The Conversation (0)
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Greg Evans
Mar 17, 2019
For many Brexit has been a long a torturous road into the abyss that now looks to be completely redundant as UK parliament cannot make up their mind as to what they want to do.
As of right now, the Commons has agreed to return to Brussels and attempt to seek an extension on Article 50. Whether the EU will grant that or not remains to be seen but it's just another sorry chapter in the UK's attempt to leave the EU.
Long before the EU referendum, there were those that were passionately against Brexit and those who couldn't get enough of it. The former camp has continued to argue for Britain's EU membership by pointing out what a catastrophe Brexit could be.
The latter though haven't been as vocal about leaving. Beyond a few ardent Brexiteer MPs and the likes of Nigel Farage, Tim Martin and the odd bloke on Question Time, Brexiteers have slowly been fading away into the shadows.
Not everyone who voted for Brexit is likely to be that honest about it (the same could be said for Remainers) but one Brexiteer who has given up on the cause is the journalist and commentator, Ben Kelly, who has put together a viral Twitter thread explaining why his enthusiasm for the movement is virtually dead.
Kelly explains how he and a few friends had hoped for a 'Liberal Brexit' based on sensible ideas but how that was dashed by the government and opposing MPs but also how the whole debate has brought at the worst in Britain and how the deep resentment between Leavers and Remainers, misinformation and lies from the Leave campaign and the use of EU nationals as bargaining chips has left a sour taste in his mouth.
This is a long thread but makes for worthwhile reading.
CONFESSIONS OF A "LIBERAL BREXITEER" If the UK doesn't leave the EU I don't personally care anymore. I don't rea… https://t.co/YMbICe3OWO— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552580327
This isn’t sudden. My friend & long-term ally @rolandmcs withdrew his support 07/18. We discussed it beforehand. I… https://t.co/2FaQKIsv59— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552580404
A while back former Vote Leave staffer @OliverNorgrove switched to supporting Single Market membership & opened up… https://t.co/SaEh3pidFU— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552580441
I set out a vision for & argued for a “Liberal Brexit” & was openly supportive of free movement & the Single Market… https://t.co/oXZjOpS92B— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552580505
I didn’t sufficiently account for incompetence of govt; radicalisation of Brexiteers; LeaveVRemain becoming an intr… https://t.co/G3m9255RoQ— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552580524
Retaining optimism for 3 years of relentless negativity has proved impossible. The last year has been particularly… https://t.co/CJydFkHeD5— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552580640
The last 3yrs has been a descent into mediocrity. Terrible PM. Worst govt in living memory. An appalling, morally r… https://t.co/ZFKsgAFL5u— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552580684
We’ve seen Britain’s relations with its key allies deteriorate, the exposure of so many of our politicians as woefu… https://t.co/YL8iUxhYnY— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552580695
Worst of all, nationalistic attitudes are flourishing – manifesting in backlash against notion of retaining close t… https://t.co/XX0hVoetHr— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552580706
Worst thing is EU nationals in the UK being treated as bargaining chips. How sad. The worst broken promise of Leave… https://t.co/zSpiCRu6R6— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552580737
So much for “global Britain” and “Liberal Brexit”, the voices of the small minded, the ignorant, the mis/ill-inform… https://t.co/GnIYplnzUH— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552580781
People will say, surely you saw this coming with the tone of the debate? And Liberal Brexiteers were essentially co… https://t.co/XIkAymlfbL— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552580816
I didn’t endorse by silence. I called out the xenophobia & lies. I thought this set me apart from them, I realise n… https://t.co/V9XCDFdZS9— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552580939
I didn't get the culture war kicking off. I was having a debate about how we are governed, the extent to which we… https://t.co/F8GqGYejvs— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552581116
I’ve had a crash course in British politics for 3-4 years, and people like @stephenkb have pointed out how flawed m… https://t.co/iSb6PXiqDf— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552581160
The explanation for so many false assumptions? It’s because I was part of a campaign. A niche campaign with… https://t.co/xwsdYCNHvb— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552581200
In 2015/16 I became involved in actively arguing for Brexit & in online campaigning. That was the end of objective… https://t.co/iu5zL5RCro— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552581220
Anyone can create a bubble for themselves & live in it. I did so via this single-minded focus on achieving an objec… https://t.co/73KEJqsjMa— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552581234
If I had stood back and analysed it properly, might I have taken the same position as @davidallengreen? A post-Maas… https://t.co/HG8tmHbsL3— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552581267
I would have taken a pause for thought when @s8mb, considered and promoted “Liberal Leave” via the @ASI , but endor… https://t.co/Z0rAwxVI1y— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552581375
@ClarkeMicah also vindicated. He argued that it is for parliament to decide on such matters. The ref was a constitu… https://t.co/RVLW9ye4La— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552581398
Sadly, the referendum brought out the worst in Britain. It brought out the worst in a lot of people, including, sad… https://t.co/mdMYANsv5A— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552581425
It was always the case that there was a risk in turning over the table. Leave was revolutionary, and it came with n… https://t.co/vGGCloU44t— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552581448
So, what now? I don’t support a second ref because our political system & MPs failed to cope with the first, they’r… https://t.co/QEKlnV9ja9— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552581485
I think we should enhance the political declaration for a closer relationship or switch to the EEA. However, if t… https://t.co/1JN734Jg11— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552581569
Sorry to my reasonable Brexit supporting friends but I haven’t felt it for a long time now. Sorry to everyone els… https://t.co/HigxK0ORm8— Ben Kelly (@Ben Kelly) 1552581612
Since Kelly shared the thread on Thursday it has been retweeted more than 1000 times and has received a lot of praise for his honest and well-written words.
This is an incredible thread. I wonder how many more people are thinking this now? https://t.co/jzF1Qz9r2I— Caitlin Moran (@Caitlin Moran) 1552665366
Phenomenally honest thread. Must have been hard to write. https://t.co/p2iyuAHicG— David Schneider (@David Schneider) 1552684856
@TheScepticIsle Thank you for a well written thread. I started an EUsceptic but flipped remain b4 the vote One of… https://t.co/DRbc05lsqf— It w̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶b̶e̶ IS a shitshow (@It w̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶b̶e̶ IS a shitshow) 1552589134
@TheScepticIsle @StevePeers I commend you for your honesty and thank you for an excellent thread.— CitiZenSane, Unseat Blue, No Matter Who 💙😷⭐️🇪🇺 (@CitiZenSane, Unseat Blue, No Matter Who 💙😷⭐️🇪🇺) 1552581556
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