Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2021 6:28pm
Hi John,
Apologies, I wrote this response several days ago and have only just discovered that I didn't post it. I won't respond in detail, as the thread has moved on and I concur with most of what Cpop has already said.
However, in response to your specific questions, I believe that some people who voted Leave were "duped", but I also believe that many were content to be led without question. Demographics of the Leave vote show that the propensity to vote Leave increased with age, along with the unemployed and those of C2 and lower socio-economic groups, who hold strong, sometimes xenophobic views (irrespective of how they were formed) and this is what the Conservative government encouraged and exploited. Personally, I think it speaks volumes that the majority of the 18-44 age group, those whose opinions are much less likely to be influenced by historic events, such as WW2 and the Race Relations Act 1965, voted Remain.
As for Harry and Meghan, my initial thoughts were that this is another example of the disproportionate power and influence of the right-wing press: a modern, progressive couple in the Royal Family, who could have been a great asset to "The Firm", being used as fodder for the masses. But I've since learned more about Harry's mental health issues, following the death of his mother - the strength of his feeling against the press has, quite possibly, made everything that's happened since a self-fulfilling prophecy. I hope that he and Meghan will be happy in the USA, and I hope they can respect The Queen's wishes to address their issues in private in future. Given the plummet in both Harry's and Meghan's ratings in a recent YouGov poll of British people, it appears that many are less than impressed by the hypocrisy of those who demand their privacy from the popular press, while courting the attention of more sympathetic media outlets.
Kind regards,
Kim