The Eye's have it

We are out, or at least on the way out following an historic vote. Why did the vote go the way it did?

In my opinion although I'm sure many others would disagree, it boils down to a collision of three factors, Immigration, Inequality and by no means least, a succession of ineffectual governments from the time of Blair onwards who have failed to effectively redistribute the wealth of the South East to the least privileged parts of the country.

Worse still, those under-privileged regions have witnessed bankers, business men and politicians lining their own pockets at the expense of the ordinary worker, who incidentally pays taxes out of their often meagre income to subsidize the robber barons and make good the deficits left in their wake.

And all this without any real political hope of redress as the existing political party system has denied them opportunity to do so and many have not even bothered to vote in the past.

The absolute naivety of Cameron in ignoring the lessons of history and granting a referendum as a sop to his right wing has provided a God sent opportunity to those feeling excluded and even brutalised by the political system, and they have used it as a stick with which to beat the London centric elite.

When you see yourself and your community as a political and economic backwater, immigrants from across the globe turning up unannounced and with little or nothing in the way of financial provision to accommodate them, then like a drowning man you will grasp at any straw that comes your way.

It was interesting to see that in the main, those cities or areas that have been granted the ability to elect their own mayor voted to stay in. If only the government had, in the wake of the Scottish referendum, embarked on a bold political reform package to provide the regions and the union as a whole, with a more equitable voice in British politics so as to 'lance the boil' of the under- represented, it may have been a wholly different story.

But no, the House of Lords remained untouched, just add another bunch of unelected old party retainers and let sleeping peers lie; pun intended.

I see a distinct parallel here with the Barons at Runnymede holding the King to account, although in this century it is the regions holding the government, parliament and the city to account. Their message is clear, listen to us, we are part of this nation and we demand to be heard. Pay us our due and if it means you take less bonus, drive cheaper cars, eat less expensive meals, pay your taxes and have to make do with a smaller yacht, then so be it. That is what it takes to re-unite a nation not bxxxx platitudes.

Now, in the wake of this result we may, just may, possibly if it's May, get some real reform at last, but it's highly unlikely if we are saddled with another unworldly, over privileged and precocious, old Etonian at the helm. Then God help us as the cuts bite and there is no reform in sight.

Peter Morgan
25th June 2016

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