I am writing this with my wonderful daughter and husband and fantastic grand children in mind. They are rather despondent about the Brexit vote because they have a sense it is fundamentally about racism and all because they are worried about their economic future. This worries and shocks me because I have been and am a pro Brexit advocate and am genuinely delighted and relieved about the referendum outcome as (as I see it) it will be the best outcome for our society and therefore my dear family going forward. This is the only thing that motivates me. I believe Brexit is the best outcome for the futures of all our young people, for our wider society and for the generations to come so I would just like to attempt to explain why again as we are now in post referendum mode and it is real.
My daughter loves the Glastonbury Festival and I have just been. It occurred to me that I may be able to use Glastonbury as a loose analogy to serve as both an explanation and justification for the Brexit vote and to reassure for the future - to believe in the future - to buy into it - to be part of building something wonderful.
So here is the analogy - made all the more topical by the man behind Glastonbury Michael Eavis singing his rendition of Sinatra's My Way with Coldplay to conclude this years festival.
Michael Eavis started the Glastonbury Festival on his family farm over 40 years ago. He has used his initiative, vision , determination and good human principles to build Glastonbury into what it is today. The Glastonbury Festival is unique, it has evolved, people have bought into it, festival goers have helped shape it, build tradition and establish and protect its character and ethos. It is a national treasure - of which people are proud. My daughter Victoria is one of those people. She loves Glastonbury. She feels part of its development. She talks about it with so much passion ans warmth. She will support it when ever she can. To do so Michael Eavis has had to plan every festival very carefully. Numbers and tickets have had to be controlled, enough toilets, water supply, car parking and tented areas have had to be provided. Rules and regulations have had to be introduced by Mr Eavis to reflect the particular needs and local problems at Glastonbury. At the same time Glasto is not over burdened with signs and rules and directives. It is a relaxed inclusive place and despite the numbers everyone can chill and enjoy what is on offer.
Now just imagine Glasto had gone another way. Mr Eavis had joined a group formed out of other music festivals - lets say 27 other festivals. He joined the group to promote music and help with publicity. However over the years this festival group started to take on a life of its own. It started issuing rules and regulations standardising all festivals - the type of seating, the volume of the music, how much artists could be paid, what size tents could be used, what Glasto and everyone else have to offer it it rains. Suddenly Mr Eavis can no longer shape his own festival, he has to follow rules that offer Glasto festival goers no benefit. The Glasto festival starts to lose its identity - its special character - it begins to lose its energy - it begins to lose its place in peoples hearts - it is no longer of them - it is undemocratic - it is being run by anonymous people - who they did not elect - cannot influence but charges them lots of money.
Then incredibly they said there MUST be a right of free movement of people (but only certain types of people) around any festival - one ticket covers all. If thousands of extra people turn up at Glasto Mr Eavis will just have to cope. But he says how do I know how many toilets I need, what about car parking, what about tent space, what about water supply. And I don't have the room for more - people are going to be crammed in. HOW CAN I PLAN? Well you can't but you will just have to let everyone in even if the infrastructure is taken beyond breaking point and the quality of peoples festival experience diminishes and your customers become disillusioned.
This my analogy. Glastonbury is a small version of the UK. Glastonbury needs to be able to plan. It needs to be able to employ the people it needs with the skills required. It needs to be able make its own rules and own regulations to reflect its own local and particular requirements. It is of limited size so festival goer numbers have to be sensibly controlled and by building a unique character and creating tradition and familiarity its audience will likely have the wonderful feeling of stakeholder involvement under which so much can be achieved (like having fun in the mud where in other places there would be uproar and turmoil).
We love Glastonbury and anyone can go to Glastonbury. There is no restrictions on age, gender, sexuality or religion. You can wear what you like, dress like you want, eat what you like, drink what you like, listen to the music you want in this fantastic melting pot referred to as Glastonbury. The ONLY requirement is you have a ticket and show consideration and respect for your fellow festival goers. With Brexit and the return of control and democracy which should follow and with the ability to plan properly again I am confident the divisions in our society can be healed and that we can steadfastly build a country which is inclusive and decent and secure for all our peoples. We need to learn to love our country again, to be proud of it and to understand what we are and where we are going for everyones better future.
And then - perhaps all countries will follow our lead. Be local. Be democratic. Build inclusively and from a strong and secure base be a force for good in the world. This can be our future and our destiny again.
My daughter loves the Glastonbury Festival and I have just been. It occurred to me that I may be able to use Glastonbury as a loose analogy to serve as both an explanation and justification for the Brexit vote and to reassure for the future - to believe in the future - to buy into it - to be part of building something wonderful.
So here is the analogy - made all the more topical by the man behind Glastonbury Michael Eavis singing his rendition of Sinatra's My Way with Coldplay to conclude this years festival.
Michael Eavis started the Glastonbury Festival on his family farm over 40 years ago. He has used his initiative, vision , determination and good human principles to build Glastonbury into what it is today. The Glastonbury Festival is unique, it has evolved, people have bought into it, festival goers have helped shape it, build tradition and establish and protect its character and ethos. It is a national treasure - of which people are proud. My daughter Victoria is one of those people. She loves Glastonbury. She feels part of its development. She talks about it with so much passion ans warmth. She will support it when ever she can. To do so Michael Eavis has had to plan every festival very carefully. Numbers and tickets have had to be controlled, enough toilets, water supply, car parking and tented areas have had to be provided. Rules and regulations have had to be introduced by Mr Eavis to reflect the particular needs and local problems at Glastonbury. At the same time Glasto is not over burdened with signs and rules and directives. It is a relaxed inclusive place and despite the numbers everyone can chill and enjoy what is on offer.
Now just imagine Glasto had gone another way. Mr Eavis had joined a group formed out of other music festivals - lets say 27 other festivals. He joined the group to promote music and help with publicity. However over the years this festival group started to take on a life of its own. It started issuing rules and regulations standardising all festivals - the type of seating, the volume of the music, how much artists could be paid, what size tents could be used, what Glasto and everyone else have to offer it it rains. Suddenly Mr Eavis can no longer shape his own festival, he has to follow rules that offer Glasto festival goers no benefit. The Glasto festival starts to lose its identity - its special character - it begins to lose its energy - it begins to lose its place in peoples hearts - it is no longer of them - it is undemocratic - it is being run by anonymous people - who they did not elect - cannot influence but charges them lots of money.
Then incredibly they said there MUST be a right of free movement of people (but only certain types of people) around any festival - one ticket covers all. If thousands of extra people turn up at Glasto Mr Eavis will just have to cope. But he says how do I know how many toilets I need, what about car parking, what about tent space, what about water supply. And I don't have the room for more - people are going to be crammed in. HOW CAN I PLAN? Well you can't but you will just have to let everyone in even if the infrastructure is taken beyond breaking point and the quality of peoples festival experience diminishes and your customers become disillusioned.
This my analogy. Glastonbury is a small version of the UK. Glastonbury needs to be able to plan. It needs to be able to employ the people it needs with the skills required. It needs to be able make its own rules and own regulations to reflect its own local and particular requirements. It is of limited size so festival goer numbers have to be sensibly controlled and by building a unique character and creating tradition and familiarity its audience will likely have the wonderful feeling of stakeholder involvement under which so much can be achieved (like having fun in the mud where in other places there would be uproar and turmoil).
We love Glastonbury and anyone can go to Glastonbury. There is no restrictions on age, gender, sexuality or religion. You can wear what you like, dress like you want, eat what you like, drink what you like, listen to the music you want in this fantastic melting pot referred to as Glastonbury. The ONLY requirement is you have a ticket and show consideration and respect for your fellow festival goers. With Brexit and the return of control and democracy which should follow and with the ability to plan properly again I am confident the divisions in our society can be healed and that we can steadfastly build a country which is inclusive and decent and secure for all our peoples. We need to learn to love our country again, to be proud of it and to understand what we are and where we are going for everyones better future.
And then - perhaps all countries will follow our lead. Be local. Be democratic. Build inclusively and from a strong and secure base be a force for good in the world. This can be our future and our destiny again.
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