It's a convoluted argument and one that seems to get lost in the shouting. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. But it does seem that 48% of the population who voted had that gift!
The referendum had one simple question and that was should we stay or should we leave. The leavers won. OK park that.
But, there is a second question that needs answering and that is - under what conditions would you leave?
The first question is a bit like asking 'are you hungry' yes or no? And the second question is when and what would you like to eat?
I'm sure that even without saying it, the leave voters had in their mind visions of rainbows and unicorns. If they'd been informed on the ballot paper vote stay in as we are or all be sent to Mount Doom in Mordor to be punished for all eternity, they probably wouldn't have voted leave. You see the simple truth is that people were not aware of the consequences of voting leave. I'm pretty sure as a remainer, that there are some benefits to be had by leaving. But I could see that on balance the act of leaving would be open heart surgery. In other words better to stay than go through the surgery for uncertain potential benefits.
If we could reverse time, go to the EU and get a deal (like we have) FIRST and then put that deal to the country and ask - if these are the consequences of leaving who would vote to leave we might have seen a different result.
It's simple psychology really. If you don't understand the consequences of your actions, it makes logical decision making very difficult. However, if you are 'sold' benefits that are termed soon, certain and positive, you'll be hugely influenced. And that what people were given largely - vote leave and you'll get this....
They couldn't read the small print becaue it hadn't been written until now.
I've spoken to several leavers who have said, I know I voted leave, but I didn't vote for this!
I'm in two minds about the call for a second referendum. You cannot run the same vote. But you can have a follow up. I do see that as a possibility BUT with the caveat that someone with half a brain cell writes the question.
It's a shame in a way that we can't just have a referendum for those who voted leave in the first ballot. They voted to leave so surely they should have some input into accepting the conditions of leaving.
Now the question is that given there is NO other deal available or going to be struck, what would happen if the leavers voted not to accept that single offer? Well there'd be two choices. Leave with no deal at all, like walking away from a restaurant without paying or to say in the case of no deal, we'd like to change our minds and stay.
The whole thing has been shockingly staged right from agreeing to hold a referendum in the very first place.
The sad thing is that in all likelihood, once we are out all of the things that really made people vote leave won't be fixed.
My F.I.L who's 85 voted to leave. I asked him why. One issue. That was it. He wanted to stop all these foreigners coming over here. Which foreigners, I asked. Well the ones coming from Africa and Asia. Right, but you do realise that they aren't Europeans, don't you .....
