Quote:
Originally Posted by jfman
Nowhere were we promised Hard Brexit. Indeed the concept didn’t exist prior to the referendum. Instead we were promised the easiest trade deal ever.
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Indeed not. This is because the terms ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ Brexit were coined after the vote by the continuity remain campaign, which was trying to find ways to convince the public Brexit had happened while actually preventing it from happening.
‘Soft’ Brexit as defined by senior remain campaigners involved staying in the customs union and the single market. The EU helpfully clarified that the latter would also have required continuation of the right to free movement.
During the campaign, those same senior remain campaigners were very clear that they believed voting leave would mean fully leaving the EU, CU and SM and all. In fact senior leave campaigners likewise were very clear that voting leave would mean fully leaving the EU, CU and SM and all. It was one of the few things they all agreed about.
On voting day, everyone understood what Brexit meant, and despite calculated attempts at obfuscation since, I think the vast majority of people still do.