EU Referendum: A Decision At Last

Usually it’s a good idea to follow my wife’s advice, but here is one occasion when I am choosing a different way, by clarifying some of my thought processes in arriving at a decision on how to vote in the EU Referendum.  I am rather wary of doing so, because I have friends in both the Remain and Leave camps, and I know that whatever decision I take, some of my friends will feel disappointed.  I ought also to confess that I am a fairly simple person at heart, so cannot claim to have grasped all the finer points of the debate.  I simply make some observations.  I apologise in advance if they seem a bit rambling and disjointed at times (and raise more questions than answers), but the process of making a decision on the Referendum issue has seemed rather like that!  I am not trying to create an argument for either side, and I am certainly not stating that what follows is perfect, so please don’t get cross with any bits which you feel are rubbish!

 A Tough Decision

The first thing I want to say is that arriving at a decision has been one of the hardest issues I have ever had to wrestle with.  Some of my friends (on both sides) passionately believe that their perspective is right, and probably struggle to understand why it has been so difficult for me to make up my mind which way to vote.  Two or three weeks ago I filled in a Facebook questionnaire which asked various questions pertaining to the Referendum debate; based on my answers, the result was that I was apparently at that time 58% in favour of Leave and 42% in favour of Remain.  In the period since then I have found myself changing sides on several occasions!

An Open Mind

I did my best to approach the matter with an open mind, trying to listen to both sides of the argument, and coming to a conclusion based on what I had learned.  I have to say that, on the whole, I have been bitterly disappointed with both the tone and the quality of the debate.  Both sides have come out with some ridiculous statements, seemingly plucking figures and statistics out of thin air, and have at times seemed more intent on verbally attacking those on the other side than presenting positive arguments for their cause.  Thankfully, in the midst of the dross there have been a few sane voices worth listening to.  Let me make a few points.

Project Fear

The Remain camp have sought to emphasise the tremendous risks involved in a Brexit vote, claiming that Brexit could lead to everything from World War III to the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs, a dramatic cut in pensions and a descent into recession.  Such claims have led to the coining of the phrase ‘Project Fear’, which implies that elements of the Remain side wish to frighten people into an anti-Brexit vote.  The same accusation could probably be laid at the door of some prominent Brexiteers, maybe especially with regard to the thorny issue of immigration.  I believe that all those who have resorted to the fear tactic have done their side no favours at all.  The truth is, of course, that there are risks whichever way the vote goes.  It could be said that Brexit is the riskier option, but in reality none of us knows for sure how things will work out.

Working Together

One of the compelling arguments which the Remain campaign has put forward is that it is better for the UK to work together with fellow EU member states than to try to go it alone.  Anyone who knows me will understand that I have a passion for unity, and have always made it a priority to work together with others where possible, whether that be in the context of inter-church relationships or otherwise.  Striving for unity and reconciliation lies at the heart of the Christian gospel.  But is remaining in the EU the only way to work together?  Can we not work out mutually agreeable and cooperative relationships without being so closely tied together and in “The Club”?  Indeed, has our membership of the EU hindered efforts to create closer ties with non-EU countries?  And how is the much lauded cooperation within the EU actually working out in practice?

Finance

Even though I was trained as a Chartered Accountant, I cannot claim to understand the intricacies of national and international finance.  It is rightly claimed that the majority of economists believe that the UK would be worse off financially outside the EU, at least initially.  Yet, as has been pointed out, some of those economists claimed that the UK should push ahead with Economic and Monetary Union within the EU and adopt the Euro.  What a disaster that appears to have been for some of the weaker countries, with Spanish youth unemployment, for example, currently running at over 50%.  If I was an unemployed young person in Spain I might not be all that impressed with the EU!  Perhaps some of the claims about the EU in terms of helping out weaker members aren’t always seen in practice, with the apparent pushing of the Austerity programme, for example, causing considerable pain in some of the weaker economies in the EU.  Admittedly there is a danger that if the UK’s finances are adversely affected by Brexit then that would affect how much we could afford to put into essential services.  It could be that leaving the EU would have serious negative financial effects in a number of ways, though obviously the Leave campaigners deny this.

Immigration

There have undoubtedly been some elements of the Leave camp whose rhetoric and posters have been, to say the least, in extremely bad taste, and have created fear in the hearts of those who feel that we have “too many people” in the UK and are “in danger of being overrun.”  There is absolutely no doubt that immigration has proved to be of enormous benefit to the UK in lots of ways, and there have been few, if any, who have argued that we should have no immigration.  On the other hand, there are those who argue that uncontrolled immigration can have negative effects, both in terms of keeping wages low and of putting additional strains on public services.  Jeremy Corbyn himself has stated that we are unable to limit migration from the EU if we remain within the EU.  Perhaps that is ok, or is it reasonable to say that it would be best if the UK was in the position of being able to have some control in this area?

Self interest

In a recent discussion on the Referendum issue in one of our church home groups I highlighted a verse from one of St Paul’s letters, when he wrote, ‘Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.’  That sentiment lies at the heart of how we are expected to live out our lives as followers of Jesus, and it is regrettably true that some of the arguments promulgated, especially by elements of the Leave side, appear to have been motivated by narrow self-interest.  To think only of ourselves is wrong; we must try and see the bigger picture.  Some of those on the Remain side have stated that a decision to Leave is a decision to abandon our current EU partners as if we have no care for their wellbeing.  That is clearly a danger, but again I might ask, does it have to be so?  Can we not be a genuine, caring, compassionate nation even if we are outside the EU?  And just maybe being outside the EU would encourage us to have a more global perspective?

Rights and protections

There are those who fear that if we leave the EU there would be a danger that some of the hard fought-for workers’ rights would be lost, as well as other benefits which membership of the EU has brought us.  Of course that is a legitimate concern, although the reality is that there are some rights which are greater in Britain than in the EU generally.  But why do we assume that as soon as we leave the EU the government of the day would take these benefits away?  Surely there would be uproar at such eventuality, and we seem to live in times of small Parliamentary majorities which perhaps tend to make Governments more responsive to the voters.

Democracy & Sovereignty

The Leave campaign characterises the EU as a giant, mainly unelected, bureaucratic body which is far removed from our lives, largely undemocratic and unaccountable.  To what extent that image is representative of reality I leave it to others to judge, but I wonder whether there is at least some truth in there.  I appreciate the fact that as a nation we elect a Government every 5 years, and if we feel that it has failed to honour its mandate we can chose to remove it via the ballot box.

The EU itself

The EU of today is far removed from the E.E.C. (Common Market) which we joined in the 1970s.  This is where I do have some doubts, because although I know that the EU has tremendous potential for doing good, I’m not convinced that it can ever fulfil that potential.  Some say that it’s better to stay within the EU and work for change in that way, but what real success have we had in working for reformation over the years?  I wonder who really holds the EU’s reins of power, and what their motivation is.  Are those who reportedly dream of a European Empire in danger of creating a Frankenstein-like monster which might in some respects work for evil rather than good?  Perhaps that thought seems altogether too fanciful, but I do have a lurking concern about the direction the EU might be heading in the future.

The future

There are many other aspects of the debate which I could mention, but I’ve rambled on long enough.  So what about the future?  If only we had a crystal ball which would reveal to us how things will work out with either option, but we don’t.  And even when we’ve made the decision, we won’t know what would have happened if we’d gone the other way.  There are so many uncertainties.  Yet this is a massive decision which will affect generations to come.  Whatever happens, my hope and prayer is for healing in our nation, that we would once again have a spirit of reconciliation and cooperation, of care and compassion for the most vulnerable in society, and a recognition of the call to serve one another. 

If we vote Remain, I pray that the UK will play a full and positive part, both in the EU and in the world at large, and be a force for good, and that we will see real reformation within the EU so that it can fulfill its true potential.  If we vote Leave, I pray that we will not become a self-centred and isolationist nation, but will instead be generous-hearted and cooperative, with a global perspective.  In either case I pray for leaders of integrity, wisdom and compassion to govern our country.  Most of all, I pray for God’s hand of blessing on our nation, and that more and more people will acknowledge that we cannot successfully navigate the way forward without God’s guiding hand.

The decision

If you’ve managed to plough your way through all those words, congratulations!  You may be wondering what my final decision was.  Sue and I have spent many hours watching debates, talking with one another and with other people, and praying for wisdom.  We decided, ultimately, that one of us would vote Remain and one of us would vote Leave (which was which was decided by the toss of a coin!)  Our postal votes are in the post box.  Is that a cop-out?  Maybe, but we feel at ease with our decision, and we will continue to pray for our nation as we move to Thursday’s vote and beyond.  If you haven’t yet made up your mind, may God bless you as you do so, and may God bless the UK and the EU, and this whole amazing world which he has made for us to enjoy.  Better together, whether inside or outside the EU!