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Politics - The BREXIT

The BREXIT vote has created an unprecedented and monumental challenge for the UK, Europe and indeed the world.
"from someone in the UK who supports the REMAIN position"
published by Earl of Cruise
Brexit the United Kingdom revolution against Europe
How this is handled will determine the future. The Prime Minister will resign and so the UK has no functioning Government and Opposition at present. The rating agencies are downgrading UK credit rating to AA. More than 50 shadow cabinet members have resigned from the Labour side. Corbyn in really major trouble. If he clings on due to support from the grassroots and the trade unions then the political party may have no option but to break away with a new party. It is unprecedented in recent history for both the government and the opposition to be in such turmoil.
In the UK "certainty" seems to have vanished overnight and everything appears uncertain. As Laurel & Hardy once said "this is another fine mess you have got us into!" Thankfully one pillar of stability remains which is the British Monarchy and our British culture and ingenuity. 
This BREXIT is arguably the greatest challenge in Europe and shift politically, socially and constitutionally since the Fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of Communism. Some say for Britain it could be the greatest challenge since the Second World War. It is certainly unprecedented. 
John Kerry is here in the UK on a "reassurance visit" i.e. code for "emergency protection visit". So clearly the USA are very worried. China, South Korea and Japan are getting very worried as well. China has even stated that this is the end of globalisation. 
The European Union is not perhaps helping things with the Commission continuing to think in a federalist way and there is no need to reform. Crisis what crisis? Junker seems to be ignoring the people of Europe and assuming they agree with the federal idea. But they have never been asked that question. Reform to the EU is essential if the peoples of Europe are to remain supportive and feel included. Ignoring them will not them the situation. However national politicians shouldn't use the EU as the scapegoat for the negative. 
The UK and EU can find a way forward. But this needs calm and cool heads to find a way through to the benefit of everyone. 
Gibraltar, Scotland and Northern Ireland are looking to find a way to redesignate the UK as them and get England and Wales to leave the UK. Therefore the new UK wouldn't need to change anything and would remain in the EU. So all options being explored. 
Business don't like uncertainty and so the soon uncertainty ends the better. But we need leadership for that and the world lacks leadership. 
It can be argued that the UK is now in an unprecedented political, constitutional, economic and social crisis. In addition it is very divided by nation, region, educational background, cultural background, wealth, and demographic. The issues have been building for decades. Trust in politics is at an all time low and negative campaigning will only worsen this. What people need is leadership, a vision and hope. If mainstream politicians in the UK, Europe and globally ignore rising uncertainties and issues of their peoples then the people will be forced to find hope elsewhere and move towards the extremes of politics as a consequence. Politics must be more positive, respectful and inclusive. 
Friends of mine in the USA are saying that support is building rapidly for Donald Trump. USA seems to have the same issue as the UK and similar levels of emerging division. The major cities on the coasts are more pro Clinton but the heartland and south is Trump. I now have very major fears indeed that similar sentiment is rising in the USA and Trump therefore may in fact win in November or has a risk of doing so. 
Everyone I know cannot stop thinking about Europe and how terribly bad a decision the British public seem to have made. Leave voters I talk to just cannot understand what the concern and fuss is all about. They say this is brilliant we have control of our country again. Sadly they seem to have believed the creative language some politicians often use to pull at the heartstrings of the public and to make their message appear attractive. But we have to be very wary indeed of extremism, protectionism and nationalism hiding behind a front of creative language. Some even think we have already left the EU. The civil service in the UK is being bombarded with messages saying we have left the EU why haven't you updated things. But that is the problem negative campaigning and misinformation has raised expectations. The misinformed public (particularly those who voted LEAVE) have high expectations. They feel we have already left the EU so can do what we want. The £350 million now can be spent on the NHS, farming, fisheries, infrastructure, universities / research / science, etc. They also feel that immigration was the main issue of the referendum and now the door can be closed to migrants. As a result some feel there is rising intolerance against migrants and foreigners in parts of the UK. EU nationals and other foreign nationals are reporting that they are being told to go home. Even those who are UK born but appear to look foreign in appearance are receiving elements of this backlash. This vote has unleashed lots of issues that if not carefully handled could become very dangerous indeed if a way forward is not found quickly. 
My main criticism is that in the wake of the Great Recession in 2007/8 the world was still recovering from this it wasn't probably a good time to hold a referendum on such an issue as the people would just use it do express discontent with the government or economy or their fears and prejudices. After such economic shocks the people tend to feel economic and social uncertainty and therefore risk becoming polarised towards the extremes of politics in an effort to find solutions and so country's risk nationalistic and protectionist tendencies emerging. This happened in the 1930s after the Great Depression and similar undercurrents are emerging today. BREXIT is just the latest expression of this. If this continues then we have to watch the US Presidential Elections in November and the French and German elections in 2017. 
In terms of scenarios my big three concerns are: PUTIN, BREXIT and TRUMP. Two have already happened. If TRUMP wins in the USA this November or Front Nationale win in France then this undercurrent will have boiled to the surface. Then the world would be in big trouble. These are very challenging times globally and these situations and rising disquiet from the people have to be heeded and handled carefully.
Lesson one - never ever ever hold a referendum. Lesson two - no negative campaigning, scapegoating and misinformation. Politics must become more respectful, tolerant, inclusive and positive. Lesson three - for too long politics has ignored the building disquiet from the people and there has been a lack of leadership globally. Today's leaders lack the vision and capability of great leaders such as Churchill. 
The UK is already a great country and has the ingenuity to come back from this over time and continue towards a prosperous future. 
But to do this it needs stability, leadership, tact and vision. We need a new leader for these challenging times who is a modern Churchill.

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