I am deliberately writing down my thoughts after only a thirty second discussion with my wife on waking from a well earned sleep following the pressures of campaigning on the streets for the Stronger IN Campaign. She told me we had lost 52/48%, that the Northern Ireland and Scottish populations and Londoners voted IN but Wales and England held the opposing and dominant view. That there was talk of a United Ireland.
MY POSITIVE HOPE the unification of Ireland. If ever there was a case for open borders this is it. If this really happens I would be delighted for the many good Irish friends I made in my youth in Canada, mostly but not all from the then economically depressed South. Hopefully this marks the end of Christian bigotry. I hope this does not result in their small population being overwhelmed by European migration
One day we will see the end of similar division in the Muslim communities of the world. If our (Joan and I) all but 25 years of independent global travel, as a lone couple using slow local scheduled transport (bus and train) without pre-booking or fixed itineraries, taught us anything it was the welcome and friendliness of such people across Turkey and Asia of Malaysia, Indonesia, India and the huge Xin Jang province of Western China. Until then we had known practically nothing of Islam except their rejection of alcohol.
I hope to see Port Talbot, where I worked for 30 years, retained fully as both an Iron and a Steelmaker. The government can't any longer argue they are ham strung by EU rules.
WHAT DO I FEAR MOST a dramatic knock on increase in fragmentation of the Western World in terms of polarised political division within countries and the political elite of each country thinking only of its own self interest, never of the common good. That is not my kind of World.
OBSERVATIONS from my first involvement in political campaigning on the streets.
1 The polite good nature of all our population
2 IN and OUT were clearer alternatives than REMAIN/ LEAVE
3 The high proportion during working hours at least in Swansea Uplands clearly not of Celtic or Anglo Saxon stock.
4 The high proportion of people who had exercised Postal Votes
5 I talked to several Poles who arrived here 10 years ago all of whom were in work or running businesses, proud to be paying taxes and obviously well integrated.
6 Several, often irate, convinced we should not be working with the Germany after what they did to us in past world wars, and more worrying to me what they were doing to Greece today.
7 Immigration was less often raised than I thought, strangely more often by thinking people like my own wife Joan who had voted IN but reluctantly for this very reason
8 One who told me in a voice that 'I should be ashamed of myself' for supporting Germany'
9 Another hurt more - 'Tony Benn (one of my political heroes) would be ashamed of you' adding - ordinary working people are taking the brunt' - no doubt thinking of the dangers of over rapid immigration from Europe.
10 Several voiced the view that we elect politicians to govern not shirk responsibility - My view entirely.
11 I went to my first street session concerned that the Labour backed STRONGER IN EUROPE campaign might be represented by Trade unionists wondering how they would react to a university educated comfortable middle class citizen like me. Only to be met by a really well organised group largely of university graduates including no less than four doctors, one a consultant another expecting to become a Registrar next year, one of whom born in the UK of Pakistani parents was a committed socialist and a member of the Labour party. My first thought being of empathy with the group, today's reflection being maybe that's part of the problem the EU is seen as being for the rich and the privileged not the ordinary man.
12 The presence of so many doctors was a reflection of the damage caused by Jeremy Hunt's campaign to a hardworking profession. My memory was of a profession almost entirely Conservative but now antagonised and increasingly politically active.
MY HOPE AN END TO LEADERS WITHOUT SINCERE POLITICAL PRINCIPALS.
David Cameron being the current example who clearly damaged the IN vote from traditional Labour voters making them reluctant to vote with him. they certainly did not realise OUT would increase the power of the Tory Right Wing and encourage the less sincere and less principled Boris Johnson. He flitted from his Green, Big Society, Hug a Hoodie policies as he moved right to get elected. He choose to call this disastrous referendum to fight off UKIP.
Tony Blair was another a plausible master of the media adept at riding the political whims of the day. I joined a joyous, hopeful, Labour Party on retirement 20 years ago with time to spare for politics. But left them disillusioned within his first 100 days, long before talk of Iraq. He did however do a great deal of good via a substantial increase in investment in the NHS - attempting to bring the funding up to Western European standards. Also by highlighting the importance of quality Education for the masses, and then by funding it.
Nigel Farage is another chancer who can't be trusted with the truth.
That leaves JEREMY CORBYN, Labour MP should build on his his unerring socialist principles. He was pro Europe throughout this campaign but too honest to ignore the need for structural reform of the EU.
Currently he lacks the support of Labours MPs.
'Shame on them'
I hope Scotland does not vote for independence.
Why did the Labour Party let Gordon Brown take the blame for a world financial crisis? He was world statesman in coordinating the solution (saving the banks) to the immediate crisis and in my eyes is still easily the best political heavy weight and speaker we have. Why he performed so poorly as Prime Minister I will never understand, was it the simply stress?
Here's hoping the repercussions on the EU and their Prime Ministers will result in a fitter EU, rapidly enough to prevent its breakup. They have been served a strong rejection by the British people.
MY POSITIVE HOPE the unification of Ireland. If ever there was a case for open borders this is it. If this really happens I would be delighted for the many good Irish friends I made in my youth in Canada, mostly but not all from the then economically depressed South. Hopefully this marks the end of Christian bigotry. I hope this does not result in their small population being overwhelmed by European migration
One day we will see the end of similar division in the Muslim communities of the world. If our (Joan and I) all but 25 years of independent global travel, as a lone couple using slow local scheduled transport (bus and train) without pre-booking or fixed itineraries, taught us anything it was the welcome and friendliness of such people across Turkey and Asia of Malaysia, Indonesia, India and the huge Xin Jang province of Western China. Until then we had known practically nothing of Islam except their rejection of alcohol.
I hope to see Port Talbot, where I worked for 30 years, retained fully as both an Iron and a Steelmaker. The government can't any longer argue they are ham strung by EU rules.
WHAT DO I FEAR MOST a dramatic knock on increase in fragmentation of the Western World in terms of polarised political division within countries and the political elite of each country thinking only of its own self interest, never of the common good. That is not my kind of World.
OBSERVATIONS from my first involvement in political campaigning on the streets.
1 The polite good nature of all our population
2 IN and OUT were clearer alternatives than REMAIN/ LEAVE
3 The high proportion during working hours at least in Swansea Uplands clearly not of Celtic or Anglo Saxon stock.
4 The high proportion of people who had exercised Postal Votes
5 I talked to several Poles who arrived here 10 years ago all of whom were in work or running businesses, proud to be paying taxes and obviously well integrated.
6 Several, often irate, convinced we should not be working with the Germany after what they did to us in past world wars, and more worrying to me what they were doing to Greece today.
7 Immigration was less often raised than I thought, strangely more often by thinking people like my own wife Joan who had voted IN but reluctantly for this very reason
8 One who told me in a voice that 'I should be ashamed of myself' for supporting Germany'
9 Another hurt more - 'Tony Benn (one of my political heroes) would be ashamed of you' adding - ordinary working people are taking the brunt' - no doubt thinking of the dangers of over rapid immigration from Europe.
10 Several voiced the view that we elect politicians to govern not shirk responsibility - My view entirely.
11 I went to my first street session concerned that the Labour backed STRONGER IN EUROPE campaign might be represented by Trade unionists wondering how they would react to a university educated comfortable middle class citizen like me. Only to be met by a really well organised group largely of university graduates including no less than four doctors, one a consultant another expecting to become a Registrar next year, one of whom born in the UK of Pakistani parents was a committed socialist and a member of the Labour party. My first thought being of empathy with the group, today's reflection being maybe that's part of the problem the EU is seen as being for the rich and the privileged not the ordinary man.
12 The presence of so many doctors was a reflection of the damage caused by Jeremy Hunt's campaign to a hardworking profession. My memory was of a profession almost entirely Conservative but now antagonised and increasingly politically active.
MY HOPE AN END TO LEADERS WITHOUT SINCERE POLITICAL PRINCIPALS.
David Cameron being the current example who clearly damaged the IN vote from traditional Labour voters making them reluctant to vote with him. they certainly did not realise OUT would increase the power of the Tory Right Wing and encourage the less sincere and less principled Boris Johnson. He flitted from his Green, Big Society, Hug a Hoodie policies as he moved right to get elected. He choose to call this disastrous referendum to fight off UKIP.
Tony Blair was another a plausible master of the media adept at riding the political whims of the day. I joined a joyous, hopeful, Labour Party on retirement 20 years ago with time to spare for politics. But left them disillusioned within his first 100 days, long before talk of Iraq. He did however do a great deal of good via a substantial increase in investment in the NHS - attempting to bring the funding up to Western European standards. Also by highlighting the importance of quality Education for the masses, and then by funding it.
Nigel Farage is another chancer who can't be trusted with the truth.
That leaves JEREMY CORBYN, Labour MP should build on his his unerring socialist principles. He was pro Europe throughout this campaign but too honest to ignore the need for structural reform of the EU.
Currently he lacks the support of Labours MPs.
'Shame on them'
I hope Scotland does not vote for independence.
Why did the Labour Party let Gordon Brown take the blame for a world financial crisis? He was world statesman in coordinating the solution (saving the banks) to the immediate crisis and in my eyes is still easily the best political heavy weight and speaker we have. Why he performed so poorly as Prime Minister I will never understand, was it the simply stress?
Here's hoping the repercussions on the EU and their Prime Ministers will result in a fitter EU, rapidly enough to prevent its breakup. They have been served a strong rejection by the British people.
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