#Brexit populism and a move to the right - no wrong - to the middle ground!

I feel compelled out of frustration to make this point :

The sneering liberal elite - are characterising the Brexit vote as a lurch to the right by the masses (bordering on racist) and populist (used as a derogatory term) and duped because they did not understand what they voted for (just voicing their frustrations - as the left behind and marginalised.)

I am one of those masses. This is what I think.

For all my political life I have held the centre ground of politics. I voted for Blair when the Tories were dysfunctional but essentially I am a one nation Tory. I am not doctrinaire but objective and pragmatic. I have children and grand children and their future and the quality of the society they will live in are absolutely paramount to me.

My point is I have not moved. My views have been the same for 35 years at least. I have not lurched to the left or swung to the right. I know what I believe - what works - and what is right and what is fair. My contention is the sneered at "masses" are made up of people like me. We are not swinging all over the place - we are centrists - two feet planted firmly in the middle ground.

So what has happened?

Well for 40 years the electorate has been inexorably dragged down the EU road without a real say. Yes we have had general elections but there has been a "Hobson's choice" in reality when it comes to the issue of  the expansion of the EU and dealing with migration/immigration pressures. For 40 years us - the masses have not been given the opportunity to seriously debate these issues because we never had a chance to vote on them. The liberal elite moved left - and global business moved right. The grumbling tolerant masses stayed largely passive in the middle and just got on with their lives and trying to earn an honest living.

Finally after 40 years the masses were given a vote - the referendum. They haven't lurched to the right. They haven't sided with the left. They have clearly voted to say they want to be firmly in the middle ground where they have been and have always wanted to be.

What is the middle ground?

• we never wanted to give up control of our laws, money or borders - 40 years ago we entered a trading block - nothing more. We have made it clear we want it back.
• we are not just interested in money - in economic wealth if it diminishes our democracy freedom and nationhood. Big businesses might take a hit - but they will survive. So will we.
• we believe in the NHS absolutely and the welfare state but we do not like being ripped off (and we have been).
• we believe nothing is for free. You have to earn the money first before you can give it away. The books have to be balanced. Resources are finite.
• bureaucracy has become far too burdensome and unnecessary.
• we are not racist but net migration has been running at ridiculous and unsustainable levels. Our infrastructure cannot cope and it is impossible to plan because we have no control. We never agreed to this. It has to stop. We have to take control - we have to be able to plan.
• we never wanted to be part of a federalised Europe.
• we think free movement of labour is a crazy idea and not essential to a trading relationship.
• we think the EU is a gravy train - with too many noses in the trough - it is undemocratic.
• we think we should be able to trade with all the world.
• we trust ourselves to make good humanitarian decisions and do not need to be part of the EU to be a peaceful nation - we are happier in our own skin.

So to all those smart journalists - to the liberal elitist BBC and their Question Time panels who sneer at us in the main -  to those career politicians like Clegg and Miliband (who have never done a proper job) - to all those thousands of EU technocrats with their noses in the trough exercising power (unelected) over us and telling us how to live our lives  - to the great and the good (who know best) - the IMF ECB Obama etc etc - it is not us the masses that have moved. We know exactly what we voted for. It was to take back what has been undemocratically and inexorably prised off us. We did it at the first real chance we had  We have reasserted the middle ground! So politicians must show some democratic decency - the vote was clearly a desire to get back on the common-sense middle ground. If we do not properly respond to this democratic vote - by agitating for soft Brexit (effectively not leaving the EU because of single market criteria) or frustrating the decision to leave overall, I am afraid it really is likely to engender an extreme reaction from the otherwise moderate collective middle.