Just a few days ago I was by myself in the pool doing my 100 metres leisurely breast-stroke, basking in 30C of clear sky sunshine, and (unusually for me), feeling incredibly fit. Everything seemed perfect, and I smiled outwardly as I swam. Life was good!
Now I feel depressed and angry; not only because the referendum vote went against my way, but also because the result has brought out the very worst in people.
The 'cheap seats' are insulting both Dave and Boris, the press are blaming northern lefties, the Scots are wanting to leave the UK, everyone is gunning for Jeremy Corbyn, Corbyn is gunning for Benn, and the leaders of mainland Europe are plotting reprisals.
The Conservative party is in turmoil, the Labour party is in turmoil (it always was), and the Liberal Democrats are promising to re-join the EU. Frankly there seems to be no part of European society that isn't angry one way or the other.
So, what to do. Firstly I suppose we should detach ourselves from all the hatred, we should try to be positive, and we should just hope that someone with real guts gets to deal with Brussels. There's a big mess which needs to be sorted.
The inept Corbyn has now sacked his only front-bencher with an ounce of common sense, and half his team have resigned as a result. No doubt more reprisals are already being hatched.
As far as the Labour party is concerned, Hilary Wedgwood-Benn would make quite a good leader; he's a clear logical thinker (unlike his father). As for the Conservatives maybe Theresa May could do the job; she is forthright, calm, and intelligent, and she doesn't suffer her fools gladly.
There's a lot of shit flying, and frankly I don't want to be a part of it; wake me up when it's all over.
If only the Common Market had remained the Common MARKET.
I believe the Britishers who were outside Britain were not allowed to vote.
ReplyDeleteNo, we were encouraged to vote.
DeleteHaddock, see my comment below
Deleteand note my reply to Coppa's girl.
DeleteIn politics the jackals are always waiting for an opportunity. Now there is a feeding frenzy. It would be entertaining if it wasn't so serious. Just want to blot it out and go back to admiring your vegetable patch and feeling good!
ReplyDeleteMe too. I wish it would all just go away!
DeleteWrong Cro., as expats we were not allowed to vote, because we have been out of the country for more than 15 years, and no longer have property in the UK, so therefore are not on any electoral roll. We were unable to have any say in our future, and shall never forgive Britain for their undemocratic stance in this matter.
ReplyDeleteThere are getting on for 3 million British expats around the world all in the same position, had they been able to vote it might have made a difference to the outcome.
The last time I registered in the UK was less than 15 years ago, so I was able to vote. We also have homes in England. We received lots of publicity telling us to register for a postal vote; which we did!
DeleteI'm another who was disqualified under the 15 year rule. In fact I'm not allowed to vote anywhere these days except in local council elections in the corner of Austria where I am situated.
DeleteI read this from someone call Dom Brown on Facebook and it made me smile! Bit sweary though so I apologise for that.
ReplyDeleteRight. Fuck this. We're ALL up shit creek and we need a paddle. Now, not in three months.
Fellow Remain voters: Enough already. Yes, we're all pissed off but navel gazing ain't gonna help. Not all 17 million Leave voters can possibly be racist northern pensioners without an O level to their name. Maybe they have a point about this quitting the EU thing? Maybe not. Whatever, we are where we are and no amount a whinging is gonna change that. Allegedly we're the intelligent ones, so get your thinking caps on.
Leave voters. Well done. Good game. We hear you. Now you need to get stuck in to the aftermath and not just piss off back to Wetherspoons. (Just banter, twats!). And the first person to say they "want their country back" gets deported to fucking Gibraltar. OK?
Politicians.
David. Fuck off. Shut the door behind you. Now.
George. You may be a twat but you're our twat. Plus you know the passwords for our Junior Savers account. Get your calculator. Drop the face-like-a-slapped-ass routine. You're on.
Boris. Sorry mate. That photo of you abseiling by your scrotum over the London Olympics while waving a Union Jack can't ever be un-taken. Plus, you'll never be able to appear on Question Time again without some sturdy Glaswegian nurse asking where the fuck her 350 million quid is. Not only will she have a very good point, she'll be wearing a T shirt that shows you gurning in front of that fucking bus! No captains hat for you I'm afraid.
Theresa. You're in charge love. Get the biggest shoulder pads you've got. We need Ming The Merciless in drag and you'll scare the shit out of 'em.
Nicola. Yep. Fair cop. You probably could get us on a technicality, as could London. But we fucking love shortbread. And oil. And to be honest you're probably the best politician we've got, so we need you on side. Sort your lot out and we promise never to mention that Jimmy Krankie thing again (although it is pretty uncanny) and we'll make you a Dame once we're sorted. Bring Ruth Davidson. She kicks ass.
Opposition party. We'll need one. Someone take Jeremy and John back to the British Legion Club where you found them. Take Nigel as well. Give back their sandals, buy them a pint, then go to Heathrow and collect David Milliband. Fuck it. Lets gets Ed Balls as well. He keeps George on his toes. I think he works on the lottery kiosk at Morrisons now?
Oh. And Mark Carney. Give him a knighthood and tell him to keep that shit coming. We definitely need more of that good shit!
Everyone set? Right. Hold the Easyjet. We're going to Brussels and this ain't no hen party.
#weneedaplan Share!
Dom Brown obviously has a better way with words than I do. I think he got most of it right!
DeleteBrilliant - why wasn't this guy around when we needed him!
DeleteI watch Sky News so much that i have to remind mt self that i live here and we have our own problems.But i worry a lot about the future in EU.
ReplyDeleteThe whole world is in turmoil, and the UK has just added to it.
DeleteWise words again Cro...and I loved Kevs post.
ReplyDeleteI wish I'd written mine as well as Dom Brown did!
DeleteYour last paragraph sums it up perfectly. No one voted for an EU based political system nor do we have the clout to change it. We entered the EEC on a vote that only 64 percent of the electorate voted on. But no one had the opportunity to vote for the EU we have now and that's why it got voted out.
ReplyDeleteThe British don't like being told what they can or cannot do; especially by Johnny Foreigner. But I suspect that a lot of them now regret this.
DeleteSturgeon doesn't want independence she wants more concessions from Westminster.
ReplyDeleteShe already knows that an independent Scotland doesn't automatically get admitted into the EU and will have to reapply. A process taking ten years. She knows the BoE will not let her keep the pound as a reserve currency. She knows that not all of the oil, currently trading at a third of its former price, belong to Scotland. She knows that 320,000 public sector jobs rely on Westminster and that moving them south will push Scotland into an unemployment rate of over 20%. She knows that the removal of military bases will cripple several parts of rural Scotland and closing Faslane will see another 10,000 highly paid jobs gone.
Perhaps I could just point out Ro that of the 545,400 people employed in the public service in Scotland (from the NHS through government to the armed forces) 487587 or 89.4% are employed by the devolved government in Scotland. The SNP has been pushing for the closure of Fasland and the removal of nuclear weapons from Scotland. The UK government has been closing or 'rationalising' military bases in Scotland anyway.
DeleteThe currency issue is a red herring (Scotland's banks already issue their own promissory notes linked directly to the English £).
I am not a member of the SNP but I can't let such misinformation go unremarked upon.
Actually Cro several friends who voted remain have said that in the light of the deplorable comments by Junker and several other EU politicians they know realise that the only thing the EU liked us for was our cash contribution and now that that is going their true feelings are exposed.
ReplyDeleteRo, It's taken 40yrs for people to relize that. Good analysis of the Scottish problem and it's taken 300 yrs for the English to realize that the Scotties only luv us for our money!
DeleteUtter rubbish we just spend it more wisely!.
Delete2014 Scotland we wan,t independance .. England said stay with us or you won't be in EU ,ok we said we,ll stay with you.
2016 Scotland vote stay in Europe , England voted us all out anyway!.Ggrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Perhaps the small answer is that it was an UK ref. What a shame that we had to have the results itemized to the nth degree.
DeleteI hear what you are saying potty, just it leaves a bit of a sour taste, for our little proud Scotland to be dictated to by England and Wales. Not 1 single area in Scotland voted out!.
DeleteWe will now go for independance, and I believe get it!.
Sure it may mean hardship, but will be our own. Don,t underestimate the Scottish, we have a strong belief in our Country, people come first. Why we let our children have free university education, no one pays for dental check ups, prescriptions, eye tests.
We pay £800 per year per person more in tax than rest of UK, that's OK as people matter.
What I mean,t is mood of Scottish is we have nothing left to lose, so why not take a leap of faith and make our own mess.
DeleteBetter to have tried than not tried at all!.
Actually that's just about why why I voted for Out.
DeletePotty your statement that "it's taken 300 yrs for the English to realize that the Scotties only luv us for our money!" is both untrue and offensive. The Scots do not love England for their money or their sovereignty. They are a part of a United Kingdom by conquest. As for money England was very quick to say that Scottish oil revenues were UK oil revenues. Now that the oil revenue is running out the UK is panicking.
DeleteThe trouble is that there was no Plan A, let alone Plan B, because nobody - but nobody - expected this outcome. Meanwhile, the only country to benefit from all of this is Japan, because it has done what they have been trying to do for ages - devalue the Yen to improve exports! You're absolutely right about the bloody mess!
ReplyDeleteThat is exactly what George Osborne said; no exit plan at all. Now he's in hiding.
DeleteI suspect that those who voted for exit, did so in the safe knowledge that the majority would vote to remain. They may possibly now be feeling as horrified as the rest of us.
DeleteThat is when I started to worry. I figured it had all been thought out and plans made for all eventualities. Now I read it was just all hype and there are no plans.
DeleteLove what Dom Brown says. (I have never taken my good fortune for granted. We worked hard for what we've got and I just feel incredibly sad about how quickly things can turn sour.)
ReplyDeleteI feel as part of my life has suddenly been tainted.
DeleteAbsolutely Sue, we're the same.
DeleteWe worked hard all our lives, paid our dues, and hoped to have a pleasant retirement in the knowledge that we were safe under the European umbrella. Now that dream has been shattered.
Well said Cro - can't disagree with a single word of it.
ReplyDeleteIt'll probably all work-out in the end, it always does. But in the meantime...
DeleteI remember a post of yours Weaver, that talked about apples.
DeleteNow I hope I say this right the brain injury is bad with remembering...You wrote about all the old apples that you missed and you found some farmers that still grew them but because of the EU he couldn't sell them because of some "standers" and he couldn't sell them in the UK because you had to buy EU apples. It seemed so wrong.
It is very confusing to me but I hope all works out fine.
Read all these comments - agree with what most of them say - and they have said it so much better than I can!
ReplyDeleteAnd me Weave; especially Dom Brown.
DeleteYes! What a bloody mess !!! The impact is far reaching. It has in fact guaranteed another term of a Liberal government in OZ when we go to the polls next Saturday
ReplyDeleteI don't really keep up with Oz politics; other than my friend Mary Moody telling what a load of idiots they all are. But then I imagine she votes for the other lot.
DeleteYes! A women of a certain age with great intellect ...of course she would vote for the other side. We can only hope that common sense prevails ( although that commodity is uncommon I will admit) when the nation goes to,the polls next Saturday to elect our Federal government for the next term. Although there is a the tyranny of distance between our countries the problems are very much the same.
DeleteOnce it's sorted (and that's anyone's guess!) it'll be fine. We were only in the common market/EEC/EU for 40 years after all.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you're right; we're still in shock mode!
DeleteThe Prof has a bit of a thing for mz May!
ReplyDeleteShe's a little Rottweiler, and that's what's needed.
DeleteObama put the knife in. GB can get to the back of the queue. We only with big trade blocks he said. More to worry about than Pat's apples for the EU who will try and sneak TTIP through under the guise of CETA. The 1500 page of legal jargon could be the EU Commissions undoing.
ReplyDeleteIf the arrogance of Brussels continues in similar vein it will be the end of the EU. Austria is already building an alliance against EU Commission arrogance and trickery.
ReplyDeleteThe end is nigh.
DeleteThe best solution would be for everybody to go back to being the Common Market. That'd be a win for GB and a win for most of the others too. Only a couple of stumbling blocks need be removed.
DeleteThat's what we joined, and that's what it should still be. Unfortunately there are too many people now on the gravy train, and they ain't getting off.
Delete