Jack Staff wrote: 12 Jun 2018, 22:47
We are actually in total agreement, I think.
The problem stems from the London centric polices of consecutive British governments.
North/South divide is a prime example, but I would suggest it is more a distance 'thing', there is not a divide, it just gets worse the further outside the M25 you are.
I agree with most of this. Some cities outside London have done very well from the EU and this was reflected in the referendum results but by and large I agree the issues get worse the further outside the M25 you get.
Jack Staff wrote: 12 Jun 2018, 22:47I have no idea how the Brexiters were feeling under Labour as they are two groups I have no knowledge of, perhaps they just had no voice at the time. Certainly I recall that John Major had a lot of problems beforehand. As Brexit has always been a problem in the Conservative party, Cameron’s attempt to solve it simply spread it population wide. Fuelled by inequality as you say.
My comment "This Conservative Government..." is because they let this débâcle blow up on their watch, when Con/Lib, Lab, Con previously managed to keep the country on track.
My first recollections of disquiet probably came from the Thatcher era where large swathes of the country which had previously relied on manufacturing industry found their livelihoods taken away and not replaced by anything. (Rightly or wrongly she had reasons but that's for another day!!). Then we had Major who blundered along with his rights (without responsibilities) initiatives whilst simultaneously signing away more to the EU.
Then we had Blair who acknowledged there was disquiet amongst the population about the EU and, in his manifesto, promised a vote on the issue which he reneged on. Later Brown took the reins and signed the Lisbon Treaty, thereby negating the need for a vote.
Cameron was aware of the rise by now of the UKIP party which was gathering momentum on a platform of getting us out of the EU and realised one way of getting into power was to appease the anti-EU movement by offering a referendum, confidently believing (in my opinion) the country would return a No vote. He went on a mission to the rest of the EU countries to gain concessions which would strengthen his hand in the referendum and returned with precisely nothing. The rest is history.
Disquiet with Brexit has developed over decades and, as Peston said, came about because politicians of the day did not listen. They tried to brush it under the carpet so there is a collective responsibility for all the major parties who closed their ears and did nothing. Is it any wonder that many Brexiters throughout the land feel cheated, betrayed, so long ignored and hold such strong views whilst their own communities suffer.
