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Why I can’t move on from Brexit

Pro-European protesters campaigning to keep strong links with the EU - Credit: PA

Is it time to move on from Brexit and try to reunite the country? Readers have their say. 

While I applaud the political logic and humanitarian sentiment behind Ian Dunt’s piece, I am finding it impossible to muster the love of country which he sees a key to post-Brexit recovery.

Back in the distant times when these nations (as an Englishman of Irish descent now living in Wales, I use the plural quite deliberately) were capable of producing such a man, George Bernard Shaw wrote that “democracy is a device that ensures that we shall be governed no better than we deserve”. 

I see no greater indictment of this dis-United Kingdom than the last five years of its history culminating in the Johnson government, and I see nothing to persuade me that my scorn and contempt for its inhabitants is anything less than richly deserved. I really wish I could see the silver linings on which Ian Dunt pins his article, or find a reason to think the best of my fellow British. Sadly, I cannot.

Steve McEvoy

As someone employed in public sector procurement I have tried supporting my colleagues to prepare for Brexit. I faced a number of challenges.

Firstly most people don’t have a basic insight of how international trade works inside or outside the EU. They have no knowledge of basic processes and procedures. 

They do not understand how just-in-time logistics works across Europe. They don’t understand the single market and why it was created. 

Therefore they have simply accepted the government’s bland statements, and believed that somehow everything will be OK in the end. 

Secondly there are those who supported Brexit who cannot accept that the painful reality of trading as a non-EU member with the EU will be more complex and costly. They are convinced there is some buoyant global market that will supply goods and buy goods to our specification.

They have done nothing to prepare, and when challenged expect someone else to sort it out.

They have budgets based on single market prices. The budgets cannot be increased, yet we will now have to pay for the processing of import documents and the increased transport costs due to the delays at the ports. All of this must be paid for somehow.

However, these same Brexiteers are hyper-sensitive to any challenge, regardless of how empathetically presented, that requires them to explain how they thought their imagined goals would be achieved. 

It is not gloating, but utter frustration at dealing with willful ignorance and anger that I and many others will have to pay for the consequences of Brexit.

R Davies

There is a lot of debate between Remainers as to how to treat people who voted for Brexit. 

Do I gloat? No. Do I say ‘I told you so’? No. Am I bloody angry? Yesssssss. 

Come on Remainers let’s shout “I am mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more.” 

Isn’t it about time Brexiters stopped talking about patriotism and started talking about shame?

Kathy Erasmus
London

• Have your say by emailing theneweuropean@archant.co.uk. Our deadline for letters is Tuesday at 9am for inclusion in Thursday’s edition. Please be concise – letters over five paragraphs long may be edited before printing.

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