I thought I’d never blog about such a polarising subject, but I’ve finally made up my mind and feel it’s time I have my say and lay out why I’m voting the way I am.
Anyone who knows me will know how I’m a Leftie (in terms of politics) and how Liberal I am. The ways I’ve voted in the past reflects this. Although I’m no staunch leftie and can be swayed, look at the way I voted in the last General Election – Conservative. Over the past couple of months I’ve been very set in my mind, almost stubborn, I debated with colleagues and friends alike around the situation, I shared articles and memes on social media, I was about as pro-Remain as any leftie should be.
But as I did my research and read various articles, a voice in the back of my head started to make me doubt my rational thinking, it appeared my Pro-EU-Leftie heart was being taken over by my What If? mind.
I love the EU. I love Europe. I consider myself to be European more than British. But do I agree with everything both have done for us? No.
Agriculture and Fishery policies. Animal welfare. Environmental Protection. Battling climate change. Boosts to science and research. Workers rights. Parental rights. These are all things I love about the EU. But a vote to remain is a vote of “I agree with everything the EU has done for me.” And I can’t put my hand on heart and say “yes, you have done everything right.” Just look at the amount of excessive regulations and red tape they have put on everything including stating a banana can’t have excessive curvature – subsequently overturned after many years.[1]
I was so sure I wanted to stay in the EU. But I was listening to my heart, it took me a while to clear my head and see that no matter the lies or facts either campaign produced, I needed to do my research. Which I did. Countless hours of articles, social media posts, news reports from various sources. Ask my partner Shannon, and I’m sure she’s fed up of my goings on with it. But whilst doing this research I’d always find counter balance arguments to everything Remain would say, what would make me go “Oh, I’ve never thought of it like that.”
The EU at its heart is not anti democratic, and when it started it was a great thing. But over time its become far too bureaucratic, and it’s slowly stifling Europe. Greece, Spain, Croatia and Italy have the highest amount of youth unemployment in the EU currently.[2] Yet the EU say they help create jobs for the youth?[3] A single currency means a single interest rate for all countries who have that currency. This simply doesn’t work, when a country is doing great they would prefer a certain interest rate, and the same applies when a country is doing bad. But with a singly set rate it means a balancing act must be taken, and in the end it just doesn’t benefit anyone.
Now a vote to leave for me isn’t a vote for UKIP, it is not a vote for Boris Johnson nor is it a vote to close our borders. What it is, is a leap of faith. A leap of faith I’m willing to take. No one on either side can say for definite what will happen. We are the first country to allow such a vote, so there are no real facts out there.
It’s taken me a long time to come to this decision especially with my family’s interests at heart. I don’t want them to suffer, so my main reason to Remain was because of them, as many families will be. But I’ve decided to take them on a path unknown, but I’m only just on that path. No one know’s what the EU will look like in 10 years time. No one know’s what the UK will be like in 10 years time. But maybe, just maybe it will be better off. I know we will have 2 years of uncertainty as we negotiate our way out of the EU, but all those things the EU has brought in for us, workers rights, environmental help, battling climate change, will still remain, they are written into UK law. And during those two years house prices will fall and the Pound will slump, but after those two years?
In 10 years time when Henry and Archie go to me (not like I’m sure a 12 and 9-year-old will) “why did you vote Leave?” I hopefully can go back to them and say; “It was for you. I wanted your future to be better.” And if it was a mistake I can still stand proudly and say “I took a leap into the unknown to try to get a better future for you.”
DadStation4 