Brexit Despair

Among everyone together with everything I read at the instant in that place is a mixture of disbelief together with despair over the straight off distinct possibility that the United Kingdom of Great Britain together with Northern Ireland of Britain together with Northern Republic of Ireland volition vote for Brexit. Obviously that is partly because I tend to read other economists, together with every bit Chris Giles notes economists are virtually united inwards believing Brexit volition survive bad for the economy. (If y'all cannot access the FT, read Paul Johnson.) But it is too because in that place is a noted some fourth dimension ago, precisely it seems to survive a robust result: inwards a recent ComRes poll 68% tell they would non survive happy to lose whatsoever income to secure less immigration (perhaps because they believe less immigration volition heighten their income).

It makes no feel because economists are every bit certain every bit they e'er are that people volition on average survive worse off alongside Brexit. But a large here together with reiterated here). But writing articles inwards the Guardian or letters to the Times volition non larn through to those nosotros ask to take away heed the message (see terminal nautical chart this. For academic economists I cry back it is business office of a full general work that the media are losing involvement inwards what nosotros think, which is why I wrote this for the Royal Economic Society newsletter.

Whether nosotros exercise or exercise non leave of absence the EU, I promise ane effect of this plebiscite volition survive that otherwise sensible people volition halt maxim that our tabloid press is non that much of a problem. It mightiness non survive if our broadcast media were brave plenty to study facts, precisely instead it is obsessed alongside balance, every bit good every bit existence heavily influenced past times what some tabloids say. How else tin y'all describe of piece of work organisation human relationship for 58% of people thinking that Turkey is probable to bring together the European Union within 10 years, which inwards reality is unopen to a goose egg probability event. Democracy tin croak unsafe when a few people bring together with then much command over the way of information.