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Brexit dividing my family.

(432 Posts)
iluvsylvanianfamilies51 Fri 06-Dec-19 13:10:03

I voted leave in 2016 and had no idea it would come to this. I really think this country has never felt more divided. Walking on eggshells when discussing things with friends, family, neighbours. Not wanting to offend but not wanting to back down. It is horrible.

What makes me sad is that it feels like families are splintered and there's so much resentment. Grandkids all voted remain and kids voted remain and leave. All have arguments about it all the time and I feel them getting more closed off to each other.I t is unbearably sad. We shouldnt be divided like this.

I'm sure others feel the same but the reason I post is because my granddaughter sent me this video and I think it articulates it really well. You may not like Labour or momentum but I think we will agree that this tension between leave/remain leaves us weaker. And when I voted in 2016 I didn't think it would be so drawn out. I feel embarrassed about that

twitter.com/PeoplesMomentum/status/1202573131606573056

I have been on the fence about who to vote for but I despise Johnson for his comments on single mothers (AND his racism!) and I think Labour are the best chance we have to get a better leave deal and bring our country back together again. In 2015 I never expected political division to make living rooms tense and communities divided. I wish we could have it back and this stalemate to be over.

Greta Sat 07-Dec-19 10:48:03

I'm amazed that posters on here know that ”nothing will happen to the NHS”.
The NHS is not an act of God. Certainly the last ten years under the Conservatives it has changed beyond recognition – and not for the better. Can we really trust the untrustworthy Boris Johnson to keep us safe?

Boris Johnson only has one message for the public: Get Brexit Done! Meaningless, of course, but he understands that many will be swayed because it makes him sound strong and powerful and the public are Brexit-tired. What a sorry mess we have created and for no valid reason at all.

MaizieD Sat 07-Dec-19 10:50:04

So people don't like 'political' posts on the 'News and Politics forum?

Irony lives on...

Sb74 Sat 07-Dec-19 10:56:59

Because we think it’s part of labours campaign undercover?! Not sure why you don’t understand that. It doesn’t sound like a genuine post. Sounds like labours Pr dept thought they were being clever acting as a gran.

Sb74 Sat 07-Dec-19 10:58:11

Don’t you find it strange that the op hasn’t been back on since called out on this??

Craftycat Sat 07-Dec-19 10:58:19

Good grief- we have never fallen out with our remain believing son nor has his leave believing brother.
Everyone is intitled to their own opinion.
We have discussed it of course but each to his own.
Life's too short!

jo1book Sat 07-Dec-19 10:59:53

I have forgotten how to report a post. Help.

Sb74 Sat 07-Dec-19 11:01:40

Ive already reported it but you click on original message and options come up.

grannyactivist Sat 07-Dec-19 11:02:16

The advice for hosting a dinner party is to never discuss, sex, religion or politics. When my children were growing up we had a constant stream of visitors and house guests and no topics were ‘off limits’.

Because our guests were from all over the world and from different cultures we had to engage in ‘civil disagreement’ quite often, but our children grew up being able to recognise the intrinsic worth of people regardless of them holding contrary views. I think it’s stood us all in good stead in the recent heated political climate.

Lancslass1 Sat 07-Dec-19 11:06:53

I have not read all the comments.
I agree with what Tweedle24 wrote.
Apart from voting there is nothing more that any individual can do to alter things so there is no point in worrying about it.
What will be ,will be
I voted for Brexit and would have accepted a no dealBrexit.
Some of my rea lives who voted to remain say that they appreciate they lost and they should just get on with it .
I presume Jeremy Corbyn thinks that if we have a referendum more people will vote to remain but if not won’t they have to go through the same as Teresa May and Boris Johnson have done to get a good deal?

ALANaV Sat 07-Dec-19 11:09:36

Obviously I wanted to remain as I lived in the EU and since Brexit I have moved back to the UK ….the UK Government has decreed that rights of EU Citizens living in the UK are guaranteed but has refused to address the problems facing UK citizens living in the EU and many countries have rules they will have no hesitation in applying to British Citizens in their countries (i.e. level of income, healthcare, etc etc) the UK OAP pension is not considered sufficient income on its own to enable someone from the UK to remain. If the reciprocal Healthcare agreement is rescinded you will be required to pay around £1 - 2,000 a month for health insurance (depending on what if anything is wrong with you !) so THANKS leavers.....my life has been turned upside down because of you and that hideous joker Cameron ...who walked away into a life of luxury …….I am voting monster raving looney party (well, that about sums up the LOT of them !)

ayokunmi1 Sat 07-Dec-19 11:12:28

I still think it selfish not to expect people to use their right to express their opinion
And if the person didnt do what you expect them to do they are thought of not worthy.
I just dont understand this.
Its a very one track minded way of thinking.
There are countries all over the world that dont have this privilege .
Democracy is built on having the right to express ones views and for it to be held .
I just cannot see why my friends opinion is less of importance than mine.
I might not agree but that does not mean I react in a almost like bullying way.

ayokunmi1 Sat 07-Dec-19 11:14:47

For me I cant see the sense in leaving but I can understand to a degree why some dont want to remai

MaizieD Sat 07-Dec-19 11:20:10

Because we think it’s part of labours campaign undercover?!

There's no reason at all why I should agree with you, Sb74. And is that the royal 'we' you're using, or do you just think that everyone thinks the same way that you do?

Of course, I could suspect that you are a tory plant trying to stop people expressing views that your party doesn't like.

MaizieD Sat 07-Dec-19 11:22:07

Because we think it’s part of labours campaign undercover?!

Just realised what you've said there..

I don't think that it's Labour who are running dirty tricks campaigns on social media... hmm

varian Sat 07-Dec-19 11:27:14

American dirty tricks are corroding British democracy

DidoLaMents Sat 07-Dec-19 11:28:17

Wow, not been on here for a while but gransnet alerted me to this post. I took a look at the OPs link, thank you for your comments, iluvsylvanianfamilies51 I watched it then scrolled down thro the tweets below and found a tweet to Momentum claiming they are pinching the content from an interesting news site TLDRNewsUK link:
mobile.twitter.com/TLDRNewsUK
. I don’t know muchabout them other than they appear to be funded by viewers and claim to be independent. I scrolled thro their site’s followers and followed to see who they got their news from and pleased to see that they follow many news sites of all political colours. It’s tag line is ‘News made simple’
If you wish to see the tweet back to momentum click on link below and scroll down.

mobile.twitter.com/PeoplesMomentum/status/1202573131606573056

iluvsylvanianfamilies51, like you I worry about the divisions between friends; fortunately my family all voted the same way; but do have friends who did not. Those with whom we have stayed friends despite Brexit is more a reflection of our similarities than our differences. As far as racist comments I challenge them no matter who makes them, that usually sorts the wheat from the chaff!

varian Sat 07-Dec-19 11:28:41

www.opendemocracy.net/en/dark-money-investigations/american-dirty-tricks-are-corroding-our-democracy/

whywhywhy Sat 07-Dec-19 11:29:02

This is the worst time I can ever remember in my life for falling out with people over Brexit. I had a friend for over 23 years and she just did not like the fact that I had voted to Remain. We fell out and have never spoken since. I have text her, wrote her a letter and even tried to phone her. I refuse to turn up at her house and be turned away as she has made it plain that that is it! I asked in the letter if we could meet up and put it all behind us and forget about bloody Brexit and just continue to be friends as life is too short. No reply and that was 2 months ago. I will send her a christmas card but then that is it. I hate Brexit!

Aepgirl Sat 07-Dec-19 11:42:40

I voted leave, my daughter voted remain. We made a ‘pact’ not to discuss Brexit, so no arguments. Same with my friends.

Sb74 Sat 07-Dec-19 11:46:07

@mazied

I couldn’t care less if you agree with me or not. It’s pretty obvious what this post is. When I say we I mean me and the others on here that have also called it out for what it is.

Why couldn’t labour be involved in dirty trucks? A bit Niamey if you. They’re all as bad as each other.

Think what you like.

jo1book Sat 07-Dec-19 11:46:49

Brexit reminds me of the Reformation. Politics is like a religion to a lot of people and will divide if divisions are allowed.

freyja Sat 07-Dec-19 11:46:53

I have found the last three years difficult. Having spent most of our working life in Europe before and after Britain entered the EU we were always treated with respect, kindness and made many friends. Sadly this cannot be said about my own country who on our return treated us with disrespect; my children were bullied at school and our car tyres slashed etc all because we lived in Europe. When my children asked 'what nationality are we' I replied European as we were proud to be so even though we are English. So voting to remain in the referendum was a forgone conclusion for my family.

What I found since the result is that the people, including members of my own extended family, who voted to leave to be aggressive, rude and defensive about their decision. After three years we have never had a proper debate, as to the pros and cons of EU all I get is the same answers from all of them, 'to get our country back', whatever that means, repeating BJ and NF almost word for word.

I have tried having a discussion with female friends and older women members of the family, but their reaction is the same. They have either voted to remain but don't tell the husband or voted to leave because their husband's did, either way they didn't want to talk about it.

The men of friends and family who voted leave, all are of the same mind set as BJ and NF, but again they do all seem to be white men of pensionable age. Their argument being that we want our country back with no immigrates or foreigners interfering. This is of course immediately contradicted when they complain that they have to wait 8 weeks for a doctors appointment, can't get the drugs they needed, but they do not or choose not to see the connection of Brexit and the difficulties this may bring, even if it maybe in the short term.

The only sensible discussions I have had is with my 15 year old GS, and other young people all of whom seems very knowledgeable on this matter. All are in agreement that if they had a vote they would vote remain. The reason is because they like having friends from all over Europe and want to be part of this exciting continent that's on their doorstep. From the mouths of babes
I am a member of the Green party but in this election I starting to think of voting Labour because they are the only party offering a proper debate on Europe with all the facts are on the table and will give us the final say. I also think JC is right in being the honest broker in this matter so we really have to think for ourselves and have a final vote on Europe.

Sb74 Sat 07-Dec-19 11:51:12

Typos obviously meant trucks not trucks and naive!!

I’m not the one Mazied that’s come on here trying to persuade people to vote Labour to save the country!! Maybe you’re in on it you then?

Sb74 Sat 07-Dec-19 11:51:35

Aarrghh tricks- what is wrong with my phone!!

Jishere Sat 07-Dec-19 11:55:17

You write like you are responsible for the horrid mess Brexit has become. Why are you embarrassed? Because you voted leave.

We were given a chance to vote and we did - it doesn't matter what way you voted that was up to you. And why anyone is arguing about it is beyond me!!

Stand tall you had your reasons for the way you voted and stick with it.

The high paid pms are ones who should carrying on arguing amongst themselves - in fact it isn't worth given it anymore thought - let them do that.

As for your family if there's too much arguing ban them from political talk in your presence - stand on a chair and shout over their heads until they listen. Wearing xmas hat!! If that doesn't make them laugh!!!