My girlfriend is always saying that I use the “We” when I describe my country or football team.  I am British and I support Liverpool: the first since 1955 and the second since 1963.  I am a long term supporter but I fear I give up hope.  Not for my football team, who have suffered some incredible highs, some appalling lows but they are mine.  Perhaps tied to memories of a teenage girlfriend who pulled me up there for some time.

My country!  It decided, for stupid political reasons, that the best way to defeat the far right was to hold a referendum.  Because this was driven by the right wing, they weren’t really motivated or split, the left couldn’t be bothered and the middle, well no one listened to them.  So an advisory referendum was lost to a bunch of far right liars, the others were just pathetic or apathetic.

Sadly, only some parts of my Kingdom took it seriously.  Both Scotland and Northern Ireland decided that the sensible future was to stay with Europe.  I could only agree with them but as you read on, you will understand that.

Then WTF!  An advisory referendum, is taken as the word of the people!  It is taken as Gospel.  Government changes all its Ministers, new leader put in place, none directly elected by the people, but with a mission to carry out the result that was only a question never a decision.

The question was ” Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?”.  No details on how, how much it would cost, what impact leaving would have.  But the new leaders have decided that we should leave the EU at any cost – even without any deal in place.

So Scotland who voted 62:38%, and Northern Ireland 56:44%, were so obviously keen to stay but will be dragged along as the total nation decided 52:48%.  So Scotland quite reasonably said, can we have another referendum for independence as you want to go and we want to stay?  This was dismissed by the new leadership as distracting from the bigger matters at hand – leaving the EU whether you like it or not.

I don’t really know Scotland but I feel for them.  This is despite, historically, they sided with the French against England.  But I understand their case and I find it reasonable.  So did people voting for Brexit understand that we would lose Scotland?  Probably not!  If they don’t leave the UK before the UK leaves the EU, it will be shortly afterwards.  The tough deal for Scotland is that they will have to apply to join the EU as a new independent country, although they are currently members.  This could take years of being in limbo with sulking southern neighbours.

Shortly afterwards, it dawned upon me, perhaps before the main stream media, that Northern Ireland is the critical issue.  Its always been a difficult issue but to date, the six counties of Northern Ireland have wished to stay united with the UK.  As time passes, with a growing Catholic majority emerging, this would probably change. But if we leave (Nota bene) the EU, Northern Ireland would share a land border with an EU state, Eire.  The softening of this border has been a major part of the peace that has emerged on this troubled island since the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 assisted by a Clinton.  So a critical part of the early EU-UK negotiations concerns how this border will be treated.

So it was quite reasonable for Enda Kenny, the Prime Minister or Taoiseach, to ask, that if Northern Ireland joined Eire, it should automatically be part of the EU as it would be part of an enlarged, existing, member state.  This was so reasonable it seemed to be agreed.  Even by the Minister for the UK Brexit negotiation, David Davies, who said “If a majority of the people of Northern Ireland were ever to vote to become part of a united Ireland the UK Government will honour its commitment to enable that to happen.”

In political speak, he has said that Northern Ireland could vote for separation although Scotland is not allowed to.  He has not dismissed the idea of a referendum in the same manner as Scotland’s stronger request, based upon their higher level of devolved powers.

I am often pessimistic, or rather I worry about future events.  The likelihood of the breakup of the UK, I think is highly possible.  The only party trying to keep us together is the middle party, who no one listens to.  There is no real reason to leave, apart from local politicians wanting to sound more important.  It was always a right wing stunt by politicians to improve their lot not for the benefit of the people.  Sadly the left wing are fixated upon socialist ideals and an egalitarian society, not pointing out this is more likely to happen within the EU.  Whatever happened to the Communist International?

When it all goes wrong, the politicians will blame the EU, as they do today, for enacting the clauses we signed up to.

So as a current passport holder of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, will I soon hold a passport for the Kingdom of England and Wales previously known as Great?

How can we be so duped so easily? Or should I say Trumped??