Both the Sun and Mirror had different ideas of what might follow a vote to leave the EU. Most of the Tabloids (Sun, Mail, Express, Star) have sided with the Leave side throughout the campaign. Only the Daily Mirror has been on the Remain Side.
Polling Stations were kept fairly busy here in Abingdon, as we put our cross on the voting paper: Leave or Remain in the EU.
Meanwhile, on the eve of the apocalypse, there was the official reopening of the Old Anchor Inn, at St Helen’s Wharf in Abingdon.
There was a warm atmosphere. The bar has been redecorated and looks bright. Bar staff brought round canapes. Good luck to them.
Well, I guess no matter how much the main political parties huffed and puffed they couldn’t swing the democratic result … they hadn’t read the electorate at all. Given that, I don’t suppose any of them will learn the humility not to pull some shiny, barmy new idea (not in their manifesto) out of a hat and claim that they have a mandate … they don’t.
Apart from the fact that I’ll be collecting at the bookies later (proofed this Blog), this is the right result. The various Armageddon scenarios were ridiculously over-egged and there is a ‘quality of Life’ strand which was mainly ignored in the arguments.
The main concern is … have we the quality of people in any of the political parties to manage the country?
Goooooooood Moooorrrrrrrnnnniiiiiiiiiinnnnggggg.
EEEEENNNNNGGGGGGLLLLLLAAAAAaNNNNNDDDDDD !!!!!
Gutted. A triumph for fear, casual racism and an isolationist future. The pound has hit a 30 year low. Here we go…. Hope your fear of immigrants all turns out to be worth it.
Well I thought the I told you so moment would be longer coming but no! Farage has already admitted that the £350M extra to fund the NHS ain’t gonna happen and was a “mistake” by the leave campaign. Surprise, surprise.
Hannah, if you think about it you might realize that you’re not going to make friends of pragmatists by calling them racists. Sheer weight of increasing numbers putting impossible pressure on an under-invested infrastructure would become a systemic problem.
If you’d followed the markets for as long as I have you wouldn’t be too concerned about temporary economic upheavals.
However, I’m sorry you won’t be able to afford as many servants in the future … ;o)
Did we not exist before 1972?
To some on here it feels like that.
I never thought we’d save £350m; that’s not why I voted. I am not a racist – not even a casual one; that’s not why I voted.
But I *am* hopeful.
It was an incredibly tortured decision…I guess it is convenient for others to consider it a lazy or racist one though, and I guess if it sits easier with you that everyone who has “got what they wanted” are indeed lazy and racist…..then I’m afraid you can’t be helped. It’s a fairly ignorant view; but it’s yours and you are entitled to it.
Oh, and remember all those unelected leaders you didn’t like? Looks like we’ll have one of our very own come October.and they’ll be negotiating the way we interact with the rest of the world for years to come.
I voted because I could. Never given a chance to have my say before. Now it seems from the news No longer a United Kingdom. The news shows a large patch of Red for Scotland, are they rebuilding Adrains’ Wall soon??. Will a general Election be called? (Where my vote has not mattered at all). It looks like I may have to exit from Facebook,I hope I don’t have to exit this Blog as well.
Unelected leaders…?#? What you chattin’ about?
Congratulations I guess to those who want Brexit.
Sadly I think we are starting to discover the economic realities of taking the decision.
I’m sure in the long term we’ll get back on our feet but I fear we’re about to go back into recession, which will lead to more, not less, austerity.
We’re also losing a centre right PM and I suspect we’re going to get one who’s harder line (my money’s on Theresa May).
and to cap it all having finally put the ghost of Scottish independence to bed, the Union is going to come under threat again.
Unfortunately I don’t think today is a good day
Plus I heard on the news that Sterling is getting worse which doesn’t bode well for aour chances vs Iceland on Monday 😉
Ian I’m not sure whether today will be s good day for the UK either? But I am sure that the leave vote won not because of immigration, or all the other issues that’s been banded around, but simply successive governments, Cameron Brown & Blair have let us down, they’ve been weak, distorted the facts and at times have been darn right dishonest and I think that feeling of miss trust, disappointment and a feeling of not being listened too has manifested itself today, The project fear campaign backfired spectacularly, the one think Brits don’t take lightly to is being dictated too and/ or taken for fools!
I particularly took offence ( and so did many other shoppers) to the band of “kids” the remain group enlisted to canvas people on the market place yesterday, did they really expect adults, mature people who’ve been around the block, worldly wise etc to be lectured on the merits of staying by kids barely out of nappies? I doubt any of them were entitled to vote !
How can we have an unelected President/Prime minister.
…its happened before ColinB. Then we got rid.
Here’s a think, just watching the Footsie index and the so called spectacular dive in the stock market has only been caused by speculative traders ( the type that caused the previous financial collapse) who from Tuesday caused a run which saw a sharp rise in uk stocks on the back of the remain camp winning, the position of the index now is back to where it was on Monday!
CK’s comments are correct re. the arrogance of previous governments colluding with the EU being a major factor in this result. It took these governments years of contempt for the British public to get to this point … years of walking blindfold into the future with their fingers in their ears to block out the real groundswell of opinion.
Given the opportunity to vote on a single issue we get democracy. Can we now have referenda on HS2 and local planning laws (that’s just for starters).
I wonder what will happen to all those science research project that have been massively supported by EU money (including, of course, medical research). If the funding dries up, the research and the researchers will almost certainly go.
That the EU is deeply flawed is beyond question. But other equally troubling questions now have to be faced – and on our own.
I think that many people have delivered a protest vote along the lines of “a plague on all your houses”. Letting of steam is what this referendum has let people do really well; it remains to be seen now whether it is as successful in constructing a political strategy.
It is not a day for celebration – or for abuse, but for serious reflection.
Pons, but remember much of that EU funding came from us in the first place? Life will still go on, now is the chance, the opportunity to make a new beginning, we can thrive now in a free, global market without all the constrains Brussells imposed on us, let’s not forget too that EU we’ve just voted to leave is a far cry from the one we joined all those years ago when all it really meant was a more free and intergrated trading community, but look what ended up with? and the blame lays not with Brussels but successive failings of past governments
The young 18-24 and 25-49 in the main voted to stay and have to live with the decision for 50- 60 years and the over 50’s and over 65’s voted in the main to leave and have to live with the decision on average for less that 20 -30years. The older generation voted for a future the young don’t want.
Decision is made now and we have to live with it and face the future together. I suggest we all go to the Old Anchor to celebrate / commiserate.
Ifs and buts…Ifs and buts.
The future is long. I remain hopeful.
Mary, I couldn’t understand the Labour Party and Unions supporting Remain as staying In would have caused more damage to their younger members. This is not racist … it’s just numbers. A large proportion of immigrants are young people and would compete directly with the young people already here and these latter already have enough difficulty finding a decent job.
I’m not talking about young people whose parents can afford to send them to public school, finance them through university with, perhaps, a gap year thrown in, I’m talking about a large swathe of the young who’ve had a very poor deal from the get-go.
This Spring I went ‘up home’ to the North East and paused awhile in the mining village (pop. 2000) where I spent my first 13 years. There was a large gazebo standing in the centre (like Abingdon puts up in the market place, but a lot larger) and this was a permanent ‘Poundland-type’ retail outlet … the busiest place in the village. There are large parts of this village which are desolate of spirit and suggest nothing for a young person to aspire to. Of course, Blair was the local MP and that explains a lot … now there’s a ‘young person’ who ‘we’ thought was bright enough to make a difference … and look what a mess he made while he did nothing for his constituency. Perhaps ‘the young’ don’t have all the answers.
This is a microcosm of what it’s really like ‘out-there’ in the ‘badlands’ that lay outside easy commuting distance of London. How do you think these people view more people being shipped into their area, coz they’re sure not being shipped into Chipping Norton.
Of course, the worry remains that politicians of all parties are pretty useless at being anything other than politicians … actually, I’m convinced . However, I’d prefer to have our own useless nincompoops than the un-elected ones in Brussels. It would be really nice if we didn’t have an MP whose reflex reaction wasn’t to automatically walk into the Government lobby. Go on, Nicola, show some Soul!
Mary, the old may have saved you and younger people from a fate you haven’t imagined.
It’s a grim day for science in the UK.
So let’s get this right. People are saying that the leave vote was primarily a vote against the establishment and little to do with the actual subject of the referendum? If that’s the case, please next time you want to rail against authority like a surly teenager for heaven’s sake get a tattoo or a piercing or maybe a motorbike rather than bringing about the fall of something that’s helped keep the peace in Europe for the past 70 years only to replace it with economic collapse and the rise of far right politics.
No Andy, no, science is here because of many factors, not least because of the knowledge and facilities that exist here, I take it you’re in that industry ? Noes the time for you and your colleagues to grasp the mettle, use your knowledge and experience to be innovative and entrepreneurial, positive vibs man, positive vibs !
Considering we are on day One of …well…potentially a very long time, shall we perhaps see how things pan out?
Nothing unexpected has happened yet. So…could we at least wait a while before the “I told you so” starts?
This may be the most positive thing to befall this nation in a generation; but I don’t think anyone expectes to see the benefits by lunchtime.
‘but I don’t think anyone expectes to see the benefits by lunchtime.’
You mean to say there’s gonna be no dancing gals?’
Special bun throwing tomorrow, Daniel?
No?
Perhaps competitive hot-cross bun buttering in the Market Place’
CaptK2, UK science will lose something of the order of £8bn from the EU framework funding, just for starters. The future UK govt is going to have to make sure science & the nation as a whole doesn’t suffer as a result of Brexit, and put money in place.
andy, it’s only a rich society which can indulge the kinda science budget you think is your right, or do you think we should ‘feed the World’ as well’?
You sound like a kid who’s had his pocket-money reduced.
Newcomer, there is rich science and necessary science.
Twice my life has been saved by advances in medical science, now they are working on a third problem. If money had not been pumped into research, I would have gone decades ago.
Newcomer – The scientific research establishments around here are not an “indulgence”. They have a long track record of employing people of all ability levels, not just those with PhDs. OK it is not quite like the 1980s when Harwell employed over 1200 support workers – everything from cleaners, cooks, gardeners etc to highly skilled craftsmen and lab technicians – and took on 50 16-year-olds as apprenticices every year, but they still need people to do a lot of those tasks and Culham has a very successful apprenticeship scheme.
Also, the research done in those places has contributed to the development of a lot of the devices we take for granted in our daily lives – advanced batteries, heart pacemakers, clean energy supplies etc etc..
As Daniel says, this isn’t all going to disappear next week, but it will be interesting to see how much of the “savings” future governments will invest in new projects when current ones end.
Sounds like newcomer is not very interested in finding any cures for cancer, dementia , Parkinsons etc etc, and yes what’s wrong with wanting to ensure everybody has enough food to survive. I assume science probably helps there too with disease resistant crops.
I guess as long as your okay though that’s the main thing.
Brexit has happened now no going back so lets make the most of it and try to all get along and play nicely
So … older people who have worked and contributed to UK society all their lives aren’t entitled to their opinion? Its their future too. Its disappointing to hear negativity from those who are convinced their viewpoint is THE only one.
I wonder if the ‘outers’ would be whining if the referendum had gone the other way.
Its now a time to stand together and work on it instead of arguing amongst yourselves.
Oh ….. and I did vote remain so don’t jump at me. I’m just a positive person.
Re comment 14. We never vote for a PM. We only ever vote for our own MP. It is only party members who vote for the leader of their party, and the pool of candidates is the pool of democratically voted-for MPs.
newcomer; that ad hominem didn’t take long. You almost sound like you’re suggesting that UK based, world quality medical and other scientific research is a luxury that does not benefit anyone other that the staff engaged in research…
Mary, stop being hysterical. I’m not a bunny-kliler, so calm down. You sound a tad disturbed to me.
Peter, pleased to hear you’re okay, but the cost of your medical treatment could have supported three orphan migrant babies for a year. It’s not all about you, sorry.
Hester, If you weren’t blinded by ideology you might open your ears and engage your brain. You might be able to get all those cleaners and gardeners ‘on the cheap’ had there been an In Vote. You might have been able to afford servants yourself.
You’re all such children. Your ‘pet lips’ pouting out.
Grow up. This is democracy. Your side lost. Show grace.
Andy, sorry to disappoint. I don’t live in your imagination.
On Science funding, the government has already, in the last budget, done a piece of sleight of hand by moving £1.2bn of funding from direct science grants to grants related to international development so that it comes out of that budget.
I mention this as i think it suggests a likelihood as to how much money will get restored to our science sector once existing arrangments expire.
Newcomer – People are less likely to think you’re a bunny- boiler if you moderated the tone of your posts a little. You have just belittled the views of 4 people who I doubt you know, just because they dont correspond to your quirky world view. Have you ever considered that your 70 years of experience may not have given you the monopoly of the truth?
Question for Reductio (sounds like a harry potter spell)
Did you read anything into the wording of David Cameron’s statement today:
“I would also reassure Brits living in European countries and European citizens living here that they will be no immediate changes in your circumstances.”
I was a bit surprised by the use of the word ‘immediate’
Ins brighter note I’ve just checked in to the White Hart Hotel in Lincoln, the receptionist asked where I came from? Abingdon, says i , oh, she said, we had a sister hotel there, the Upoer Reaches? Yes, says I, it’s been boarded up for ages, fear not says she, we’ve just sold it !
Iain, would that I could do spells 🙂 Re Cameron’s comment, I think he was just trying to be reassuring without actually committing to anything . I’m pretty sure the Vienna agreement would mean those here could not be forced to leave but it’s possible that changes in taxation status for example might encourage them.
Thanks reductio – sounds an odd phrasing but fingers crossed. I’m normally probably over-optimistic but I have a horrible sinking feeling about all this.
Oh and Iain, thanks for responding to Newcomer’s poisonous diatribe. I felt he(?) needed calling on it but there’s no way I would have been as polite about it as you were so you probably saved me from getting barred.
Newcomer – it amuses me that you (and another frequent contributor to this blog) use phrases like “blinded by ideology” as if you have any idea what my ideological principles are. Let’s just say that I am a bit more complex than you seem to think!
If you knew a bit more about me you would know that the last thing I want is to get people to do jobs “on the cheap”; also that the general tenor of debate today between people who think like me has been how we need to get on and make the best of the new situation – sorry to disappoint you but there isn’t a “pet lip” in sight!
What a wonderful day for British democracy! We will not have to be dictated to by unelected bureaucrats who do not have the interests of the British people at heart. The political parties who have dismissed the concerns and welfare of the British people have had to listen now. We can have our own national identity and not be afraid to be proud of our own country and it goods and services. To the Conservatives who have cut services for the poor and disabled in this country and who have flung our taxpayers money abroad, well you should have looked after this countries interests first.
‘Have you ever considered that your 70 years of experience may not have given you the monopoly of the truth?’
Perhaps I don’t have the ‘sleight of hand ‘ to hide a deviousness of purpose that politicians such as you have, Iain. Plainly speaks as plainly does and some pretty direct things were written about me (but I suppose anything bad written about me you’d regard as ‘fair comment’ Iain, such is your sense of balance).
Feel free to vent, Reductio. I’d have commented on your posts if you were remotely capable of expressing yourself in a cogent manner. I have yet to understand anything you’ve written so an insult from you wouldn’t carry any weight.
It’s just been such a good day.
Hester, rest assured, (— remark removed here —). I’m sure that you have a sense of humour and relieved there are no (— remark removed here —) in sight today.
Can we get away from personal insults gentlemen. I do not agree with old Jeremy Corbyn but I do respect his attempts to stick to the policies and not turn it into some public school, ya boo sucks competition, throwing personal insults about. I am sure that everyone has their own genuine views and they are entitled to hold them.
So, the anchor is nicely done up now! Doosra ale is a good choice if you go.
If you want to start that Bill – I still have a copy of the unsolicited letter you sent me three years ago. Happy to post it here if you really want some honesty!
Blackmail Iain, I wouldn’t have thought even you would stoop that low.
.???
Newcomer, while your supreme arrogance might convince you I need your permission to “vent” I can assure you I don’t. Iain’s post intimates your name may be Bill so I would remind you of how badly your possible namesake’s attempts to goad insults ended for him. I however have no interest in trading insults with someone who uses patronising language to women and believes euphemisms for mental illness are an acceptable pejorative.
Thesaurus? Pompous a bit.
Reductio – let me buy you a beer sometime. Backstreeter has my email address
Stop press ! Reductio & Isn are to marry ?
Newcomer wrote:
“Peter, pleased to hear you’re okay, but the cost of your medical treatment could have supported three orphan migrant babies for a year. It’s not all about you, sorry.”
Er, pardon, what on earth are you talking about.
Stev – one day you’ll learn to type and maybe even spell my name properly – I’m not an anglasized Ian
Nice to see the pub’s open again.
Janet – the Leave campaign was run by senior Conservative politicians, one of whom is likely to become Prime Minister in a few months time.
If you think the poor and disabled are going to get a better deal from them as a result of leaving you are likely to be very disappointed.
They have already said they are not going to deliver the promised extra £350m per week to the NHS and that there is not going to be a significant reduction in immigration.
Finally, I amused by Newcomer criticising others for being overly ideological 🙂
That couple at the bar look happy!
(comment removed)
Meanwhile yesterday’s close saw a 9% rise in Rolls Royce shares on the back of a statement from the company saying they look forward to and believe they will have more opportunities in world markets !
That aside its a done deal now so best we forget all the snipping and get on with the job of creating a better country for all,
BTW has anyone seen the Ox Mail report on Wildwoods new abingdon restaurants abysmal scores on the doors score issued by environmental health?
Selective use of data points from Steve as usual. FTSE 250 which is the listing that contains the bulk of british companies is down 7% yesterda. FTSE 100 was also down 3% ( companies there tend to be more multinational who happen to be listed in uk). Pound is down to a 31 year low vs dollar. Our nation’s credit rating has been downgraded which means it costs us more to borrow.
The bank of engalnd has promised £250bn to shore up the markets (which we have to pay for ultimately).
You’re the one who suggests others are not realists – you’re clearly living in some sort of bizarre parallel universe – no doubt insulated by your index linked pension
When i say bulk of british companies, i of course meant bulk of large british listed companies – apologies just read that line back
How much will loosing the AAA credit rating cost the government annually on government debt. How does that compare with the net saving we make from leaving the EU?
I always assumed there was a majority of stupid ignorant people in this country – now they’ve done a poll to prove it
Difficult to quantify Backstreeter – my understanding is it doesn’t affect existing borrowing arrangements, but will mean that when the government needs to either borrow new money or existing bonds/gilts mature they will have to pay higher rates of interest.
the total cost of servicing the national debt (in effect the interest the government oays) is about £30bn a year (about 4% of total public spending).
The country has been ham-strung for years bailing out the domestic banks who never really understood what leveraging could do to their incestuous gambling club. If people knew how reckless these idiots had been there’d be a revolution.
…I’m just saying, what I heard was that the credit rating ‘might’ reduce. Not that it has. But that’s what is said on “The Nu’s”. Who knows what’s what….but let’s not continue to be swayed by headlines, surely.
Out of interest; which agencies are saying this (of the three)?
Are these the same agencies who might be in it for their own nefferious ends ?
Are these the same agencies who were criticised in the last financial crisis (when we were in the EU, incidentally)?
I’m just asking….as there is a huge amount of negativity going on, and bearing in mind the grand smoke and mirrors confidence trick that is “the financial markets”….all this self fulfilling proficy is going to be great for someone…but only provides you and me with a headline, used merely to sell newspapers….
I didn’t see any headlines about the 20 stocks that rose after Thursday…interesting that…but doesn’t sell many newspapers though….
Just saying…
this is the revolution.
Moody’s – downgraded
Standard and Poor – flagged risk of reducing
Fitch – already reduced
Thanks Iain, I was hoping you might reply.
This is new territory for me, so bear with me…
So…that answers the first part. I guess the late tv news were wrong. I guess we need to be weary what of what they tell us…
How can people stand to gain from such an outcome? For example does a reduced credit rating mean our markets can be exploited in some way by anyone else?
What is it that the credit agencies were castigated for in the last financial crash?
And finally, just to reiterate, again, none of this was unexpected… Financial shock is par the course when you alter the destiny of a continent….it won’t be sorted by Wednesday tea time …and possibly not even by Friday lunch break.
I agree Daniel- it is entirely expected.
There are plenty of good articles on line about the credit agencies and how they work. Broadly they are independent sources for people who borrow and lend money to evaluate the risk of their transactions. Generally they are well respected but of course there are sceptics and conspiracy theorists around.
What they are saying to lenders is there is more risk in lending money to the UK government that pre-referendum. The risk is still exceptionally low but is no longer the lowest level so rates charged by lenders go up.
Thanks for this Iain. Do you know if the UKs interest rates on our national debt are fixed or variable? i.e. will our interest payments on the current national debt go up as a result of the lowering of our credit rating or only potentially on any future borrowing?
Oops, just seen you’ve already answered that. I’ve been tuned out of this thread for a while and missed it, sorry.
Ian, you really do take the biscuit ! Not that it’s any of your business but since you raised the subject of my pension I’m happy to state I have no index linked pension as you suggested. Just the basic £119 per week state one.
Continuing from my “parellel universe” the stock market has just closed at just 2.5 % down, hardly the disaster you and the project fear gang peddled, eh? Cameron has just made a statement in the house saying how heads of EU countries have been in touch with him over the weekend reiterating how they all want to continue to trade with us, the pound has slipped somewhat but this has been welcomed by businesses who rely on export their goods because their product is now much cheaper,
I’ve been listening to the house on and off most of the day and my take on things today is that there is a very real up beat feel about the future, even DC is proudly saying how we can look forward to a new, wider market and that our economy is perfectly placed to do so.
Stop being a profit of doom Ian, you lost, get over it !