The title of Françoise Sagan’s debut 1954 novel seems appropriate today.
I’m pleased there was a high turnout; this at least gives the Leave vote legitimacy. I’m pleased that Northern Ireland voted to Remain and I feel very sorry about the impact Leave may have there. I’m pleased that there will be twenty-two UKIP MEPs out of a job. I am sad about the way the vote went. It is too soon for me to absorb the implications for equities and bonds.
The political implications are already clear. Both the Conservative and Labour parties are likely to be picking new leaders at the same time. There’s no doubt that Labour lost this referendum by not putting across the Remain message to their supporters in the North of England and Jeremy Corbyn should pay for this.
Christopher – we share your disappointment as do most of our friends – maybe we just know a certain type of ‘grey’ voter as they by and large were the catalyst for Leaves victory. Regardless of the formal political consequences there clearly now has to be a period of calm reflection, positive engagement and reconciliation. The omens are not promising with the knives out for the ancien regime, another Scottish referendum and difficulties in Northern Ireland where synergy with Europe is perhaps more relevant. Do take a look at my commentaries – much less cerebral than yours – https://glaisterblog.wordpress.com/
Anthony, first good to hear from you. My hosts in France were Caroline and Jonathan. Secondly thank you for directing me to you interesting blog. I will check for new posts.
I live in Northern Ireland and voted Leave. A considerable number voted to leave the EU, though not a majority. I believe that the vote was along Belfast Agreement lines.
Agreement lines: Irish nationalists, Alliance, a small percentage of Unionists.
McGuinness shan’t get the border poll, because it doesn’t have cross-community or even cross-party consensus.
Tim, I am concerned that Northern Ireland may suffer economically having an EU member with 12.5% Corporation Tax as a neighbour. This may be exacerbated if Scotland leaves the UK and joins the EU. We can discuss this on your visit to London.
I too voted remain and was pleased to note that my area (S Cambs) was one of only three in E Anglia (along with Cambridge and Norwich) to vote thus. We also had a 99.5% turnout in our village – the absentee being my younger son who hadn’t been told about the referendum. The tellers in the village-hall were very animated, comparing yesterday’s excitement with the tedium of the recent Police Commissioner elections when only three voters turned up. So I woke up at 5 this am with a heavy heart (and a heavier head). But the cloud had a silver lining: at 9.30 last night after long text chats with my Brexiteer son and a bottle and a half of Macon Villages I perceived an anomaly between the TV predictions (“knife-edge” etc) and the bookies’ odds. For a modest £1 a point you stood to lose £14 (max) against a possible £86 gain if Leave won. I placed the bet. It was even better when I discovered this morning that I had actually staked £10 a point. This, I thought, might go some way to offset the losses on my ‘up’ bet on Arm Holdings (a local company). Imagine my surprise when Arm, after a modest fall first thing, rose and rose triggering a sell target I had set yesterday in anticipation of a relief rally when Remain won. It’s up 6% on the day. So perhaps a collapse in sterling is not such a bad thing – unless of course, you are in Dordogneshire and feel unable to settle for the dejeuner rapide.
Well done. I usually believe that the market prices things fairly accurately and then find that it doesn’t. The only bet I placed was on McInroy & Wood who put their funds 40% in bonds.It’s much too soon to unravel the implications for us investors so, as usual, I’m awaiting events.