The regret of Britons who chose to leave the EU

Faced with this harsh reality, many British people expressed regret for voting in favor of the country leaving the European Union.

Many Britons were stunned by the result of the referendum on leaving the EU. Photo:AFP

"Freedom of movement has been taken away from us by our parents, grandparents and uncles, a blow to a generation already drowning in the debt of their predecessors," said a British commenter under a Financial Times article about the UK's referendum to leave the European Union (EU). This comment has been shared thousands of times on social media.

"Our young generation has lost the right to live and work in 27 other countries. We will never know the full consequences of lost opportunities, friendships, marriages and experiences we will be denied," he continued.

That was also the general mood of many British people yesterday morning, after the referendum result was announced, with 52% of people supporting the option of leaving the EU (Brexit). The hashtag "What have we done" became popular on social media in the UK, revealing the anger, regret and sadness that many young people in the UK felt about this result.

Even those who voted for Brexit expressed regret over their decision to leave the EU. The referendum result showed that more than 17.4 million Britons supported Brexit, while 16.1 million wanted to stay in the EU.

Speaking to the BBC, a voter named Adam from Manchester expressed shock at the result, even though he was a Brexit supporter. "I didn't expect it to turn out like this. I thought my vote wouldn't matter much because I thought we were definitely going to stay in the EU."

"To be honest, the news of Prime Minister David Cameron's resignation shocked me. I think the uncertainty we're going to have to go through over the next few months is making me nervous," Adam admitted.

Many other voters also expressed regret over their decision to back Brexit on Twitter. "I voted to leave because I believed those lies, and now I regret that decision more than anything. I feel like my vote was taken away from me," one person wrote.

“I regret my vote too, I had no reason to make that choice,” another wrote. Some simply posted “I really regret my vote.”

London was one of the few regions in the UK to vote overwhelmingly to remain in the EU, with only 5 out of 33 voting in favour of Brexit. The result of the referendum has left Londoners devastated, and they are calling for the city to gain independence so they can remain in the EU. A petition calling on Mayor Sadiq Khan to declare London an independent city has attracted more than 26,000 signatures in its first few hours.

Like Londoners, many other Britons went home to sleep on the evening of June 23 after voting, believing that the country would definitely remain in the EU, as many had predicted. But when they woke up the next morning, the reality shocked them.

"When I woke up this morning, the harsh reality hit me hard. If I had the chance to be re-elected, I would definitely choose to stay in the EU," said a voter named Mandy, who voted for Brexit.

“I feel dizzy, absolutely shocked,” Hannah Lucas, a 28-year-old woman in London, told the WSJ. “Shock” was also the word used by 29-year-old nurse Rafi Sahin to describe her reaction to the vote, even though she is also a Brexit supporter.

"This is the worst day of my life. Worse than when Wales were beaten by England in the last football match," said Hywyn Pritchard, a Welshman living in Manchester.

A British woman was shocked after the majority of British people supported Brexit. Photo: Reuters

Brexit opponents have warned that the UK economy would be further hit by financial turmoil if it opted to leave the EU, but those warnings have failed to sway many British voters, such as 54-year-old Simon Doyle.

"I'm in the clouds. There will be unrest, but so what? Our future is in our hands now," said the stockbroker.

Colette Cowing, 93, from Upminster, London, said she saw a "bright future" when Britain joined the EU, but became disillusioned by the reality of what she called "too much red tape".

Harsh reality

Within hours of the referendum result being announced, the pound began to plummet. Financial markets were in turmoil, and many Britons were stunned by the resignation of Prime Minister Cameron, who had staked his political life on the vote.

“I don’t think there will be any more funding coming into the UK for the next few months,” said Rich Pleeth, CEO of London-based dating app Sup. “This would blow up my fundraising efforts, and it could spell the end for a lot of other UK startups.”

Many foreigners living and working in the UK are also feeling uneasy about the new reality. "It's a real disaster. I feel like someone slapped me in the face. I feel like I'm not welcome here," said Jerome Meillet, a French immigrant working in the UK. "There's always something negative about the British way of thinking, they only think about themselves."

Faced with the risk of losing their rights to travel and work in the European Union, many British citizens are scrambling to find ways to retain their EU citizenship, according to CNN. Google search data shows a spike in the number of searches for the keyword "apply for Irish passport" among British internet users.

The referendum kicks off the two-year process of Britain leaving the EU. Graphics: BBC

If Britain leaves the EU, holders of British passports will no longer enjoy the freedom of movement they enjoy in the bloc. However, those with Irish passports will still enjoy this privilege. Faced with a surge in passport applications, the Irish Passport Office in Dublin ran out of forms yesterday and issued guidance to those seeking information.

“I am an EU citizen, I support Britain remaining in the EU for peace, security, solidarity, unity, rights, freedom of movement and prosperity,” said Leon Ward, a young man in Wales whose father is Irish. “The UK has decided to go its own way, but I still want to be an EU citizen for all the benefits it brings.”

Scott Edgar, who was born and raised in Northern Ireland but holds a British passport, said he had just applied for passports in Belfast for himself, his mother and younger brother to ensure he could continue to travel and work freely abroad.

Meanwhile, single men with Irish passports living in the UK are seeing this as a valuable opportunity to make money. "Hey ladies in the UK, single man with Irish passport ready to get married. Bonus freedom of movement," tweeted Dave Molloy.

According to VNE