Grumpy men were grumpy, because - same as it ever was - they were mostly situated in the former industrial regions of GB and former working belts, and they 'suffered' from inner EU migration most.
Coincidentally they might also be the ones suffering from Brexit most. But those things happen. (With a higher probaility if you give populists your vote..
)
Whats currently happening is the following.
Hard Brexit is lose/lose.
GB 'controls' the option of forcing a hard Brexit.
EU 'controls' the option to give in on the north irish border. (Thats the thing where they now control an option to have "the" say on GB trade deals in the future).
The thing is, everyone short and mid term wants them to agree to an open border (open markets) there - the flipside is, that the EU rightly insist, that open borders for the EU market means, that you also have to adhere to EU rules. And part of those was, that people can move freely - the same as wares, which the UK just voted out. Because people.
The deeper conflict now resides around when and how one of the two can unilaterally decide on making the border towards north ireland (or the EU) a hard one again, or imposing EU trade laws after a grace period again. (In case a UK-EU trade agreement is not successful and active within 4 years).
Currently the british are effed, becaue the only thing they control, is the option to force a hard Brexit, with the short term outcome being horrible for Britain. As in their economy tanks majorly. Much more so, than the one in the EU and recovery will be slower and harder. (Think civil war being a possibility.)
The EU has red line at gifting the UK its markets for free - without having to deal with inner EU migration (freedom of movement of wares and people).
So here is what will happen.
Short and mid term the EU has all the cards in their hands. The british basically voted to fuck themselves and their economy for the next 20 years, and have a border crises, and potentially loose scotland (overblown..
).
Longterm, everyone is interested in doing sustainable "win/win" deals again though.
So if the EU fuck the UK 'too hard' short term, its actually not beneficial for them.
Hard Brexit is the "horror specter" thats used for the EU to move and give concessions. It could be triggered from the perspective of the UK becoming what the "leavers" wanted, but only maybe - the earliest in 20-25 years.
The EU would hate that, because it would be an example of exiting EU - long term having become a viable example. (If somone can do it, its the British.).
So they'd have to act politically against that taking place - any way they could. Which would lock both parties into a "lose/lose" scenario - which no one wants.
Thats why the outcome will be a another deal. Another small concession by the EU, that can be sold to the popolous as a win. "And the very, very best we could do." With there still being a trajectory, that the UK could come back into the EU long term still being the most viable option (win/win).
"Another peoples vote" will never happen, thats just national oppositional politics.
Hard Brexit will not likely happen - because the majorities aren there (in case they want it they have to pull a "national crisis" moment) - think politicians have to explain to their constituencies, that they are not only fucked, but very, very fucked (for the next 20 years).
Most likely scenario is still that they get something online, that sounds great, and can be sold to the public as a success. The EU will not give them open trade under their terms for free. But there is the UK bonus, so they might get it with substantial counter trades in place.
How fucked are the british short and mid term? In any case: Very.
