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When I write these articles it is the equivalent of public speaking for me, which is terrifying and makes me feel stressed and ill afterwards. Which is why on the run up to the referendum and afterwards I resisted the urge, there were enough people shouting the odds. However I was wrong, I should have been researching, fact checking and making reasoned arguments as to why leaving the European Union was a positive move for the United Kingdom. Now, as the days go on, tempers are running very high and the language is getting more extreme due to the Government trying to interpret the referendum result into what they want instead of planning and organising to Leave. Are there others who also did the wrong thing regret it now and what has it lead to?
In an article Boris Johnson wrote this week, he mentions how there were ‘millions of people who instinctively wanted to vote Leave, but who were too scared to do so’. I wonder what the result would have been if they had not been swayed by Project Fear and if we would be having the arguments we are now. For me I was not swayed by either side because I already believed out of the EU was better for Britain. I was frustrated that previous politicians, Tony Blair, did not carry out the promises they made. So when UKIP campaigned for the referendum I voted for them, when the Conservative party promised one I voted for them, and when we had the Referendum I voted Leave. It was not an angry response as Mr Corbyn would like to believe according to his Guardian article of the 6th December ‘Many voted leave out of anger at the way the political class had left them’. Mine and I am sure many others made a considered vote based on beliefs held for many years. Hopefully now people who were scared off before have had a chance to change their minds, as we may need you if the calls for a second Referendum are heeded. As much as it would be undemocratic I am not scared, bring it on I have faith the right result will come out again but bigger and better than before.
There was criticism when I made this point before, in my previous article, with regards to how the Leave campaign was run. It was not an easy criticism to make and neither is this one and I take my share of the blame. However whatever the reasons for the situation it is resulting in more extreme right wing elements coming to the fore. When I have pointed this out in social media, identifying and pointing out the ulterior motives they may have and do we want this, I have been castigated and my loyalty to my country called into question.
Nigel Farage recently quit the UKIP party as he was dismayed at Batten’s anti-Muslim policies and the appointment of Tommy Robinson, the far right campaigner, as an adviser. They are the same concerns I have, it does not make him or me any less loyal but by encouraging and aligning ourselves with them are we just giving the remain campaign confirmation that we are ‘mad, bad and dangerous to know’?
These are the reasons that I avoided the debate; I am anti-EU, not anti foreigners or people of other faiths. I want the United Kingdom to go into a bright spring of building relationships with everyone while strengthening our borders against those that want to do us harm under the guise of seeking sanctuary. I believe we can make better laws than the EU, really protecting workers rights rather than allowing zero hours contracts and food banks to flourish which the EU has not dealt with. Independence does not mean a loss of these things but an improvement of them and many other things besides. What I don’t want to see is the country burn on the way to getting them because we encouraged far right racists to lead the charge.
We have all the facts about how to go forward and why we should as more things come out with regards to EU plans for the future. ‘National sovereignty is the root cause of most crying evils of our time… ‘ is the plaque at the entrance to the Visitors Centre of the European Parliament. I say it not National sovereignty but the far right that hijacked it for their own ends, please let us be watchful of this and not let our anger and frustration lead us to seek alliances with those who just want to cause pain not peace and prosperity.
Let’s use these facts to convince others there is a better future and present them in a calm, reasonable voice, showing the faith we have and gaining theirs in return. Yes it is the slower, more frustrating road but the other one is scaring those we wish to convince, as they recall a destructive history. Let us show them the future is bright, it is constructive, it is inclusive, democratic, fair, just and it is British, where we forge bonds with old friends and make new ones. I look forward to the Spring of our success after the Winter of discontent.
