Voting patterns are not simple due to Brexit and split motivations

From: Edward ThomasCollington Close, Eastbourne
Brexit newsBrexit news
Brexit news

We are now in the month of our exit from the European Union.

In letters, December 20, Arnold Beck suggested the majority ‘were clearly opposed to getting Brexit done’ because 56.4 per cent of voters did not vote for the Conservatives at the recent General Election. click here to read It is not as simple as that.

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In the same edition as Mr Beck’s letter was one from Robert J Woods who wrote of having voted Conservative ‘with a heavy heart’ because although a Remainer, he felt it necessary to follow the 2016 decision of the people. click here to read

I was also made aware of the dilemma of my staunch Lib Dem friend in Surbiton who is just as determined about leaving the EU. He did not want to vote either Labour or Conservative, could not vote for his own party this time, and in some desperation opted for the Greens.

There was therefore a certain amount of split motivation producing voting anomalies, as could be evidenced from the national picture whereby as many as 16 per cent of Leave voters backed the Labour Party.

The scene was thus set for Parliament’s vote on the Withdrawal Bill on Friday December 20. Six Labour MPs voted with the Government, including Emma Lewell-Buck, whose constituency had voted 70 per cent Leave and she felt honour-bound to go along with them. As many as 32 other Labour MPs abstained altogether from the vote.

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In all the circumstances it would appear that Boris Johnson should do nothing of what Arnold Beck suggests, ie allowing the UK to remain in the EU. However, there is one local statistic of which we should all be concerned.

During the election campaign in Eastbourne, posters were everywhere in favour of the Lib Dems.

There were none on display supporting the Conservatives.

When a teller at a polling station was questioned about it, he said that they were all torn down. Is that the level of intolerance we have reached in our town towards those of an opposing political viewpoint?