In a staggering exhibition of ignorance, misinformation and appalling self-interest by the Tories and other right-wing groups, the UK voted to leave the European Union on January 31, 2020 after 47 years. Forgetting why they had joined in the first place, Tories, UKIP party leabers and wealthy men with private agendas used emotional rhetoric about ‘freedom”, deception and false promises and fantasies to push a 51% “win” to leave. Altho the UK vote overall was to Leave, Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to remain but were overruled, forcing them into an exit. Only 72% of registered voters participated in one of the most important votes for generations to come, with an impact that could last for decades or longer, and the result was that 17 million + people decided to Leave membership in the EU while 16+ million wanted to Remain. Since that time, the UK has seem freedom of movement ended, factories moving to the EU, jobs lost, the COL rise beyond the means of many working class people, fishing and farming industries collapsing, empty shelves in grocery stores, and more. The tragedy is that those who studied the issues carefully, who understood the global economy and trade, had warned that Brexit would result in this very thing. Now many feel that, in the minds of some Tories, they wanted this to happen in the fantasy that, should the UK collapse, they could “build a better government” with themselves at the helm. Those who have studied history knew this could signal a return to a system in which a few families- both native and foreign- owned the nation, its resources and its production while everyone else was left struggling to survive or under the thumb of these few. In other words, a return to a feudal system: a plutocratic oligarchy.
So here we are, a few years after that devastating vote, and our worst nightmares are coming true.

Just one of the things to ponder as we examine the Brexit proposal:

I have been listening to people claiming that Brexit would not be a problem because “… the UK can grow all its own food.”

It is my opinion that with the population levels rising and the mass paving over of fields to build (what will probably be un-affordable, inadequately built) homes, this is unlikely. It also leads me to ask if these people have ever grown anything, or had to live off their own land?

1) It’s not just population levels (a 2008 and several reports from 2011 seem to indicate that the UK could only support around 20-30 million it if had to provide from its own resources; with a current population of almost 68 million and growing, there will be critical issues to confront in the future). Climate and soil conditions determine what can grow and what can’t, as do temperatures… not every farm can build/maintain massive greenhouses… and a great deal of land in the UK is not arable ((and of course, domestic and wild life also needs habitats to survive; you cannot dedicate every square inch of good land to human needs) or is seasonal only.

2) Every additional step required to grow food means additional cost to the consumer. And jobs are on the downturn, which means income is on the downturn, and businesses are having to close, which means more unemployed. Unemployed people usually struggle to buy food, pay bills and manage a monthly rent or mortgage.

3) So much of the land is owned by so few families, that paving over agricultural land with housing developments is insane- on many levels. However, if each housing development gave each home owner 1/2-2 acres with a 1200-1700 square foot insulated, double pane efficient home instead of these large expensive money-eating 2-3 story houses, each family could take on some responsibility for growing some food for themselves and even have a couple hens for eggs and do better financially. Yes, this would require training for families, but a) we are talking survival and self-sufficiency and sustainability and b) that’s what schools can do- teach a class in how to grow food, raise a chicken- or have mandatory 2 years in a group similar to 4-H in the US.

4) With so few owning so much land, a dependency is created- giving the landowners far too much control over those who have no land and cannot produce their own food. In fact, it can create massive food monopolies and business monopolies- probably why a number of landowners are literally creating “commerce villages” on their properties, with food production, deli ships and cafes, gift shops, commercial kitchens, classes in making jam, willow baskets, breads, sausages, cooking, and so on. Yes, it is a necessity for them as part of keeping their farms going, but it also gives them a potential monopoly over everything food-related.

5) Water. We’re looking at a decline in fresh water due to both increases in human consumption/population and global warming and changing weather patterns. And again- most homes do not  have water recycling or room to grow enough to feed themselves (and never mind the decreasing variety of food choices if we do grow our own-

6)Which brings us to: I tend to suspect that no matter how much talk there is, the UK is not going to become a major grower of foods like citrus, plums, kumquats, pomegranates, persimmons, eggplants, sunflower seeds, herbs, spices, and so on and so on… if you look at your grocery stores and farmer’s markets, notice how much food is not being produced in the UK- because it takes certain climates and conditions to grow certain foods, and the UK does not have those climates.

So I’m interested in knowing how the UK is going to grow all the food it needs- or more importantly, the variety is has become accustomed to. Read some old Welsh, English, Scottish, Irish cookbooks- the food choices and varieties were relatively slim.

I also suspect that those who got us into Brexit, and those who are saying “We can grow our own food” are of three types:

1) those who have never had to grow food for a family here in order to eat,

2) those who have their own land already and can produce their own food anyway and

3) those who are simply not impacted by the laws and policies they pass because they either have a second home in the EU, own an estate where other people grow the food for them, or they can afford to order their food from the EU after Brexit anyway.

Whatever the case, interesting times ahead…why, it’s almost like the people who pushed this had their own agenda and the people who voted for it didn’t think before voting, were fooled by  cunning deceivers, were just too roused emotionally by their own misguided “freedom” fantasies, let their prejudices or ignorance of history influence them, or were actually incapable of understanding the consequences.

And don’t get me started on what tariffs and extra fees will do to small businesses dependent on EU products and supplies

2019