How are real people reacting to the latest Brexit plot twist? | #TheCube
As Theresa May found herself dealing with a landslide defeat in a vote on her Brexit deal in the House of Commons, users on social media have been voicing their opinions on what the United Kingdom should now do about Brexit.
May lost by a staggering 230 votes and straight after the vote, prominent opposition politician Jeremy Corbyn tabled a no-confidence motion. This sees parliament vote on whether or not they still have confidence in Her Majesty's government.
Theresa May's difficult situation
Some people are defending May's attempts and saying she is a difficult position: author Jamie Bowers tweeted that the prime minister is "rightfully sticking to her guns" and applauded that she invited people who don't like her ways to "step in and do a better job."
"I do actually believe @theresa_may is absolutely committed to delivering #Brexit. I think, reluctantly, she'll end up going with #NoDeal. She needs to embrace it, not shy away," was another comment.
Others found the situation paradoxical.
"Corbyn using Prime Minister's Questions to test out an election manifesto he has no guarantee of needing. May using it to explain why her deal can still work. And both of them insisting the country unanimously wanted Brexit when if the vote was a group of 10, it would have been a dead heat," said education manager and artistic director Stephan Brennan, recalling that Brexit leavers won the 2016 referendum by an underwhelming four points.
A divide that's as strong as ever
In the meantime, the usual clash between hardcore remainers and leavers on social media rages on, with both sides rallying to have their say using the trending hashtags #BrexitVote, #BrexitChaos and #BrexitShambles.
While certain users decided to go for irony, calling it, among other things , "like watching a sword-fight with wet mops", others were more vocally political.
"The first losers in the #nodeal are the EU and all the 27 countries that have their hands out waiting for more of our money," a British user said in reply to a Euronews video showing French president Emmanuel Macron's take on Brexit.
"#Brexit is not about prosperity or having a better opportunity, Brexit is your Independence Day, your show of Britishness & having a hard border, and to boot strengthens the separation of Nothern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland", gift shop owner Michael wrote.
Back to the polls or not?
Another huge talking point was the question of whether May's defeat opened the doors to a no-deal Brexit and if the government should call a second referendum.
The Cube collected different views on whether or not this would be a legitimate way forward or not.
Trainer Danny Reiler said: "In joinery, they say 'measure twice, and cut once' but we've only measured once, in Britain, and we're ready to cut our entire ties with Europe, who we've been with since 1975. Two million people who have voted for Brexit are now dead, and we need a second vote".
Spencer Fagan, 22, disagreed: "I believe the politicians have to respect the will of the people," he said, underlining that the deal should centre around some of the main talking points that were discussed during the campaign, like leaving the European Court of Justice and ending freedom of movement.
"I voted Remain in 2016, but we lost, and you can't ignore 17.4 million people," he added.
Looking at it from a distance
Throughout the Brexit process, non-British Europeans have been sitting on the sidelines. Yet, with 3.7 million EU citizens currently living in the United Kingdom and being given very little chance to speak up, there was bound to be some ruffled feathers.
The Cube spoke to Italian researcher Carolina Are, who lives in London: "I'm just tired of hours and hours of debate", Carolina told us. "I just wish I could know what's going to happen and if I can stay in the city I call home. If I can keep working and studying here.
"And I also just wish that the government would be more respectful about the way they speak about European immigrants because I feel we have been working a lot for this country - and paying a lot to be here".