Brexiteer fury over our march makes me surer than ever that Rejoin is not far off

Most of the replies came from people convinced that our freedom of movement wasn’t a casualty of Brexit at all, that nothing had changed, that young British passport holders can still travel, study and work within the EU. This was also the argument put forward by one Brexit-supporting Conservative peer based on the experiences of her nephew who “attends an academy in Spain”.

That a legislator, and former MEP, clearly hasn’t understood one of the EU Withdrawal Bill’s most fundamental objectives is mind-boggling, but it gives me hope. 

Then there were those who argued that the EU was undemocratic and unaccountable, including without a hint of irony, another Brexit-supporting Conservative peer of the realm. I didn’t bother to mention the two unelected PMs. 

And then came a wave of replies that claimed freedom of movement in the EU had only ever been for the rich, so it deserved to go. Were this true, I’d be sympathetic, but like everything else that was tweeted at me furiously, the opposite, of course, is the case. These days only the very rich among our young people can afford to spend any time in the EU. 

Before Brexit, finding work in any EU country was an opportunity open to everyone, rich or poor. Our young people could head for Europe with just a few quid, find work, fall in love, learn a language. Brexit stopped all that. 

Thank goodness Richard Tice chimed in. The leader, apparently, of the Brexit movement. His excoriating counter-argument to the fact that our young people have lost their freedom of movement across their own continent was that they should “get a grip”. Literally just that.

Oh, and then there were a bunch of people who replied to inform me that Candida is also a skin fungus. That’s factually correct, at least. 

What I learned from reading the replies is that the only defenders of Brexit these days don’t have a clue about what Brexit has cost our young people in lost opportunities – and that even includes legislators responsible for it. 

Time was that there were Brexit supporters who could argue, mistakenly in my view, that Brexit would benefit Britain and increase opportunities. They had their reasons and were willing to defend them. 

Seven years on, it seems those Brexit supporters have gone very quiet indeed, leaving just an angry rump shouting, alternately, “but we still have freedom of movement!” and “freedom of movement was only ever for the rich – try Australia instead!”

 Their fury cheered me up no end. Imagine what will happen when they realise, or their children do, that neither is true