Would the engineering community support a second referendum?

Oh gosh, that's a very complicated question - yes, there has been a lot of research, but you can draw any conclusion you like from it, and both sides have. Here's a couple: the same data shows that either the remain voters were educated as imperialists and are stuck in their ways while the leave voters were open minded and co-operative, or that the remain voters were naive and easily led, whilst the leave voters were experienced and worldly wise!


I believe that there was a positive correlation between having received tertiary education and voting remain, which if true is the factor that concerns me the most (given the outcome of the vote) but I haven't checked the source data on this.* Similarly I believe that there was a positive correlation between those that worked with (and therefore presumably understood) EU organisation and voting remain, but there i'm even less sure of the underlying data, and I'm sure it could be argued that there's selection bias in that. Sociological statistics are phenomenally difficult to interpret with any degree of accuracy, particularly to determine cause and effect!


What I find almost more interesting is the characteristics of the influential organisations, companies and individuals who promoted one side or the other in the run up to the referendum. For example, one particular point I noticed is that many of the businesses and business leaders that pushed for leave will benefit greatly from a relaxation or reduction in the "employees rights" that were introduced in EU legislation (amongst other "restrictive" legislation). And I think many would be quite open in admitting this, that by doing so they can increase their revenue and profitability and so employ more people. Whether this is "right" or "wrong" is a very complex political and ethical matter for debate, but it's the sort of point that the UK working population needs to be aware of. 


A similar issue arises in my field, the application of engineering safety standards. There are engineering companies who pushed for leave who have complained about EU "red tape" - and this gives me cause for concern. I'm not going to say that EU engineering standards are perfect, they absolutely aren't and many of us are working hard to improve them, but  in my experience they are pretty good provided they are applied correctly and intelligently, and I am very wary of organisations that try to avoid them. I honestly believe that a medium or large engineering company that is reaching world-class standards in its engineering processes should be able to sail through EU standards, so if they complain about red tape - particularly while I'm assessing them! - I'd like to know what they are up to. There are challenges for small companies, and there I do sympathise.


Interesting point, thanks,


Andy


* Of course even if true it can be argued that this is because universities are a hot bed of radical anti-patriotic brainwashing. These types of arguments always amuse me, given that anyone who's ever worked with academia knows that any two academics will never agree with each other on anything. The best way to start an academic arguing is to put them in a room with another academic.

Oh gosh, that's a very complicated question - yes, there has been a lot of research, but you can draw any conclusion you like from it, and both sides have. Here's a couple: the same data shows that either the remain voters were educated as imperialists and are stuck in their ways while the leave voters were open minded and co-operative, or that the remain voters were naive and easily led, whilst the leave voters were experienced and worldly wise!


I believe that there was a positive correlation between having received tertiary education and voting remain, which if true is the factor that concerns me the most (given the outcome of the vote) but I haven't checked the source data on this.* Similarly I believe that there was a positive correlation between those that worked with (and therefore presumably understood) EU organisation and voting remain, but there i'm even less sure of the underlying data, and I'm sure it could be argued that there's selection bias in that. Sociological statistics are phenomenally difficult to interpret with any degree of accuracy, particularly to determine cause and effect!


What I find almost more interesting is the characteristics of the influential organisations, companies and individuals who promoted one side or the other in the run up to the referendum. For example, one particular point I noticed is that many of the businesses and business leaders that pushed for leave will benefit greatly from a relaxation or reduction in the "employees rights" that were introduced in EU legislation (amongst other "restrictive" legislation). And I think many would be quite open in admitting this, that by doing so they can increase their revenue and profitability and so employ more people. Whether this is "right" or "wrong" is a very complex political and ethical matter for debate, but it's the sort of point that the UK working population needs to be aware of. 


A similar issue arises in my field, the application of engineering safety standards. There are engineering companies who pushed for leave who have complained about EU "red tape" - and this gives me cause for concern. I'm not going to say that EU engineering standards are perfect, they absolutely aren't and many of us are working hard to improve them, but  in my experience they are pretty good provided they are applied correctly and intelligently, and I am very wary of organisations that try to avoid them. I honestly believe that a medium or large engineering company that is reaching world-class standards in its engineering processes should be able to sail through EU standards, so if they complain about red tape - particularly while I'm assessing them! - I'd like to know what they are up to. There are challenges for small companies, and there I do sympathise.


Interesting point, thanks,


Andy


* Of course even if true it can be argued that this is because universities are a hot bed of radical anti-patriotic brainwashing. These types of arguments always amuse me, given that anyone who's ever worked with academia knows that any two academics will never agree with each other on anything. The best way to start an academic arguing is to put them in a room with another academic.