The young need to stop moaning about the old – many of us voted to stay

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The EU referendum vote was held on the 23rd June (Getty Images)

I'm getting a little tired of hearing young people bemoaning the fact that the older generation has destroyed their future by voting for Leave in the referendum. I agree that a lot of older people did vote that way, mostly it seems on the question of immigration and harking back to the “old days” before the EU, and saying we don't need “them”, we're alright on our own.

Well I'm part of that generation and I voted “Remain”, as did many of my friends; I made sure I was fully informed of the facts, ignoring the “lies, damned lies and statistics”. Some of those who professed to be in the Remain camp were not nearly strong enough in the case they put forward. Oh, and if the young people want someone to blame for the way things are now, look to banks, successive governments and the world situation.

Then of course there were all the young people who voted to leave, they must have thought about the future. How many people, young or old, voted to leave as a protest, thinking it wouldn't happen (Emily Tierney's article as an example). Well that backfired didn't it - too big a chance to take. If you do that in a general election, there is only a maximum of five years before you can vote again. What about people who didn't vote at all, surely there must have been some young people in that category?

I have refused to sign a petition asking for another referendum. Do we go on and on until we get the “right” result?

I agree that Boris seemed a bit shell shocked on Friday. He probably didn't expect things to turn out the way they did. Heaven help us if he becomes Prime Minister, how can you trust someone whose only motive is his own political aspirations?

Diane Graham
Watford

I am not convinced that "fairly confident" is a good enough assurance

Sean O'Grady (Voices, 27th June) says "I am fairly confident that Britain will have a healthier economy". FAIRLY confident? And on that foundation he is prepared to suffer, and allow the young to suffer, what he acknowledges will be a long period of uncomfortable sacrifices!

In addition he helps destroy the world's most successful peace process – the original premise of the EU. I'm sorry, but I (born 1948) can't accept that argument.

Andrew Teal
Ripponden

The young are more interested in social media than voting

As a man in his sixties I voted to remain. I feel sorry for the young people who will have to live with the consequence of the vote, but I don't accept the "blame" for the result.

We live in a democracy where all people over eighteen have the right to vote. The young people of today are more interested in social media than fighting for their rights. If a higher percentage of young people voted we would have remained. Because I believe in democracy I accept the result even though I didn't vote to leave, in future if you want yourself to be heard, VOTE.

Jeffrey Dodd
Address supplied

The EU needs urgent reform

I am utterly shocked at the Brexit result, whatever peoples reason, the decision has been made and we as a country should come together to work it out and not fight each other.

All I can say about the older generation, all the ones I know voted to stay in. My mother is deeply upset, that younger people will look at her and blame her for leaving the EU, when she voted to stay. But I also think young people need to take responsibility for their actions too, it's their country and lives, if they don't vote, they have no voice.

I think people need to stop blaming each other, because that gets us nowhere, anyone and everyone can be blamed from whatever point of view. All it does is cause conflict, when we need to come together. We cannot move forward until the country comes together and to work as a single unit to start our exit.

David Cameron was right to resign and to give a breathing space of three months. This will help the country start to heal before we start the process.

For me The EU parliament with their response to our exit, especially Mr Juncker, shows their true selves and for me EU power has corrupted them. The EU needs urgent reform to adapt to the changing world and the issues throughout European countries if it is to survive.

Caroline Light
Salisbury

Bregret is spreading

In the light of Bregret now beginning to manifest, perhaps it is time to coin a new aphorism; “Brexit in haste, repent at leisure”.

Philip de Jonge
Haslemere

Emily Tierney is right to feel ashamed of herself for voting to leave the EU. She said her motivation for this was "to give the establishment a kicking" on the assumption that the stay campaign would win the referendum.

It has been constantly stated that giving the establishment a bloody nose should happen during parliamentary elections, by or general, because if one made the wrong call one could vote for the other side within five years. This referendum was a once in a lifetime event and should not have been used to protest against present or past administrations.

Let us hope that Sean O'Grady's optimistic view of a post-exit Britain (if Scottish and Northern Irish defections don't occur) is an accurate forecast, although I have my doubts, for the sake of Ms Tierney's generation who have been dealt a pretty crummy hand by politicians of all parties in recent years.

Patrick Cleary
Devon

The common market helped the baby boomers

I greatly object to the younger generation accusing us oldies of betraying them by voting for Brexit. Those of us trying to bring up a young family in the 1970s are never likely to forget the endless strikes, power cuts (you try putting a two year old to bed by candlelight, and having to boil water on an open fire) a two day working week and rising inflation. Although we didn't realise it at the time, joining the common market was the start of a better life for all of us (look where we are today).

I was certainly not going to vote to leave.

Gillian Cook
Market Harborough.

The post-referendum confusion is palpable

Some years ago our adolescent golden retriever thought it would be a good idea to catch one of our turkeys. Surprisingly she managed to do this but then stood there with the massive bird in her mouth looking at me as if to say "What do I do now?" I said to her, "You haven't thought this one through have you?" I can't help seeing some parallels with events of the last few days.

Jean Humber
Withycome