A Scotsman Writes
Ivor Campbell
Freeform: Chief Executive @ Snedden Campbell Ltd | 20+ yrs finding senior skilled people in medical tech
I am by nature a thoughtful guy and have held off making comments on here about religion and politics. Neither are normally relevant to what I, my clients or candidates do.
However, just this one time...
Unless you live under Pluto's icy crust you'll know that we had (another) referendum here yesterday. I campaigned on the issues in my own time and, as a citizen, I made my vote. We have a result - whatever your opinion it is what it is.
Some observations:
It wasn't a protest vote - 17,410,742 grown up people decided that the EU was not good for them and you can be sure that most well understood the arguments both ways. Just because you weren't one of the 17,410,742 doesn't make you a visionary and your compatriots buffoons.
Plain truth is - people were asked to vote for continuing membership of a club that, as far as they could see, had not made them personally better off over at least the last decade. Why would they believe anyone who told them that "this time it's different"?
As I write, the FTSE 100 index is plumbing levels it last saw on Monday lunchtime and the DJIA is languishing where it was a week last Wednesday. As yet, this is no Lehman Brothers. Why should it be? If five people in a small company in Callander could work out that last night's events were a significant risk as soon as there was a government elected with a manifesto commitment to hold a referendum then, and you can trust me on this, the world's central bankers and Goldman Sachs most definitely could as well.
Two points:
1 - We'll be fine
2 - I'm Scottish and will get to do this all again in a few months if I really want an EU passport
Finally;
The Republican Party was once capable of producing Abraham Lincoln. When he accepted his Party's nomination for the US Senate he made a speech inspired by Matthew 12:25..."Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand"
Head of Finance
8 年Of the 33m or so people that voted I would wager that many did not in fact understand the consequences. This referendum was in many ways like being asked to sign a medical consent form...the doctor can try to explain it in simple terms but frankly you're not going to understand, so just sign. Protest vote? Maybe. People don't like austerity, rising house prices and a stagnant economy. I wonder if EU membership wasn't just a victim of national angst.
Director of Manufacturing & Supply
8 年Ivor, Been a while since our Paths crossed - a shame. Fine words Sir, fine Words. Richard