citybythesea
Winger
I was in Gateshead college tonight, EU funded by signs everywhere. When I was at Uni in Sunderland, pretty sure a lot of St Petes was build with EU help (social and regen funding). In terms of your point, people want an easy blame, and certain media with agenda have blamed immigrants firstly, and more lately the EU when ultimately its central govt, and to a lesser extent local govt.
Brexit is / was always about the rich, either making money or slowly removing rights to make money. It started when the EU went 'no' to Cameron asking to be excluded from the anti-tax evasion laws, months later under pressure from the ERG and others he caved to a referendum.
I agree with you.......but as you've pointed out universities have been beneficiaries of EU funding, along with places like the sage, the Baltic etc...the reality is there's entire communities where universities, or contemporary art galleries or music halls are simply unattainable to them. Almost is elitist by nature. The government strategy of centralisation by making "London-esque" urban centres and hoping wealth permeates throughout that region but it has catered for the middle classes and "left behind" communities have arose. Not the EU's fault as ERDF was supposed to bring economic growth throughout. But people are perceptive to their prospects. They've seen growing use of food banks, a less equal society, rich getting richer, the poor getting poorer...the options would be continue with the current system or change it. Considering the growing economic divide it's understandable people voted to leave.