This week Nigel Farage waved a tiny limp toy Union Jack embarrassing himself and his country in the European parliament, it was a symbolic final act from the Brexit champion. Today, the Brexit process gets under way and it’s so sad that we are leaving the European Union having been a member for over forty years.
It’s so sad that we are potentially stripping away our freedoms of movement. Maybe not completely or instantly but they will be disrupted.
It’s so sad that we are destroying a partnership that, whilst not perfect, has prevented wars, built our economies and expanded our horizons over decades.
It’s so sad that we are losing our rights, our protections and the inward investment into the most deprived parts of this country.
It’s not me I feel sad for, it’s for future generations.
Leaving will potentially close off partnerships and could shut down much of the diversity that feeds into an open tolerant multicultural society that enriches our (cultural) lives.
With the speed of travel and technology our world is getting smaller and instead of continuing to be a outward looking country, we are cutting ourselves off from a neighbouring trading block that will still affect us anyway, to float alone as an island. To make our own trade deals when we don’t have the same influence or strength in numbers to get a good deal, and they will become intractable discussions that are still ongoing years after Boris says Brexit is “done”. It’s sad, regressive and dark.
For what? Nobody can tell me after four years!? Misguided fantasies of what Brexit will mean. Misguided notions of British sovereignty? Freedom? Free trade? Control of our borders. 350m a week for the NHS? Which was always a lie. In fact one report claimed the “economic cost” of Brexit is £130 billion, and now exceeds what we’ve paid in to the EU over 47 years.
We had all of these things already but we also had the strength of being part of a trading block and a union a partnership that pools together to form a bond of strength. We had vetos we had the best of both worlds. Now we are weaker and more emasculated as a result of leaving this group.
Whats the main driver behind Brexit? Ignorance and prejudice, a fear of those who don’t look like you and if that’s why you voted for it, be under no illusion it won’t stop movement into this country.
Crumbling and struggling public services are due to austerity and the NHS wouldnt exist without the brilliant migrant and EU professionals who work in our hospitals. Inequality has widened in parts of our country because of successive governments not the EU! It will only get worse as we leave as a potentially terrible trade deal with the US comes into view as we bow and scrape and open up our health service to Donald Trump. More austerity will be unleashed and now the EU protections are gone and more privatisation in public services is a real danger. Offshore Tax laws will continue to be relaxed and the rich will get richer.
We always had freedom our government is the reason this country is a mess, not the EU.
If you voted for Brexit you’ve got it now and yes I accept there was a referendum (that you won on a tiny margin), but you must accept the consequences and reality of what Brexit will mean for all of us. You can’t dismiss any negative consequences as “project fear” anymore.
Just because we are leaving that doesn’t mean I have to like it. I find it incredibly sad that we are losing out and for those who will suffer.
We don’t ALL reject the EU, we are Europeans! Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson don’t speak for all of us. We are Europeans, whether some people want to think of themselves as that or not. I am a European and I dismiss the dark insular petty small-minded world view that wants to erect walls and wave flags and trumpet nationalism, that means we are leaving the European union. I will carry on fighting for human rights, tolerance, openess and empathy.
Brexit isn’t something to celebrate with parties, coins or mugs. Brexit is intolerance. Brexit is insular and nationalistic. Brexit is a distraction. Brexit is petty. Brexit is a fantasy. Brexit is a fallacy. It is division. It’s Britain downgrading itself. Brexit is bad news and will be for a long time. Today is a heartbreaking day.
