Why I want to be part of Europe, a personal story..

One thing the EU referendum isn’t lacking from is uninformed opinions. Here’s mine.

I’ve noticed that when I’m out and about I’ve been debating in my head. Originally with no intent to write anything, more as a way to make sense of some of the stuff I see on my social media feeds. There are facts, almost too many, and whilst I think the evidence, rather than the anecdote, favours staying in, those who disagree with me will dig out some other facts that support their view. This is called cognitive bias, we look for the facts that support our views and dismiss things that don’t fit. That’s human nature. So let’s put that to one side. Let’s accept that really, this is an emotive choice as no-one *really* knows what the outcome will be.

So here’s my fourpenith. This is my son George’s nursery photo.

I’ve anonomised the faces which means I’ve also lost the smiles. We live in Hackney, home of flat whites and hipster cliches. It is also one of the most diverse boroughs, and whilst it is going through a period of rapid gentrification, it is still mixed in terms of income.

I want my son to embrace the future. We now live in a global world and it is changing at a pace that is scary, even for someone whose job is all about the internet. Fear is one of the biggest things that drives us. It is stronger than rational thought. That’s why Cameron has used fear as a tactic for both the Scottish and EU referendum. Our cavemen brains haven’t caught up with this new complex world. I try and avoid fear based decisions.

I want to stay in Europe because I think George’s future will be richer and he will be better prepared for all the challenges the world faces. His friends speak Polish, French, Spanish, Italian, Hebrew, Arabic and cockney. He learns about other cultures and traditions whilst still having his own. He doesn’t see difference, all his friends are entirely normal to him and he isn’t afraid of a burka. When he gets the opportunity to travel he will be familiar with all the things I never was as a child. I love the fact he could travel freely around Europe and be part of trying to work out what this next century could look like.

In terms of leaving, I don’t believe that any additional autonomy would make Britain a safer, fairer place to live. I don’t believe we will be given more democracy. I don’t believe that any investment saved will go into things that matter and effect normal people. I don’t believe leaving will give Britain much greater sovereignty.

I do believe that it will effect our economy negatively, at least in the short to mid-term, and that will be used as a tidy excuse for more politically motivated austerity. With people conveniently blaming Europe for the impact. Europe has invested in Britain in a way that this current government never would and, as someone who has worked with a number of charities, I’ve seen evidence of how Britain has lobbied against Europe on things that make the world a better place such as environmental policy.

I understand that some people are concerned about migration. My experience is that migration is a good thing. We grow by embracing new perspectives and the net effect on the economy is positive, or at least neutral. So we’re no poorer.

The thing I really care about though, is the effect on our humanity. George’s empathy grows by knowing more people from other cultures. The thing I fear most is ‘othering’. One reaction to an increasingly complex world is nostalgia for a world that never really was or radicalism in different shades of hate.

The challenges his generation face will not be the ones that the last century faced. If you’re bothered by immigration then you should really be bothered by climate change.

Humans will always be tribal but those tribes need to get bigger rather than smaller. Eddie Izzard speaks about this far more eloquently than I ever could, if you’re interested listen to his interview on the Richard Herring podcast (H/T Kate and Simon). I want George to feel part of Tribe Europe.

In a nutshell, I think being European is part of the solution, not part of the problem. That’s not to say that I don’t think that the EU needs reform, it is possible to be pro-Europe and pro-reform.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, I just think its important for those woolly leftie-optimistic people speak out as well, rather than leave it to a fear based dialogue (on both sides). If we are going to build a narrative on anecdotes then I want to add George’s nursery as a hopeful image of what is possible.