The night Brexit happened: Readers share their memories of discovering the result

TYears after the Brexit referendum, Independent Readers look back at the night the result came and how differently it was experienced, from shock and grief to celebration and disbelief.

Their response came after political reporter Millie Cooke, then 18 and voting for the first time, recalled a night out with friends turning into “overwhelming disbelief” as it became clear that Leave had won; and political editor David Maddox, who was at Brexiteer Arron Banks’ results party in Westminster, watched champagne corks pop as Nigel Farage and his supporters toasted what they saw as a transformative victory.

These two moments from the writers of Our Europe: The Way Back newsletter capture the rift in many of the memoirs below.

For some, June 23, 2016 brought the sudden shock of a future changing overnight; especially for young voters who feel that freedom of movement across Europe is guaranteed. For others, it was a moment of celebration and self-justification, with talk of sovereignty, migration and a “new dawn.”

Below is a compilation of reactions as the results came in; stories of confusion, anger, relief, and opportunity; They show how, even a decade later, that night continues to profoundly shape the way people view Britain, Europe and each other.

Here’s what you need to say:

thawing the egg

I went to bed at my normal time, waiting for a Remain vote. When I woke up I realized I was wrong. I went to work thinking about the consequences. This was later called “scrambling the egg” and it still persists.

When I arrived at work I found an email from my (US-based) CEO: “How can we make a business out of this?” with an invitation to call later that day. We both agreed that Brexit was a bad idea and that we should try everything possible to get the UK to change its mind. But on the same call we decided to start developing specific Brexit services. These job opportunities were some of the best Brexit benefits I have witnessed.

orval

I tried to hit the TV

I woke up to my neighbors screaming. I jumped up to turn on the TV and tried to hit it to correct the picture I was seeing that said the Leave vote had won.

Ten years later, it’s clear that my initial reaction was correct; It was a complete disaster.

This was in the North East of England so be careful not to stereotype people.

EULou

I couldn’t recognize my own country

Perhaps ironically, the morning after the vote I woke up in a stranger’s bed in the South of France. I was traveling there and my colleague and I were staying at a friend of the organizer’s house. We both voted by proxy, but I went to bed while my friend was up all night.

Naturally, we were both pretty surprised about the outcome, but our schedules were busy and there wasn’t much opportunity for discussion. But when I returned home a few weeks later, reality set in and I realized who we had lost to when reports of a spike in racist attacks started coming in.

Afterwards, I could not recognize my own country for a long time. I’m not sure that’s still not the case.

RickC

Great misery and sorrow

I had been campaigning for Remain all day, and although I never shared Cameron and Co.’s confidence that we would win, the exit polls were starting to reassure me. After the result was announced, my devastation increased even more. I couldn’t go to bed and felt such misery, depression and grief over what we had all lost – but especially my children and grandchildren.

This feeling lasted for a few days and remained in the background even though I continued with my life. He blamed the Leave campaign on lies, manipulations, Russian interference, etc. I will never forgive Cameron for giving people the right to vote without any constitutional guarantees.

Since that terrible day, I have done my best to campaign first for a public vote and then to rejoin, and I am extremely disappointed that politicians are allowing Brexit and refusing to confront it with their utterly ridiculous and unnecessary red lines. There has been some progress recently, of course, but it has been very slow and timid.

viking50

We will never get our country back

The day after the referendum I dropped off a few books at my local Oxfam shop. Everyone was discussing the result. When asked what I thought, I simply said: “This is a complete disaster and we will never get our country back.”

Then everything happened exactly as I expected. The worst thing was watching David Davis pretend to negotiate while he just sat there doing nothing and pretending we were going to get a great outcome. How stupid it all was!

foreign area

I decided that I’m just European

Before the referendum I was quite comfortable embracing my British, British and European identities. That morning I decided that I was simply European and began the process that would allow me to retain my EU citizenship. I’m so glad I did this.

Blackbeard’s host

I cried

It rained non-stop in London on the day of the referendum. I was working late and had to take the Tube to Rayners Lane because my branch on the Metropolitan line was flooded and not working.

I walked home from Rayners Lane, about five miles away. Along the way I met a similarly head-over-heels and lost Polish man who had just moved to the UK and whom I discovered lived close to where I lived. He was completely lost due to disruptions in public transportation, so I walked with him to the end of the street.

Exit polls initially appeared to show a very slight lead in favor of remaining in the EU, so as we were leaving I told him I thought everything would be fine, Brexit wasn’t going to happen.

After a long day and an unnecessarily long walk, I went to bed miserable. I woke up at 6am to hear James Naughtie say: “Nothing has changed but everything has, Britain voted to leave the EU.”

And then I cried as I remembered.

Cavalry

I am very sorry for my children

I will never forget when the result appeared. I felt very sad and sad for my children, who were all students at that time. I had reassured them that Leave would not win in the end as the majority would see through the lies and exaggerations.

I love my country, but since I lived in Europe and the USA, I have always raised my children as global citizens. It continues to make me deeply saddened that for all these years, the truth has continued to be hidden with lies paid for by those who do not care about what is good for the country and only care about money and power at all costs.

I have observed with increasing dismay what has happened since Brexit. With the rise of right-wing fascist movements, immigration and the “take back our borders” message came to the fore. In a world where unreal things can quickly be made real through money, I think it’s more important than ever to raise our voices.

Mich.

Our holiday home became our only home

I was at our holiday home in France. My wonderful French neighbors knew the outcome before I did. It’s hard to say who is most upset.

Like many people in France, they felt rejected. It hurts.

My husband called from England. “That’s it,” he said. “We need to leave this narrow, introverted, dream-filled country. I am making my declaration today.”

Our holiday home became our only home. The best thing we’ve ever done. I’m very happy here.

Amboise37400

We became third world citizens

I was in Spain, where I have lived for the last 16 years, and I sat up all night watching the results come in. I was absolutely devastated by the outcome.

It was extremely devastating, especially for the future of young people who could not experience life in Europe and those who wanted to study there. Let alone the businesses that trade with the EU and the entire entertainment industry that travels around Europe for months.

Also, my and everyone else’s European citizenship was taken away from us and we would now be third world citizens.

A decade later, the cost was shocking; not just for citizens but also for the UK economy.

V1951larabita

I saw the fear in your eyes

I am originally from Germany and have been living in Scotland since June 2013, this is my homeland.

I was in Raigmore Hospital in Inverness the morning this disastrous result was announced. I was receiving treatment for a 5 mm hole in my cornea as a result of a wood splinter entering my eye. It was removed, but it caused my vision to decrease in my left eye.

The staff at the hospital were wonderful; He was multicultural; There were nurses from South America and Eastern Europe and doctors from all over Europe.

I was shocked to see the fear in his eyes. Nurses in particular were going around expressing concern that they would have to leave this country where they thought they could live, work and build a future.

And like I said before, they were amazing.

I was discharged from hospital two days later and had to take the bus back home to the Isle of Skye.

There were a lot of tourists on that bus and also an old man who was obviously a supporter of Brexit.

This elderly person was apparently disturbed when a young girl from Italy or Spain tried to take photos of the journey.

He stood up and started yelling at this poor girl, telling her to go back to her own country, that she had no right to live in this country.

Fortunately, this was mitigated by me and some other people on the bus.

It was shocking and I will never forget it.

Brexit was and always will be the most damaging decision the UK has ever made!

JayBee

I toasted to democracy

I was home, celebrating the fact that voters were finally given the chance to dictate to politicians, regardless of the outcome.

When the outcome was decided, I raised a toast to the workings of democracy, and the Remoans were reacting in the way that Corporal Jones of my father’s army always said: “They don’t like it, Captain Mainwaring, they don’t like it.”

BrummieGuy

Those who remained should have won

I wasn’t surprised by the outcome as I was afraid that Leave would win.

My fondest memory is the awful Remain campaign. It was the worst in history and far worse than Theresa May’s.

He should have stayed and won with a sensible campaign; make the case, state the facts, counter the lies.

Me and a few friends would have run a better and more successful campaign.

PaulB

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Some of the comments in this article have been edited for brevity and clarity.

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