Are opposite political opinions ruining love for remainers?

Undoubtedly, for most women the political opinion of a potential man is the new ‘tall dark and handsome’- but can the pursuit of love defeat the Brexit rivalry?

You can’t ignore it- the UK is currently in a climate of outright political chaos. With Brexit disappeared the liberal bubble that many had found themselves comfortable in, and as we say our final goodbyes to the EU, many have decided to say farewell to the traditional desirable traits in a partner in exchange for political allegiance. 

For many remainers, the prospect that future or current romantic partners could have voted leave on the premises of an anti-immigration push is not only feasible, but also very real. With the element of trust in people’s values being questioned, can secure, unsuspecting, relationships still flourish between them and a ‘Get Brexit Done’ devotee?

Suzana Jaramaz conducted research for Datingroo on how Brexit is affecting online dating. She found that 48.02% of people would never date someone who has different political opinions about Brexit. As an EU citizen who disagrees with Brexit herself, she believes that it is causing broken hearts- explaining, “it would be a big challenge to be in a serious relationship with someone who has different values to me. For me, two people who have common values are more likely to be happy in a relationship.”

However, speaking to the Elite Singles in-house Relationship psychologist, Zoe Coetzee, it is clear she still believes that it is possible to function a relationship without a shared political viewpoint. She says, “With respect and communication, it is possible to hold different opinions and enjoy a happy, healthy relationship.”

I put the two contrasting opinions to three women with strong anti- Brexit views. They have shared their experiences on how Brexit has affected their own relationships.

PERSON 1 (ANON) : The in- Laws

For many remainers, the prospect that future or current romantic partners could have voted leave on the premises of an anti-immigration push is not only feasible but also very real. With the element of trust in people’s values being questioned, can secure, unsuspecting, relationships still flourish between them and a ‘Get Brexit Done’ devotee? d my relationship with my husband as a product of me wanting to ‘gain citizenship.’ This causes tension in my relationship because it’s difficult to be around people who make me feel uncomfortable by suggesting I am the problem – in this case, it is his family doing so. If my children had not been born here and  I did not have a British citizenship or husband, I would have moved to another EU country. The fact I feel like this often causes strain and complications in my relationship as it makes me doubt his own views and causes me much unease- but I try to ‘keep the peace’ and not discuss Brexit with him. 

I come from a very liberal, left-wing family and have always strongly disagreed with Brexit- believing it comes from a racist agenda. A couple of months back I met a boy through Tinder. We went out for drinks and I had been enjoying the date until we got onto the topic of politics. He went off on a drunken rant and told me how great the country would be having independence from the EU. It wasn’t long until he began expressing how much we needed to control our borders from immigrants. I could not bite my tongue. I told him he was ignorant before swiftly moving to the bathroom. I never returned from that bathroom, nor did I ever see him again. It is safe to say I will be staying clear of Tinder for the foreseeable future.

Eliza Moore : Tinder Troubles

I come from a very liberal, left wing family and have always strongly disagreed with Brexit- believing it comes from a racist agenda. A couple of months back I met a boy through Tinder. We went out for drinks and I had been enjoying the date until we got onto the topic of politics. He went off on a drunken rant and told me how great the country would be having independence from the EU. It wasn’t long until he began expressing how much we needed to control our borders from immigrants. I could not bite my tongue. I told him he was ignorant before swiftly moving to the bathroom. I never returned from that bathroom, nor did I ever see him again. It is safe to say I will be staying clear of Tinder for the foreseeable future.

Lauren Ferris: Close Call

I moved to the UK 14 years ago and I’ve been married to a British man for seven years. Brexit has definitely caused problems in my relationship because members of his family think it is ok to say things in front of me regarding their pro- Brexit views. It scares me that they seem to think of me as problematic, and I even sometimes think they regard my relationship with my husband as a product of me wanting to ‘gain citizenship.’ This causes tension in my relationship because it’s difficult to be around people who make me feel uncomfortable by suggesting I am the problem – in this case, it is his family doing so. If my children had not been born here and  I did not have British citizenship or husband, I would have moved to another EU country. The fact I feel like this often causes strain and complications in my relationship as it makes me doubt his own views and causes me much unease- but I try to ‘keep the peace’ and not discuss Brexit with him.  

Link to Datingroo Research: https://datingroo.co.uk/brexit-online-dating/