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Here's what I have trouble grasping, 3 years down the line.
What do Leavers think Remainers are fighting for? Do they *really* believe we're just sore losers, as if the referendum was a football match that went the other way and we're still arguing a call?
That's just daft.
What do Leavers think Remainers are fighting for? Do they *really* believe we're just sore losers, as if the referendum was a football match that went the other way and we're still arguing a call?
That's just daft.
Deep down, this illustrates the gulf between Leave and Remain. Leavers are fighting for something abstract. Remainers are fighting to keep jobs and save businesses, and defend themselves (or family/friends/colleagues/neighbours) from a hostile immigration environment.
More specifically, Remainers are worried about...
- Short-term economic shock
- Long-term economic damage
- Job losses
- Loss of existing trade deals
- Collapse of the pound
- Lower direct investment
- Destruction of UK manufacturing sector
- Rising cost of living
- Short-term economic shock
- Long-term economic damage
- Job losses
- Loss of existing trade deals
- Collapse of the pound
- Lower direct investment
- Destruction of UK manufacturing sector
- Rising cost of living
- Increasing national debt
- Loss of single market benefits
- Complex customs procedures
- Higher tariffs
- VAT and customs charges on shipments from the EU
- Burden of extra customs clearances
- Additional red tape for companies dealing with the EU
- Loss of single market benefits
- Complex customs procedures
- Higher tariffs
- VAT and customs charges on shipments from the EU
- Burden of extra customs clearances
- Additional red tape for companies dealing with the EU
- Departure of large foreign firms
- Erosion of service sector following loss of financial passporting and transferable qualifications
- Collapse of UK agriculture
- Rise in bankruptcies
- Food shortages
- Disrupted medical supplies
- Erosion of service sector following loss of financial passporting and transferable qualifications
- Collapse of UK agriculture
- Rise in bankruptcies
- Food shortages
- Disrupted medical supplies
- Rationing and substitution of pharmaceutical products
- No money to reverse cuts in public services
- Return to austerity
- Loss of freedom of movement (in both directions)
- Loss of rights for UK citizens living in the EU
- No money to reverse cuts in public services
- Return to austerity
- Loss of freedom of movement (in both directions)
- Loss of rights for UK citizens living in the EU
- Loss of rights for citizens of EU countries living in the UK
- Loss of EU citizenship (which we all have by default as UK citizens now)
- Lower environmental standards
- Loss of worker protections
- Erosion of human rights
- Possible NHS privatisation
- Loss of EU citizenship (which we all have by default as UK citizens now)
- Lower environmental standards
- Loss of worker protections
- Erosion of human rights
- Possible NHS privatisation
- Lower food hygiene standards (especially, but not exclusively, vs the USA)
- Families counting both UK and EU citizens torn apart
- No ECJ oversight
- Rise of fascism and the far right
- Increasing fear of the “other”
- Normalisation of racism
- Rise in hatred and division
- Families counting both UK and EU citizens torn apart
- No ECJ oversight
- Rise of fascism and the far right
- Increasing fear of the “other”
- Normalisation of racism
- Rise in hatred and division
- Legitimisation of nationalism
- Xenophobia, homophobia and intolerance becoming more mainstream
- Marginalisation of minorities
- Widening gap between rich and poor, as the well-off ride out Brexit, while everyone else suffers
- Xenophobia, homophobia and intolerance becoming more mainstream
- Marginalisation of minorities
- Widening gap between rich and poor, as the well-off ride out Brexit, while everyone else suffers
- Deepening inequality between London/SE England and the rest of the UK.
- Permanent lack of respect for experts
- Diminution of the rule of law
- Increasing anti-intellectualism
- Permanent Leave/Remain antagonism
- Permanent lack of respect for experts
- Diminution of the rule of law
- Increasing anti-intellectualism
- Permanent Leave/Remain antagonism
- Hard border between NI and Ireland
- Collapse of the Good Friday Agreement
- Return to violence in Northern Ireland
- Calls for Irish reunification
- Reawakening of anti-Irish rhetoric
- Huge increase in support for independence in Scotland
- Calls for Welsh independence
- Collapse of the Good Friday Agreement
- Return to violence in Northern Ireland
- Calls for Irish reunification
- Reawakening of anti-Irish rhetoric
- Huge increase in support for independence in Scotland
- Calls for Welsh independence
- Breakup of the UK
- Isolation from medical research
- Loss of the Erasmus student exchange programme
- Collapse of our world-leading higher education sector
- Power vacuum replaces the normal functions of the British state
- Isolation from medical research
- Loss of the Erasmus student exchange programme
- Collapse of our world-leading higher education sector
- Power vacuum replaces the normal functions of the British state
- Focus on Brexit continues to sideline vital legislation and initiatives
- Extreme tactics (prorogation of Parliament, etc.) become the norm
- Erosion of democracy
- Slide towards autocracy
- Deeper entrenchment of partisan politics over the national interest
- Extreme tactics (prorogation of Parliament, etc.) become the norm
- Erosion of democracy
- Slide towards autocracy
- Deeper entrenchment of partisan politics over the national interest
- Increasing corruption in politics (dark money, foreign power interference etc.)
- "Remain purge" at all levels of politics i.e. only Leave politicians have a role in shaping our future
- Weakening of European alliances that have helped keep the peace
- "Remain purge" at all levels of politics i.e. only Leave politicians have a role in shaping our future
- Weakening of European alliances that have helped keep the peace
- UK turning into a global outcast
- Becoming a puppet of the USA
- Loss of influence in Europe
- Destabilisation of Europe
- Little influence over world affairs
- Isolation in an increasingly global world
- World will see us as a racist country
- Irrelevance on the global stage
- Becoming a puppet of the USA
- Loss of influence in Europe
- Destabilisation of Europe
- Little influence over world affairs
- Isolation in an increasingly global world
- World will see us as a racist country
- Irrelevance on the global stage
- Loss of our European identity
- Less national security cooperation
- Cultural isolation
- Fear of the unknown: what happens after Brexit day?
- Rise in mental health issues
- Increasing suicide rate
But apart from that, Brexit's great!
What are Leavers fighting for?
- Less national security cooperation
- Cultural isolation
- Fear of the unknown: what happens after Brexit day?
- Rise in mental health issues
- Increasing suicide rate
But apart from that, Brexit's great!
What are Leavers fighting for?
I've summarised the introduction for my upcoming book. Hopefully it conveys the sense of what we're feeling. (The rest of the material will be in there too.) 
