Whatever you believed about which way to vote (or not) the farcical actions and unbelievable comments from both sides made a mockery of any debate. Unsustainable figures were bandied about as if they were hard facts. Then the scare tactics became completely ridiculous. And all these people are supposed to be the elite. What a joke.
Cameron kept on exhorting us to follow him in the reformed EU completely ignoring the fact that the EU remains exactly the same as before and will not change without another treaty (unless it collapses, of course). Reform? No chance.
Meanwhile Johnson has become more and more unhinged as he flaps about throwing out figures like confetti. But for the referendum one could be forgiven for imagining we are seeing the new Dads’ Army. And so many know-alls, ‘experts’ and others who have no business telling us what to do that it was not surprising we did not get the facts we asked for. Now we’re unlikely to get those facts but will be bombarded with anything and everything the remain camp sees as bad news and we outers as the ones to blame.
The EU needs us; they need us to continue to buy from them; and they must bear the greater responsibility for Brexit. How? When they could have given any thought to what the UK wanted they decided to ignore us and carry on with their grand scheme of ever greater integration to bring about the empire of Europe. Very late in the day Jean Claude Junker admitted that they had interfered too much. Wholly absorbed in their desire to ‘save’ the euro regardless of the hardships that brought down on most of their 500 million inhabitants they carried on as if nothing could matter outside their thoughts.
So what now? Despite all those scare stories, including Osborne’s silly comment about an austerity budget, life goes on as before. I like it when I am told that all those bankers and financial wizards are going to lose as it is about time they got a hard time, although I doubt they will. All the talk about them decamping to Frankfurt we can take with a pinch of salt as it will up to the boards of those banks to decide what they want to do. While the system of government in Brussels is the most complex in the whole world (and must be reformed if it is ever to become effective and adroit) the financial systems are even more complex.
Here in the UK we are well set up as the financial centre of Europe, and more, so I cannot see that changing without some upheaval over the channel. The financial markets reacted much as expected and given time will return to a position of reality rather than kneejerk activity. It is going to take at least two and a half years to bring about our complete exit from the EU. During that time business and trade will continue with all the bosses over here taking steps to react and change as they see fit for the new UK. Even two years is a very long time in business so I feel sure our business leaders will make good use of it.
During that time I very much hope our politicians will also make even more good use of the weeks and months of negotiations. Cameron had to go – as he had said he would – and the next PM will need to be a no nonsense person with very firm but negotiable strengths to keep us in as good a position as possible. The EU must bend; not just because of Brexit but they must see the impact this will have on other member states where there are many restless populations. A period of amelioration will not go amiss.
Now all of us should take a break. Relax and enjoy life. We and our lives are still the same so there is nothing that needs to be done immediately – except maybe the rich who will be bothered about their investments. Spend time at a village fete, watch cricket, relax on a beach (weather permitting), enjoy your gardens and simply just get on with life.
