Brexit voters told they will not be blamed for outcome

James O'Brien in the LBC Radio studio - Credit: LBC

A radio presenter has made a passionate plea for Brexiteers to let go of their “incoherent anger” – insisting they will not be blamed for the outcome of their vote.

LBC radio presenter James O’Brien was keen for Brexiteers to drop the anger now that the UK has left the European Union, after still receiving “rude texts and tweets” from Leavers.

But in an appeal to Brexiteers, O’Brien said they would not be blamed for the outcome but the political leaders and media that should be held responsible.

He told pro-Brexit listeners: “We are now moving into the bit where ordinary people, as opposed to people in my profession who get paid for it or people in politics who get high on it, are going to be proved categorically and comprehensively wrong.

“And for your mental health you now face a really important choice. You either continue clinging on to this fury and this almost incoherent anger and it will continue to hurt you.

“[It] won’t just hurt you. It will hurt the people around you. It’s such a simple choice to just surrender it.

“Nobody is going to hold you responsible for your Brexit vote for the rest of your life. I will make sure of that in my little contribution to public discourse in this country.

“The people who led you to this place are the people who will be held responsible. The people who were led there will not be.”

The presenter explained: “It is still a miracle to me, having really dug into it, that Remain got as much as 48%.

“Simply counting the amount of newspaper articles written over 30 years in newspapers owned by Rupert Murdoch and the Barclay brothers and all the rest of them, there is no shame in this at all.

“But the anger will hurt you and, more importantly perhaps, it will hurt the people around you.”

In an appeal for calm from Brexiteers, he continued: “It’s not as easy as flicking your fingers but it’s not far off. You can just let it go. Why am I so angry? That’s all you need to ask yourself.

“And then answer it honestly, and you’ll probably find out that the anger you feel is not directed at the people you currently think it is directed at.

“And if you’re up to it ask yourself, ‘what am I so frightened of?’. It’s not Romanian plasterers, is it? Or Polish doctors? Again, you’ll probably feel better for it.

“Then finally ask yourself this: ‘Where does my power lie? What can I actually do about this situation I find myself in which is so enraging?’

“And you’ll probably conclude that spending your time shouting at people or losing your temper or tweeting or texting or Facebooking vile stuff is not making you feel better or anybody else around you…

“So I’ve got three words for you: Let it go.

“Just let it go and you’ll feel so much better.”