To listen and watch the debate around Brexit you would think that it is only the Brexit supporting folks who love their country and only they that are entitled to wave our national flag around.

However, there are a significant number of people who, like me, feel strongly that we are in the process of harming ourselves as a country and all this as a result of a very poorly debated referendum campaign and a result that provided a majority of less than 4%.

All this on a simple binary choice to stay in or leave the EU.

Those that ‘write off’ remainers as simply sore losers or people who don’t love their country are making a mistake.

Being loyal to your country is more than just waving the flag and shouting about vague notions like sovereignty – its also about wanting a wealthy country that can look after its citizens.

For many the point is that if we leave the EU on terms that mean we become poorer as a trading nation because of additional trade barriers then the Government will have less tax income to spend on the things we want it spend money on.

Less money for the police to help protect us – less money to support the NHS and less money to help look after the poorest and most vulnerable.

If we become less wealthy as a nation many people will lose their jobs and have to rely on a Government which will have less money to help them.

A survey found around 20% of manufacturing companies are planning to reduce their work forces as a result of Brexit and 58% to increase prices.

At the moment the UK is part of the worlds largest trading bloc – the EU. To me it is obvious that provides us with protection and influence when other powerful economies want to take advantage of trading relationships with us.

Alone we will have to accept worse deals that will also serve diminish us as an economy.

Many supporting Brexit assure us that a great new trade deal with America will make up for any losses incurred when we leave the EU but nothing President ‘America first’ Trump has done or said is remotely convincing. He has already stuck punishing tarriffs on steel production in the UK and other countries – many their traditional allies.

All of his domestic attitudes and policies seemed aimed at looking after only American workers to whom he made many casual promises.

I don’t argue that all remainers share my views but many do. I don’t argue that all Brexit supporters think the same way – they don’t – but there is an element of flag waving Brexit supporter who claim that only they love their country and they are wrong.

If it was simply the case that those that wanted to remain in the EU were just sore losers than I suggest they would not still be so animated and motivated to keep arguing for the least worse outcome from Brexit.

The referendum result was won by the Brexit side – that’s a fact. But it was a narrow win and it was simplistic binary choice after two very poor campaigns about something beyond complicated which stands to impact upon our children’s lives for years to come and so debate and argument will continue.

Brexit looks like it may make most of us worse off and so it is not un-patriotic to argue for the least worst outcome and you can still love your country whilst doing it.