The country is descending into chaos. Newspapers are crammed full of catastrophic predictions for the disintegration of our economy. JK Rowling has compared Farage’s Leave campaign to Nazi propaganda (and with good reason). The ‘breaking point’ poster was a step too far in the Leave campaign’s immoral and obtuse bid for votes. We have voted to isolate ourselves on a miniscule island with a fractured government which incites racial hatred and has promoted division and animosity throughout the country.
Nothing but the EU referendum is considered newsworthy, and rightly so. The British public are not talking about anything else. Comedy show Last Leg In had Boris Johnson’s dad as a guest and asked him the big question on everyone’s lips, “are we going to be okay?” Palpable pause. “We will still be playing cricket tomorrow”. This eccentric family appear to be on another planet, and yet we have voted to put the fate of our nation in the clumsy, clownish hands of his son. Britain could be heading for a golden duck.
“We seem to have lost sight of…’Keep Calm and Carry On'”
All of a sudden, Facebook has become full of political experts. Everyone suddenly feels the urge to post an impassioned status about how their view is the only plausible one. It is encouraging to see the British public engage with a decision that will ultimately have an inconceivable impact on all of our futures. However, we seem to have lost sight of the well-loved slogan “keep calm and carry on”. You would think the apocalypse had hit. Everyone seems to have swallowed a hyperbole pill: Britain is no longer ‘Great’, many are embarrassed or ashamed to call themselves British, and we are all doomed. And yet, more than half of the population voted for this decision. Where are the 52% who voted leave in all of this?
Farage really has stolen the vote in this referendum. After claiming the £350 million EU fee would be invested in our NHS, he has denied making such a promise. Anyone who is surprised by this turn of events is either senseless or perilously unrealistic. Our government has spent the last decade consistently reversing false promises and failing to deliver anything beyond their deceptive campaigns, tentative leadership and austerity measures.
Where will the money go? It is anyone’s guess, maybe on relaxing gun laws as is Farage’s proclaimed intention. This is just one more abhorrent proposal which highlights just how low the Leave campaign have stooped, particularly in light of the attack on Jo Cox. According to our ever-diplomatic UKIP leader, not “a single bullet” was fired in this campaign.
“Our entire language will soon be made up of nonsensical abbreviations”
Brexit has hit our nation, to the joy of all Brexiters and the despair of all Regrexiters. There is talk of Czexit and Nexit to follow. This may lead to a Dexit if David Cameron truly intends to step down as PM by October. There could even be a Jexit on the cards after the no confidence vote in Jeremy Corbyn within the Labour party. But the real concern is that our entire language will soon be made up of nonsensical abbreviations.
Another shocking phenomenon which has emerged from the referendum results is the truth behind the demographics. For those of you who have been hiding under a rock and have not heard the exact figures multiple times on all forms of social media, the older generation overwhelmingly voted to leave. Many have declared their outrage that the older population have directed a decision that they will not live to see. There have been 15,000 retweets of the caption “I’m never giving up my seat on the train for an old person again”.
A fellow student told me today that she thought anyone over the age of 65 should not be allowed to vote. Perhaps she should start another petition to add to the collection that is circulating currently. Maybe her sentiments could even be a subject of another referendum. It may even mean more young people show up to vote – according to The Independent, a mere 26% of 18-24 year olds voted last Thursday.
The frustration youngsters feel is not unfounded. But we cannot blame our grandparents for being compelled by the Leave campaign’s promise to reclaim our country. The real responsibility lies with the rash man who put the fate of this critical proposition in the hands of the public.
“Has this referendum revealed over half of our nation as racist and bigoted? Unlikely”
Has this referendum revealed over half of our nation as racist and bigoted? Unlikely. It appears that disenchanted voters have been conned into a decision that they believe will lead to an end to austerity and renewed British supremacy. However, their votes mean that the government they so heavily mistrust, who implemented the austerity measures in the first place, will now have free reign. Furthermore, our lack of influence in decision making for our nation will be replaced by a lack of influence on the world stage.
Leavers may say that this will make Britain ‘Great’ again, but if this statement conceals a desire to purge the country of European migrants, I’m not so sure we want to be ‘Great’. And if Scotland and Northern Ireland do sever their ties with us, there may be no Britain left.
Beth Webb-Strong
Image: Amanda Wood via Flickr
