[papa smurf]

In contrast, the Leave side cleverly seized upon the narrative of change during the campaign (before pivoting to false comfort since the result was declared). Leaving the EU was offered as the magical solution to all of Britain’s problems. Fake promises, such as £350m a week for the NHS or a new points-based immigration system were put on offer.

When challenged about the costs of Brexit, leading Leave figures continue to argue that the UK can enjoy all of the benefits of membership, such as frictionless, tariff-free access to the single market, while bearing none of the burdens. When asked about the challenges, they respond with false reassurances that everything will be fine, and nostalgia for our past, as if this is a prescription for the future. It is both because the Leave campaign was so deceitful and the real policy cupboard is so bare that many Brexiters have attempted to shut down all debate about Britain’s future since the referendum result was declared.