I’m one of the ‘Stupid, Right Wing, Racists’ that Voted to Leave, Here’s Why
Since the results have come in from Thursday’s referendum, some passionate ‘remain’ supporters have been quick to take to Facebook vent their anger. With claims of Leave voters all being racist, stupid & right wing. I couldn’t help but feel grouping one set of people into a negative stereotype, without evidence was a little hypocritical, from intelligent, anti-racists!
Along with 52% of those who chose to vote, I decided to vote to leave the EU. This is why:
The Common Agricultural Policy
The common agricultural policy (CAP) supports the over production of food, this food is then either stored, sold to developing countries or destroyed. I believe storing or destroying food when people are starving is immoral. Often the overproduced food is sold to developing nations at low prices, this undermines third word farmers. The protectionist nature of the CAP also impedes fair trade for third world countries, whose access to the EU market is restricted.
The CAP exists to protect EU farmers but not all EU farmers are equal. The CAP gives more to large farms, with smaller farms suffering. This is because their calculations on subsidies don’t take into account economies of scale. Rather than protecting all EU farmers, it serves to boost the bigger farms, whilst the smaller farms suffer.
When discussing this with remain supporters, I was told that you have to accept this as a small part of what the EU does. In effect, the argument was, ‘not everything is great, but this isn’t a major thing’. 47% of the EU budget is spent on agriculture, more than on anything else. It is a big part of the debate!
Politicians are Less Accountable
Currently we have an MP, MEP and an MSP (in Scotland) or an AM (in Wales), all doing the job that used to be done by one MP. This allows them to bounce issues from one government to another.
It is now more difficult than ever to know where to direct protest. Knowing who has jurisdiction over what means objecting to something can be complicated. The complexity of the system breeds apathy.
Let’s look at the tampon tax row earlier this year. The classification of sanitary products as a luxury item was seen by most as unfair. Well organised groups started to push their MP’s to abolish the 5% tax. Most MP’s agreed, however they couldn’t do anything. The classification of tampons was down to the EU. George Osborne pledged to do something about it, the EU agreed and the protest died down.
Later on the EU said they wouldn’t set a date on when this would be done, only a ‘vaguely worded promise that it would be this year’. By this point the issue was out of the main stream, most believing that something had been done.
The more representatives we have, with powers in different areas the less accessible democracy becomes. The less people are able to understand about the system, the more apathetic they become. I want a simpler, more effective democracy.
The Waste of Money
Twelve times a year the European Parliament has to move from Brussels to Strasbourg. This is estimated to cost £138,000,000 a year. This happens because France won’t allow it to stop. The movement of the parliament generates a significant amount of income for the French region.
All the MEP’s do the exact same job, just in a different set of buildings. It is a waste of money, money that could be spent elsewhere.
On top of this, the EU’s accounts contain significant errors and have done since 1995. In 2014 4.4% of the EU’s €143 billion pound budget was subject to error. That’s €6,292,000,000 spent in error!
The Treatment of Greece & Workers Rights
Remain campaigners where keen to paint the EU as the protector of workers. Ensuring the rights of workers and making sure European governments where fair to their people.
This just didn’t sit right with me. Not after I’d listened to how Greece had been treated over the last few years. The Eurozone countries, led by Germany, where keen to force Greece into oppressive austerity measures. So as the poor and vulnerable of Greece are left to suffer, it seemed to me to be in stark contrast to the remain campaigns claims of a benevolent, fair Europe.
Dennis Skinner, an MP since 1970 pointed out that workers rights are enshrined in UK law. We won’t be stopping maternity leave or paid holiday just because we are no longer in the EU.
Large Scale Reform isn’t Possible
Whenever there was mention of the huge flaws in the European Union, most remain supporters would agree and then suggest reform was needed. But reforming a Union where 28 nations, all with different needs and interests, need to agree is difficult. The example above of moving the parliament 12 times a year being a key example of this, France will always veto any change on this. Big reforms in the EU are not possible.
So this makes me a stupid racist now?
I voted for the UK to leave the EU because I could not endorse what it does and real reform is highly unlikely. If this makes me and all other leave voters stupid, right wing racists then so be it.
All the leave supporters I spoke to had well thought out reasons for wanting to leave the EU, not one said anything racist! I’m not saying racist people didn’t vote to leave, but it seems absurd to brand 17.4 million people as racist.
It seems odd that given how Greece have been treated, many on the left of British politics seem to think the EU is a union that offers protections against the right.
There is a real opportunity now for those who have been so passionate in this debate to push and ensure that the new British politics is one that is fair, progressive and beneficial to everyone.