Brexit is toxic. It perverts and pollutes everything it touches. It pillages our rights, freedoms, quality of life, opportunities, food, standards, well-being and democracy. It has corroded decency. It erodes and denies our children and grandchildren the chances open to their peers in the EU’s 27 member states. In short, the (predominantly male) politicians who voted for it, chose to impoverish our future.
Evidence indicates that women are more likely to perceive, and to value, the benefits of working in close partnership with our immediate neighbours and friends. According to the latest polling, 70% of women, in contrast to 52% of men, are in favour of rejoining the EU. It is apt that on International Women’s Day, the broad spirit of cooperative internationalism is celebrated, especially with the nations on our doorstep. This chart gives ample proof of women’s dedication to such a spirit:
It’s often women who’ve spoken truth to power regarding Brexit, marched and, at local levels, sustained the campaigns with information and cake stalls. It’s women who have most keenly had to manage the impact of Brexit in their households and on their maternity rights. Prominent figures have been vilified for speaking out including women like Carole Cadwalladr, Carole Vorderman, Gina Miller, Caroline Lucas, and Jess Phillips.
Being in the EU benefits us all in ways we took for granted. So why is it, that so many (too many) politicians lack the courage to say the obvious? We need to give our country a chance to redeem itself, and to show that it can once again be adult about the EU. And that we recognise the reason why we all need the EU to succeed. It was, and remains, a tangible proof that democracy based on us working together sustains us all and is our grown-up way of protecting and sustaining peace. Peace matters at home and abroad.
Our resilience against enemies has been tested to breaking point by a Brexit funded and pushed, it seems, by those who do not share the conviction that all ordinary people across Europe should have the right to think independently without a constant barrage of disinformation, and the opportunity to enjoy decent lives.
Brexit’s dirty secrets
While the dirty Brexit games are being slowly revealed, the UK still teeters on the edge of Europe as if stepping into the streams of sewage in the channel would be more polluting and detrimental to our wellbeing than deceiving ourselves with Brexit platitudes that all will be well. The evidence all around us is that it won’t be, for us, or for our young people.
Some politicians are now prepared to tell us the truth. We are part of Europe. Conservative governments chose to impose barriers to our full participation in the EU for the barmiest of deals with the devil. The nonsense spouted about sovereignty served them well as a smokescreen for their misdeeds as they fed their greed unleashed from the need to comply with impending EU laws on anything from investments, trades unions, health, space, environment and fundamental rights.
But is it really enough for politicians just to say we need to have a grown-up, practical relationship with the EU? We need more – we need mutual freedom of movement, not only for musicians, but for us all. We need people, goods, services and capital to be able to move as freely as they did across borders and within the EU as they did in 2015. As this Opinium poll shows, life without Brexit then was a lot better for the majority than life under Brexit is now.
A grown-up Brexit?
A grown-up Brexit starts with first recognising that we need the EU. If we didn’t, why did we spend years since the 1950s becoming part of it and shaping its priorities and policies?
Europe benefited from British input. The EU needs us to be part of the community of states, agencies and police cooperating to combat people trafficking; needs for us openly to welcome reinforcing our common security and defence.
Europe’s interests coincide with ours. We value the same things: democracy, human rights, equality, the rule of law, tolerance of diversity, respect for the common good. We may not be brilliant at achieving those things but at least we can work harder to try and make them a reality.
A grown-up Brexit means that politicians must drop arrogant, closed-minded lack of interest in anything European and invest in understanding the innovative approaches to making democracy more relevant and responsive to finding new ways to meet common challenges. Grown-up politicians could learn from the EU in its attempts to make civic life and politics relevant to all and to engage younger people in shaping what our political priorities should be, starting with making it easy for them to register and vote. If the EU could do so for 11 million people living in European countries other than their place of birth, surely we could.
Steps towards change
We could follow Northern Ireland and experiment with citizens assemblies to see what local priorities are, and how local communities want to select which should be funded first. If the EU is willing to give that a try after their conference on the future of Europe engaged citizens in such activities at EU level, then we could dare to do the same. It worked in Northern Ireland. The EU constantly adapts and reforms: it does not rely on antiquated statutes and ideas fashioned in the 16th century.
The UK of 2015 has been decimated by deceit. Disbelief at its disintegration and impoverishment pervades the air, especially outside the M25. We know worse is to come.
The question for the UK is whether it is going to accept life ruined by Brexit, or will it have the courage to reform itself? Will it seek to engage with the EU’s agenda as the 26 member states prepare for the June elections where a prominent theme is how better to involve ordinary people in shaping the decisions that affect their lives. Citizens assemblies, youth forums and cross-national deliberation and argument are high on the agenda of political reform. Britons have so much to contribute to this, given the chance.
These reforms are innovative and forward-looking: doesn’t sharing ideas and discussing ways to realise a sustainable resilient consensus matter? Perhaps politicians will get to grips with this sooner rather than later, and allow every generation try and fashion a better world.
