Well, that’s that then. Fait accompli. Oh – am I still allowed to speak French? My first reaction to the fact that the EU referendum is over is, inappropriately and not a little selfishly, relief. Relief that I won’t be force-fed any more scare stories about increased risk of World War Three or Cologne-style mass sex attacks. Both statements were very silly and, frankly, an insult to my intelligence. Anyway, Johnny Foreigner will now find it a lot more difficult to come here, hell-bent on crime or not.
Having survived the Scottish Independence referendum, an equally ghastly process but with a good outcome, it is entirely possible that Nicola Sturgeon will try for another independence referendum and this time we can assume that the argument will be that dear old Scotland can join the EU on its own.
During both referenda, the NHS has been used to appeal to voters’ fears about health funding. The ‘yes’ (to independence) campaigners claimed that remaining part of the UK would mean the privatisation of the Scottish Health Service despite the SNP’s almost automatic rejection of any policy that sniffs of conservatism. Warnings issued during the EU referendum have included fears that the UK will lose millions of pounds of research funding. We’ll soon find out.
Whether this has been an outcome that will mean a rosier future for the UK or not, our steadily ageing population with increasing chronic disease will need looking after. Out of Europe, Conservative Party in tatters in England, Labour in tatters in Scotland and Donald Trump looking more and more possible as the Leader of the free world, I think I will escape to the country. In fact, France would be nice to retire to. Can I still do that? Or is that only if I vote for independence?
Fiona Dalziel is an independent consultant in practice management in Aberdeen and is co-lead for the RCGP’s General Practice Foundation for Practice Managers.