As a Remainer, I have nonetheless always felt it was offensive to describe Leave voters as wrong. Voters voted as they were empowered. It was the Cameron government that was wrong in not framing a referendum on 2 questions, namely in / out and closeness of relationship with the EU.
Even now I worry about framing Rejoin as a panacea. The UK is increasingly cleft along national lines. And Brexit has at least revealed that the country needs significant internal institutional reform, and national policy stability, something well outside the EU’s remit. There is also a need to face down the ugly expulsion wishes of the Radical Right and to reveal their cloaked attack on the legal protections of all citizens and residents of the UK. In short, a lot more people, especially in England, need to learn that rights do matter to everyone. That needs to be settled before and not during a Rejoin campaign.
You say of Makerfield that "The constituency voted 65-35 per cent for Brexit. If the current views of the two groups are similar to those of remain and leave voters across the country, then both the “right” and “wrong” camps have around 45 per cent support"--but that this leaves a wide margin for error.
And considering the 49.8% Reform vote in Makerfield just 12 days ago, in the 2026 local election, doesn't this tend to suggest that the "right" camp in Makerfield might be nearer 50%?
Which AB seems to have assumed in eliminating his previous enthusiasm for the UK rejoining the EU.
As a Remainer, I have nonetheless always felt it was offensive to describe Leave voters as wrong. Voters voted as they were empowered. It was the Cameron government that was wrong in not framing a referendum on 2 questions, namely in / out and closeness of relationship with the EU.
Even now I worry about framing Rejoin as a panacea. The UK is increasingly cleft along national lines. And Brexit has at least revealed that the country needs significant internal institutional reform, and national policy stability, something well outside the EU’s remit. There is also a need to face down the ugly expulsion wishes of the Radical Right and to reveal their cloaked attack on the legal protections of all citizens and residents of the UK. In short, a lot more people, especially in England, need to learn that rights do matter to everyone. That needs to be settled before and not during a Rejoin campaign.
Check out our substack that details UK and global election cycles! https://substack.com/@electoralgraph/note/p-198260551?r=8g6ykk&utm_source=notes-share-action&utm_medium=web
You say of Makerfield that "The constituency voted 65-35 per cent for Brexit. If the current views of the two groups are similar to those of remain and leave voters across the country, then both the “right” and “wrong” camps have around 45 per cent support"--but that this leaves a wide margin for error.
And considering the 49.8% Reform vote in Makerfield just 12 days ago, in the 2026 local election, doesn't this tend to suggest that the "right" camp in Makerfield might be nearer 50%?
Which AB seems to have assumed in eliminating his previous enthusiasm for the UK rejoining the EU.
The key missing topic is immigration.
Sound advice Peter albeit I can’t work out for the life of me who AB is 🤣