I did vote remain and I had my reasons, mainly to do with my ambivalence to the subject matter and no desire to change the status quo.
Pre-referendum I read the leaflet pushed through my letterbox telling me to vote to remain, I listened to many debates in the run-up, mostly with a similar narrative. It seemed logical and carried too many risks to do any other.
Post-referendum, the utter contemptuous display by the establishment irked me, the ensuing narrative regarding racist, thick, xenophobic, uneducated people had sinister motives designed to belittle and shame. It has been a prolonged campaign against the ‘common man’. I know many who voted leave none of whom I would label in such a narrow manner, and most have merit if you listen to them.
This was why I changed; it may be the dormant socialist in me that thinks shaming for a political view is wrong, though it seems de rigueur now that the left shower anyone with right wing views with dog’s abuse, so maybe not.
Either way, we are leaving, there will be no extension announced at the end of this month. I predict we will have a good deal with the EU and we will all be fine.
I agree with much of what you say, the first paragraph sums up the referendum very well for me.
We knew what Remain meant, we knew what the new negotiated deal was, and we had a outline of a plan moving forward.
That’s not to say I like the EU, much of what happens is contentious, and the recent leadership in Brussels carries a lot of blame for that.
I do however recognise that the EU is a fluid organisation.
As Lienking as often pointed out, the EU has changed radically throughout its existence, and will continue to do so.
At the time of the referendum I believed, and still do that having our own currency, border controls etc gave us a very unique and powerful position within the EU, and with sound U.K. leadership we could and should have been able to drive reform.
Any breakup is going to be difficult, the EU was always going to be intransigent, they have reasons to be that way. We left, why should we then be able to choose how we leave. We are, after all, a competitor now.
The problem is that the UK Government post the referendum never had a workable plan.
They were, and still are, entrenched on the rhetoric of borders, money law, (things we did control anyway) to actually outline the really problems. Integration of standards, the fact that our industrial bases are highly connected, energy, and many more.
Those issues aren’t very sexy, the content doesn’t make for good speeches, nor I suspect sell papers.
But the reality is those issues are significantly more important than just about anything else in this process.
Without a free trade, UK business will face additional costs and administration , both importing and exporting to our main supply/consumer area. And right now we don’t even know the extent of those costs and administration.
Brexit is done, the Government needs to stop treating this next stage like it isn’t.
We now need a deal that allows us to keep as much integration with the European market place as possible so that trade remains frictionless, and we can take advantage of the opportunities that a BRINO Deal would bring. That means accepting some degree of EU governance....CE, medical alignments etc.
What is being considered now won’t achieve any of that, and I’m fairly sure is not what many of those leave supporters voted for in 2016.
Unfortunately I don’t share your optimism that a deal will be done, certainly not by the end of the month.
I just don’t believe that this administration actually has the capability to negotiate one at any time. Nor do they have the desire to, it’s too politicised now.
They won’t want to be seen to back down.
I do agree that the U.K. will be okay, but without a deal it won’t be in my lifetime.
