Wow, 40% are happy with the UK staying outside the EU. That’s a lot of people, especially given the continuous stream of newspaper articles crying how terrible and disasterous brexit has allegedly been.
Probably because rejoining now means it’ll be on very different terms. Luxuries like keeping the Pound would go away
While the UK had a bunch of luxuries, keeping the pound wasn’t one of them. Eurozone != EU
Every EU member is obliged to join the eurozone. The EU members who have not yet done so are still to meet the convergence criteria, with the only exception being Denmark who obtained a special exemption (along with the UK) during the negotiation of the original Maastricht treaty.
On the flipside, although Sweden is technically obliged to join the eurozone eventually, it has avoided doing so by intentionally not fulfilling the convergence criteria (by not joining ERM2). Most political parties in Sweden acknowledge it would be in everyone’s best interest to join but a national referendum rejected the euro in 2003. The EU seems content to let them do whatever for the time being, so maybe the UK could chart a similar course if it were to rejoin, hypothetically.
Thing is, not all facts are true. And once you think you’re being lied to, there’s little chance of being convinced otherwise.
A lot of people don’t give a shit about anything but themselves.
It’s easy to live in a posh Tory area and not feel the effects, or to be blissfully ignorant that some of the negatives in your life wouldn’t be there if we had EU backing.
the negatives
Just out of curiosity, what negatives do you see there being?
Off the top of my head:
-
Councils/areas that received EU funding that are now feeling the pinch, especially in areas like Wales.
-
The sheer number of job losses (see the Digby Jones Index for examples).
-
Reduced movement, and an inability to hire in some industries, with zero flexibility of movement elsewhere. While I’m all for trade deals with the US and Australia, they almost definitely won’t be allowing British citizens an easier time to move.
Lots of these don’t particularly affect people in the South East, and in many places that were both Labour and Brexit strongholds, poverty and underfunding are the norm anyway, so it’s not like things getting “worse” are noticeable.
There was a great article a while back called “the sociology of Brexit”. Sadly, I can’t find it any more, but it explained the above far better than I could, and indicated why many that voted to leave the EU wouldn’t change their mind, regardless of what happens.
id rather international politics be based on whats beneficial as opposed to whatll punish people best
