Brexit: 3 months on ... still no plan

In this post I briefly consider where we are now since the EU Referendum.

Nearly three months have passed since the UK voted overall to exit the European Union and workers and business owners have been left in a state of limbo and uncertainty regarding the future. The public continues to be told by the British government that 'Brexit means Brexit' but we are still no closer to knowing what Brexit will entail.

Of course, the British Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Minister for the new Department of Exiting the EU are full of meaningless rhetoric but devoid of clear-cut substance. Why are they so devoid? Because little planning was done previously by Whitehall to prepare for this scenario. Why was there little planning? Because the previous British government under David Cameron's leadership backed the Remain campaign and did not give much credence to a potential Leave campaign victory.

This lack of substantial contingency planning in the event of a Leave vote has been disastrous as it has created much flux in British politics, precipitated heightened uncertainty for the economic outlook and left civil society including, workers, farmers, business owners and students, agonising over the long-term future.  

In addition to uncertainty engulfing England and Wales, which both voted for Leave, Scotland; Northern (N.) Ireland and Gibraltar, which voted to remain, have arguably been even more afflicted. It is also important to be aware of the current and future effects of the Brexit vote on the Republic of Ireland and the other 26 EU member states.  

Courtesy +James Nelson 

The North, in particular, will possibly feel the worse effects of Brexit given its considerable dependence on EU membership (especially in relation to agriculture, trade and structural funding), its historically weak economic standing in contrast to Great Britain and its unique position of sharing a land border with another EU member state - the Republic of Ireland. Those who voted for Brexit, especially in Great Britain, are mostly indifferent to the unique position of N. Ireland within the UK and would not have accounted for its welfare while casting their vote. Indeed, the EU membership referendum was fought over British (mostly English) interests such as immigration and UK border control rather than the welfare of all constituent areas.

In N. Ireland, organisations, such as the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building, and BBC NI are trying to navigate through the mire by producing publications and TV programmes relating to planning for the future in the aftermath of the Leave vote.

On the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building's behalf, Queen's University Belfast academics, Professor David Phinnemore and Dr Lee McGowan, have produced the report 'After the EU Referendum: Establishing the best outcome for Northern Ireland' which aims to take stock of the situation, make an educated estimation about what will happen in the immediate future and explore the North's potential options.

In addition to discussing the possible ramifications of keeping the status quo and considering existing options for outside the EU, the report also provides two eye-catching options relating to 'a partial Brexit' and a 'bespoke arrangement' for outside the EU. For me, the 'partial Brexit' option, drawing inspiration from the Reverse Greenland option and the Dalriada Document, is particularly intriguing as it suggests how the UK might stay in the EU but 'with those parts of the UK that voted to 'leave' moving outside key areas of EU integration and cooperation.' Disappointingly, the report does not consider the options of a second Scottish independence referendum nor an Irish border poll given the calls that have come from both Scotland and the island of Ireland since the Brexit vote.

Phinnemore and McGowan also note that 'a key challenge for all concerned is to recognize the issues and think creatively about how they might be addressed in the light of the EU referendum outcome.' To this end, the authors scratch the surface of this process by providing 'a range of issues of particular concern' in addition to 'a number of questions about the implications of a UK withdrawal from the EU.' These core issues include agriculture, trade and investment, the border and the free movement of people/goods as well as structural funding and citizens' rights.

Journalist, Jim Fitzpatrick, has also recently reported on the Brexit aftermath locally, exploring how immigration curbs could affect the NI economy. What his documentary shows is that, although there have been no drastic effects on the NI economy in July and August such as an economic contraction, uncertainty, especially over future access to the EU labour market and farm subsidies, is building. Blame for this was pointed in the direction of Leave campaigners, who, in the words of Ulster Farmers Union President, Barclay Bell, 'are people [e.g. David Davis] so keen to leave but haven't got a blueprint there.' Bell said this after informing Fitzpatrick that the Department for Exiting the EU has corresponded with the Ulster Farmers Union to ask what ideas the latter has regarding a replacement for the EU's Common Agricultural Policy!

While some of those who were involved in contributing to this situation of growing anxiety and uncertainty including Mr Cameron and Nigel Farage MEP are departing the political stage, it has been left to those still at Westminster, their counterparts in the devolved administrations and legislatures as well as civil society to pick up the pieces.

My LGBT Journey

In this post I recount my experiences with the LGBT community in recent years and explain how I really have been on a LGBT journey of my own. 



It is now the week after Newry Pride Week and I am filled with admiration and respect for the local Newry Rainbow Community (NRC) and the Pride in Newry organising committee. What a fantastic job they have done over the last decade in representing the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) voice in the community and organising the vibrant Pride parade, festival and ball. It can be argued that now Newry is the safest and most welcoming it has ever been for the LGBT community. That said, the 2016 events were marred by the despicable attack on five NRC committee members outside Cobbles Bar in the early hours of Sunday morning. This incident is rare but demonstrates that much more work is needed in order to tackle homophobia, transphobia and general prejudice towards the LGBT community in the Newry area.  

For me, Saturday night at the Pride Ball was a significant personal moment. Being there was a major milestone on my own LGBT journey - a journey that has enriched my life so much over these past five years.

I can trace this journey back to at least 2011 when I first started studying History and Politics at Queen's University, Belfast. Back then, I was, what Americans consider to be, a 'frat boy' - a young macho adolescent fuelled with testosterone who was mostly concerned with how many girls he could kiss in one night out. I do not regret being that kind of person at that time but I do regret the homophobic side of me. I felt very uncomfortable around LGBT people and I mistakenly believed that homosexuality was completely unacceptable. The transgender identity was not even on my radar at the time. At parties in first-year undergraduate accommodation some of my friends acted in an overtly camp manner in order to irritate me further.

This continued into the following academic year as well when I was living with Newry friends in Belfast and I became aggressive with LGBT folks who were invited to stay over for nights out. I remember an ex-girlfriend talking to me about this behaviour but I did not listen.

What I recognise as the watershed moment during this journey was being accepted onto the British Council NI's Study USA programme and gaining a place at Warren Wilson College (WWC) to study for a Certificate in American Business Practice.

WWC is a small liberal arts work college in Swannanoa, North Carolina that is focused on the triad - academics, work and service (volunteering in the community). Within a week of arriving on-campus in August 2013 I had been offered a place on the Service Program Office (SPO) crew after emailing the then Director of Student Engagement of my interest and attending a short interview with her. I accepted this offer and took up a position as one of the Food Security (Poverty) Policy Community Liaisons. In this role I provided leadership for the food security issue area as well as organised, promoted and facilitated community engagement activities such as weekly and monthly direct service trips and issue workshops.

During my time as a student and
Food Security Policy Community Liaison @ WWC, May 2014

WWC also has an active LGBT on-campus community comprising students, teachers and other college staff. Indeed, some LGBT folks were on my crew, worked on the SPO staff, mentored me as I made the transition from Belfast to life in rural western North Carolina and became really good colleagues and friends. One of these people was the Director of Student Engagement who had interviewed me a week after arriving. Through these folks I became more aware of the prejudice and discrimination faced by the LGBT community and became genuinely angered that my friends, classmates, teachers and colleagues were at the time constantly being denied the right to marry.

Protesting the so-called 'conscience clause' outside Newry Town Hall, February 2015.

Meeting my now fiancée Ashlyn Neas was also a pivotal moment for me. Ashlyn has been crucial in helping me better understand LGBT issues both during our time together at WWC and the period since. She is genuinely passionate about LGBT issues and will not fail to call me out when I approach something from a narrow-minded viewpoint. Thanks to Ashlyn I have been able to understand transgender identity and the concept of transitioning between genders through our conversations on the topic, her following of Ru Paul's Drag Race and her attending of drag shows in the United States.
Indeed, it was during a Ru Paul's Drag Race-themed birthday party this June I decided to dress up in drag after much contemplation and realising that I was in a safe environment in which to do it. While taking on the persona of 'Nasty Onassis' I realised that the concept of gender was mental and totally fluid. I was also helped in my decision-making by our friend Jake also 'dragging it up.' In my mind this reaffirmed the safety of the environment and made me comfortable knowing that I would be making my drag debut in the company of a straight male friend.

I am convinced that this positive experience at the party, my relationship with Ashlyn, my year at Warren Wilson College and full participation in Saturday's Newry Pride Parade, in addition to attending with my brother and friends, helped me to enjoy every aspect of the Newry Pride Ball on Saturday night and marked out the event as a milestone on my LGBT journey.

No-one can predict the future but I am confident that there are more self-enriching moments to come on my LGBT journey which will lead me to meet more wonderful people and fully understand the concepts of sexuality and gender identity. I look forward to all this and more. <3 <3 <3

My brother Matthew (right) and I at the Newry Pride Ball
on Saturday night past in Bellinis, Newry.