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"honestly telling everybody that our financial stability and indeed prosperity since the financial crisis of 2008 is much thanks to EU membership and 'passporti

"honestly telling everybody that our financial stability and indeed prosperity since the financial crisis of 2008 is much thanks to EU membership and 'passporting' through the City of London while the EU paid for the economically weaker, rural regions." Why should the working class be happy with this? The benefits to EU membership accrued to the connected classes in the big cities. The subsidies provided to these regions by the EU are a small fraction of the economic damage which has been done to these people's lives through a triple punch of increased labor / safety / environmental regulations, free trade (with countries powered by low wage and low labor and environmental standards) and immigration of cheap labor. Everybody wants to tell these people to just eat cake.That's not a reasonable solution to the economic challenges in the rest of the country. If London is doing so fantastic economically, they should have focused on helping those hurt by these policies.

wanda 10y ago
Like I said, the government failed, not the EU. The Vote Leave campaigners used EU as a scapegoat. The likes of Boris Johnson need to be punished for lying to the electorate and for whatever financial problems are now around the corner. Brexit is a way for particular individuals to gain influence and power within their lifetimes and to duck the blows of a working-class which, when Labour was strong, would have made them pay for the Tory disregard for the rural and/or low-income electorate.
- tremon 10y ago
  when Labour was strong I don't think Labour under Blair did much more to reinvigorate the rural and former industrial areas. While I very much agree with your general assessment, "blame it all on the tories" is not the right sentiment.
  - wanda 10y ago
    Sorry, I should clarify that I blame Blair's government as well. Absolutely agree. I actually still remember my penniless, scrounging father telling me how Blair/Labour was going to change everything in 1997. Practically crying about it while Blair celebrated on the CRT screen. How absurd that turned out to be. I remember the miner/north-eastern side of my family practically disowning me when I praised some of Thatcher's policies and refused to back down. That was a rubbish Christmas – they still regard me as a traitor to my class, even now, especially given my line of work. I didn't go to university. I just worked my arse off and used my own initiative. Now I find myself rather distant from everybody in my age group and income grade. Most of them cannot cook, repair their jeans, repair their smartphone chargers if the cable is snapped, etc. They've never had to think about such things, and they look at me with dismay when I suggest fixing something instead of replacing it. People worse off just deliberately treat their possessions carelessly because nothing matters to them. I cannot understand either side. Naturally I gravitate to realpolitik. I feel no animosity or envy toward the privileged or wealthy. It does not make sense. I just want to go my way, maybe invest one day when I can afford the risk.

wanda 10y ago

Like I said, the government failed, not the EU. The Vote Leave campaigners used EU as a scapegoat. The likes of Boris Johnson need to be punished for lying to the electorate and for whatever financial problems are now around the corner. Brexit is a way for particular individuals to gain influence and power within their lifetimes and to duck the blows of a working-class which, when Labour was strong, would have made them pay for the Tory disregard for the rural and/or low-income electorate.

tremon 10y ago
when Labour was strong I don't think Labour under Blair did much more to reinvigorate the rural and former industrial areas. While I very much agree with your general assessment, "blame it all on the tories" is not the right sentiment.
- wanda 10y ago
  Sorry, I should clarify that I blame Blair's government as well. Absolutely agree. I actually still remember my penniless, scrounging father telling me how Blair/Labour was going to change everything in 1997. Practically crying about it while Blair celebrated on the CRT screen. How absurd that turned out to be. I remember the miner/north-eastern side of my family practically disowning me when I praised some of Thatcher's policies and refused to back down. That was a rubbish Christmas – they still regard me as a traitor to my class, even now, especially given my line of work. I didn't go to university. I just worked my arse off and used my own initiative. Now I find myself rather distant from everybody in my age group and income grade. Most of them cannot cook, repair their jeans, repair their smartphone chargers if the cable is snapped, etc. They've never had to think about such things, and they look at me with dismay when I suggest fixing something instead of replacing it. People worse off just deliberately treat their possessions carelessly because nothing matters to them. I cannot understand either side. Naturally I gravitate to realpolitik. I feel no animosity or envy toward the privileged or wealthy. It does not make sense. I just want to go my way, maybe invest one day when I can afford the risk.