Will Brexit Prove To Be The Catalyst That Awakens A Generation Of Sleeping Centrist Voters?

The awakening of a political animal (or not).

Back in the 80's my nan used to say that if she met Arthur Scargill she’d shoot him and my Dad would stick his fingers up at Neil Kinnock every time he was on the tele (as well as Jan Harvey from Howard’s Way… but that’s another issue). What could drive people to such passion and anger I used to think, well now I know… BREXIT… it’s my Arthur Scargill… and it’s awakened something inside me that I can’t put back in the box.

If I’m honest it’s not just Brexit, it’s everything Brexit stands for, the wider political and social climate, regressive values, loss of centrist politics, Mrs May, Corbyn, and the people’s hero Farage (what an arsehat!)… I could go on. It’s thrown into question who we are and what we stand for. I thought I had my finger on the political pulse/a barometer of the national mood. I voted for the winning party all my life – so what happened with Brexit? How was I suddenly so out of step? (Nb please don’t tweet me on this – I know why really).

So what to do… well after a year spent huffing and puffing into the social media ether and trying to stop myself defacing pictures of Theresa May when queuing for my lunch in Waitrose, I decided it was time to get off the sofa and get active – politically active – and my very British solution was to join the only party singing my tune. Yes, I decided to become a Liberal Democrat and what better way to flex my wings than during GE2017!

Now a move to the Lib Dems isn’t as natural as it sounds for me… I voted for John Major and David Cameron’s Conservatives. I voted for Tony Blair’s New Labour. I was not a Lib Dem. In fact, I’d disparaged them for having no clout and for their stance on progressive taxation (don’t I pay enough!). But Brexit had crystallised my values and I had to admit that at the age of 44 I had become a Liberal.

So having signed up and paid my subs the local Lib Dems have been quick to embrace me – inviting me to the election launch and signing me up for leafleting this coming Saturday. Which I absolutely will do if I can work it around the kids, tennis and my thread vein removal treatment (I know, I’m such a middle-class bleep!). I even bumped into Ed Davey our local candidate out campaigning this morning and introduced myself (he had a very firm handshake) – it’s prophetic I thought – this is all coming together.

I’ve really no idea where this will lead: Will I have the balls to carry on? Will I return to my sofa too tired after work to get active? Will I decide that after all the Lib Dems are not what I’m looking for (I am a fickle voter after all)? Either way, my political animal has been awakened… (or not).

PS. If you are still alive, Arthur – Don’t worry my Nan isn’t!