Opinion

People shouldn’t be blamed for believing the lies sold to them during the referendum

Jacob Rees-Mogg dodged a bullet yesterday after Brits needlessly took aim at a man who spoke out after his decision to vote Leave cost him his marriage.

Appearing on Channel 4 News a consultant gynaecologist said he voted Leave because he believed it would provide more money to the NHS. But the decision had destroyed his marriage to his wife, who is a German doctor and had struggled to come to terms with his decision.

Rees-Mogg was able to offer little consolation, and based on the response to our article yesterday, nor were the British public.

How could a consultant gynaecologist, a learned man, have “believed the messages scrawled on the Brexit bus?” people asked.

How could he have believed that there really was going to be a pot of gold for our health service once Britain exits the European Union?

But people shouldn’t be blamed for believing the lies sold to them during the referendum.

Stood in front of that very bus was the man who would become the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom and he was espousing messages backed by several highly-regarded politicians.

So why wouldn’t a health practitioner, worried about funding in the NHS, take his word on messages that are close to his heart?

That isn’t an insult to his intelligence, but rather an unfortunate stain on the good faith he laid in British democracy.

In the words of Caroline Lucas: “When we say people didn’t know what they were voting for, that is in no way an aspersion on their intelligence. It is the fact that the Brexit campaign deliberately didn’t set out what Leave would look like.”

“That’s why it’s right that when people have the facts, they have the chance to look at it again.”

RELATED 

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/vote-leave-illegal-spending-sufficient-enough-to-swing-the-result-of-the-referendum/06/12/

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/opinion/giving-erg-a-crack-of-the-whip-may-deliver-the-dose-of-realism-brexiteers-so-desperately-need/06/12/

Jack Peat

Jack is a business and economics journalist and the founder of The London Economic (TLE). He has contributed articles to VICE, Huffington Post and Independent and is a published author. Jack read History at the University of Wales, Bangor and has a Masters in Journalism from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Published by
Tags: headline