Should I stay or should I go?
At the time of the last referendum on UK membership of the EU in 1975, my two main concerns were just how cool my Six Million Dollar Man action figure was (way cooler than my friend’s Action Man, that’s for sure) and whether the bus from infant school would get me home in time to watch Batman. As a five-year-old, I could be forgiven for not following the arguments for and against being part of the Common Market. I relied on those older and wiser to make that choice for me. The decisions they – including, of course, my parents – made, have helped to shape the country I have lived in over the following decades. And now, 40 years later, as a British Citizen aged 18 or over, the Government and the Electoral Commission says that I – along with millions of others – am old enough and wise enough to take a similar decision. A decision that will affect me, and my own children, for decades to come.
So my question is: How on earth am I supposed to decide which way to vote?
Like everyone, I have my own prejudices on the issue, and like everyone, I pretend that they’re not really prejudices, just a combination of common sense, experience, and cultural inheritance. But here’s the honest truth. I don’t really know enough about the issues to make an informed choice. So I have four months to try and work it out. Four months to listen to the arguments, engage with the issues, read the analyses, ask questions, and try – by the time I walk into that polling booth on Thursday 23rd June – to work it out.
My starting assumptions are these:
- There are both advantages and disadvantages of UK membership of the EU.
- Almost all of what is written and said over the coming months will pretend that this is not the case.
- The EU and its institutions are better organised than they could be and worse organised than they should be.
- I need to be more critical of people who share my prejudices, and more forgiving of those who don’t.
- No matter how much research I do, there won’t be a “right” answer – this is going to be a judgement call.
I do feel fortunate to be part of a University community. Where better to test ideas, challenge assumptions, argue the issues, explore new lines of thought? That’s what this blog site is about. We’ll be asking staff, students and external speakers to give us their opinions. We’ll be publishing the views of those who are sure we should stay, and those equally adamant that we should leave, along with those in the middle trying to weigh up pros and cons. Our aim over the next four months is to hear many voices and many takes on this once-in-a-generation-decision, and we hope you find it stimulating, challenging, and ultimately of benefit in making your choice come June 23rd.
I have made myself three promises in relation to the referendum:
- I will get involved, and learn as much as I can about the issues from all sides.
- I will not make up my mind until the day before the referendum.
- Whatever happens, come hell or high water, I will vote.
All the five-year-olds in Britain deserve no less.
Gavin Costigan
Director of Public Policy@Southampton
Gavin became the Director of Public Policy@Southampton in 2016 after working for six years as the Director of the Vice-Chancellor’s Office at the University of Southampton. As Director of Public Policy@Southampton he is continuing to develop the University’s external profile within Government, as well as ensuring the maximum impact from that engagement. Previous to this he spent nearly 17 years in central government, in what is now the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. You can follow Public Policy@Southampton on Twitter below.
