland or Merthyr Tydfil feel that their DC's future prospects look like.

Maybes not In those exact words.. but it's easy to see what they're implying. They're basically taking the P by saying "wearing a spiked leather jacket despite the summer heat" and "downing pints in the pub". I'm sorry but there has been no summer heat up north lol.
"Washington, a run-down neighborhood close to the Nissan plant, shops on Co-operative Street appeared as if out of a time warp: a hairdresser with bonnet hair dryers, a candy shop where a single ceiling bulb illuminates rows of dusty containers filled with stuck-together sweets."
Again certainly showing it at its worst. Not all of the area is like something from benefits Britain lol.

And what exactly classes as middle class? S do you have to have a certain level of education to qualify?
Or working class? If people are relying on benefits, are they working class?

The UK is utterly divided on this issue. No point pretending otherwise.

No point expecting people to just suck it up and crack on. In fact, it shows naivety.

Hi OP

Perhaps we need a MN group for the quiet Leavers

If it cheers you any, a number of my enlightened contemporaries have told me they also voted Leave but can't admit it.

It's a lonely world!

Please hang in there. In a few years time, I believe we will honestly look back and understand why we voted this way.

Oh yes, you're right. They've definitely sent their correspondent to the most deprived wards to look for the most local colour to illustrate the whole 'class divide' thing as vividly as possible for their American readers.

Right at the start there is someone thumping a table in agreement and yelling 'Aye' FFS

But the point holds.

And what exactly classes as middle class? S do you have to have a certain level of education to qualify?
Or working class? If people are relying on benefits, are they working class?

You can't quantify it can you? It's a state of mind.

I (for example) voted 'leave' partly for these sort of reasons despite having a comfortablish income and living in one of the firmly 'remain' London boroughs.

I think what really influences a vote is whether you think the yawning equality gap matters. That probably has as much of an effect as your own current income or the educational certificates in your drawer.

I completely disagree with the PP who remarked that people vote on their own self interest automatically.

Perhaps we need a MN group for the quiet Leavers

Oh god, yes please Rooner

Oh wait, I'm not that quiet

dacre absolutely. I have been called all number of things for my vote because a Leave vote will probably affect my circumstances adversely in the long term.

I voted for the future generations of people living in the UK. And with all the available evidence (that I gathered myself!) I felt Leave, on balance, was best.

I completely agree people's motivations for leaving need a consideration

dacre absolutely. I have been called all number of things for my vote because a Leave vote will probably affect my circumstances adversely in the long term.

Did Turkeys and Christmas make an appearance?

Silent majority?

That'll be The Sun, Mail, Express, Telegraph, Murdoch, Dacre, high profile MP's?

I think some leavers are playing the victim here. We are held accountable for our actions in the workplace, democracy should be no different. If "Project fear" turns into "project reality" that is something leavers will have to reflect on.

"I think what really influences a vote is whether you think the yawning equality gap matters"

I think you're implying that those who care about inequality voted leave. I (and most of my friends and family) voted remain precisely because I think inequality in the UK is at appalling levels, and there is a great deal of poverty and social exclusion. Brexit will harm the economy and lead to a loss of jobs, and a lower tax intake, and hence lower funding for the welfare state. The EU protects the rights of the most vulnerable workers, there is already talk by the Tory leadership candidates on removing "business regulation" by which they mean rights that protect workers. Current EU structural funds go directly to the poorest regions, and any replacements (if they ever happen) will be at the discretion of the central government in London. We now how badly funded UK regional policy is at the moment, so the funds will very likely be lower than they are at the moment.

It has been divisive sadly, but on the other hand, I have found my self engaging with people on Facebook that I didn't really know too well, and we have discovered commonalities, so I'd say there is a bright side to this.

I agree we need a MN group for the quiet leavers, :) glad to see there's at least one person in London who also voted to Leave Just5minswithDacre! There's actually a protest to Remain going on on my street right now outside our local MP's office as it's their weekly surgery time. And police are there. It seems fairly peaceful though.

I think you're implying that those who care about inequality voted leave. I (and most of my friends and family) voted remain precisely because I think inequality in the UK is at appalling levels, and there is a great deal of poverty and social exclusion.

Oh no, sorry, it did sound like that, didn't it?

I do realise that many people came to the opposite conclusion from similar priorities.

There's actually a protest to Remain going on on my street right now outside our local MP's office as it's their weekly surgery time. And police are there. It seems fairly peaceful though.

Protesting the referendum result at the MP's surgery seems an odd choice.

The Sun, Mail, Express, Telegraph, Murdoch, Dacre, high profile MP's?

Where are left-wing supporters of Brexit represented? Unfortunately the coverage of the leave side seems to be mainly right-wing or tabloid. This deepens the stereotype of who supported the leave side, and means the moderates aren't heard as much.

Protesting the referendum result at the MP's surgery seems an odd choice.

why? Most MP's wanted to remain.

Well just because a single MP has little power to ignore a referendum result Ghost.

Picketing a 'remain' supporting MP would be even odder.

Leaving the EU will have to go through parliamentary debate. Lobbying an MP seems logical.

I suppose. I just assumed that lobbying in writing to individual MPs would be more effective and protests would be national or regional affairs.

I think you are going to see alot more protesting/demos in the months and years to come.

I voted remain. I haven't fallen out with anyone. At least 20 'friends' have deleted me from Facebook because they don't agree with my vote and the fact that I'm a bit upset about it. I've had to delete one cousin for posting racist remarks and one other school friend because she told me I was unhinged.

In real life my friends all voted remain. I'm no less friendly with the people I know who voted leave (mostly workmates and parents at school), most of them are racist so I don't have much conversation with them anyway.

No I didn't think so.. I wouldn't know what class to put myself in. I'm definitely comfortable, but certainly haven't inherited a fortune from daddy if that's what's classed as middle class.

I know a few that would put themselves in to an "elite" class (they would like to think anyway) but it's laughable. Coming from the poor north east.. big fish, small pond comes to mind

A few of my friends who voted remain put on their facebook pages that we must all write to our MP straight away to complain. Their research clearly didn't and still hasn't gone as far as finding out he is strongly in the out camp. I don't think their letters will have much impact.