Whilst I have always enjoyed visiting new countries, and as a one time regular commuter to Belgium, old countries again and again, I have always felt proud to be British.
Now I am not so sure.
After the Dave and George show ended with resignation and the election of a new Prime Minister there was a brief moment of hope that Matron would spank a few bottoms, send everyone off to bed early without supper and then set about ensuring that the things were put right and that Rees Mogg's nanny scolded him and told him to wise up.
But it wasn't to be.
Instead she went from remainer to brexiteer, and immediately gave notice that we wanted out ASAP and the rest of Europe just had to put up with it.
Indeed their loss would be our gain.
But that is not the outcome that we can now foresee. Indeed our loss is beginning to prove to be their gain.
And the fears that led to brexit are very tangible and still with us.
A colleague of mine once suggested that the then newly opened Nissan factory in Sunderland would fail because the British would not accept Japanese working practices, after all he said, with our climate we cannot live in paper houses and we wouldn't wish to.
Yet despite the fact that he was wrong, despite the success of the factory, its competitiveness and the fact that the majority of cars made there are sold into Europe, Sunderland cast its vote with leave.com, UKIP and Mr Farage (which google auto correct ironically interprets as garage) and voted leave.
It is difficult to understand how this happened.
One explanation is fear. Fear of the 'other' outweighing the fear of the consequences of the actions we take.
So immigration clearly tops our list of fears, those 'others', who come from a wide variety of places across Europe, Africa and Asia to make their homes here with us in this land of opportunity we call home. For many people in the UK the impact of immigration is positive. Whether in culture, in the arts, in music or in food we are treated to a richness of experience that broadens our horizons, enriches our day to day experience and whilst at times it might challenge us, it does not and cannot harm us.
Immigration is meant to have a negative impact on Jobs, Housing and Benefits but despite the tabloid headlines the facts, that is to say tedious, complex, boring statistics suggest otherwise. When employment in service industries is taken into account the reliance of our economy on workers from Europe, Africa and Asia cannot be underestimated or undervalued.
As we are beginning to see the NHS alone of our caring agencies is dependant on workers from other parts of the world. Any visit to an A&E, any stay in hospital, any visit to a GP's surgery will remind us of how much we rely on immigration and how indebted we are to those professional people who come from other parts of the world to live and work in the UK.
The debate of course rages. Planes my be grounded, the M20 become a linear car park, the boats might not dock at Dover. Goods may never arrive. The Post may grind to a halt. Amazon may stop delivering next day. Lives may be rendered more uncomfortable. No-one really knows and the arguments swing backwards and forwards without resolution.
If the worst case scenario does not happen all may be well after a fashion but there may well not be best case scenario, simply because that is what after forty years we have already in our membership of the EU.
I am about to head off to Europe to work.
I have medical cover through my E11, I have insurance, I am allowed to ply my trade, I have my boarding card and I have my passport. When I arrive at my destination however I will not be an, albeit temporary immigrant, I will be an ex pat, that is to say I will be someone temporarily (or permanently) living in a country other than my native country.
However, after March 19th 2019 all that might change, if the brexit of fear is ushered in with the wild whooping of Rees Moggs, Johnsons and Farages and their supporters then both those ex pats who come here and those ex pats who go here there and everywhere will experience the loss of hope as their lives, their opportunities, their welfare and their well being is reduced.
It seems to me from what I read that the penny is slowly beginning to drop, time is short, Dave is locked in a shepherds hut writing his memoirs which I look forward to reading when I pick up a copy in the charity shop, we are left only with Nanny who is yet to smack the bottoms that need smacking.
Now I am not so sure.
After the Dave and George show ended with resignation and the election of a new Prime Minister there was a brief moment of hope that Matron would spank a few bottoms, send everyone off to bed early without supper and then set about ensuring that the things were put right and that Rees Mogg's nanny scolded him and told him to wise up.
But it wasn't to be.
Instead she went from remainer to brexiteer, and immediately gave notice that we wanted out ASAP and the rest of Europe just had to put up with it.
Indeed their loss would be our gain.
But that is not the outcome that we can now foresee. Indeed our loss is beginning to prove to be their gain.
And the fears that led to brexit are very tangible and still with us.
A colleague of mine once suggested that the then newly opened Nissan factory in Sunderland would fail because the British would not accept Japanese working practices, after all he said, with our climate we cannot live in paper houses and we wouldn't wish to.
Yet despite the fact that he was wrong, despite the success of the factory, its competitiveness and the fact that the majority of cars made there are sold into Europe, Sunderland cast its vote with leave.com, UKIP and Mr Farage (which google auto correct ironically interprets as garage) and voted leave.
It is difficult to understand how this happened.
One explanation is fear. Fear of the 'other' outweighing the fear of the consequences of the actions we take.
So immigration clearly tops our list of fears, those 'others', who come from a wide variety of places across Europe, Africa and Asia to make their homes here with us in this land of opportunity we call home. For many people in the UK the impact of immigration is positive. Whether in culture, in the arts, in music or in food we are treated to a richness of experience that broadens our horizons, enriches our day to day experience and whilst at times it might challenge us, it does not and cannot harm us.
Immigration is meant to have a negative impact on Jobs, Housing and Benefits but despite the tabloid headlines the facts, that is to say tedious, complex, boring statistics suggest otherwise. When employment in service industries is taken into account the reliance of our economy on workers from Europe, Africa and Asia cannot be underestimated or undervalued.
As we are beginning to see the NHS alone of our caring agencies is dependant on workers from other parts of the world. Any visit to an A&E, any stay in hospital, any visit to a GP's surgery will remind us of how much we rely on immigration and how indebted we are to those professional people who come from other parts of the world to live and work in the UK.
The debate of course rages. Planes my be grounded, the M20 become a linear car park, the boats might not dock at Dover. Goods may never arrive. The Post may grind to a halt. Amazon may stop delivering next day. Lives may be rendered more uncomfortable. No-one really knows and the arguments swing backwards and forwards without resolution.
If the worst case scenario does not happen all may be well after a fashion but there may well not be best case scenario, simply because that is what after forty years we have already in our membership of the EU.
I am about to head off to Europe to work.
I have medical cover through my E11, I have insurance, I am allowed to ply my trade, I have my boarding card and I have my passport. When I arrive at my destination however I will not be an, albeit temporary immigrant, I will be an ex pat, that is to say I will be someone temporarily (or permanently) living in a country other than my native country.
However, after March 19th 2019 all that might change, if the brexit of fear is ushered in with the wild whooping of Rees Moggs, Johnsons and Farages and their supporters then both those ex pats who come here and those ex pats who go here there and everywhere will experience the loss of hope as their lives, their opportunities, their welfare and their well being is reduced.
It seems to me from what I read that the penny is slowly beginning to drop, time is short, Dave is locked in a shepherds hut writing his memoirs which I look forward to reading when I pick up a copy in the charity shop, we are left only with Nanny who is yet to smack the bottoms that need smacking.
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