My thoughts on the EU Referendum.

So I’m still hurting from the election, I know a lot of you want me to get on with it and laugh at my thoughts of a re-vote, but I want to discuss a little bit about why I feel so energised to do something about this.

I have essentially been told the “European Union” piece of writing at the top of my passport is going to be void. That means everything I want to do in life has just got trickier. I want to move around a bit through my company. England is beautiful and fantastic, but it’s 0.1% of the world’s land mass, to live and die here without even sampling other places is a little gutting for me. I’m not saying I’d prefer to emigrate for good, but the chance to work few years in the Netherlands, spend some time working in Italy, just getting out there and becoming worldlier, getting more culture in me. My mother did that, she travelled Europe and worked in various places. Something I fear can no longer do, not with ease. I never went full-academic, at 19 years old I finished college and chose work over Thames Valley University, a decision sometimes I look back on and wonder if I got right, now more than ever I’m really starting to regret it. At least with a degree it would be easier to get visa’s etc sorted if I eventually got my dream of spending some time of my life working in a different country. Employment is one of the biggest deals to me and I feel like I’ve lost a lot of employment options with this referendum vote.

~
~

Thinking about it I did a bit of work in Paris last year and did a good job, I was told there could be more work like that across Europe for me. Very minor, like 2-3 times a year, 3-4 days work. But something supplemental to my current job which gives me awesome skills and something great to put on my CV. Setting up a convention and co-ordinating teams of strangers who got to know each other and network throughout the event. I was part of a team which was made up of the following staff… 5 English, 3 Belgian, 5 French, 2 Portugese, 3 Spanish, 1 Irish, 1 Croatian, 1 Hugarian, 2 Czech’s, 1 Italian & 1 German.) The bigger team had maybe triple this, with Russians, Americans, Turks, Scandinavians and Asians also. It was progressive and incredible, we accommodated maybe 3,000+ gamers which were a truly global audience and had the skills, expertise drawn from the entire world to make the event a spectacle. For me that’s the power of sharing resources, it works and it works well. I came back knowing so much more, seeing so much culture and being inspired/learning from it. The EU to me feels like that. It’s no secret that I love hearing foreign accents though, I instantly want to know much more about whoever they are, their background, what made them choose the UK and what experiences they’ve had. I gain lots of out integrating with a wide audience of people. Please don’t think that means I don’t get a lot out of my interactions with Britons, we’ve always had the added bonus that our culture is drawn upon from all over the world, with that unique splatter of English eccentiricity and sheer class that makes our island unique and relevant in a world where it is literally 0.1% of the entire mass. In a world where we are 67,000,000 people to the world’s population of 7,100,000,000. That’s right, we are currently 0.01% of the worlds population, with the 5 largest economy. But apparently to some when need to become “Great” Britain again and “take our country back” as if somehow we’re owed more… Perhaps we’re not privileged enough. Ha-ha.

~
~

My heart goes out to home-owners, those less nomadic that me, the ones who’ve decided to lock in place their hearthstone. They’ve put all their money into their house and a lot of their money going forward, to find out it’s dropped by 10%-15% in value. What about our food? I noticed that all the grapes, banana’s, oranges and other fruits I’m now starting to eat are actually imported, well I guess that’s going up in price based on just currency alone, European food may even have some extra taxes now which means I can expect to pay a noticeable amount more for simple things like food.

~
~

I’m looking at the strength of Scotland, looking at their first minister Nicola Sturgeon, I’m full of pride when she speaks and I’m not even Scottish, I’m a Briton and currently I’m linked with her, with the country she represents and those who inhabit it. But I wonder for how much longer? What happens when Scotland leave? Who’s going to point fingers at the government in a way which only the SNP have been doing recently and say “Hey! Look at what people think of these decisions you’re making, they don’t like them and we’re calling you out on it” Don’t get me wrong Jeremy Corbyn does his bit at PMQ’s and the Liberal Democrats when given a second of airtime make the government leaders answer questions we all have on our mind. But for me losing Scotland and her courageous voice right now is a concept I’m scared of. I love Scotland, I love the Scottish people. I’m sad that we may not be Britons together.

~
~

I’ve not spoken about the anger yet, the above stuff is why I feel sad at the situation and partly why I’m fighting it. I don’t even have kids but I’m even more saddened by the fact there are those in the country too young to understand that they’ve lost the chance to freely work in 27 other countries and that they too will suffer like we’re going to on simple things like prices of food etc. Oh gods, I completely forgot that my water and energy companies are French. I wonder how much it’ll go up in price now the pound is weaker and confidence in UK finances has dropped globally.

~
~

So I could talk a bit about the part which makes me angry at the moment, the over zealot, over patriotic (but also not patriotic in the slightest we think about it for 2 seconds) side which are currently terrorising the citizens we have which were born overseas. The citizens we have which keep up the NHS and work hard to build housing and maintain infrastructure across the country. I remember school at the shit that was slung about regarding the Polish, I didn’t understand it back then but didn’t like it and nowadays I do understand it and *really* don’t like it.

~
~

I’m really angry that intolerance exists, that side of vote leave which is sending these leaflets out to migrants saying “We voted leave, it’s time you leave” of course I’m going to get some hate for even bringing this up. Before I delve further, if you voted leave and you don’t behave like this, then this part of my post isn’t about you. I respect you and even if we didn’t vote for the same thing I don’t mind. You had your opinion, you opinion won the popular vote and it looks like we’re going forward with your vision of what England should look like. But if you are xenophobic towards those who aren’t natively English, regardless of which way you voted, then screw you. If you can’t handle the idea of someone worshipping Shiva, Budda, Kami or Allah instead of the Christian God, then screw you. If you are using the fact that we voted leave as part of your hate-fuelled speech to rid England of migrants which do their part in making our country successful then doubly-screw you. Thankfully I don’t know many people like that (usually because I don’t like those people) but they exist, they’re out there and they’re marching under this banner of leave, a banner which isn’t theirs and doesn’t represent the views of all those in camp leave. This minority are however vocal and they’re making other people’s lives a misery. I’m angry at that.

~
~

I’m angry at the MP of Uxbridge & Ruislip Boris Johnson for not appearing in the Commons yesterday for the Prime Ministers speech addressing the referendum result. I’m angry at Boris Johnson for completely hiding since the result has come forward. I’m angry we have literally no leadership in Government at the moment because we voted leave. David Cameron has given way for someone to step forward and no one seems to be answering the call. No one has yelled “I voted leave and this is exactly what I think we should be doing going forward”

~
~

So we “got our country back” alright, but I’m not happy about this result. I won’t accept people telling me “shut up and get on with it” I’ve been in full time employment since I was 19 and held a part-time job from college. I’ve been getting on with it all my life. I still have the freedom to use my voice and sign whatever petitions I want to sign and I’ll be doing that. I have the freedom to message MP’s and I’ve done that, I have the freedom to talk to my local ex-MP about what I can do going forward to put my name into having an active role of Leadership in this country and I’ve done that. I’m enacting JFDI here. Whatever the turnout is, you will all know that I’m doing my bit to represent the other half of the country (the part with growing support if we look at any of the news right now) which desperately wants to stay.

~
~

Whatever your stance on remain or leave I respect it, please respect mine too and please respect my ambition to do whatever is in my power to represent my not so niche view of staying in the EU. I do respect the vote, but I don’t think with such a slim margin (especially given the now clear as day lie which surrounds the reason it tipped in favour of leave) it’s as easy to say it’s done and dusted.