Research

I had my hair cut today and my hairdresser, who I've known for 20 years,  told me that before the referendum she felt she knew nothing about the EU so over several weeks she asked all her customers, who are a very wide cross section of society, what they were voting and why. She still couldn't decide so she started listening to TV programmes and reading newspapers. When she was finally sure what she thought she wouldn't tell her adult children her choice so that she wouldn't influence them.

After the vote she was shocked both by the racism of a minority of leavers (which she did not hear in her shop) and by the vitriol (which she heard a lot) of very many remainers who branded leavers en masse as ill-informed, stupid and racist.

Now she is asking all her customers whether they've yet felt any effects of Brexit. So far it's the value of the euro for holidaymakers and the value of some investments, but those who've mentioned these have said that they fluctuate anyway so it's not clear whether Brexit (when it happens) will affect them longer-term.

I had the most measured and interesting discussion yet on the subject. I think my hair's going to need cutting again quite soon.


Black and white in colour 100