Have your frienships and family relationships suffered as a result of Brexit?

[Wormzy]

Just that, really. If friends and/ or family members have clearly voted differently to you, has it changed the way you see them or interact with them? Have friendships broken down?

I haven't been able to vote, but the outcome of the vote affects me disproportionately. Family members have voted Leave. There have been arguments, also between friends, some ended in loss of contact.

I wonder how the Brexit vote has affected others on here?

All I was doing was asking why people are cutting ties with friends, and in some cases family, over politics.

I have cut ties with someone who turned out to be stupid and racist. That was revealed by those 'politics' you're so dismissive of. Because people like my cousin don't like Indians I risk being forced to leave my home and my country. Why wouldn't I cut ties with him?

OK. As opposed to all the other "empty words" on this thread, let's put some meat behind it. I don't want it to be too long so I'll just name the first few things that pop to mind.
Look at what's happening in Chemnitz now - far right rioting on the streets because (so the story goes) a German citizen has been murdered by an immigrant. What has stoked the fire here is the belief that some elements of the police are promoting it because the news plays down these attacks. And before anyone screams "rascist", this is not about immigration. It's about the fact that Merkel decided a policy (that affected all the Schengen nations) without consulting the people, and this is promoting a rise of the extreme right across Europe that frankly I find pretty terrifying. EU structure (or lack of) is behind this.
What about the uncleared Target 2 balances? Italy owes about EUR 400 Bn to Germany (roughly) that never gets paid, and isn't counted in any of the debt calculations published. German people funding Italy without ever being consulted. Really not okay. And the rules for Target 2 specified that these should be settled "periodically". An example of them breaking the rules of their "rules based system" when they feel like it. Not okay.

What about the utter joke of Merkel saying that she's okay with the Bundesbank president guy (Weidmann I think) not being put forward to replace Draghi even though he's been the obvious choice for years, provided one of her other lapdogs (Uschi whatsername the defence minister or that Peter Altmaier bloke) gets to replace Juncker, when Weidmann wanted the Target 2debt collateralised which is right from the point of view of the German people but would cause unsustainable tension in the EU system. But she's pretending to sacrifice her man to get one of the other lapdogs in. Not okay.
Don't even get me started on the years of pain the EU have subjected the Greek people to. It's verging on inhumane. You could argue it's not our business. That's doesn't sit comfortably with me though.
I know it's long and boring and technical. Thank God these issues are debated in the better press.
I was a marginal remainer by the way.

A couple of my friends are indeed outward racists and voted Leave (obv) my cousin, also voted leave.
However, when i suffered personal tragedy, these people were there for me, some remainer friends were not.

Can i condemn them? no, i cannot, i don't discuss politics with them, though i came close to it when said cousin said to me "well, i expect brexit might wreck your retirement plans if the stock-market falls, i'm glad i've already retired" WTF !!!!!

Life is too short and deep down she really is a lovely person, did loads for my Mum as she became infirm (and for me too)

It’s rapidly turning into Project Reality, but let’s just stick with nonsense sound bites
Not true - youth unemployment has continued to fall, growth still fine. Weaker pound is good for exports and the inflation is manageable. The forecasts have not come true. They may still - who knows?

What utter bollocks. The removal of my right and that of my children to live and work in other countties is not “an inconvenience”. It could potentially fuck our entire livelihood.
I don't know your circumstances and am sorry to hear this. But my point is that the economy is the important issue because it matters to everyone, not just to a small percentage of the population. And the economy was the reason I was swayed towards the Remain vote. No need to be rude.

It might be too much for you to bear but it’s not too much for me which is why I voted Leave

I work to implement European law and it has made me utterly weary. The thing is - I was so enthralled by the European dream as a student. Then it lost control of itself.

You want a a link for corruption? Are you having a laugh?!

Megan - I would love to meet you in the pub to debate all this. Your issues were my issues except I tipped to Leave. Actually, I knew I would vote Leave have moment the referendum was announced

The rise of the far right really scares me too. It’s what happens when the populous feels threatened and marginalised

I’m half German and some areas of Germany have become no go areas for women at night. It’s not mentioned in the news for the reasons you state. It has to be talked about but isn’t.

UK GDP growth is 1.2% lower than it would have been (ft.com), wage growth is weak, high levels of employment is not a good market indicator given the UK’s poor productivity levels. FDI has dropped off, and to date the hit to the UK economy is likely to be between £20 and £40 billion.

The total UK trade deficit (goods and services) widened £4.7 billion to £8.6 billion in the three months to June 2018 (latest ONS stats). This was due to a £5.5 billion widening of the trade in goods deficit, resulting from a combination of falling goods exports (£3.1 billion) and rising goods imports (£2.3 billion).

And we haven’t even left yet.

another one here with experience of drafting European Law. I hear ya.

You want a a link for corruption? Are you having a laugh?!

That is why I lose respect for leavers. It's all words and froth and no substance. They wave around 'undemocratic' and 'corruption' but can't back it up.

Your racist friend was nice to your mum, good job you're not black or Muslim or Polish.

I can't and won't get past racism. A discussion about immigration is fine but is quickly descends into racism.

There are some issues that are fundamental to who I am, racism and homophobia are unacceptable to me and I won't pretend otherwise.
Ire is too short to put up with racists.

Ok, I was best man (about 14 years ago) to a mate i have known for about 30 years who was always a 'bit racist', i just used to think he was goading and half joking.
On the morning of the referendum result, I saw 2 ladies (whose kids are in the same school as mine) crying (one Italian one polish). I was quite upset and was told later that they were very upset about the referendum and would plan to leave. 1 did leave within a few months and she was a nurse I believe.
I said to my mate on the 25th June that I was very down at the result (I am a 100% remainer) and particularly hurt the next morninv because I saw these 2 ladies crying. He said "good, tell em to P!ss off back to Warsaw and give their jobs to good English people." He was being serious. I was extremely angry, called him some choice expletive names and told him I didn't want him near my family again.
About 9 months later he got in touch to tell me his wife (ironically an Asian lady) has stage 4 cancer and I started talking to him again....mainly because i like her. Deep down though it has changed our relationship and I just regard him as a racist idiot, but I do speak to him.
...and then I hear on the James OB show that 1 in 10 leave voters believe that Brexit will only be a success when they have asked EU citizens living here to leave!!! WTF!!!
....and over 50% don't mind us having a recession as long as we leave properly, what happened to the sunny uplands....but we are not allowed to call them racist or stupid and we should be compelled to remain friends with them cos otherwise we are being silly - yeah right!

What has allegations of corruption got to do with racism?!?!

Your racist friend was nice to your mum, good job you're not black or Muslim or Polish

Not a friend, she was my cousin and not racist (as far as i can tell) voted leave, a former circuit judge.

My point is that, as i ve said many times before, it is the Government of the day that is there to represent our best interests, not some random racist voting leave or equally an 18yo who voted remain because his/her parents told them too.

I will never blame leave voters but i will blame the Gov and in particular Cameron, a weak willed weasel who couldn't even say NO when goaded to orally fuck a pig, what waste of good oxygen.

My point is that, as i ve said many times before, it is the Government of the day that is there to represent our best interests

A moot point, when you consider that it will not be in the best interests of the public to leave the EU

I quietly defriended a not very close friend on FB. His ranty racist posts about foreigners were the last straw. His animosity towards those who spoke another language in the UK felt very personal (I am married to a non EU foreigner who speaks 3 languages fluently. We actively bring up our children to be bilingual) although it wasn't intended towards me.

I didn't see the point in debating and having a public FB spat. I don't see him often and don't intend to. I don't forgive and I don't forget.

@jasjas1973

A couple of my friends are indeed outward racists and voted Leave (obv) my cousin, also voted leave
However, when i suffered personal tragedy, these people were there for me, some remainer friends were not

I assume by "these people" you mean your racist friends. I don't have any racist friends because if someone is racist they are not my friend. It's nice your racist friends helped you during your personal tragedy. There are, however, still racist. Would your racist friends help someone who was not white?

Corruption has nothing to do with racism. Two different points in one post! Wow.

While there is corruption within the EU it is a strange notion to shun the EU completely on this basis, as the UK is FAR from 'corruption free'.
The world of arms dealing is very shady for a start, and one of the drivers for Brexiting is to avoid new EU tax controls due in May?

The rise of the far right really scares me too.

And so you voted Leave? Is this a joke? You do realise how much support Leave has within the far right in the UK don't you? All the racists far right groups (Britian First, EDL ect) in the UK are HUGE supporters of Brexit, this is what you are aligning yourself with (willingly or not) and they will take your vote as evidence of support for their racist agenda.

The rise of the far right is one of the big issues across the EU. Brexiting is harming the efforts to keep it under control.
Leaving the EU will legally speaking CUT cross channel cooperation between the UK and EU until a proper deal is sorted out on crime/terror issues. The Gov are too busy pratting about with their own squabbling to get matters like this sorted out.
Issues such as Flights, shipping, policing, terrorist controls/tracking are all in the air and still Mrs May is waving her Chequers paper about even though NOBODY will agree to any of it.

Today's papers were saying that fighters who have gone to Syria, around 850 of them, around half MIGHT have come back to the UK and they aren't even involved in the EU as they are British citizens and are not checked.

I’ve quietly defriended some people on Facebook, mostly for ridiculous posts on ‘all brexit voters are racist’, ‘human rights will no longer exist’, ‘I wouldn’t spit on leave voter if they were on fire’ etc. Pathetic. It’s a democracy, stop sulking.

Bit of a derail, but could somebody point me in the direction of evidence that the weaker pound has indeed led (or will lead) to an export bonanza? Also, does anybody have figures for what proportion of our potential export products do not require importation of raw materials, which (I would imagine) would now be more expensive to import, due to the aforementioned weaker pound?

It’s pretty clear as a nation we are self-sufficient in hubris, arrogance and entitlement, but I don’t know how well those raw materials can be converted into desirable exports.

Hi 'TheElement'
If you flip to the Westminsterenders thread I am sure RTB or BCF will be able to pull that sort of info out very quickly.

It’s a democracy, stop sulking

And again! How can you respect that?

I would think less of a friend who said that. Absolutely.

In a democracy opposition is vital. In a democracy debate is the life blood.

Check out the word 'advisory' and the term 'parliamentary democracy'.

@TheElementsSong

I don't have any figures but I can talk about my own experience meeting exporters. I meet exporters all the time at my job, they don't mention Brexit much because that's not what I'm there for but when they have it's been negative 100% of the time. They have also said exports are up and some are struggling to cope with demand from overseas customers. Nobody has mentioned the drop in the pound. Not knowing what's going to happen post Brexit date is now creating real problems for them as they are wanting to sign contracts with customers overseas that will run after Brexit date and customers are unwilling because basically they have no idea where they'll stand and how much they will have to pay. I'm told that this is what is creating the current boom. Customers overseas have brought forward orders and ordered extra to get things delivered before Brexit day, after then, order books are much more empty.

@KenDodd
Whilst there probably is a significant subset of leave voters who are racist, those right wing groups would be plain wrong to assume that all Leave voters are racist.