A question about £40 billion turned, for the most-respected No voices, into a question about the 2016 result. Yes narrowly won, but the top-rated No arguments were about democracy rather than the bill.
That No case came in two forms. One was the terse “Undermining democracy is the most expensive mistake a Govt could make.” The other, equally respected, was a long complaint about Europhiliacs and an exit it called hobbled by establishment obstruction. Some No voters were former remainers: one wrote “I didn’t like the outcome of the referendum, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore it.”
The most-respected Yes cases were blunter and about outcomes. “Brexit failed,” said one, adding “It’s ok to say we got it wrong as a nation.” The other claimed the UK had lost “100bn a year for 6 years”. A more cautious Yes voter conceded the answer is an “absolute no” if rejoining means the Euro and Schengen, a worry No voters also raised.
The argument sits inside the long-running dispute over Brexit's economic record. One Yes voter suggested the obstacle is cultural, with identity built around Brexit, while No voters pointed to trade deals and an economy they said was outperforming France and Germany.
So the two sides priced the same thing in different currencies: one counted lost growth, the other counted sovereignty as priceless.
124 Opinions
No. Give it up. Brexit was decided democratically, implemented, and Britain has moved on. Yet the usual suspects remain determined to drag us backwards. £40 billion is a contested estimate, not a guaranteed price tag, but surrendering legislative, monetary and border sovereignty is a very real consequence of rejoining. Trade with Europe, absolutely. Political subordination, absolutely not. Stop obsessing over reversing Brexit and concentrate on making Britain a success.
I am heartily tired of Europhiliacs conspiring with EU against UK & continually whining about rejoining. It took > 40 years to partially exit this corrupt vampire entity because of corrupt MPs refusal to respect a clear vote & pro EU establishment using biased Supreme Court to hobble our exit. £40B is illusory, we already dodged £Billions of EU impositions & the terms of rejoining will be a vicious punishment beating on wheels. Reality is they hate but want to control us.
Don’t be ridiculous, they chewed us over to leave and they’ll do it again. Their economies have tanked, we’d be fools to rejoin.
FZyi I voted remain but after what we have seen from EU over the last number if yrs & the mess EU is in, give me that vote again I'd vote STAY OUT OF EU EU is the ENEMY OF DEMOCRACY
Undermining democracy is the most expensive mistake a Govt could make.
I don’t think we should have left the EU, but now we’re out we shouldn’t go back in. I didn’t like the outcome of the referendum, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore it. We’d also never get back in on the terms we had when we left, and so that makes it far less attractive.
I wouldn't rejoin if they paid us 40 billion a year. It is a totally corrupt undemocratic evil cabal. The mask slipped during Covid, mandatory vaccination and also proposed quarantine camps for the unvaccinated which the Australians actually did!! I actually voted remain, but I thank god I lost!!!
Perhaps we get a government and establishment that actually delivers Brexit and then we get to see. As it is we have done better out of the EU than it's three biggest economies. Rejoining will be a painful, divisive process. And when it does not deliver then we revisit the question again. No. We had a choice. We made one. Now make it work
Brexit failed. The state of the economy and standard of living proves it. It's ok to say we got it wrong as a nation. Time to rejoin.
The sloppy thinking from those voting yes is worrying. Our economy is outperforming France and Germany. Our trade deals with foreign countries are better than the deals negotiated by the EU.