Advertisement
CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: Just £9.99 for the next 8 weeks
SUBSCRIBE
Opinion

A reader responds to Joe Lycett

For our Christmas issue, Joe Lycett skewered Brexit and the revolving door of prime ministers in 2022. Reader Steve doesn't entirely agree

Joe Lycett

Joe Lycett reviewed the year for our Christmas special. Joe Lycett photo: Matt Baker. Illustration: Andrew Bell

My name’s Steve. Not that this fact is relevant and you probably won’t be interested since, I’m sorry to inform you that I’m one of the stupid people referred to in Joe Lycett’s recent Big Issue article. Sorry Joe but it gets worse. I still don’t regret being part of the stupid majority that voted to leave. You see I did vote to join the Common Market all those years ago but nobody told us that it would morph into the overlarge, bureaucratic, badly managed monster run by people I’d never heard of and don’t remember having much say in the decisions they made that actually impacted on my life.

Mind you, my partner (I’m supposed to call him ‘husband’ now but we’re ‘old school’ and neither of us can take to it) is German by birth and we are regularly in contact with his family. Here’s the strange thing, Joe, Germany is experiencing exactly the same as us in regards to the spiralling cost of living, shortage of staff and goods in many areas and they are still in the EU. Friends who have retired to Spain and France tell the same story and their countries are still in the EU.

Your support changes lives. Find out how you can help us help more people by signing up for a subscription

I must say Joe, that I have a lot of sympathy for your point of view in regards to how Brexit was handled and the people who we stupid people relied on to achieve the necessary outcome, but I still can’t subscribe to the idea that a decision is a wrong one because it was ultimately badly managed. Anyway Joe, I know I’m not going to change your mind. I hope this won’t be further bad news for you Joe, but I’m going to remain a fan and admire your stand on many (well, most) issues you stand for.
Steve

Do you have lived experience or burning opinions to share about this story? We want to hear from you. And we want to share your views with more people. Get in touch and tell us more.


Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Buy a Big Issue Vendor Support Kit

This Christmas, give a Big Issue vendor the tools to keep themselves warm, dry, fed, earning and progressing.

Recommended for you

View all
The climate crisis is on our doorstep. How can we keep eco-anxiety in check?
flood in climate crisis
Rosie Downes

The climate crisis is on our doorstep. How can we keep eco-anxiety in check?

'I have nothing they can take': Council tax debt collection having devastating impact on vulnerable people
a man with an empty wallet
Sarah Muirhead

'I have nothing they can take': Council tax debt collection having devastating impact on vulnerable people

Why branding Hastings 'the Grinch capital of the UK' is just plain poverty shaming
Jim Carrey as the Grinch
Laura Cooke

Why branding Hastings 'the Grinch capital of the UK' is just plain poverty shaming

'It had to be a medical miracle': Behind the scenes of Casualty's emotional Christmas special
A blood bag being hung on a Christmas tree promoting the stories in Casualty's 2024 Christmas special
Roxanne Harvey

'It had to be a medical miracle': Behind the scenes of Casualty's emotional Christmas special

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
Renters: A mortgage lender's window advertising buy-to-let products
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
Pound coins on a piece of paper with disability living allowancve
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over
next dwp cost of living payment 2023
3.

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over

Strike dates 2023: From train drivers to NHS doctors, here are the dates to know
4.

Strike dates 2023: From train drivers to NHS doctors, here are the dates to know