I found myself chatting with a lovely lady today who voted to leave the EU and wished she didn't as "we are not getting what we were promised."
I agreed that no one voted for this.
(The three points she made were answered, I broke them down for readability. Poor woman.)
"Why, though, we're we paying so much to the EU and getting nothing?" she wondered.
"We pay membership to get the benefits. If I pay £100 a week to TK Maxx (for example) and get £500 worth of vouchers a week to spend how I like, that's a good deal right?"
"Yes, I suppose"
"So imagine if I said I don't want to keep paying £100 a week, I want to pay nothing and get the same benefits. What do you think they'd say?"
"Get stuffed"
"Yes, of course they would. That makes sense right?"
"Now you put it that way, yes"
"By the end of the Year, there will be no trading agreement in place and we will have to deal on much stricter terms, everything will cost a lot more. Where do all these clothes come from?"
"Italy"
"Well, that's going to be interesting isn't it?"
"Erm.. Yes, I is"
She also mentioned..
" What about all the illegal immigrants coming in and draining the NHS and getting benefits.'
I said "There are no illegal immigrants from within the EU, they work and pay tax and NI. They deserve to use the NHS.
Any immigrants from outside the EU do not get the same benefits, unless they are working here. Also, if they are illegal, they can't claim, work or use the NHS. Unless they pay."
I added
" Also, all those (White) Europeans that worked here legally and paid Billions in the pot have all gone.
Now we have to invite workers from much further away to work the fields and do the jobs we won't or can't.
Places like India, Africa, Indonesia etc..., that means more dark skinned people coming to work here and bring their culture and languages.
I don't mind that at all, but I'm sure that's not what the majority voted for, is it? "
She said "I voted for my children's future, not this"
"No, now your children's future is limited. There is no freedom of movement, they can't work or study in the EU as easily as before, unless you have money.
We always had control of our borders. Even now we are letting Americans fly over here while they are banned in Europe. It's same for us too in some EU countries, because of the terrible job our government has done with the Pandemic "
I said.
Thanks for owning up and realising you were lied to, now we need you to speak up against these Liars.
She said "They're all liars"
"Not everyone is lying, just the leave campaign and tory government."
--
Now I have written this down, I understand why her eyes were glazing over.
The reason Sound Bites work.
People who do not check facts from credible sources or read for fun and learning, will struggle with verbose explanations like mine.
The government and leave campaign know this.
It's Not because leave voters are thick, they were fed lies in the bare minimum of sentences.
Now, they are realising that they didn't vote for any of THIS. They just can't see a way out.
What we need is a way back in. The only way we will #RejoinEU is when Leavers and Remainers stand together.
No more Division. Divide and Rule.
We have tried to explain it in a way they can understand, but long, tiresome explanation doesn't beat Strong Feelings that are conjured up by Sound Bites and Headlines.
We need to Simplify the message.
The Truth has to be easier to digest.
Because Otherwise, to them, we sound like Negative, Ranting, Conspiracy Theorists.
No Sunny Promises, just gloom.
Finally, I asked her:
"We were doing OK in the EU, before all this, weren't we?"
She replied, "Yes, actually, we were."
-----
