Well, shit. So the UK voted out of the European Union. At the time, when I heard the result I was surprised, I had just assumed that it wouldn’t actually happen but happen it did.
I had decided to vote remain. Not because I believe that being part of the European Union was the best way forward for the UK but more because neither party had done enough to convince me of anything. With that in mind, I opted to keep with the devil I knew.
In retrospect, it was worse than a lack of information; it was more like a lack of trust. Neither party had even come close to making me believe what they were saying. I mean, even THEY don’t look like they believe the offal that comes effortlessly tumbling out of their garbage spewing maws. As the respective campaigns wound up to the close, everywhere I looked I just saw bullshit. The experts on the news and blog posts the world over just all seemed suspect to me.
In terms of what will happen next, I’m waiting for someone to show some leadership, take the reins and steer us as safely as possible along the road we’ve, rightly or wrongly, chosen as a nation. But already we’re seeing the signs that this just isn’t gong to happen. Cameron, his gambit having backfired right in his smug elitist face, has dropped that hot potato and backed off as far as he can. Good old man of the people (as if) Boris has realised that whoever takes on the Tory leadership may have to be the one to push the actual button on leaving the EU where I’m sure he was counting on Cameron to do it so now he has a face like a slapped arse. Osbourne.. well the less said about him the better. And Jeremy Hunt! The guy who caused one of the most turbulent strikes in the NHS in my (limited) memory has piped up that he might want a shot at leading the country… good grief. And don’t even get me started on Michael Gove, the bloke who systematically pissed off every single teacher in the country, teachers generally being, by necessity, some of the more patient and understanding members of the community.
Corbyn meanwhile is doing his best to stop his party imploding around him. I quite like Corbyn, if only for his refreshing way of infuriating anyone in either main party who quite likes things the way they are thank you very much, which is unfortunately exactly why they’re dong their utmost to politically assassinate him. This is a fella that had his wardrobe criticised at one point. I guess they couldn’t fault his policies then.
Farage. He just buggered off to Brussels to rub everyone’s noses in it. It’s depressing that this guy has managed to strike such a chord with much of the population.
If (and it’s still a rather big if) we actually end up leaving the EU, I don’t necessarily fear for my daughter’s chances of living or working in or visiting European countries. If they really want to do it, I suspect they’ll find a way. I think that economically speaking, some people are going to get stung whereas others might flourish. The pound dropped dramatically but there are indications that it might go up again and probably do a lot more fluctuation before long. None of this is what angers me.
What has made me angry is the lack of leadership. The lack of a plan. It seems that the leave campaign didn’t actually expect to win. Like a cat catching a mouse, they don’t know what to do with it now they’ve got it. So they let it go again fueling the uncertainty, adding more panic.
What has me feeling anxious and fearful is the door this has opened for us, in the UK, in 2016 to start openly hating. There are media reports of people quite openly telling others that they now need to leave the country. A video of some of the Northwest’s ‘finest’ young people hurling abuse at another passenger who had asked them to tone their language down a bit. Cards being put up talking about ‘Polish Vermin’. It’s disgusting and it’s frightening. THIS is something I do fear on behalf of my kids. I fear that they’ll get caught up in violence, or that they may somehow begin to think this this is how society works.
Now, I understand it’s my job to guide my children and show them how to behave but the message that it’s not OK to treat people differently because of where they come from or the colour of their skin is one I honestly dared to believe was self evident; requiring only an infrequent reminder. Sadly, shockingly, the reverse is currently true in the UK. It’s shameful.
For now, I guess the best we can do is look after the ones we love and try and re-establish that feeling of respect that was evidently a great deal more tenuous than we thought. There are messages on social media advising people who were dissatisfied with the result to “club together” and “get with it” however it think that message applies more to Westminster and Downing street than my Facebook feed.
Whatever happens in the next couple of years, I think we’re in for some interesting times.
Cousin Boneless Writes 