Some of my wife's "Remain" patronising, elitist, sneering, lefty friends are bastards

I find myself on a round Robin email list of my wife's lefty public sector working chums because with my wife we entered a fiendishly complex Euro 2016 contest on which we get daily updates. Today one of these folks made a comment about how excited he was about the EU Referendum. I made a polite contribution and a firefight ensued. With names taken out here is what follows and left me feeling more angry than I have for ages.

TW: since xxxxx started this... as the grandson of a Bennite who was pelted with fruit in 1975 for urging us to leave some of us have been waiting 41 years for this...

I hope you are open minded enough to watch another Bennite taking on a lying slimey Tory PM , Peter Shore in 1975 and reflect that so little has changed and that there is only one way to vote..Benn was right

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuXmM61XD2s

xxxxx: Thanks Tom, I’ll watch it over lunch, and I will do my best not to escalate this conversation in this forum. I really shouldn’t have started it and I apologise all.

I’m left-minded, I think Tony Benn was a beautiful man. He wasn’t necessarily wrong back then. The pelting fruit is emotive stuff but this decision is far far more important than one families understandable upset at abuse in the seventies. Of course some of Tony Benn’s points back then apply now. I still think on balance we need to remain.

I promise to keep my bloody mouth shut for the rest of today.

TW: xxxxxx ( with all ccd in) oh yeah he's voting brexit because his grandpa got hit with fruit in 1975 & family hurt... typical ignorant brexiteer not thinking about the real issues... next you are going to use the r word
To misquote one of your lot: "Not all Remainers are patronising sneering elitist bastards but all patronising sneering elitist bastards are remainers",

YYYYYY: No need to stop XXXXX! I too am Remain, but I feel sorry for those who broadly feel "left behind" and are voting Leave as a consequence, if there is indeed such a group as suggested by the magisterial John Harris. Whatever the outcome they won't gain a thing. The official campaigns on both sides were a disgrace. Sorry Tom but Remain will win it comfortably by ten points. That's my prediction for group "B".

TW: I don't feel left behind ( patronising comment number 2)...i want to be a global citizen. I want a world without tariffs on african food which makes africa poorer and food prices in the UK higher, I want a world where folks with skills can enter the UK freely if they are not nice white europeans, I want a world where my cash does not go on a bloated democracy and to bail out failed banks but on services for the needy.

That is why I look forward and pray for brexit. Your system tying you to an ageing, shrinking, economic zombie that is Europe is the narrow insular one. It is the one that restricts access to folks outside Europe even if they are skilled, that makes the Kinnocks and goldman sachs rich and leaves 65% of the young folk here in Greece unemployed and this country in a mess.

How dare you patronise me by saying I "feel left behind". I dare dream of a better, fairer world which does not systematically screw the poor & that is why I am voting to leave.

Ends.

Or at least I hope it ends there. I have learned over the pat four years to button my lip when in the presence of some of the pals of my lefty Mrs. But this referendum has wound me up so much. I sense we will lose the vote and my mind turns to the fourth part of Wagner's Ring Cycle. My mind also turns to thoughts of emigration once again. The smug patronising British establishment has finally got to me.

Postacript. XXX has just weighed in. with: