With just over a week left before the In or Out EU Referendum, I think we're all getting a bit weary of the propaganda flying around...
Whatever the outcome come June 23rd, the UK nation has been split in half, one pro EU and one very much anti it. Personally, I believe we are #StrongerIn (as the social media channels declare) and here's why...
My dad worked for a company with offices across the world, importing and exporting their goods, within Europe, the Far East and the USA. As part of his job he travelled widely, and each time he came home, he brought me a doll wearing the national dress of each country he had visited. It opened my eyes to the different cultures and traditions from around the world, and from these presents I knew that I too wanted to see the world for myself.
Since then I have had the opportunity to meet, work and live with people from every continent, both whilst I worked overseas, as well as when I worked in the UK. We were selected for our skills not our nationality and we worked towards a common goal. Having had this experience I realise that we are all just people wanting to get along.
Now as a freelance graphic designer I work with clients from around the world. I have (everyone has) the world literally at my finger tips at the touch of a button. We travel widely with the greatest of ease. The world becomes smaller every day and is something I find exciting, and something I feel that should be embraced.
We can't build a wall around this island, both physically or metaphorically.
Technology, social media and trade means that the world has been brought to us, so what's the point in closing the door to our neighbours? I feel that it would be a step backwards to cut ourselves off from our allies, when our nation and it's people have worked and fought to move forwards.
The EU affects our women's rights, workers rights, LGBT rights, maternity pay, holiday pay, environmental issues, animal welfare, provides investment (Manchester metro link for one!), health and safety at work, economy, trade, defence and jobs to name but a few. To focus on immigration and freedom of movement is only a small fragment of what the EU is about. So too, I would rather a body oversee how the UK is managed on some issues, rather than putting all my eggs very much in the basket of our Prime Minister.
There will be people who totally disagree with all of the above (someone has already got in touch over twitter with a bizarre incoherent rant!) and if that's the way you feel, so be it. My opinion is my own. I think it is better to be part of something bigger and reform from the inside, than start again as an outsider looking in. There are negatives (there always are) but for me, the pros outweigh the cons.
For all of you still on the fence, I'm not trying to sway you either way, but I would suggest you have a look at this website:
www.fullfact.org, it provides independent analysis of all these facts and statistics, we've been hit with over the past 3 months. Give it a read and make your own decision, and not one forced upon you by me, the media, newspapers with their own agenda, the twitter lynch mob, your peers or political stunts. Decide for yourself :)