First things first. I voted Remain. I think the European Union has many faults and I don’t believe in a single currency, but I do believe that it is worth being part of, in order to create reform from within.
I also believe that in a global society, our voice is stronger with the likes of France and Germany by our side. We can make leaps forward in terms of the peace, environment, or aiding those in need.
I’m also proud to be British.
But the people of Britain have spoken and although I don’t agree, it’s happened. It’s time to look forward, it’s not time to start polls demanding a second referendum or insulting those who voted “Out” as racist or stupid.
This is a wake up call for politicians and politics and it’s time to change.
Britain needs to trigger Article 50 immediately and start the divorce proceedings. Ignoring the electorate and claiming it wasn't legally binding, or that it was a signal that we needed to renegotiate with the EU would alienate an electorate, which already lacks trust in politics and politicians.
Certainty is key here, so that we can move on and accept what has happened.
The fact that Boris Johnson seemed unwilling to want to do this in his “victory” speech underlines the theory that he was campaigning not to Leave, but to renegotiate. Johnson needs to resign. He definitely shouldn’t be considered in a senior role by anybody in the Tory party. Nor should Gove, for similar reasons. The campaign they led was headline-grabbing and sadly devoid of substance. It was gutter politics.
David Cameron led a failed Remain vote and resigned. Jeremy Corbyn should definitely be considering his position. Considering they lead the country’s two main parties and still failed to get a majority should be incomprehensible. Sadly, it isn’t, mainstream politics no longer speaks for the nation, it’s out-of-date and it’s out-of-touch. [More on that later].
Internationally, Britain needs to start a huge diplomatic mission to engage with our European friends and neighbours, and the Commonwealth, to shore up international trade deals and kick-start the economy.
We will probably gain some kind of “partnership” status with the European Union, which will enable those working here to remain in the country. There will likely be some trade deals, but it won't be easy, as they hold all the cards.
We need to look further afield, to the BRIC nations and of course the United States.
It will be a difficult period, it’s likely to lead to job losses, tax rises and a higher cost of living, but the sooner we get negotiating, the sooner we can get through it.
What needs to happen next
We need to reinvent our political system. Politicians need to come out of the dark ages and understand that society has changed.
The corridors of Westminster are not where all business should be done. They need to get back to their constituencies and start engaging with this disenfranchised electorate.
We are in a connected, global society. We can Tweet a celebrity and we can follow a brand on Facebook.
Politicians need to understand that if they are to truly work and engage with their electorate, they have to become more “human.” They need to realise that preaching messages is not how people expect them to communicate anymore.
Advertising is no longer: “buy this now, it’ll make you feel wonderful”. Politics shouldn’t be either.
If the local MP shoves a newsletter through my door once every 6 months, that’s hardly engaging. If the only time they interact with me is ahead of an election, then I’m not going to vote for them.
They need a personality and I need to trust that they aren’t going to abandon the local community as soon as they arrive in Westminster.
No wonder people are so disillusioned with politics. No wonder they don’t trust MPs. No wonder they fall for “personalities” like Boris Johnson or Nigel Farage. Some would vote for them because they seem like “decent ordinary blokes” without even giving their policies a second glance.
That is frightening and needs to stop.
Grow up
Yep. Watch PMQs and it’s an utter embarrassment. Jeremy Corbyn at least acknowledged this, but his social media questions didn’t help.
We expect MPs to do a job. It’s a responsible job, it’s not like an assembly hall at a posh public school when the teacher’s gone out for 10 minutes.
The shouting, the ballot paper waving, the insults, the pantomime is just ridiculous and something that the general public will never understand.
Watch PMQs and you don’t know whether to laugh or cry. It’s childish posturing and everyone knows it.
Ask questions, answer questions, get this country moving again, but for goodness sake, stop with the amateur dramatics.
You are effectively the boardroom, the senior management of our country. And you behave like spoilt brats.
No wonder we’re disengaged with politics.
Get out more.
Let’s burst this “Westminster Bubble” once and for all. The whole Government needs to acknowledge that there’s life in the UK outside of Westminster.
The odd “historic” Cabinet Meeting held outside the capital isn’t enough. More business should be done in the regions, if only to ensure that people see that important politics is being done on their behalf.
Hopefully the Mayoral system may help to heal this “broken” Britain. But it needs more than this, we need to feel that MPs care about the entire country.
The problem with the “Westminster Bubble” is that when MPs arrive, they get sucked into it all. They can suddenly comment about wars in far off lands, or fiscal issues. Local issues get pushed down the list - or at least that's how it appears.
Let’s use the soul-searching that this Referendum has caused to at least try and make a difference. Let’s heal the fractures in our country and work together to make every member of our society know that they have the power to make a difference.
There is always a winner and a loser in any vote, it’s how each side deals with the result which is the most important thing.
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