Brexit: Austerity-struck Leave voters now realise how European Union membership benefits them, new academic study finds

[niceatheist]

The “hidden Tory” phenomena is well understood, and really isn’t that big a factor. The fact is the EU is Britain’s largest trading partner, and anything that interferes with the frictionless trade that occurs is going to have monumental effects on the British economy. Then factor in the effect of a hard Irish border, with the potential for either renewed conflict or for the unification of Ireland, and the fact that three quarters of Scottish voters voted to Remain, and you have a recipe for the dismantling of the United Kingdom.

Brexit is a catastrophe, and the only way to prevent it from devastating such key sectors as the City is to move towards a Soft Brexit, adopt the EU’s trade rules, to retain as much of the frictionless trade as possible.

The entire Referendum happened because of the endless civil war within the Conservative Party between Europhiles and Eurosceptics. Cameron gambled that he could finally silence the people John Major so famously referred to as “the Bstrds”. It was an astonishing miscalculation, of course. But look at all the Leaver promises, and just what fantasies they are. This idea that free trade agreements with the US and some of the Commonwealth countries, in particular the whole idea of an Anglosphere trade bloc (which really does represent some sort of bizarre notion of rebuilding the British Empire), that would somehow replace the trading partner that lies just 50 miles across the English Channel was always absurd.

 

[PickyPicky]

The UK mainstream media supports EU membership

Quite the opposite is true.

 

[PickyPicky]

the trading partner that lies just 50 miles across the English Channel

Or even just 25 miles Dover to Calais (unless you are Mr Raab, when the link almost doesn’t exist, apparently).

 

[niceatheist]

It depends on how you define the “mainstream media”. The Guardian’s editorial position is pretty clearly pro-Remain. The Telegraph and Mail are both pretty staunchly pro-Leave, though the Mail’s editorial position has been shifting under new editorial leadership. But again, these are editorial positions. The main papers still actually do journalism and tend without a lot of bias to report on this and other issues; although the Daily Mail is pretty notorious for “gotcha” headlines that even the actual stories, when read, appear to disprove.

 

[Lou2U]

But the politicians and the bureaucrats have mostly wanted to remain

Not so. There are at least 80 Conservatives who want a no-deal Brexit. Jeremy Corbyn has been a Eurosceptic for decades. There are plenty of people who want to leave.

so they made sure to put a Remain backer in charge

The only person who made sure May stepped forward in the leadership contest was May herself. Liam Fox didn’t get enough support and neither did Gove. Stephen Crabb and Andrea Leadsom withdrew, the latter after making comments she was more invested in the future of the UK because she had children and May doesn’t.

let her negotiate a settlement that was designed to make the UK look bad for wanting to leave

The truth is there was never a chance Britain could exit the EU on better terms. Nadine Dorries the other day complained that when we leave, we’d have no voice in the European Parliament. The DUP are angry because the deal means NI will be treated differently to the UK, but there was no other way to get a deal. The SNP are angry because they want the same terms as NI gets but for a spurious reason aren’t allowed. The deal doesn’t pass Corbyn’s ‘six tests’ so Labour won’t vote for it.

There was never ever a chance this deal makes the UK look bad for wanting to leave. The UK looks bad because until October May was peddling a plan that was dismissed in July, the last two Brexit secretaries didn’t know the basics of their job, Boris Johnson was Foreign Secretary and May kept blaming the EU for the UK’s problems.

Regarding the article, the UK mainstream media supports EU membership and will say whatever it has to along those lines.

That is false. The Mail, The Sun, The Express, The Telegraph are all names that come to my head of leave-backing publications.

All I’m saying is that it is not as cut and dried as the Remainers think.

It’s certainly not as cut and dried as some leavers argue. There is no way to have cake and eat it, but many haven’t realised this yet.

 

[twf]

Yes, but the government is responsible to Parliament and it’s membership is drawn from Parliament.

 

[tomarin]

@Lou2U what are Corbyn’s ‘six tests’?

 

[PickyPicky]

Well, you’ve left out Britain‘s top selling daily, And on Europe I wouldn’t say the Mail has a record of truthfulness.

 

[Lou2U]

Here:

Keir Starmer: Labour has six tests for Brexit - if they're not met we won't back the final deal in parliament - LabourList

The Brexiteers, once a minority, are now in power in the Conservative government, Keir Starmer will say today.…

labourlist.org

The Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer announced them last year.

Starmer’s six tests for the Brexit deal are:

1. Does it ensure a strong and collaborative future relationship with the EU?
2. Does it deliver the “exact same benefits” as we currently have as members of the Single Market and Customs Union?
3. Does it ensure the fair management of migration in the interests of the economy and communities?
4. Does it defend rights and protections and prevent a race to the bottom?
5. Does it protect national security and our capacity to tackle cross-border crime?
6. Does it deliver for all regions and nations of the UK?