Brexit: To leave or remain in the EU?

Sir: As the British voted the other day to ‘remain’ or ‘leave’ the European Union, who ever thought that Scottish sentiments for ‘to remain’ in the European Union would be higher than those of Britain? Over 60 per cent of folks in Scotland want to remain in the EU and are threatening to push for independence should Britain walk out of the EU. We know they failed the last time.

Sometimes I wonder why the ballyhoo. Sovereignty and independence are not ends in themselves. Leave or stay, no country on Earth can survive without mutual relationships with many friendly nations as well as enemy nations by the way. What I find bemusing is the argument by the “leave” campaigners on immigration. You would think that London as the financial capital of the world was developed only by the British people and should be occupied only by them.

And so the palpable gains to the daring campaigners would be the stoppage of citizens of any EU country to live and work in Britain legally. But how about British people and expatriates who chose to work outside the UK and in the EU? Should they all return to Britain, in a world that guarantees freedom of movement and work anywhere?

While details are sketchy at the moment, I think the argument of the “leave” faction to take back control of Britain’s immigration policies is flawed. After all Margaret Thatcher it was who said that, “we are a civilised people and we teach the rest of the world how to live.” And part of that is the sense of community. Truth be told though. Their society is more open than many elsewhere. I wish there weren’t chill winds blowing elsewhere for the wrong reasons. You know where I am referring to, don’t you?

Teaching the rest of the world how to live right to me shouldn’t include nihilism and discrimination but joining of progressive forces to make Europe and the world a better place. That would include spending money on the health care system in caring for the medical needs of immigrants and not wanting out of the EU so as to save those funds for “our country and people.”

I bet you, if America had wanted to save money they wouldn’t have spent the money they invested in building Western Europe after the end of World War II. So I wonder why America’s greatest ally is frowning at community with Europe.
Simon Abah,
Port  Harcourt.