As we approach a decade since that stunning night on 23 June 2016, when a narrow majority voted to leave the EU, the two of us have been reflecting on where we were as the results came in.
Political correspondent Millie Cooke was an 18-year-old out celebrating the end of her A-levels with friends, having voted for the first time. What was meant to be a night of excitement instead turned into one of crushing disbelief as it became clear that Leave had won.
For Millie’s generation, it was a moment when their futures as EU citizens – able to live and work freely across Europe – suddenly seemed to evaporate, taking with them opportunities that had long been taken for granted.
I was already a hardened parliamentary hack working for a pro-Brexit newspaper, which had taken me on because of my experience covering the Scottish independence referendum.
I had been sent to cover Brexiteer Arron Banks’ results watch party in Westminster, where Nigel Farage, Richard Tice and scores of jubilant supporters supped champagne and toasted the result.
I often reflect on how the optimism among Brexiteers that night – buoyed by promises of lower immigration, lucrative trade deals, more money for the NHS and a wave of new freedoms – has largely failed to materialise.
Instead, the economy has faced an estimated £30bn annual hit to GDP, immigration has reached record levels, trade deals have struggled to fill the gap, and the country, by many measures, feels in a worse place than it did a decade ago.
When Nigel Farage delivered his “new dawn” speech at the end of that party on that fateful night, few fully grasped how difficult the years ahead might become. For Mr Farage and his allies, however, the sense of grievance forged that evening has continued to fuel their political rise, culminating in the emergence of Reform UK.
Now we want to hear from you. Where were you on referendum night? How did you feel as the result came in – and how do you feel about it now? Share your thoughts and memories in the comments here.
We will be featuring some of your stories in our live coverage marking the 10-year anniversary of Brexit on June 23 and in the next edition of our Europe: The Way Back newsletter. You can sign up here, or via the form below:
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