I’m an 18-year-old Brexiteer, so what? Stop making me feel like a racist dinosaur – and with the death threats and abuse in the street
As a young Leaver, Steven Edginton receives all kinds of abuse for his unfashionable views - even Alastair Campbell called him a 'Brextremist'. He says it's time Remainers stopped tarring us all with the same brush, get over the vote and help make a success of Brexit
DEATH threats, online abuse and fury in the streets: I'm only 18, but these are the sorts of things I put up with every day.
I've not committed a crime or tried to be offensive - in fact, all I've done is express my opinion on the biggest political decision most of us will face in our lifetime.
And these days, that's enough to get you into all sorts of trouble.
I’m a young Brexiteer. So what?
The idea of someone voting Leave being automatically a racist is ludicrous.
I’ve been called an "age-traitor" for not conforming and people like me are often painted as a tiny minority, when actually of young working-class voters ticked that "out" box in June 2016.
Campbell accused me of being a 'Brextremist', but I’m used to insults from school children.
My channel has reached millions of young people - over half my audience are under 35 - but having an online platform opens the door to thousands of trolls.
One charming Reddit poster said that people like me deserved to have our throats slit.
And I've been accused of everything from being a racist to a Jewish and/or Russian spy.
We're all Brexiteers now
My friends are a mixture of Leave and Remain, but we are all Brexiteers now.
My generation need to get over the vote and try to make a success of Brexit.
Since then we've had to learn to nod, smile and move on: sticks and stones and all that.
Everyone else seems to be allowed to express their views - and just because mine happen to be unfashionable among people my age that doesn't mean they shouldn't be heard.
I felt, and still do, that the EU was too controlling and that it wasn't accountable enough and the direction the EU was heading in didn’t make any sense to me.
I thought the time had come for change. Why is that so wrong?
Brexit supporters aren't evil xenophobes. And those young people who did vote to leave aren't traitors.
Do you really think I'd vote for something that would destroy my future?