The hokey-cokey poll
In, out, or shake it all about?
The conflicting thoughts of an ‘out-curious’ in-voter...
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| (Adapted from an original cc-licensed pic by Bryan Ledgard) |
Some of my friends on social media exude a 'skippy-la-la' enthusiasm about remaining in the EU. A handful of others are gung-ho Brexiteers, rambunctiously rooting for our ‘independence day’. I can't get particularly worked up about either eventuality. To me, both positions seem a crass simplification of the choice facing us.
On the one hand, I am really glad we have overarching European laws to protect the environment, civil liberties and human rights – these are issues that need to be tackled collectively, within a framework of law that applies to all. Some of the health and safety stuff’s a bit mental, granted, but by and large the protection that EU laws give to European citizens is something for which we should be thankful. I’m glad we're part of a cohesive bloc of countries working towards mutually beneficial aims and ideals.
Clearly, co-operation on trade, defence and intelligence also shores up our mutual strength and cements the bonds that have undoubtedly helped keep the peace among our disparate nations since WW2, as well as holding extremism largely at bay. In all these senses, I agree with the argument that we are much stronger working closely together. I also see no contradiction in the idea of identifying as both a citizen of Britain and a citizen of Europe (and indeed, as a citizen of planet Earth). None of these identities are mutually exclusive.
On the other hand, I do believe the EU needs to become a more democratic, less bureaucratic body, with far more power decentralised to nation states. Otherwise it will face increasing resentment and hostility from populations that feel ever more powerless and ignored. We can already see this happening – worrying growth across the continent of the very extremism the EU was supposed to curb. I think some of the more eager European federalists are misguided in their quest to engineer economic and political harmonisation, which seems to me to be doing far more harm than good to the continent’s cohesiveness.
While I agree we’ll have more influence to change things by working on the inside, it has to be said the rump of the EU has always been pretty deaf to the UK’s protestations from within about the shortcomings of their own vision for the project’s future. They too readily interpret our arguments about over-centralisation or the pace and extent of integration as the typical, toe-dipping reticence of an eccentric, insular island nation – rather than as genuine concern for the long-term viability of the current model. They just end up reluctantly handing us a few special exceptions and vetoes to keep us on board while they plough on regardless. A significant proportion of leave supporters may well be the stereotypical ‘little islanders’, but there are also many with a forward-looking, internationalist outlook whose beef is merely with the structure and operation of the EU itself.
We may indeed face a rocky economic ride if we choose to leave, but I don’t buy the scaremongering 'remain' camp claims that we would inevitably face ruin outside the EU. After all, we Brits are a very resourceful, creative and inventive bunch, not to mention level-headed, tolerant, inclusive and welcoming. At least, we are when we're at our best – like during the 2012 Olympics, which was when the true spirit of Britishness last came to the fore. I don’t agree that it was a backward-looking blip of self-delusion borne out of sentimentality and the sense of occasion, as some commentators have since suggested. It was real, as all of us who experienced it will attest. But sadly we've seen little sign of that spirit in the run-up to this referendum, except perhaps during the brief pause for reflection following the tragic murder of MP Jo Cox last week.
Had the referendum been held at a more appropriate juncture, such as prior to the ratification of a major treaty setting the future direction of the EU, I might have seriously considered voting leave in the hope that doing so would act as a catalyst to shake the EU out of its complacency and prompt positive changes to the way it is currently configured and run. However, both the timing of the referendum and the nature of the campaign have meant there’s absolutely no chance that a leave vote would be seen as a constructive move on our part. I’m also pretty sure that there will be some serious discussions about fundamental reform in the EU in the coming years anyway, as growing social and political tensions among member states come to a head.
Given the focus on immigration during the campaign – particularly all the misinformation and the dangerous xenophobia evident in some quarters – a ‘leave’ vote would inevitably be seen by other nations as a sign that Britain was retreating from the world, fuelled by fear and prejudice. Yet while Farage & co. may grab the headlines, fortunately they’ll have no real power to implement their divisive policies in the event of Brexit.
As to the timing of the referendum, it is purely political – instigated by Cameron to appease the Eurosceptic wing of the Tory party. The biggest worry for me is that a ‘leave’ win now would almost certainly be perceived by those Eurosceptics as a mandate to impose their very particular vision of life outside the EU. In effect, we’d be giving free rein to the likes of Michael Gove and Boris Johnson to shape the post-Brexit ground rules. Given that they are essentially laissez-faire capitalists who want to jettison the 'burden' of all the things I like about the EU – the environmental, civil liberties and human rights stuff – in order to push through damaging policies like the Snooper’s Charter, the wholesale fracking of our countryside, overturning the EU ban on bee-killing neonic pesticides and no doubt reducing workers' protections, the only rational option from my perspective is to vote 'remain'.
However, I certainly respect anyone who casts their vote tomorrow either way, as long as they’ve considered the real, not the bogus, arguments – which are far more nuanced and finely balanced than the polarised campaigns on both sides would have us believe. So let Britain decide, and let the more civil among us pledge to come together after the vote in the true spirit of Britishness to find the best way forward from wherever it is we find ourselves the day after tomorrow.
