Some voters who backed Britain leaving the EU are now regretting their decision – sparking a wave of so-called “Bregret” anxiety.
Brexit supporters, who did not believe their vote to leave would make a difference, are admitting in the post-referendum fall-out that they made a mistake.
Mandy Suthi, a student who voted to leave, told ITV News that she would tick the Remain box if she had a second chance.
“I would go back to the polling station and vote to stay, simply because this morning the reality is kicking in,” she said.
Ms Suthi, who said her parents and sisters also regretted their decision to vote to leave the EU, said she was “very disappointed” with the result.
“I wish we had the opportunity to vote again,” she added.
Khembe Gibbons, a lifeguard from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, also said she had regrets about her decision.
Ms Gibbons tweeted that she felt “robbed” of her vote after Nigel Farage admitted on ITV’s Good Morning Britain that the Leave campaign made a “mistake” in claiming that the £350 million a week reportedly given to the EU would go to the NHS.
She said: “We’ve left the EU, David Cameron’s resigned, we’re left with Boris, and Nigel has just basically given away that the NHS claim was a lie.
“I personally voted leave believing these lies, and I regret it more than anything. I feel genuinely robbed of my vote.”
Another voter, who gave his name as Adam, spoke to the BBC about his decision to tick the Leave box and said he had not anticipated the period of uncertainty following the referendum.
He said: “I’m shocked that we voted for Leave, I didn’t think that was going to happen. I didn’t think my vote was going to matter too much because I thought we were just going to remain.”
Hundreds of others have taken to social media complaining of “Bregret” – but many have been met with criticism.
Paul, a gamer, tweeted: “So leave voters have realised what they done and regret voting leave and would vote remain given another chance? Bit late now.”
More than 800,000 people have signed a parliamentary petition for a second referendum, following the 52% win for Leave.
