There were many reasons for the 52% vote in favour of leaving the EU, with scaremongering about Turkey, false promises about NHS funding, and anti-immigration all playing their part. Also important, however, were the government`s austerity policies, and the resulting fall in living standards, allied to the fact that many areas of the UK had been allowed to become investment-free zones! Now that "our real options" over Brexit have become obvious, and support is growing for a "new referendum", questions need to be asked about whether there exist any reasons for Leavers to have changed their minds about their mistreatment by government (Our future rests on parliament recognising there is no good Brexit, 11.11.18)? There certainly hasn`t been any change in government policies which might have resulted in some lives being improved, "burning injustices" rectified, and inequality addressed. They still have to pay huge proportions of earnings to greedy landlords, rely on benefits despite working, and witness the underfunding of schools and hospitals.
Andrew Rawnsley suggests that with their "boggling political, geographical and economic illiteracy", pro-Brexit politicians think "blame must be assigned elsewhere" (A bad Brexit will not be as bad as the Suez crisis. It will be far worse, 11.11.18), but isn`t there a real danger that is exactly what pro-Leave voters will do, with the EU officials the guilty party?
The most sensible idea has to be not only allowing the British people an opportunity to "give their verdict" on Brexit, but on this government too, preferably at the same time - a general referendum!
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