AIBU to think that if the government stopped or paused Brexit, it is highly unlikely there would be massive 'civil' unrest ?

[frumpety]

I have heard people say that if Brexit was stopped or even paused there would be riots and mass civil unrest as a result. I honestly don't think there would be, I know a lot of people would be annoyed or angry.


Would any leave voter on here seriously consider rioting ?

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

General elections do get rerun. Brexit's so unworkable that arguably if it had been an election, it might well have been put back to a vote already.

[MeteorMedow]

I’m not convinced that ‘sayinh no sod democracy we’re remaining’ at this stage would do a lot of good.

We’ve burnt a lot of bridges with the EU and would end up akin to ‘that woman who took back her cheating husband but never really forgave him’ only we’d be the cheating husband and the EU the wronged wife.

We’ve shown up and humiliated them for not taking us seriously or negotiating in the first place. Remainers are very quick to forget the EU had the chance to negotiate and all buy laughed in our faces sneering “you won’t actually leave!”

It’s backfired on both Britain and the EU! But anyone who thinks deciding to stay (at this stage) would be the same as had this not happened is just as delusional (if not more) than those who voted to leave in the first place

[SomethingOnce]

I’d be surprised if there was significant civil unrest, but you never know. (I remember the poll tax riots, just!)

I think the division in this country is a huge problem that’s been building for decades and stopping or pausing Brexit might be storing up problems further down the line.

It’s a pity, because with a bit of listening 10-20 years back, all this need never have happened.

[Ninoo25]

I think the thuggish Brexit zealots would riot, probably encouraged by the higher echelons of society like JRM, Nigel Farage etc who really, really want a hard Brexit for their own selfish reasons. When I say encourage I don’t think they would say go out and riot, more along the lines of, ‘people are rightfully outraged at this blow to democracy and I wouldn’t be surprised if there was civil unrest, I mean would you blame them?’ (you know more legitimising it than anything).
I do think a lot of more civilised people would protest and write letters to MPs etc.

However, I’m a Remainer and am still hoping that we do not leave the EU, any short term affect of rioting would be better than the long term affects of leaving the EU.

[JudasPrudy]

I think there would be celebrations on the streets where I live.

[mostdays]

Ah, it would make them happy really- goodness knows that bunch are never more content than when they have something to complain about.

[lubeybooby]

not civil unrest, just a bunch of 12 foot thick gammon, endlessly whingeing and farage turning an as yet unseen shade of puce

[MissSusanScreams]

We’ve burnt a lot of bridges with the EU and would end up akin to ‘that woman who took back her cheating husband but never really forgave him’ only we’d be the cheating husband and the EU the wronged wife.

But that is a shit analogy. Because as much as the media talks about the ‘divorce bill’ this is not a marriage between the U.K. and the EU. A better analogy would be removing an organ from a body. The U.K. is kidney that needs to be surgically removed. The body (The EU) will be a little worse off without it but will solider on and learn to cope, maybe even get a transplant. But the kidney is fucked without the blood supply of the body, unless it can find another body (US, Australia, China etc) to host it. And there always the chance of rejection without the correct drugs (trade deals, back handers, hookers for Trump).

[frumpety]

thecupboard I am not suggesting that Leavers would riot, I am suggesting that they probably wouldn't.

I live in the North. Have done all my life, except for a few brief months in London, many moons ago

[dontalltalkatonce]

YABU

[MissSusanScreams]

Carrying that analogy further. We (the U.K.) have just turned up for our pre-op assessment and realised our surgeon isn’t actually qualified and can’t agree on and entry site and also are squabbling with each other.

Should this slightly battered but not diseased kidney stay in the body (the EU) or risk being sliced to ribbons and fed to the dogs?

[Pickupthephone]

Agree with the posters who’ve said that the ‘it’s democracy, innit’ argument just doesn’t cut it.

As PP have pointed out:

• general elections are held every 5 years (and funnily enough this is a fairly key feature of democracy), whereas Brexit is irreversible;
  
• the result was extremely close;
  
• we now know the Leave campaign was corrupt and broke electoral law; and
  
• the referendum wasn’t binding anyway.

[Pickupthephone]

I voted leave. I wouldn't riot.

I'm disappointed with the whole thing. I wish we were never in the eu, and now more so than ever, but since we basically cant get a good leave deal, we may just not be able to.

I’m always baffled by what people like you THOUGHT was going to happen. What on earth made you think we’d get a good deal?

[RedneckStumpy]

Personally I believe that violence and civil unrest are inevitable at this stage people should be preparing for shortages

[NinjaGoSaysNo]

I think there would be protests/marches that could turn violent due to the EDL etc getting involved.

Also a general loss of faith in democracy, as mentioned by PPs.

But if we leave with no deal there will be much worse riots when people are hungry and angry about medicine shortages, rising costs, job losses etc..

Since a deal doesn't seem possible I think pausing/cancelling Brexit is the lesser of two evils.

[Piddly2]

I think there will be civil unrest anyway when leaving doesn't pan out as expected.

[frumpety]

Dontall for living in the North ?

[MakeAHouseAHome]

Bellainisurge the only 'whiny fuckers' as you put it are remoaners... whinging that they didn't get their way in a democratic vote.

[Polarbearflavour]

Doubt it. Probably just keep on moaning on the Daily Mail online comments!

[bellinisurge]

We'll see who produces the whiniest fuckers when the shops run short.

[SusanWalker]

I think some form of civil unrest is pretty much inevitable regardless of where we end up.

TM has done nothing to try and bring the country together. A compromise of staying in the SM and CU but leaving the political side would have been a good reflection of the narrow win. I think a lot of remainers would probably have had a little grumble but got behind this. And I suspect the leave side would have done the same.

It was TM and her insistence on the hardest brexit possible that has lead us to this. It has put remainers backs up and let leavers think that a hard brexit is the only brexit. Add any shortages, job losses or fall in the pound and high inflation and we are seriously in trouble.

The government knows it too. The army admitted yesterday they are getting ready for brexit, but not to distribute food or meds. Which doesn't leave much else for them to do.

[JosephineDupont]

I doubt rioting but I do think there would be a fairly large movement away from voting.

It would be an interesting experiment.

[Staringcoat]

It's too late now, but I wish people hadn't talked up the possibility of civil unrest. As we know from the poll tax riots etc, there is always a violent (usually young male ) sub-section of society who is willing to use any excuse (whatever reason lies behind societal unease , legitimate or not) to be violent and cause chaos just for the sake of being violent. That's what frightens me anyway.

Also, what happens when those leavers who voted legitimately for genuine change, begin to realise post-Brexit (if it goes through) that being outside of the EU is making their life worse, not better as anticipated, and that they've been lied too and sold down the river yet again. I doubt that will lead to actual violence (unless there are food shortages or something) but it could I think lead to even worse social division and discord and racial tensions (if possible!) than there is now.

[ElfinStardust]

There will be a lot of frothing from callers to Jeremy Vine's Radio 2 show and Radio 4's Any Answers. No change there then.