Don't worry - the sun will keep shining ... (Or in the case of most of Britain, the rain will keep falling) even if I did Vote Leave.
This is an extract / reworking of a few posts I put up in 2016 on social media platforms when the referendum to leave the EU first took place.
After last nights diabolical shambles I felt I needed to put pen to paper again to share my views and despair about where we are headed as a country.
I've lived in Great Britain all my life. First a Yorkshireman then an Englander. Then this thing came out about Europe...
When I was at school I was President of the European Society and organised talks with Export Directors of major companies including Rowntree/Cadbury and ultimately ended up organising a one day European summit.
When I look back to the Maastricht treaty and the promises of a brighter future - on paper it all sounded magnificent. A Europe with no borders with freedom to travel and work.
With university and work and then my own businesses later down the line, this "ideal" for me became even further removed from the sad reality of that bright promised future.
The problem is as I see it and nobody wants to tackle this is that fundamentally we are talking about 28 different countries who have their own language, customs, cultures, laws, perceptions (and some their own currency) all trying to be shoehorned into something that doesn't "quite" work.
I love France, I love Italy, I love Spain, I adore Switzerland and Austria amongst others - but I'll be damned if I understand them. I'll never understand or quite get the quaint customs or places or people or way of life that make them unique but I'm eternally grateful for them.
But - do I want to have the same laws that apply in France apply in Great Britain?
No.
I'm all for free trade (which we don't have incidentally as the EU has not negotiated trade deals with several countries - how long does it take) but I have no interest in someone I wasn't involved in electing or voting for tell me how I should run my business or my life.
We have plenty of that already here in the UK thank you very much.
I own a lot of property. I did this because 20 years ago I foresaw that I would not have a big enough pension to worry about what I did for 20-30 years AFTER retiring. If the vote was stay then I would probably have made a ton of money from capital appreciation. If the vote was no as it needed up being, I'll still make money but it will be from cold hard earned cash from rental profits (the way any business should operate ironically) and maybe some from capital appreciation (but the very fact that you can make 100,000 in 6-8 years from your property without doing anything is incidentally complete down to the buffoons in national government, local government, national house builders and the nimby that exist everywhere.
I run a business. I'm forever hampered by this EU regulation or this EU law about X,y,z which I can maybe see at a high level "could" work but it was made as usual by people who are trying to shove a round peg In a square hole.
I vote for Europe and always will do but I don't vote for the EU. I vote leave.
The founding fathers would be horrified if they could how it has ended up; the wastage; the not-in-my-backyard politics, the behind closed doors deals (TTIP anyone) and more shockingly the forced view that if you are not for combining your countries armed forces, currency, democratically elected government and so on - that you are actually against progress or freedom or friendly relations with other countries.
What utter tosh...
For me - this comes down to having a say.
I believe that you and I are more likely to be able to "make a difference" and have our opinion counted than where this all originating from Brussels/Strasbourg or wherever the EU is meeting today. This is why I Vote Leave.
A lot of talk has been made about trade agreements and how we will be worse off. Utter poppycock.
A lot of European countries need our money as much as we need theirs. If there is a will there is always a way.
Will the Germans stop selling us BMW's? Will the Italians stop selling us Ferrari's? Will the Spanish no longer welcome us to Costa deal Sol? Will IKEA refuse to serve us because we're British?
Can the EU enforce a trade tariff that is not in our interests? Yes. But would the countries stand for it??? No, they would vote leave as well.
My hope for Europe is that this experiment comes to a shuddering halt. And countries start to question why, what, where, how - the EU can be truly reformed for the BETTER for the PEOPLE for the good of ALL.
When we voted leave on June 23rd 2016, I was astounded to learn that our Government led by David Cameron has been instructed to make no plans at all to leave. None.
But what’s more interesting to me is the amount spent on this referendum as published by the Electoral Commission.
Just read these figures and wheep ...
Remain In the EU Campaign
- Stronger £6.7m
- Labour £4.8m
- Liberal Democrat’s £2.2m
- Conservatives £0.65m
- Richard Branson £0.5m
- Unison £0.5m
- Best for our future £0.4m
- European movement £0.3m
- Labour Leave £0.5m
- Democratic Unionists £0.4m
TOTAL £16.95 million
Vote Leave the EU Campaign
- Vote Leave £6.7m
- UKIP £1.3m
- Aron Banks £0.6m
- Mr Harris £0.4m
- WAGTV £0.3m
- Brexit Express £0.6m
- Democracy Movement £0.4m
TOTAL £9.3 million
That’s a £5 million pound difference yet the British public still vote LEAVE.
What on earth does that tell you folks?
We could also talk about the £9.3 million pounds our elected Government (who should have been neutral in this matter) spent to send a glossy 14 page booklet to every household in the UK telling them why they should vote REMAIN.
And it still didn’t matter.
When oh when oh when will the ruling classes and the elite in this country recognise when there needs to be change and change needs to be led by working together?
The reason everybody is scared is because they all know that once we are out, then it’s just a matter of time before a toppling domino effect with France, Germany and Italy having their own referendums and also voting to come out.
I believe that from these ashes could be formed something magnificent that could really take shape and promise the Europe that many of us have dreamed of but which for the majority of us does not exist (except in dreamland...)
And I am absolutely sick and tired of so-called business and government leaders telling us that without The EU (note I didn't say Europe) that we are just Little Britain!
Come on people - let's be proud to be British. Show some spirit and backbone.
Here's just 10 things we invented here that CHANGED the world!
- Newtons laws
- programmable computer
- smallpox vaccination
- electric motor
- television
- World Wide Web
- telephone
- photography
- jet engine
- railway steam locomotive
All on our own. Didn't need Uncle EU to help us out did we?
The vote happened and it was leave.
Whether people agree with it or not, it was a valid result that should ensure that we leave but why oh why are we still messing around at the 11th hour?
Again, we have another proposal another negotiation another vote that says no.
It is because in my honest opinion because our so-called leaders, our so-called democratically elected members of parliament have forgotten two things.
ONE - we the people voted to leave so you must do all that you can to make this happen even if you disagree with the decision (and if you seriously disagreed that much you can always resign as an MP and lose all of your cushy benefits can’t you?)
TWO - there is this thing that happened during the terrible world wars we had back in the day and it was called WORKING TOGETHER. I fail to see any of the parties working together and I believe they are all as bad as each other and ultimately - whether you’re in government or you’re not in government your voice SHOULD be heard in this awful time and you should bury your snide remarks, your upmanship, your ridiculous notions of power and work together on behalf of this country to demonstrate to us the people that you are listening, that you do care and that you are actually elected for the right reasons.
Right now, it seems that everything we hear about is the imminent end of the world but consider this.
I didn't notice the sun not getting up today nor people not going to work nor the electric/gas/water still not coming into my home and the Internet still works - so I'm thinking it might just be ok?
It is every MP’s and the Government’s CONSTITUTIONAL duty to act on behalf of the people we call English, Irish, Welsh and Scottish that make up the Union who by democratic right have voted to Leave the EU.
It’s really not that hard.
As I said way back in 2016, here’s what I would do if I was in charge ...
10 point plan
- Article 50 enactment set in place immediately (eventually we got there 29th March 2017 a full 9 months after the vote)
- New budget with projected agreed redistribution of EU tariff including protection for NHS, education, farming and fisheries.
- Trade agreements agreed with major trading partners and reclamation of our fishing grounds
- Movement of people within Europe policy agreed
- Immigration policy and border controls
- Legal uncoupling from EU
- Financial uncoupling from EU and stabilisation of London financial services
- EU Grants/loans review of existing contracts with grandfathering in for agreed contract and formation of new grants body
- Military reorganisation with uncoupling from EU forces where appropriate
- Relaunch of Great Britain
I suggested at the time that MEP's probably won't have jobs for long so perhaps they could be utilised to help with transition, trade and foreign ambassadors and then offered appropriate roles in government to replace over paid and unnecessary quangos and consultants.
Quite simple really but then I'm just a businessman who likes to have a plan!
I am quite frankly sick and tired of MP’s postulating and trying to get air time to give their tuppence worth on the vote, the proposals, the vote, the proposals. Oh it is so dreary. Look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself - do YOU have a vision for Great Britain in 2050 - what is it, what does it look like, where are we in the world, how are we impacting global issues, how you will be involved - and then bury the hatchet and open up meaningful deep honest and open dialogue between your parties. This is NOT the time for bi-partisan politics, this is the time for NEW GREAT BRITAIN.
I and 17.4 million people vote leave.