Today, Thursday June 23, we’ll make one of the biggest decisions in British political history as we decide whether to leave or remain in the European Union. We’ve been told by the campaigning politicians that the decision we make is irreversible. This really is a big deal, and it can’t be underestimated.
The NME audience has spoken, and the overwhelming opinion is that we should vote ‘in’. It’s a view that we endorse, and we encourage you to do the same. We want to be part of a progressive, collaborative nation. We want to make friends, not enemies.
Not everyone wants the same thing. Away from the debate about jobs and policy control, there’s a sinister agenda which is being driven by Nigel Farage and his racist propaganda, and the right wing press barons with their incredible influence and reach.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid12850839001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAABumiUU~,CmZu1qzq0Nydx8DqfQUoDJv2_kpwyWWq&bctid=4944896505001
They’re fixated on immigration and relentlessly demonise immigrants. They want you to blame these vulnerable people for your problems. They say that by leaving the EU, our immigration problems will be solved. And once our immigration problems are solved, your own problems will be solved. It’s bullshit, it’s offensive, and we can’t let them get away with it.
There are many decent people voting ‘leave’. This is not good guys versus bad guys. We’ve got David Cameron and George Osborne on our side, FFS. But intentionally or not, all of those decent people who are voting ‘leave’ are standing side by side with Farage and are voting for a campaign whose third biggest donor is a former BNP member.
Don’t be bullied into believing that we should stand alone and that an outmoded and un-evolved idea of Great British Values will see us through in the face of economic uncertainty and global terrorism. It won’t.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that Brexit is about migration or jobs or the shape of a fucking banana – it’s about a bunch of powerful and scared old men who want to turn back time to the days of the Empire.
Look around you – look at your friends, your family, your neighbours. Their faces are different colours, their cultures are diverse. It’s called evolution, and a vote to leave the EU is a backward step for all of us.
On Old Compton Street in Soho last week, thousands of people gathered together in solidarity with the victims of the Orlando massacre and all LGBTQ people around the world. In Trafalgar Square yesterday, thousands more paid tribute to murdered MP and human rights campaigner Jo Cox. The message is clear – together, we’re stronger. Don’t let anyone try to convince you otherwise.