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Leamington Letters #109: Reasons to oppose Brexit No 1: it is the ugliest nonce word ever.

26/2/2016

9 Comments

 
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This may not be the most cogent reason to support our continuing membership of the European Union, but it is as good as the reasons being offered by Cameron whose shallow pandering to the right has reduced the focus of the debate to immigration and welfare. UKIP wants it to be solely about this. And so do the likes of Iain Duncan Smith and Grayling.
 
Of course, it is not really about these issues at all. And nor is it about the security of our borders or our access to a free market or the protection of the City. It is about, as Cameron himself has said (I suspect without understanding what he was saying) “the kind of country we want Britain to be”.
 
I want Britain to be a country that cares; that is not merely tolerant of diversity but embraces it; that recognises its responsibilities to its citizens and to all humanity. I want a country that is democratic, that rejects austerity, that fights against the increasing privatisation of our public services.
 
I do not want a country which turns in on itself; which equates the success of the City with the success of the country as a whole; that mistakes corporate profit for the public good.
 
I believe that what I want and what I don’t want can be better achieved within the European Union.
 
Not because the European Union is without fault; far from it. I have more issues with a Europe which is reformed according to Cameron than with its previous structure. The British (Tory) position at the negotiations  and the associated posturing was selfish in the extreme, manifesting a total lack of statesmanship and great deal of nationalist ideology. Fortunately, the vote at the referendum will not be about Cameron’s deal. It will not be about the ridiculous rants of Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage. It will be about us and our sense of ourselves, about “the kind of country we want Britain to be”.
 
There are frightening indications that some of us want our country to be a one (Tory) party state, which will be able to deny us the rights that have taken centuries to achieve. Public services and social justice are already under serious threat and such developments will only be accelerated by Brexit.
 
It’s an ugly word. But it’s an even uglier concept.

Today from the everysmith vaults: According to Twitter, some people have managed to get hold of the new Chris Forsyth album, The Rarity of Experience already. Over here, it's not scheduled until 4th March. So I'm just playing some recent shows thanks to NYC Taper. Oh, and Michael Chapman too. Remember him? Brilliant guitarist.
9 Comments
Neil
26/2/2016 11:11:37

Well, yes. It's a bad deal made not on behalf of Europe or Britain but to appease the bigots. And it has failed to achieve that. Inertesting times ...

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Allan
26/2/2016 11:12:54

For the right. Against rights.

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Will
26/2/2016 11:23:30

So far, so good. There is so much more though and for me it is a cultural thing. We need to be closer to our European friends culturally, economically and, yes, politically. Good piece by Corbyn last Sunday in The Observer - you don't have to read Nick Cohen! - which is worth reading.

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Sean
26/2/2016 14:01:38

Agree wholeheartedly.

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Rick Hough
26/2/2016 15:03:42

I came, as always, to learn and that happened. Then I got a Michael Chapman reference in the bargain. This went really well.

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Michael
26/2/2016 16:10:08

What you haven't mentioned, and given your recent form would have expected, is a reference to the role of the press in the debate. Not, obviously, which way they editorialise, but how they report what is being said. So far things are not looking good: it's all about personality and barely a mention of issues. Hoping you will return to this subject with detail and facts rather than hopes and beliefs. But thank you.

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Victoria
26/2/2016 18:07:01

After running a drop-in not half an hours drive from here (Leamington Spa) last Friday, supporting many women effected by the government cuts, currently living in deep poverty. I felt sick to my stomach to hear Cameron explain his 'deal' in the EU on Radio 4. Id like to say that the Conservatives are simply out of touch with the issues currently facing the people that they responsible for but the truth is its worse than that - they actually don't care.
The EU is far from perfect but there is always great power in unity - even if its imperfect.
And just for the record we WANT our taxes to go to the most vulnerable in society - including refuges!

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Matt
26/2/2016 22:12:23

I'm concerned that it may happen. I'm worried that this attention on the stories and their pathetic little spats is going to allow the outs to win the argument. Especially as the press is once again not covering some 'cogent' input from JC. Plus ca change as they say in Europe.

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CJ
29/2/2016 15:01:26

Good to see you're listening (again?) to Michael Chapman. In some ways he was more interesting than his folkie contemporaries because he came from a jazz background. Like Charlie Watts. And Phil Lesh. But whatever, he could play and he could write songs. Still going in his 70s. Lesson for us all.

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    Max Smith

    European writer, radical, restaurateur and Red Sox fan. 70-something husband, father, step-father, grandfather and son. Resident in Warwick, England.

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