Politics

‘I’m embarrassed to say I voted for Brexit’: Woman expresses regret over referendum choice

A woman has spoken out about her dismay over the Brexit referendum three years since Britain officially left the European Union.

Judy Thomas, who lives in Stratford-upon-Avon, a town that replicated the referendum results of 52/48, told the BBC that she is “embarrassed to say I voted for Brexit.”

“We were obviously lied to so much… it was such a big mistake… and I just feel a fool.

“It’s just done so much… all the people who’ve had to leave the country, all the nurses and doctors, then you’ve got the lorries on the motorway. There are just so many things.”

She is one of several people to have expressed dismay over how things have turned out, although some people still believe it needs time.

Mike Mills is standing by his decision to vote Leave, saying: “I think it was never going to be a quick fix. A lot of people thought it was instantly going to produce a big change for the country, but it will take time. And you’ve got to play the long game.”

Richard Shimmin, a long-term Conservative supporter, takes a similar view.

He’s recently joined the Reform Party, the rebadged Brexit Party, saying the government hasn’t delivered the Brexit that was promised.

“I don’t believe we were lied to,” he says. “I believe the government has not implemented anything that they promised to do in terms of Brexit.

“We were promised a bonfire of EU laws – that hasn’t happened. We were promised we would have our own UK bill of rights – that hasn’t happened. If these things had happened I think the country would be in a totally different but better position.”

Related: UK economy set to slam into reverse in 2023 as outlook improves for other G7 nations

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.

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Tags: Brexit