Seven years ago today, voters across Greater Manchester went to the polls with two options in front of them.
Leave or remain. It was a very simple choice — for a very complicated question.
The lead up to the Brexit referendum led to the exposure of huge divisions within the UK, and many hoped that the thorny issue of our membership of the European Union could be resolved, once and for all, with the in-out ballot.
It did anything but that.
Join our WhatsApp Top Stories and Breaking News group by clicking this link
In the intervening years, Britain has had two general elections — the most recent fought over how it was best to exit the EU — and seen Brexit become the easiest way of starting an argument over the dinner table.
Now, seven years on from the UK’s most recent referendum, the Manchester Evening News spoke to voters from all 10 Greater Manchester boroughs on the eve of the eve of the anniversary to see if residents would change their vote if they had the benefit of hindsight.
We found that remain voters unsurprisingly didn’t think the withdrawal from the trading bloc has been a success. However, leave voters were move divided — with some believing Brexit needs to be given more time, while others wish they could switch allegiances.
In a special report, these are their stories.
“Worst thing I’ve ever done”: Why some voters would change their ballot
“I voted leave. It was the worst thing I’ve ever done, because there’s been so many changes,” a woman from Reddish, sitting on a bench in Stockport town centre told the M.E.N. She declined to give her name, but carried on. She said: “It affects me because my son lives in Spain so I travel a lot though. And they promised us all sorts but have they delivered?”
Such was her disappointment with how the process turned out, she added that she has ‘vowed never to vote again’. “So many people are saying that,” she went on. “I do not even watch anything to do with politics.”
Another leave voter who wishes to change her mind was Margaret Thomson. The 74-year-old, from Droylsden, said she didn’t appreciate the impact of the vote on the nation as a whole.
“I did not realise what was involved,” she explained. “I should’ve looked into it properly and how it would affect the country. I only voted on the immigration issue.”
It’s a similar story for Campbell Bishop, 30, who actually campaigned to leave the EU. He was in favour of a ‘softer’ exit, where the UK remained in the Customs Union, but couldn’t say for certain he would put a cross in a different box.
The Timperley man said: “I do believe we should never have entered the EU. I thought the Conservative party would be more united and I thought David Cameron would’ve stayed and the cabinet would’ve united around it, and we would’ve left the EU on more amicable terms and remained part of the customs union like Norway.”
That being said, he feels like Brexit has led to a swathe of other issues. He went on: “It beggars belief. If it wasn’t so serious, it would be hilarious since then. It’s like Pandora’s box has been opened.”
Another man wishing to change his vote was Adam Leishman. The 42-year-old dad is an engineer, and thought freeing Britain’s European shackles could lead to a sea change in industry.
“I saw the decline of British manufacturing. I naively thought we could get it together to get that back,” he said speaking near his home in Boothstown. “That being said I would not change my vote, necessarily, however I would change it for the xenophobic sentiment generated by Brexit.”
“We don’t know how it’s going”: The leave voters who are happy with their choice
Throughout the day, the Evening News came across some of the 17 million people who voted leave seven years ago. Two were sisters Pamela Juskiw, 74, and Carole Hefferon, 77, shopping in Stockport.
“We were leave and we have stayed leave,” the pair said. “We’ve not had a good chance to do it with Covid and the war in Ukraine, so we don’t know how it’s going.”
They added they were fans of Boris Johnson, a view shared by Mary Roberts, 82, in Heywood. “It took a long time and not everything has been sorted properly yet,” she said. “I was fed up of being told what to do by the EU.”
However, the appreciation of the ex-PM was not a view shared by every leave voter. “Brexit could’ve been better. We could’ve left on friendlier, more cooperative terms,” one couple, who lived in Sale at the time of the vote but now call Bolton home, said.
Dissatisfaction with the withdrawal process was shared by Gill Beddows, from Tameside. The 58-year-old explained: “I’m not pleased with how everything has been changed, but I just hope that someone will do the right thing. I would’ve thought that we as people would’ve voted on immigration. It’s mainly about immigration.”
Another couple, who did not give their names, in Droylsden said: “It’s time we had control of our own needs in the country.”
And John Witton, walking to the pub in Leigh, added: “I was leave, I don’t see the point in changing it. The government is a mess at the moment.”
“The economy has gone to s***”: The remain voters who regret the UK’s decision
Enjoying a cigarette outside The York pub in Bolton town centre was Matt Cawson. The 47-year-old is a remainer. He’s also forthright in his views on the topic.
“The economy has gone to s***,” he said. “Trading has become really difficult. We had lies about deregulation, but we’ve actually come out with more regulation.
“Ireland is in a mess with the backstop, and travel is a pain in the arse. We could also see environmental and climate protections be reduced.”
His assessment of the situation was shared by one woman in Heywood who added she had ‘a lot of complaints’ about the process. Their views are shared by Sue Tyler, from New Mills.
“I think Brexit is very poor,” she explained as she walked to her dentist in Didsbury. “Travel is so restricted now, I worry about the impact on my grandchildren. I hope there will be a change so they can be European citizens.”
Across the road was Jon Kay, with dog Ernie. The 43-year-old, living in Chorlton, said he ‘knew Brexit would turn out pretty badly’.
Another dog walker in Ramsbottom, Josh Dawson, 33, shares Jon’s attitude. He said: “You cannot predict what things like Covid will do, but any honest assessment of our bargaining position at the time means we were not in a strong position to leave.”
Where does this leave Greater Manchester now?
In a word: divided. Many voters are sticking to their guns, although some are open to change. That is not the most noteworthy factor in the M.E.N’s reporting, though.
Throughout the 92 miles of driving, our team found that many people did not vote at the time out of apathy — and more still still do not understand what Brexit involves today.
“I don’t know about Brexit at all, mate,” one man summed it up, in Failsworth. “I’m off for a pint.”
