As remain voters try to absorb the consequence of the Brexit vote, we should ensure that we do not neglect the instincts or betray the principles that make us pro-EU. The most important are, first, that we have empathy with and make every effort to understand others; and second, that we always try to cooperate with others. This is not soft-headed, naive, liberal nonsense. People who follow these principles and developed institutions that implement them have been incredibly successful in the past.
So what to do? Most important, by far, is to recognise that our fellow citizens who voted for Brexit have exactly the same set of instincts. They also want to empathise with others and cooperate. However, their focus happens to be narrower and be on their immediate families and communities. Their families and communities are clearly suffering, and they felt that the leaders of the Brexit campaign understood this and that their suggested solutions were more plausible. Of course they were wrong about that, but can we really blame them for that given the level of deception involved, involving most of the press?
What remain supporters need to do is ensure that we engage with the communities and people who have not prospered in recent years and show them the same empathy and support that we show immigrants, refugees etc. We must support politicians who have the best interests of Brexit voters in mind and expose the ones who are just exploiting their anger and will actually do them harm. What we must not do is let our anger and fear get the best of us and turn this into contempt or hatred for Brexit voters. That would be following a darker and altogether more destructive human instinct.
Anton van der Merwe
Professor of Molecular Immunology, University of Oxford
• The government has been pretty good at not doing what it promised and doing what it didn’t promise. Why should the referendum be any different? Why not use it as a bargaining tool at the upcoming summit. The EU wants us and the UK government wants to stay. Let’s bargain from a position of greater strength than Cameron did before. If the issue that has swung this – immigration – can be modified, a second referendum would as likely be won by remain. Come on prime minister, man up and take them on. Don’t be bullied over article 50 and use it positively. You hold the aces this time. A lot of Brexiters are looking for a chance to change their vote.
Professor Mike Nash
Southsea, Hampshire
