A decision made from the heart

"I voted Leave. Do you think I am stupid? Do you think I was brainwashed? Do you think I did not understand the question asked? All three?"
(Anonymous)

It is sad to see that a Leaver choosing to engage with Remainers decides to call themselves 'anonymous', and it would be interesting to know why.

However to address the points:-

Many Leavers really were taken in by campaign lies (£350m for the NHS, etc), but that doesn't make them stupid or brainwashed. Overly trusting, possibly, not critical enough, maybe. Anyway many weren't taken in, or the promises didn't concern them. The Leavers I know well are all highly educated graduates with professional positions. From talking to them they seem to have voted with their hearts not their heads. One wanted to keep out Syrian Muslims, one wanted to show solidarity with the working class, one isn't very clear on why he did and would now vote the other way - he does work for the NHS so maybe is too embarrassed to admit he fell for the £350m lie. The first, by the way, had a long term relationship with a Latvian and is now marrying a girl from Mumbai, the second's son has married a Cameroonian, the last's daughter has four children with her German partner. Not one of those Leavers are Little Englanders, they travel widely in Europe and at least attempt to speak other languages.

I believe that 'Anonymous' is intelligent, understood the question asked, made their own decision. I also suspect that the decision was from the heart which is often where the best decisions come from, the ones we stick to.

My concern is that the question was so simplistic that it gives no guidance as to what Brexit should look like. Given that only a third of the electorate voted to Leave and a third voted to Remain, the pursuit of a Hard Brexit is quite clearly undemocratic. Giving carte blanche to the hardliners isn't a response to the wishes of the electorate, it is a hijacking. A Hard Brexit will be certainly economically damaging and destabilising for Europe and Ireland even as the world is becoming more dangerous. That is why I voted Remain.

A decision made from the heart doesn't weigh things up dispassionately, so changing facts won't change the decision. This is a serious concern here, as it means that many (most?) Leavers will stick to their decision no matter what. Even if it means hardship for themselves or their family - inflation, jobs lost, falling living standards. It doesn't matter if £350m vanishes in a puff of electioneering, if immigration actually goes up, if the Good Friday agreement fails, if the pound goes into freefall and the promised trade deals never get made.

Leave voters voted to leave the EU, but how many actually wanted what they are now being told they will get? We don't know because they were never asked.

I respect the result of the referendum, but not what is now being done in our names. A slim majority voted Leave in an advisory referendum. Almost as many voted Remain. Yet what is happening now has little to do with the many varied views of the people. Democracy is about compromise. What is the best term for a system controlled by a small group who choose to do things their way without consultation, without informing their citizens of their plans, who ban and demonise opposition?