Referendum Reflections
Rebecca Hills Senior Politics Editor 2015 - 2016
That's it.
It's over.
The United Kingdom has left the European Union.
The campaign has been bitter and riddled with inaccuracies. Both Remain and Leave campaigners have relied upon scaremongering tactics which have done little except alienate people, especially within the 18-24 age bracket. This referendum has exacerbated divisions not only within the main political parties, but also within the nation. The possibility of independence referendums in Scotland and Northern Ireland has increased overnight and the United Kingdom is more divided than ever.
This morning I awoke at 4am to the news that Brexit had taken the lead and any optimism I went to bed with was replaced by an overwhelming feeling of disappointment and devastation. I'm not going to pretend that I have been actively engaged in the referendum campaign for its duration; however I have been steadfast in my opinion that the EU is more beneficial than it is destructive.
From the EU we gain multiculturalism, free movement of people, free trade and international unity. The leave vote means that isolationism has prevailed and I believe the future will be darker as a result. Throughout history, isolationism has proven to be a flawed ideology. Herbert Hoover's isolationist policies in the 1920s culminated in an America steeped in distrust for foreign nations - which seemingly still prevails among Republicans in the 21st century. When the UK didn't join the EU after the war our economy became fragile and animosity between Britain and Europe grew. Other examples are endless, but I won't bore you with them in this post.
The future is uncertain and, from the looks of things this morning, our economy will be the first thing to take the hit. The pound has fallen against the dollar to its lowest for three decades, and there is talk that pensions and the housing market will follow suit. Rumour has it that the One-Nation faction of the Conservative Party will be usurped by the eurosceptic neo-liberals and this is a prospect that, even as a Conservative voter, scares me. I consider myself a centrist and if the party I have aligned myself to ceases to reflect that, then frankly I don't want to remain a member. However, what is the alternative? The Labour Party is deeply ideologically divided with many saying that the Blairite faction is planning to depose Corbyn; the Lib Dems and Greens are not viable options for government. This referendum has triggered in me a political identity crisis. I have gone from being a proud progressive, One-Nation Conservative to a woman stuck in an ideological no man's land.
Nonetheless, the result is not all doom and gloom. It means that Nigel Farage and UKIP are no longer relevant and the government can no longer ignore gender inequalities under the umbrella of EU regulation. As I have already said, the future is uncertain and I hope that more positives do emerge in the coming weeks and months.
As a future politics student I realise the importance of not simply dismissing this result as a culmination of racism and ignorance (despite my desire to do so!) but I can't help but worry about the future of my generation. I'm worried about the volatility of the housing market and the prospect that my hopes of ever getting on the housing ladder will be diminished by this result. I'm scared that Britain will, as suggested, go to the metaphorical back of the queue in terms of trade. Quite frankly I'm scared about the future.
I understand that a majority has voted and we must now accept that and work on adapting to this new situation. I intend to channel my disappointment into a productive political future. For example, my hopes of becoming an MP have not been quashed by this vote; in fact I desire to become a political representative even more.
This referendum has reignited my political fire and although I'm deeply angered and upset by both the result and the preceding campaign, I hope to become a part of the new political movement which will turn division into unity.
For more from Rebecca go to http://beckihills.blogspot.co.uk/
It's over.
The United Kingdom has left the European Union.
The campaign has been bitter and riddled with inaccuracies. Both Remain and Leave campaigners have relied upon scaremongering tactics which have done little except alienate people, especially within the 18-24 age bracket. This referendum has exacerbated divisions not only within the main political parties, but also within the nation. The possibility of independence referendums in Scotland and Northern Ireland has increased overnight and the United Kingdom is more divided than ever.
This morning I awoke at 4am to the news that Brexit had taken the lead and any optimism I went to bed with was replaced by an overwhelming feeling of disappointment and devastation. I'm not going to pretend that I have been actively engaged in the referendum campaign for its duration; however I have been steadfast in my opinion that the EU is more beneficial than it is destructive.
From the EU we gain multiculturalism, free movement of people, free trade and international unity. The leave vote means that isolationism has prevailed and I believe the future will be darker as a result. Throughout history, isolationism has proven to be a flawed ideology. Herbert Hoover's isolationist policies in the 1920s culminated in an America steeped in distrust for foreign nations - which seemingly still prevails among Republicans in the 21st century. When the UK didn't join the EU after the war our economy became fragile and animosity between Britain and Europe grew. Other examples are endless, but I won't bore you with them in this post.
The future is uncertain and, from the looks of things this morning, our economy will be the first thing to take the hit. The pound has fallen against the dollar to its lowest for three decades, and there is talk that pensions and the housing market will follow suit. Rumour has it that the One-Nation faction of the Conservative Party will be usurped by the eurosceptic neo-liberals and this is a prospect that, even as a Conservative voter, scares me. I consider myself a centrist and if the party I have aligned myself to ceases to reflect that, then frankly I don't want to remain a member. However, what is the alternative? The Labour Party is deeply ideologically divided with many saying that the Blairite faction is planning to depose Corbyn; the Lib Dems and Greens are not viable options for government. This referendum has triggered in me a political identity crisis. I have gone from being a proud progressive, One-Nation Conservative to a woman stuck in an ideological no man's land.
Nonetheless, the result is not all doom and gloom. It means that Nigel Farage and UKIP are no longer relevant and the government can no longer ignore gender inequalities under the umbrella of EU regulation. As I have already said, the future is uncertain and I hope that more positives do emerge in the coming weeks and months.
As a future politics student I realise the importance of not simply dismissing this result as a culmination of racism and ignorance (despite my desire to do so!) but I can't help but worry about the future of my generation. I'm worried about the volatility of the housing market and the prospect that my hopes of ever getting on the housing ladder will be diminished by this result. I'm scared that Britain will, as suggested, go to the metaphorical back of the queue in terms of trade. Quite frankly I'm scared about the future.
I understand that a majority has voted and we must now accept that and work on adapting to this new situation. I intend to channel my disappointment into a productive political future. For example, my hopes of becoming an MP have not been quashed by this vote; in fact I desire to become a political representative even more.
This referendum has reignited my political fire and although I'm deeply angered and upset by both the result and the preceding campaign, I hope to become a part of the new political movement which will turn division into unity.
For more from Rebecca go to http://beckihills.blogspot.co.uk/
