Brexit - How would you vote today?

[IanSuth]

I didn't vote then and wouldn't vote now.

Mainly due to the fact I am anti referendums on things I don't have enough knowledge on.

I would rather not vote than vote wrong and despite trying to learn didn't feel I knew enough to vote one way or the other.

I am sort of the same way (despite having a degree in economics) but i realised a lot of people with far less knowledge and understanding were voting on sound bites so was trying to counter that.

A receptionist in our building was voting leave because to quote "I don't really understand this politics stuff but by dad was in the army and they said the British army would be got rid of and replaced with an EU one and I dont want that"

i am sure as many people voted remain for equally daft reasons - but it rather proves your point. People shouldn't vote on complex matters from simplistic viewpoints

 

[clyde123]

I voted remain and would do so again.
My reason was not an economic one, although I am aware of so many economic changes - challenges??? - in the aftermath.
My reason was down to what we might call free movement. I have family in most western European countries.
Some of my nearest and dearest can no longer just come and live here. I have a ton of tools which I assumed might go to my son in law, yes in an EU country. That's just not viable any more. I had to put customs declarations on some calendars posted to Spain last Christmas.
And I feel like a foreigner when not allowed to use the EU lane at the airport.

I'm not blind to problems in the EU. But the UK wrote (or helped to write) many of the EU laws that we're now in such a tizzy to get rid of. It's been said we (the UK) always felt apart from Europe. I believe we could have tried harder. Tried to influence others, tried to not regard other countries as "foreign".
We might even have tried learning another language. I was watching a Finnish language film last week, and everybody could break into English when conversing with other nationalities. That's part of co-operation and how to live with others.

 

[SillyBill]

Voted Leave and yet would concede that Brexit, in so far as what has been "delivered" as it stands... at best has been an enormous waste of time. Because we haven't actually done anything and therefore we've incurred a lot of risk for no advantage - what is the point of that?

The Tories have done zilch. The regulations are the same, my business still drowns in them. The divergences in any area, if there are any at all, are not even a ripple in an ocean. To be clear, if we're intended to stay much the same as we were but out of the club then clearly that is not a benefit.

I am willing to accept the loss of the argument, as any rational person should, if action had been taken and results disappointing and worsening. All I've seen to date is the status quo, total institutional inertia, hardly suprising in retrospect though, we voted in a referendum, yet the next day the same people who run every government department up and down the land returned back to work and carried on exactly as before. Anyone would think the civil service is slightly tipped toward Remain...

 

[japancool]

And I feel like a foreigner when not allowed to use the EU lane at the airport.

I feel like that ALL THE TIME.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

I voted remain but after spending some time in Greece this summer with some lefties I discovered I have more in common with Farage

 

[Elliott Coleman]

I voted leave and would vote the same again.

How can anybody judge the effects of brexit after just two years and with everything that's happened in those two years. The whole brexit process was handled badly by both sides, then there was Covid and now the economy has gone to pot all over the world.

 

[IanSuth]

All I've seen to date is the status quo, total institutional inertia, hardly suprising in retrospect though, we voted in a referendum, yet the next day the same people who run every government department up and down the land returned back to work and carried on exactly as before. Anyone would think the civil service is slightly tipped toward Remain...

I think that is more just the civil service is full of inertia, it is big and slow to change.

Irrelevant of whether you are talking Brexit or moving to a new software package - like anything big is slow to turn, be it a supertanker, the civil service or a glacier

If you thought different you have never dealt with the civil service or were a lot too idealistic

 

[DontAsk]

How can anybody judge the effects of brexit after just two years and with everything that's happened in those two years. The whole brexit process was handled badly by both sides, then there was Covid and now the economy has gone to pot all over the world.

This ^^^

 

[SillyBill]

I think that is more just the civil service is full of inertia, it is big and slow to change.

Irrelevant of whether you are talking Brexit or moving to a new software package - like anything big is slow to turn, be it a supertanker, the civil service or a glacier

If you thought different you have never dealt with the civil service or were a lot too idealistic

Deal routinely with the public sector, absolutely useless to a man. The next referendum should be on what % of them should be fired. I'd likely go for 50-60%.

 

[NickGrogan]

Deal routinely with the public sector, absolutely useless to a man. The next referendum should be on what % of them should be fired. I'd likely go for 50-60%.

Seems low.

One of my first jobs was as I was a civil servant. I was one of a team of 7 when I started. Over 18 months, the other 6 left and I was given their work to do, so by the end I was doing 7 jobs. I still had time for a 2 hour lunch every day - flexi-time.

1 person spent all day talking about her dogs and arranging something at Crufts
1 spent all day knitting
1 talked for at least half the day to a colleague in Thetford - not about work
I don't remember what the other 3 did, but it wasn't much.

They employed a guy called Jeremy, he had learning difficulties, but he got on well with everyone. He didn't know the whole alphabet and wasn't great with numbers over 10.

For some reason, he was given the job filing work folders away. They have 8 letter codes and 3 digits. As you can imagine this went very badly, so they hired 2 juniors to go through the draws and take everything out again.

Part of my job was to mark things on paper maps. The maps were so old that Milton Keynes didn't exist yet - this was nearly 25 years after it was founded.

I've no reason to think it's improved.

 

[japancool]

They employed a guy called Jeremy, he had learning difficulties, but he got on well with everyone. He didn't know the whole alphabet and wasn't great with numbers over 10.

Did he later go on to be leader of the Labour party?

 

[Bob Morgan]

Did he later go on to be leader of the Labour party?

No, he became Chancellor of the Exchequer

 

[Clinton]

I voted Remain, despite knowing that in the long term we would be better off economically if we left the block. Yes, in the long term being "out" would be financially advantageous, I said. I covered why in numerous posts in the past, and why I voted Remain.

People on this board argued about how much trade we'd lose, how house prices would immediately crash, all sorts.

I argued that the EU would lose more trade than we would. Lots of you laughed. Read this now on trade from the LSE (ignore the headline and read the article), and this from even the Remainer Guardian. Whether you look at it in pounds or Euros, the EU has lost more than double the trade we've lost! And we're making up that lost trade in increased trade to the rest of the world.

Then read this on house prices. We were predicted an 18% drop, we've had a 32% rise (in just 5 years!). I'm not saying high prices are good. I'm saying that we were given a lot of bullsh*t from the scaremongers.

If I have to vote today, I'd vote Leave.

Then I'd sneak back into the polling booth on a fake ID and vote Leave again.

 

[hikiwari]

I didn't vote then and wouldn't vote now.

Mainly due to the fact I am anti referendums on things I don't have enough knowledge on.

I would rather not vote than vote wrong and despite trying to learn didn't feel I knew enough to vote one way or the other.

Not to vote is a complete waste in my opinion.
You're reason for not voting is valid, but if you don't vote, it will never be known if you are unhappy to vote, or unhappy with the choices provided, or can't be arsed to get off the sofa and walk to the polling station.
My feeling is that if you're unhappy with any element of a local or national referendum or election you should go to the polling station and spoil your ballot paper. This will then be recorded as such and your voice heard.

 

[Talay]

I voted leave and would do so again in a heartbeat.

We never signed up for what we were embroiled in, we signed up for loose ties to make trade easier and though I was only a child at the time, there is no reason to surmise the adult population were fed the truth back then and of course, education levels were lower, though there was more common sense !

Implementation has been deplorable, held back by the remainers and were people like Jeremy Hunt made Prime Minister, they wold have us back through the EU hoops without a referendum as soon as possible.

It has cost me money and will do so but I believe it is our nation's Sovereign right to govern ourselves, not be dictated to by a central European alliance that we twice had to march over in World Wars.

 

[Bob Morgan]

I am voting Monster Raving Looney at the next election! Oh dear . . . I cannot vote due to being disenfranchised via the back door . . . And, since paying Tax and NI since I was 16 I have been informed that I MIGHT get a 'Half Pension' when I am 71 . . . Only 7 Years to go!

 

[japancool]

I cannot vote due to being disenfranchised via the back door

What you and another consenting adult do in private has no effect on your right to vote these days.

 

[SpikeFMT]

We're approaching 2yrs since the UK's transition period ended, it's fair to say most people voted with little knowledge of the impact and what leaving the EU really meant.

If there was a referendum would you vote the same? How would you vote today?

I would vote the same as before Leave !!! and the Brexiteers I know and work with are of the same opinion, the saddo reMOANERS do not help with their constant crying over a democratic decision that they lost, Boo Hoo ! grow up

 

[SpikeFMT]

Didn't (couldn't) vote, but I would still support leaving.

But I would have preferred more competent leadership in the aftermath.

That was the wet flannel Cameron who did not have the balls to say that he would respect the vote and take immediate action to implement it instead of walking away and allowing it all to drag through May until we got a stronger leader in Johnson to get it done. World events have prevented us from progressing with it which the sad remoaners try to use as a reason for rejoining a waste of money gang who desperately try to sell a polished you know what

 

[paulears]

I voted and was convinced that leave was correct. Nobody told me the consequences - what a pain business is now and as I travel to Northern Ireland regularly, the customs/non-customs is a real nuisance. For myself, I like the idea of standing alone, but work has made me think I was wrong. A few months back I would have voted rejoin, but now with the current economic situation, I'm back to sitting on the fence.

 

[SpikeFMT]

I voted to remain, and I would vote the same way if we had a time machine and went back to the original vote. However if we had a SECOND referrendum I would vote to leave as I do not like the idea that a vote is repeated until we get the "right" answer. I also have not been impressed by the actions of the EU and am not certain that Brexit is such a bad idea.

Nice to read you respect the vote even though it went against you, pity others cannot. The argument over Brexit annoys me more than any other as the people voted by, whatever margin, to leave. Personally had the vote gone against leave I would have accepted it also and I did think we would lose but hoped it would have shown the politicians that a large number of the people were not happy and changes may have been done

 

[SpikeFMT]

It is a shame that people cannot move on, I appreciate the vote was close, but the decision was made, rightly or wrongly. I cannot see how thinking the EU is some sort of nirvana, when all the UK did was moan, complain and did their best to hold up the match towards a federal Europe.

The UK has a different history and perspective to the EU, we are out now and I can’t see any justification in changing the decision. The UK has not gone to pieces, we are in a process of change. Considering everything that has gone on, plus the EU’s determination to prove that any State considering leaving would feel its wrath, our economy has done surprisingly well so far, and will continue to prosper.

As for the racist comment yet again thrown up, at least on EU Nation has reduced its foreign aid and changed its immigration policy to deter migrants, does this make them racist? No, it means they realise unfettered immigration is not good for a Nation.

I have yet to meet anyone against allowing controlled immigration into the UK, and certainly have heard nothing but sympathy for true refugees and asylum seekers, but truth is, the majority of the boat migration are economic migrants.

Anyway, I will bow out, I prefer to look to the future, not dwell in the past.

Well Put Sir

 

[SpikeFMT]

I didn't vote then and wouldn't vote now.

Mainly due to the fact I am anti referendums on things I don't have enough knowledge on.

I would rather not vote than vote wrong and despite trying to learn didn't feel I knew enough to vote one way or the other.

There is no wrong vote, there is a majority vote that wins but its still your own vote reflecting your view and it counts

 

[Newchodge]

education levels were lower,

REALLY? Fewer people had degrees, but today's degrees are not an indicator of education levels.

 

[Bob Morgan]

I'm not in the UK, presently - Visiting the Overseas Engine Room. I had a difficult meeting this morning with a Non-Performing Client. However, I was only referred to as a 'Puting Ipis' (White Cockroach) once! They presumed I did not understand! - A sort of Inverted Racism?

 

[Paul FilmMaker]

I made a typo @The Byre ; I meant to say handling TB of data 1GB (still) "wouldn't" be enough.

100% right. Especially as everyone's thinking of it as a 'sending' issue. It's not. It's a receiving issue. It's an international brand film so RAW footage, delivered simultaneously to the agency from multiple countries.

Personally, I don't care what personal politics are, rather I want are solutions to all the problems Brexit is giving my business. British camera operators can't get visas. I can't get a visa. If I want to do business, I need to spend a ton more money hiring kit within the EU because of the carnet system re-introduced because of Brexit.

My manufacturing customer had to delay shoots due to crazy supply problems which they tell me are 100% Brexit related.

And now I need to spend a load more time and money delivering stuff.

Brexit's created real issues which my little business and a ton of my competitors are experiencing. I don't care about politics. I just want to do business. So fix all those problems created by Brexit so I can do business.

 

[Paul Norman]

I would vote to remain.

However, it would perhaps be more right to not vote. I spend ever decreasing amounts of time in the UK and do not really have to the right to an opinion on this.

As an aside, I regard to likelihood of the UK either wanting to join the EU, or managing to do so, as rather close to zero.

 

[Newchodge]

I would vote to remain.

However, it would perhaps be more right to not vote. I spend ever decreasing amounts of time in the UK and do not really have to the right to an opinion on this.

As an aside, I regard to likelihood of the UK either wanting to join the EU, or managing to do so, as rather close to zero.

I agree about rejoining the EU, but we could look at EEA or EFTA membership.

 

[Paul Norman]

I agree about rejoining the EU, but we could look at EEA or EFTA membership.

I think it would make sense to do so. I doubt it will happen - there are too many people still burning with anger about the EU.

And, to be fair, I would be suprised if the EU let the UK, or what is left of it in 5 years time rejoin.


Of course, Northern Ireland will join when Ireland is reunited. Scotland might, when it gains its independance. England never will.

But as I said above, this is not really any of my business! I spend most of of my time in one of those EU alliances that the UK still believes are unchanged from 1938 - see the post above on the subject.

The fact that the UK is still harbouring grievances from a war 80 years ago is exactly why it simply does not belong in the EU.

 

[Marbman]

I would still vote to remain. Its been a disaster for the Pound/Euro rate since 2015. And yes im sure all you leavers have strong arguments to put but nothing I have has seen so far will change my mind.

But I would certainly be interested in hearing from people who have honestly had a positive experience from leaving. Have people seen their business benefit or even their lifestyle improve?

 

[BubbaWY]

I was a nervous Brexiteer. I think the standard of arguments from both sides was so poor that it was difficult for the common man to make an informed decision. There was far too much rhetoric!

I still believe we can only truly judge whether leaving was the right decision or not in another 5+ years. But if we had the vote again, I would vote remain.

 

[Paul FilmMaker]

I was a nervous Brexiteer. I think the standard of arguments from both sides was so poor that it was difficult for the common man to make an informed decision. There was far too much rhetoric!

I still believe we can only truly judge whether leaving was the right decision or not in another 5+ years. But if we had the vote again, I would vote remain.

My issue is exactly the same problem that these small businesses are experiencing. We experienced a lot of this, being a small business:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

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I don't care about someone's politics. What I have is a business and a ton of business problems imposed on my little business because of Brexit. I just want solutions.