As people start to understand the mistake they've made....

THOSE HANDCARTS LOOKED SO INVITING, DIDN'T THEY?

Any time I've written about the EU referendum I've been careful always refer to the Leave side of the argument, or the Leave result, rather than using the awkward word in common usage.  But this time it looks like I'm going to have to give in and utilise an equally clunky portmanteau abomination, because there doesn't appear to be a handy alternative around.

So here it is - Regrexit.  The feeling being expressed by who-knows-how-many Leave voters that they want a second chance to vote, and get it right this time.  It wasn't a phenomenon that took long to arise.  Within the first couple of hours of the result being known journalists were finding Leave voters who weren't just shocked that 'their' side had one, but horrified.  And the numbers joining them appear to have increased rapidly as the days have gone on.  With the Leave people announcing two major U turns on campaign promises, the lack of any sign of any kind of plan, and the disasters that keep hitting to the UK economy, the reality of what they voted for is hitting home.  Suddenly people have started to read the signs of those handcarts they were happy to climb aboard, and they don't like the look of the destination.

And when strongly pro-Leave media organs like the Mail and the Sun started explaining in detail the consequences of a Leave result - more expensive mortgages, dearer food, restrictions on owning property in Europe etc - their readers wondered why they hadn't been told all this before (they had, by Remain, but if you read the Mail or the Sun....).

At the moment nobody has a clue if this is going to turn out to be a ripple or a tidal wave, and it will be a while before there can be anything like reliable polling on the subject.  But there is one indicator that might just give a clue.

I feel dirty at the thought of using this man as an example.  He's a vile, lying, manipulative, barely human scumbag.  He's too often been Rupert Murdoch's lapdog, and was the man was responsible for the Sun not being bought in Liverpool.  He's been spouting Leave lies and propaganda in his Sun column for weeks.  So when, only four days after the outcome he pushed for had come true, Kelvin Mackenzie announces he has "buyers remorse" about his vote, then something significant might just be happening.  If a man who was previously a highly vocal anti-EU fanatic is now saying that leaving would be a mistake, you have to wonder what comes next.  As the economic situation gets worse, and it becomes clear that many Leave promises are never going to be realised, it's hard to imagine that there won't be more with a similar change of heart.  Especially those who can now see how badly misinformed they have been by their politicians and media.

"May you live in interesting times" goes the old Chinese curse.  The times we live in have become much, much too 'interesting', but maybe there's some dullness, and sanity, waiting down the line.