Déjà vu as James O'Brien tries to find out what a Brexit voter thinks they voted for
4 November 2022, 15:07
James O'Brien tries to find out what a Brexit voter thinks they voted for.
James O’Brien engages in an exhausting back-and-forth with this caller who struggles to justify why he voted for Brexit.
After James revisited the consequences of Brexit six years on, Brexiteer Oliver phoned in: “I’d like to tell you why I voted for Brexit.”
“Shall I guess?”, James replied.
“Is it because you wanted to make our own laws and withdraw from the European super-state that we never agreed to join in the first place?”
“To some extent, yes”, Oliver responded before reminiscing on his memories of the UK joining the European Common Market in the 70s.
“It was magic when I heard we were gonna’ get a vote to come out”, Oliver added which prompted James to interject: “So what was going get better? Because we now know that everything’s got worse but you still think it was a good idea so what made you feel euphoric that night in June?”
As Oliver struggled to reply, James added: “What did you win?”
“I thought we won the ability to get rid of the bits of the United States of Europe that I didn’t want", Oliver replied.
“What was the thing you wanted to wave goodbye to first?” James asked, before adding: “You’ve had six years to think about it.”
“I wanted us to go back to the common market that I thought we were signing up for”, Oliver responded.
James: “But you voted to leave it.”
Oliver: “I didn’t vote to leave the common market, I voted to leave the European Union.”
“Yes but they were the same thing by 2016 Oliver”, James said, before pressing: “I’m asking about things that they have voted on… the things that you couldn’t wait to get rid of, the things that you were bound by.
“The rules or the laws that you had to abide by, the regulations that you had to observe.
“The changes to your life that had been implemented by membership that you couldn’t wait to shrug off - what were they?”
Oliver responded: “Well we have to go back to Thatcher.”
“You’re back in your Tardis!”, James rebuked.
“For the final time… what did you win? Here’s the prize that you celebrated - what are you pointing at?”, James frustratingly questioned.
Doubtfully, Oliver replied: “I’m pointing at… um… the common market.”
“Right, have a great birthday won’t you”, James finally relented.
