It all feels very personal. It is not that I cannot believe it or that I hate my fellow country-folk. But I do worry about what our country is becoming. Leaving the European Union is a body blow to Britain, as we are seeing in the markets. I respect the decision but think it was a very wrong one for everyone.
On the tube this morning a group of friends were talking about Brexit, Boris and Trump in the same worrying breath. A mixed race guy told his friend that he ‘felt like an illegal immigrant in his own country’. The first cross word I have ever had with my grandma was over this divisive referendum and Facebook seems full of families arguing about who took what side. There is an unrest in the air that this decision is fuelling not quelling.
For me it seems to complete a hat-trick. I have three proud identities: being gay – shot in Orlando; being Labour and political – murdered in its most pure and brilliant form in Batley; being European – taken yesterday. Last week I attended two vigils in a week. This week our post-count committee room was its own form of wake. We looked on in disbelief.
I am caught between two potentially irreconcilable thoughts that will keep my mind occupied over the weekend.
The first, that this new terrible atmosphere won’t die with the disappearance of Ukip – because Ukip and its politics is set to continue even with yesterday’s result. Already the Be-Leavers are rowing back from the most salient parts of the vote Leave campaign – Nigel Farage has distanced himself from the £350m a week figure, but Dan Hannan MEP has warned that those who voted to leave to bring down immigration might be disappointed and backed remaining in the single market. We know Boris wants the same. John Redwood told Andrew Neil that there would be ‘no single act of leaving’. The argument that we ‘haven’t properly left’is exactly what will keep the Farage bandwagon going.
If Britain stays in the single market, and has to implement all the (now undemocratic) regulations (because we’ll have no say over them) that go with it and accept any form of freedom of movement, the public will go berserk. It is not the control they thought they were taking. Ukip will discover the post-referendum purpose it desires. It will appoint itself guarantor to the referendum spirit – like the Scottish National party did with ‘the vow’ agreed in the last few days of the independence referendum campaign. This could be the neverendum no one wants.
There may be some slim ray of light in the bleak prospect ahead, and one which stands squarely opposed to the Ukip way. This other, more optimistic, thought preoccupying me is that 16 million votes is not a bad target pool for a progressive party. As the Tories get overrun by Brexiters and the Nicky Morgans and Amber Rudds of that party get run out of town, the pitch will be free for Labour – led by a real remainer. A 48 per cent strategy would be a marked improvement on the lack of ambition experienced under Ed Miliband.
The 16 million should not be misread. It was not an enthusiastic backing for the EU. But it was, as Nicola Sturgeon put it, a vote for an ‘outward-looking country’ that works with others. Critically, this is a group of the voters that is not irreconcilable to immigration. We should be in favour of logical reforms which can be pro-immigration and the opportunities it brings.
Much has been talked about the ‘post-truth politics’ age we are living through. But in many ways these have been pre-truth times. For too long we have not been honest enough with our voters to say that, while migration can be managed, the reasons migration has risen will not go away. The pull factors are considerable: a stronger than most economy (until yesterday), the English language, an enterprising society. So too are the push factors: Putin, turmoil in the Middle East and desperate poverty in Africa. The factors that mean we have immigrants knocking on our door will not go away. This honesty would change the debate in the United Kingdom.
Yesterday was a long time coming but the best way to fight the Leavers’ untruths is with home truths. There are 16 million people, and many more, out there who will be willing to listen.
———————————
Richard Angell is director of Progress
———————————
16 Million minus the Remain voters in Scotland remember…
Once upon a time 13,518,167 was all it took…
There were articles like this written in East Europe when they left the Warsaw Pact. “How are we going to manage without mother Russia? Poor little us!” Sickening.
37% of Labour vote voted leave, i’m one of them . Now why would that be. Misinformed, certainly by the Neoliberals. Why would anybody in their right mind other than a tiny clique of sociopaths miss the EU
How Left Remain Campaigners Sold Out the Working Class: Lesser Evilism in the EU Referendum
https://off-guardian.org/2016/06/24/how-left-remain-campaigners-sold-out-the-working-class-lesser-evilism-in-the-eu-referendum/
https://off-guardian.org/2016/06/24/beware-the-liberal-jabberwocky-on-the-topic-of-brexit/
<<"my room mate Mary Is getting paid on the internet $98/hr"…..!kj428n:
two days ago grey McLaren. P1 I bought after earning 18,512 Dollars..it was my previous month's payout..just a little over.17k Dollars Last month..3-5 hours job a day…with weekly payouts..it's realy the simplest. job I have ever Do.. I Joined This 7 months. ago. and now making over hourly. 87 Dollars…Learn. More right Here
!kj428n:
➽:➽:.
➽.➽.➽.➽ http://GlobalSuperJobsReportsEmploymentsLifelineGetPay$98Hour…..
★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹::::::!kj428n….,….k.
The writer and other Progress contributors/members do not understand (or perhaps do not wish to do so) the immense anger and dissatisfaction that has built up in the Grassroots Labour
Party and the general public. They are sick to death with Career Politicians, spin and incompetence. I have been aware of this for many years. But then, the complacent [arrogant?] leadership has become disconnected from the members and the general public, especially Career Politicians swimming in the Westminster bubble and wine bars. The “Corbyn Revolution” is a rejection of the so-called Blairite agenda which lost us two General elections.
The Blairites/Progress/Labour Right Wing wants to use Brexit as an excuse to attack Jeremy. The irony is that THEY are to blame since the Leave result was not just about the EU but a public frustration with the Westminster Bubble’s elite who arrogantly ignore grassroots views and aspirations.
For many years I have tried to warn Progress but the editorial team ignored me…but then, Progress appears to hold us in the Grey Vote with contempt. At the recent Progress conference fringe, I tried to have a private discussion on the merits of Direct Democracy (referenda system) with someone in the Labour hierarchy. I was rudely told to “Go away!” The arrogance was astounding! I replied: “That’s the trouble. You don’t listen!” Two years ago I gave a speech to Co-op Party annual conference advocating the merits of Direct Democracy.
[email protected]
The attitude of the EU to democracy and the voice of the people is neatly summed up by this statement from President Hollande. “We must move quickly to isolate this English contagion.”
“Labour- led by a real remainer” hello Jeremy Corbyn mobilised a 63%-37% Remanin vote. The same proportion that the SNP managed Remind me what the “disappointed in Corbyn’s leadership” Margaret Hodge managed in her constituency 40 odd%? which looks postively healthy compared to the 34% that Caroline Flint got out in Doncaster.. No? Progress and their supporters are the real enemy of Labour. This secret society ( have frequently asked which MPs are members only to be ignored, or told that members dont want there details made public, whose funding is secret but mainly by the Lord who split the labour party in the 80s, and help usher in 18 years of Tory govt, only to become a liberal Democrat) conspire at every turn to undermine the leader with the biggest democratic mandate in Labour’s history, rather than attack the Tories, the fallen idol of Progress, Tony Blair (whose Blairite policies lost the last 2 general elections) has even been quoted as preferring a Tory govt to one led by a socialist.
My own MP happens to be chair of Progress ltd- Alison McGovern. Even though she now blocks me on twitter and will not communicate with me at all after I asked her to detail her role within Progress and Progresses role within the Labour Party. I did however, receive her generic “to all constituents” email yesterday after the results were finalised. Here is a direct C&P quote from her “It is vital we do not let division take hold. We will be stronger if we work together” mmm really? does this apply to what Progress are about to start- a coup against- a vote of no confidence- in Jeremy Corbyn? I doubt avoiding “division” is anywhere near the thinking of the Progress collective? “we will be stronger together” what,once we’ve divided the party.?
Do progress really honestly believe that the 100 000 who’ve signed the “Keep Corbyn” petition in the last 24hrs will ever forgive Progress if they oust Corbyn, will ever vote for a puppet – tory lite such as Jarvis, if you install him? do you have no respect for us? try a coup and be prepared for the consequences- whats sauce for the goose etc, then see how many sitting MPs face deselection. We the majority do not intend to vote whilst simultaneously holding our noses again. 30 years was enough time for this neo-liberal labour Blairite experiment- we well remember that Thatcher felt Blair was her natural successor and he acted as such.
“Labour- led by a real remainer” hello Jeremy Corbyn mobilised a 63%-37% Remanin vote. The same proportion that the SNP managed Remind me what the “disappointed in Corbyn’s leadership” Margaret Hodge managed in her constituency 40 odd%? which looks postively healthy compared to the 34% that Caroline Flint got out in Doncaster.. No? Progress and their supporters are the real enemy of Labour. This secret society ( have frequently asked which MPs are members only to be ignored, or told that members dont want there details made public, whose funding is secret but mainly by the Lord who split the labour party in the 80s, and help usher in 18 years of Tory govt, only to become a liberal Democrat) conspire at every turn to undermine the leader with the biggest democratic mandate in Labour’s history, rather than attack the Tories, the fallen idol of Progress, Tony Blair (whose Blairite policies lost the last 2 general elections) has even been quoted as preferring a Tory govt to one led by a socialist.
My own MP happens to be chair of Progress ltd- Alison McGovern. Even though she now blocks me on twitter and will not communicate with me at all after I asked her to detail her role within Progress and Progresses role within the Labour Party. I did however, receive her generic “to all constituents” email yesterday after the results were finalised. Here is a direct C&P quote from her “It is vital we do not let division take hold. We will be stronger if we work together” mmm really? does this apply to what Progress are about to start- a coup against- a vote of no confidence- in Jeremy Corbyn? I doubt avoiding “division” is anywhere near the thinking of the Progress collective? “we will be stronger together” what,once we’ve divided the party.?
Do progress really honestly believe that the 100 000 who’ve signed the “Keep Corbyn” petition in the last 24hrs will ever forgive Progress if they oust Corbyn, will ever vote for a puppet – tory lite such as Jarvis, if you install him? do you have no respect for us? try a coup and be prepared for the consequences- whats sauce for the goose etc, then see how many sitting MPs face deselection. We the majority do not intend to vote whilst simultaneously holding our noses again. 30 years was enough time for this neo-liberal labour Blairite experiment- we well remember that Thatcher felt Blair was her natural successor and he acted as such.
Any realignment in the centre of UK politics will only work if it includes reasonable people from the Tories; you know, the kind of people that Jo Cox found she could work with. However, this will never happen because even on the right of the Labour party almost everyone is far too tribal to even contemplate it. So, let’s forget all these silly dreams and get together behind Jeremy and Diane and Lady Nugee and work for a Labour Government in 2020, or even sooner.