Member Article

Brexit – be careful what you vote for

The results are in and the country is in a state of disarray, says John Harlow of Harlow Insolvency.

It seems that nobody, even the Leave side, expected that result. The pictures of Boris and Gove standing blinking, like rabbits caught in the headlights, clearly not knowing what to do or say next, was ample testament to that.

And that’s the main problem right now, how do we go forward? There doesn’t appear to be a coherent plan. It is becoming apparent that no one thought it through fully.

In defeat, the Prime Minister let go of the helm as quickly as if it had scalded him, passing the buck of sorting out the mess to Theresa May. Article 50 doesn’t have to be triggered immediately, so we could be in for a long wait whilst politicians sort out what to do, not only with the country, but also with their own parties. Perhaps the EU will put the UK on gardening leave pending resolution of the issues?

I sat up late watching the results on that Thursday night, passing in and out of sleep, with strange visions of what the future may hold. By two o’clock it was becoming clear how the result would pan-out.

I started to fantasise what would happen if Boris became PM and if Trump (God forbid) also attained the heights of leadership, over the pond? The western world would be lead by men with silly hair and a thin grip on reality… perhaps Kim Jong-un would want to join in too. Three dangerous men with dodgy barnets and the future of the world in their hands, nightmare!

I had visions of Europe itself starting to peel apart, with other member states reviewing their own position in the Union and maybe taking pre-emptive action to protect themselves in case it collapses, with a plethora of Frexits and Gerxits.

I saw Francois Hollande thrusting his hand into his vest and marching on Moscow; Poland and the Czech Republic reinforcing their borders with Germany (not wishing to be caught out twice).

All the Scots in the UK were retreating to north of the border and starting to rebuild the wall. The internet collapsed as UK citizens searched for long-lost Irish relatives in order to apply for new passports.

All pure fantasy, of course, but why did the UK vote in the manner it did? Listening to members of the general public on the TV and radio, it seems that many who voted for Leave have a curious halcyon vision of pre-Europe Great Britain, a Britain that had all its greatness knocked out of it on joining the then EEC back in 1973, ‘foolishly’ reinforced by a public vote to stay-in in 1975. A Britain where the sun always shone, village greens echoed to the sound of willow on leather and men and women relaxed after a fulfilling week of hard graft, with a glass of warm beer outside a country pub.

These hazy water-coloured memories became spoiled and replaced over the last forty years by a Britain which, apparently, has been systematically brought to its knees by European bureaucracy and an influx of immigrants, who have snatched all the best jobs, such as potato picking or cleaning out the sluices in hospitals.

When I think back to that period in the mid-seventies, I’m not sure that I would wish to return to that time. I feel more inclined to rush out to buy candles and stand-by for power cuts and a three day week. This referendum could yet have far reaching effects on the economy and the trouble is, nobody is able to predict with any degree of certainty, what they may be. For a country to be asked to vote on such an enormous issue, with such apparent lack of knowledge of the outcome seems ridiculous.

That the result now appears to have been so unexpected to those who campaigned for it that there were no coherent plans prepared if victorious, is madness.

Only time will tell what will happen although in all likelihood it will be neither as good as hoped for, nor as bad as feared. It is apparent, however, that there were too many other agendas lurking behind the holding of this referendum and that if there is a lesson to be learned, it is that one should be very careful what one wishes (or votes) for.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Laura Jones .