Dear Thangam Debbonaire MP,
My name is George Harold Millman, and I have recently returned to Bristol West after having spent the past three years living in Essex. I am writing to you to express my serious concerns about the results of the EU vote, and to ask that you vote it down when it comes to Parliament, and encourage your colleagues to do the same.
There have been many reasons why I voted to remain - the economy, our standing relationships with other states - but most importantly, because regardless of my own opinions of the EU generally, I have been increasingly concerned about the straw man arguments perpetuated by the Leave campaigners. It was evident to me that the Leave campaign was fuelled predominantly by xenophobia, and I have felt incredibly disturbed by the amount of racism that has been seen on our streets since the result was announced. I'm sure I do not need to explain this to you in detail, for I know that you were a passionate campaigner for the Remain side and no doubt have felt exactly as I have over the past week. I do not for one moment believe that racism and hatred has been the catalyst for the majority vote - I agree with Caroline Lucas about how it was ultimately a vote against David Cameron's establishment, but this has vindicated the small numbers of individuals who speak from a place of bitterness and hatred, people are suffering for that and I feel very strongly that this has got to stop.
The referendum was pitched to the electorate as being very clear-cut, but as you are no doubt aware, the actual technicalities relating to our impending exit (or lack thereof, in fact) are a lot more complex and will require many precedents to be observed and proposals to be voted for or against. The referendum was only advisory; I am not sure how much this is common knowledge, but it was never intended to be legally binding at any point. It does not give a reflective picture of the common opinion of the electorate, because the vote was so incredibly close that even if it had been legally binding, the result was not distinct enough to warrant a radical change. 51% of a vote is not enough to justify a decision as huge as departing the EU; most countries require a vote by two thirds in order to create that sort of change. In any case, in the UK democracy is based around the decisions of those people we have elected to represent us.
As you will know, if we are to leave the EU it will require an Act of Parliament to repeal the 1972 European Communities Act. As far as I am aware (correct me if I am wrong), Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty cannot be enacted without this. I feel very strongly that the Remain campaign does not end here; even if we ultimately do decide to leave the EU, every single issue must be campaigned on, but in the meantime we should continue to focus on trying to remain. With every day that passes, I notice something else which has come about as a result of this referendum which reinforces this opinion - Scotland would like to remain in the EU, which could cause a breakup of the UK; the fall of the pound has caused serious problems economically over the past week, and media sources suggest that many Leave voters are regretting their decision; and particularly importantly, if Donald Trump is elected the president of the United States come November, a strong and cohesive European Union will be crucial, as I feel that much of Trump's campaign is built on the same harmful fear-mongering around different cultures that much of the Leave campaign's approach has been based on.
I am very much aware of your record in arguing for the benefits of us remaining and I am on your mailing list so I read the email that you sent out the day following the referendum, so I am really hopeful that you will agree with what I have said here and seriously consider voting against any attempt to repeal the 1972 European Communities Act. I think that there has been quite a sense of depression across the whole country following the referendum result, and as time goes by, the potential consequences of leaving the EU are becoming increasingly evident to many people who may not have objectively thought about it before. I'm sure you are receiving many similar messages from other constituents, so please take note of what I have said here and vote against these concerning proposals.
Yours sincerely,
George Harold Millman
P.S. In addition to being your constituent, I am a political activist, campaigner and performance artist. I have been involved in this sort of work for nearly six years, have been involved in numerous topical campaigns over this time, and as a result I have become quite well-respected within certain political circles. Because of this, I have decided to make my letter to you open, as a form of encouragement for others to follow my example and write to their MPs. I shall publish this letter (and potentially any responses from you) on my blog: actorandpoliticalactivist.blogspot.co.uk
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