It is so interesting to read all your opinions on the referendum result, such a wide variety.
I haven't really told anyone how I voted yet, let alone explained myself. I'm writing this post as much for myself as anyone else. I'd be interested to see if any of my points resonate anywhere, because I assure you, I was as confused as a lot of people, for a long time, when it came to this referendum.
I've noted that there seems to be a lot of information going around about how young people overwhelmingly backed remain. It's interesting because out of 8 of our staff under 25, only 1 voted remain. It makes you wonder where they get this polling information from, although mine is admittedly a small sample size from "up narf", where we really only like people who can make yorkshire puddings without a recipe
I'm in my mid thirties and voted leave and at great potential financial loss. I voted with my heart. I voted leave because in my view, the EU made it quite clear that we were not respected, by making a mockery of our requests for reform. They only became demands once the feeling of the electorate was made clear at the European elections and Cameron literally had no choice but to act. I do believe he did the best he could in negotiations, but then tried to spin them as a success, when even to a thicko like me, they were clearly a disaster. I voted for him at the last general election and at this point regretted it deeply. He must genuinely have believed the working class were so stupid as to not realise what had happened.
Ultimately, the unelected EU political elite refused to listen. The sentiment of our electorate was echoed across Europe and saw the rise of populism almost across the board, the effect of which is yet to be seen. Still they refused to listen, turning former pro-EU voters like myself, who love the varied cultures of the nations in the EU, into sceptics questioning exactly how far removed the EU is from what I consider democracy.
The straw that broke the camels back was Juncker, the hard left President of the EU commission. He was, very unwisely, insisting there will be absolutely no further negotiation regardless. Well, ok then, you try to bully us to stay, we will show you that the English will and can not be bullied. I'd be tempted to say he was hoping for a Brexit all along, as we really don't fit in with his hard left political demographic. He's out of touch and likely very soon, out of a job.
I don't want our laws, any portion of them, to be made abroad by people who were appointed to the role rather than elected. I don't want our nation to be an enormous net contributor and yet have Angela Merkel acting unilaterally in openly welcoming migrants, regardless of the reason they are coming. Yes, we are partly to blame for their displacement and frankly I wish we had never got involved, but rather than respecting the fact that such a decision would have far reaching implications on the culture, demographics and economies of member states, she made it perfectly clear that she is running the show and cared not a jot for the concerns of others. The migrants are not the problem, the actions of the EU political elite, are.
I have often wondered if Angela Merkel ever actually sat down and considered the harm that her decision would cause to the migrants themselves. Long, life threatening journeys based on false hope of asylum, living in squalor, a humanitarian disaster of epic proportions. France have acted appallingly in humanitarian terms. Granted, Merkels decision was not the precursor, but it was certainly the catalyst for the numbers seen today, and the corresponding levels of human suffering.
Entire generations of men died in two separate wars to forge Europe into what it is today, to defeat the common European enemy of the time, Germany. The days of doing so by force are long passed, but when Europe was formed, I certainly do not think the intention was for Germany to be solely at the helm, yet that is the de facto situation, regardless of the apparently limp European parliament. I believe that all countries were supposed to have equal voice, as it should be. This has proven to be untrue in my view, influence instead, being based on the size of a countries' wallet. Please understand, I am not anti-German, I am anti-anyone who thinks that they have the right to act alone to the detriment of others.
Going back to the youth vote for a second, the younger generation should remember that they would not have been in the privileged position of having a vote had it not been for the sacrifices made generations before, by their close ancestors. What has happened in this referendum, is a return to independence for the UK, in the hope that other European nations will follow suit, and finally each nation can come together and have an equal voice, including Germany. This will undoubtedly be to the benefit of the youth and be shown through lower house prices, hopefully cuts to university tuition and better employment prospects for all European countries. All tied to managed, rather than non-existent migration.
What exactly was the EU for? What did it provide that could not be accomplished by dialog between countries, by alliances, by diplomacy? Already we have indications that Canada and South Korea would welcome a trade agreement with us with open arms, many more are likely to follow suit, from within Europe also. Thus I propose, that it is in fact not the UK which has isolated itself, but rather the EU isolated us from the rest of the world.
I am very much pro Europe, but now, as a result of the actions of a few, I am no longer pro-EU. There a distinct difference. The EU is NOT the Europe I love and respect.
I would welcome a person of any nationality into my home and to my country, but I will not have them tell me how to arrange my furniture or what the laws of our land should be.
On another note, I welcome the opportunity for Scotland to have a referendum on it's own independence, they clearly want to be part of the EU and that is true democracy at it's finest.
Let's unite and heal the divisions. Have some faith in the citizens of this country. We have gotten through far worse. Ignore the extremists on either side of the argument, the naysayers and the bringers of doom. Most of them probably think that European culture begins and ends in Nando's (yes I'm aware it's not exclusively European food..).
