Us vs. Them – The Vote That Divided The Country
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On the 23rd of June, the UK voted to leave the EU. Since then, the PM has resigned, the Leave camp have begun to retract their promises, and members of the Labour shadow cabinet have begun to resign as Jeremy Corbyn faces a vote of no confidence.
As the country faces a period of great uncertainty, one thing is without doubt: we are completely divided. The result came out as almost 50/50, with a mere 2% deciding the fate of the country. At the time of writing, the number of signatures on a petition for a second referendum stands at 3,403,865 and continues to rise steadily amongst outrage from the disappointed Remain camp and an outpour of ‘bregret‘ from some who voted Leave. A chasm has opened between those who are elated and those who are aggrieved. What stands out most is the annoyance of the overwhelmingly pro-Remain youth towards what has been revealed to be the largely over-60 group who voted out.
Many young people feel cheated out of their future by those who have voted Leave and anger at the nostalgic so-called ‘Marks and Spencer’ generation is growing for under-thirties who do not agree with the decision but will undoubtedly have to deal with it. This can, of course, not be said for everyone, and the pit of ‘everyone who voted Leave was an old fascist’ is a dangerous one to fall into; however, it cannot be denied that a large number of Brexiters are significantly older and a huge majority of pro-EU voters were aged between 18-30.
There is also an enormous difference in opinion growing between Labour supporters, as the party is thrown into turmoil over claims Jeremy Corbyn has let his party down. Some have argued that he delivered over two thirds of his party’s voters, and the defeat does not lie with him but with the Tories, whilst many argue that his apparent silence throughout the campaign is what could have toppled the victory into the Leave camp. The struggle over Corbyn’s leadership has been ongoing since before his election last year, and his party seems to be growing in its disillusionment with him. From what began as a refreshing approach from a more hard-left alternative to the increasingly centrist political leaders of today grows a heated argument over whether he is capable of leading his party.
The outlook for Labour looks grim as shadow cabinet ministers drop like flies, with Hilary Benn calling to depose Corbyn due to claims he is ‘not a leader’. Thus far, Corbyn has resisted; how long he will withstand the criticism, however, is another matter. What remains to be seen is how the party will continue through this time of crisis and whether it will manage to pull together in a show of unity as the inevitable political chaos continues over the coming months. Perhaps they could learn a lesson from the Lib-Dems, who seem to have rallied together as Tim Fallon puts on an honourable display for the public. As our country’s future hangs in the balance, it is crucial the party doesn’t throw itself into a lethal civil war, and the public waits with baited breath as to whether the party will pull itself out of this crisis, if only to prevent us from slipping further and further into the hands of right-wing parties.
What is also uncertain is the future of Scotland, as Nicola Sturgeon vouches to fight for Scotland to remain within the EU. This has induced fears over the Scotland’s future within the UK and worries that it could bring about a second independence referendum. It would be unarguably unfair for England and Wales to drag the inordinately pro-Remain Scotland (and Northern Ireland) out of the EU, but the possibility of a second referendum in Scotland will no doubt spark demands for a similar outcome around the rest of the UK.
The question on everybody’s lips within the Remain camp is ‘what happens now?’. The surprise over the country’s decision has resonated even within the Leave campaign, and still leaders from all sides are visibly reeling over what comes next. The ‘anyone but Boris’ campaign seems to be gathering pace as we are faced with the very real possibility of seeing Boris Johnson elected the next leader of the Conservative Party and even the Labour leadership hangs in the balance. It is difficult to say what the future holds for our apparently newly-claimed Britain, but the events have called into question what we will do outside of the EU, and how Brexit will affect the countries we left behind. The aftershocks are being felt throughout Europe – particularly, fears that this will cause right-wing campaigns in countries such as France to gain momentum – and it is clear that EU leaders are eager to set about damage control as soon as possible to ensure this does not signal the beginning of the end for the European Union.
The country stands on the edge of an abyss, on uncharted territory. The fallout of Brexit will be ongoing for most likely a number of years and as a country, we remain uncertain as to our future and the consequences of Thursday’s vote. The changing tides will bring with them great changes and challenges, both short and long term, with regards to trading and foreign relations, as well as fears over the teetering stock market and value of the pound. What we can only hope for is that something positive will come of the result, whether it is the one we wanted or not.