It is bizarre in one sense to think that our departure from the EU has at last arrived. The day is a personal one for me: I can remember exactly what I was doing when the nation voted to leave. Since then I have completed my GCSEs, A-levels and my first term of university! Back in June 2016, I was engaged in politics, remember following the referendum campaign, but Brexit really increased my fascination with the political process. Indeed, I started this very blog three days after the referendum. Though I would have cast my hypothetical ballot for remain, I believed the UK had to leave following the vote and never supported a second referendum. The last three and a half years have bought much change in the country, breaking down party lines and causing political transformation. That isn’t going to disappear now.
For many, this will be a day of mourning. Though some remainers like myself accepted the result, there were many others who were desperate to keep the UK within the EU. Ultimately, that failed. There will be much regret and hardship, mournful sorrow and sadness. Nothing will change tomorrow, for the UK enters the transition period, but psychologically, no doubt, people feel a removal, like part of their identity has been taken away. Others will celebrate long into the early hours of Saturday morning. I am just in a state of acceptance - from the moment that election exit poll was released last month, I became perfectly aware the UK was definitely going to leave. People will wake up tomorrow and soon realise nothing whatsoever has changed. Now we are going to leave, it is time for a conciliatory tone. I don’t believe division can ever be removed from politics - it is an inherent part of liberal democracy. Nor should we aspire to heal all divisions; there will always be a strong opposition (hopefully) that can challenge and provide an alternative to a strong government. But, as a nation and civilisation, we must work on disagreeing well. Someone who holds an alternative perspective isn’t evil. You may believe them to be wrong and misguided in every one of their policies but they can still be a good person. If university has taught me anything, it is that personal friendships go far beyond political affiliations. Much of the debate over the last three and half years has been about abstract economics. Do we want to remain in the single market or customs union? How will tariffs change? What will be affected by a ‘no deal’ Brexit? These questions aren’t going to disappear, with a complex trade negotiation taking place immediately after our departure. However much the government try to ensure Brexit leaves the headlines, it will remain an important and vital issue. We may have left the political and legal structures of the EU, but Brexit is by no means done. Though much of the EU debate has been portrayed in soundbites and slogans, no doubt the general public will soon begin to feel its effects. On holidays to Europe, we will join the longer, non-EU queue. For those visiting for a longer period, more paperwork and checks will be required. The Erasmus scheme for people my age remains uncertain, while health insurance has barely been covered in the media. All of these are matters of concern - if Brexiteers don’t like the longer queues and inconvenience of being a non-EU member, then they only have themselves to blame. It has been fascinating to read BBC articles about the long march of Euroscepticism. To think it has existed as a political ideology even before the UK joined the EEC in 1973. For decades a fringe cause, it rapidly became a mainstream views. It’s an unfashionable view, but I still believe David Cameron was right to hold an EU referendum. I took the Green Party position in the 2015 election: pro-remain but prepared to take that argument to the people. The EU had undeniably changed since we joined 40 years ago; people deserved a say on the matter. I still believe the campaigns on both sides to have been an absolute disaster and dereliction of duty towards the public. Following our departure, the government will have the time and flexibility to focus on other matters affecting the nation. Whether it’s investing in new technology like nuclear energy or GM crops to mitigate the negative effects of climate change, finding a solution to deal with social care or promote vocational skills as a legitimate form of higher education, there is plenty of legislation and new ideas that need sorting out. Despite Boris Johnson’s large majority, I remain unsurprised that divisions within government have continued, most recently over HS2 and Huawei (both of which I strongly support). None of us truly know what the future will hold. We can only look to what the UK is leaving behind. Though I respected the result, I always believed the UK, in a globalised world, gained more clout and influence as a part of the European Union. But those arguments have been put aside, for a generation or tow at least. Now the main debate will place over how Britain leaves. The media have a duty to ensure this isn’t reduced to the business pages of the broadcasts. For, like the European Union Withdrawal Act, the agreement over the UK’s broader future with the EU will affect generations to come.
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