With sheer panic caused after Brexit, many people have turned up regretting their decision to Vote Leave and looking for a way to 'undo' their votes, and help Britain remain in the EU. Awakening to a stock market plunge and a precipitous decline in the value of the pound that Britain hasn't seen in more than 30 years, voters now face a series of economic shocks that analysts say will only worsen before they improve. It has also created a fear of rising racism among the ethnic minority like the British Indians, Pakistanis or Bangladeshis. Many of them who are born and raised here, consider Britain to be their mother country, only identity and home, but are now anticipating a growing xenophobic and racist attitude towards them from white natives, after this historic event.
There have been many developments, including a petition to have a second EU Referendum (which has already reached over 2 million signatures), a second Scottish referendum and even have an independent London- outside UK and inside EU, a 'no-confidence' motion against Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn and a call for a general election instead of second referendum. There also have been murmurs of the possibility of Northern Ireland voting to join the Republic after their own votes went a similar way to the Scottish.
Sadly the Brexit votes have mostly come from age group 50-65 year olds in England and Wales, whereas most youngsters have consciously voted remain are now blaming the older generation for playing with their future- the future they will be part of, for longer. Some have claimed to have been duped by alleged ‘mistruths’ of the leave campaign, some who voted ‘Leave’ but never expected the campaign to win, now suggesting that they had “no real reason” to vote how they did.
Leave voter Adam admitted on national television that he didn’t think his ballot would matter and was beginning to regret his decision. In a segment during the BBC’s rolling coverage of events, Adam was introduced as a Leave voter and asked for his reaction.
He said: “I’m a bit shocked to be honest. I’m shocked that we voted for Leave, I didn’t think that was going to happen.
“I didn’t think my vote was going to matter too much because I thought we were just going to remain.”
Adam added: “The David Cameron resignation has blown me away to be honest and the period of uncertainty that we’re going to be magnified now so yeah, I’m quite worried.”
Another Brexiter, a girl appearing to be British-Indian, interviewed at an airport by 5News, said if there were “one thing” she could do it would be to “go back to the polling station and vote to stay”.
She said: “This morning the reality is actually hitting in and the regrets are filling in that we have actually left the EU.
She added that most of her family had backed the Leave campaign but were also regretting their decision.
“[We’re] very disappointed. The whole family this morning, even though the majority of us voted to leave, we are actually regretting it today.”
A tearful woman also revealed she felt “a bit sick” and had a “lump in her throat” after voting for Brexit.
Susan, a caller into James O’Brien’s LBC radio show, accused leading Brexit campaigners of ‘conning’ her with the pledge to invest the UK’s £350 million weekly contribution to the EU in the NHS instead.
The woman demanded that voters be balloted in a second referendum so they could vote properly.
“I do feel a bit sick,” she said. “This big lie, this £350m pounds a day that we’re told was going to go into the NHS. Why haven’t we - we’re being conned and we need another referendum.”
Besides these many other took to twitter to complain that they feel conned into voting 'leave'. More alarming has been the ignorance of many Britons who were not only mystified by what would happen if they left the EU— many seemed not to even know what the European Union is, and taken google to find it, after voting has been over.
On the other hand, the Cornish council has issued a plea for “protection” following the UK’s vote to leave the European Union. Cornwall, which has a poor economy and as such has received millions of pounds in subsidies from the EU each year for over a decade, voted decisively to Leave. But this money is now threatened following the severing of ties with the EU.
John Pollard, the leader of Cornwall council said: “Now that we know the UK will be leaving the EU we will be taking urgent steps to ensure that the UK Government protects Cornwall’s position in any negotiations.
“We will be insisting that Cornwall receives investment equal to that provided by the EU programme which has averaged £60m per year over the last ten years.”
European money has helped develop infrastructure, universities and broadband internet in the county. From 2007 to 2013, €654m was given to pay for these projects, the Financial Times reported.
But a statement on the council website posted on Friday said prior to the referendum said the county was reassured by the Leave side that withdrawing from the EU would not affect the funding already allocated by Brussels.
Leave campaigners also promised the county would not be worse off in terms of the investment it receives. “We are seeking urgent confirmation from Ministers that this is the case,” the statement added.
The council said they will now be studying the impact of Brexit on Cornwall, “now and in the future”.
