The majority wanted Brexit (Source: Brexit referendum results)
Brexit is not a thing the majority wanted.
It's something the majority
of voters chose to
vote for.
I'm playing semantics, but the semantics do actually make a slight difference.
There were a load of people who didn't bother to vote. They were apathetic towards the result, but that doesn't make it something they wanted.
There were a load of people who voted for it as a protest vote because they were sick of not being heard. They didn't necessarily want Brexit, they were just pissed off. That was spectacularly short sighted, of course, because their vote has given even more power to the people who've been ignoring them all along.
There were also people who voted not realising the route the government would then take towards Brexit. Some of those people find the current approach to Brexit terrifying enough that they'd vote against it now.
There were also a load of people who voted for it because they were completely misinformed. Unfortunately most of them are
still misinformed, so yes, it is still something they want.
The whole idea of Brexit, the pros, cons, and all, were stupendously misrepresented during the whole campaign.
A lot of people thought they were voting to fund the NHS instead of Europe and had no idea the whole idea of that happening was bullshit.
A lot of people didn't realise how much the EU actually supported their area: see the moments Cornwall and Wales realised they'd voted against the funding that had been keeping them going.
A lot of people thought they were voting for less immigrants. That... well, that is what it is.
The thing is, at no point during the lead up to the referendum did EITHER side actually try and lay out what would/could happen after the fact, from either perspective. They couldn't, because they didn't know. Nobody, not the politicians or the people voting, really knew what leaving or the process of leaving might actually entail.
That's why they didn't try to win people over with a big plan to prove how great it would be. That's why they went for lies and hatred instead.
It wasn't all the fault of the leave campaign either (though they did lie through their teeth, promote hatred and fear, and make far, far better use of the media). Just as much damage was done by the fact the stay campaign were completely fucking useless and failed to point out the bullshit, counter the lies, or tell people why being Europe could/should matter to them. They didn't have an ounce of charisma either.
Now I'm not going to say that if another vote were held today then all those apathetic voters would get up and do it (though some might) or that people would vote differently. Some would, as there are a documented accounts of voter's remorse, but a lot probably wouldn't.
A lot of the leavers still don't realise how much of the campaign was lies. A lot of them still don't understand what we get out of being in Europe, or why the single market is important, or that people have been lying to them about things being Europe's fault for years.
They believe the media when they tell us we're in a position of power because the EU needs up more than we need them.
They believe May when she says she can make us a global power. They believe her when she says the moment we're out we'll be drowning in other trade deals and they have no idea how difficult it might be to get them or just what else might end up being bargained away in exchange.
And yes, some of them really do just hate the idea immigrants taking their homes and jobs so much that they're willing to throw absolutely everything away to get rid of them.
A lot of people voted for Brexit. A lot of people wanted it. A lot of them probably still do.
Yes, a slim majority of people voted for it.
But it wasn't the majority of the population. Just the majority of voters.
But you know, never mind. The rest of us don't matter anyway. That's what they keep telling us after all.
What's with these posts, did people really want Labour to defy the referendum result and vote against triggering article 50?
Well, yes, actually.
Or I at least want them to be able to have the choice to vote for themselves and their constituents instead of being told the party line is now to join the Tories in trying to throw everyone under the gaudy red NHS bus.
The referendum was meant to show what the British people want. What it showed was not that they have the British people's support. What it showed was that the British people are deeply divided and have some pretty serious issues that need addressing.
What it
didn't do was provide them with a clear majority or give either side the sort of support they would need to proceed, particularly with someone with drastic country changing consequences.
Instead it showed it was a pretty even split and therefore what we do going forward needs one hell of a lot of thought. The more logical choice would have been to admit people are deeply, deeply unhappy with the status quo but that it's best to stick with it until you manage to work out what the hell just happened and what the best way to proceed is.
Maybe you even consider another referundum after both sides have had a chance to re-evaluate and try to make a better case. Going 'meh, it's about even, let's go with the drastic country changing consequences!' is just horrifyingly short sighted.
But the latter is what they've done, so going from there:
48% of the voters don't want this shit. 48%!
That's a LOT OF people and SOMEONE should feel obligated to stand up for them. The party that would traditionally be "the opposition" would at least be a reasonable suggestion.
At the very least, though, if Labour do want to support Brexit, they should point out that a load of the stuff the Tories are doing is hot air and try to put some pressure on them to safeguard Labour interests in the negotiations rather than just letting May and her cronies run with whatever lack-of-plan they're still forging ahead with completely unopposed.
