A letter to my local MP

I've not done this before, it's a big step writing to an MP. There's a lot of things floating around saying that they can block the referendum vote being acted on. If this works I'll be very happy. This was written to Andrew Tyrie, the Chichester MP and I've included his details below on the off chance someone else wants to send him something.

.........

Andrew Tyrie

House of Commons

London

SW1A 0AA

andrew.tyrie.mp@parliament.uk

Dear Mr Tyrie

The implications of the recent EU referendum are far reaching and quite possibly worse than we can all imagine. I'm writing to you hoping you can address my concerns with your fellow MPs. 

From your constituency I've heard an absolute horror, one of my mother’s narrow minded friends voted leave simply because she doesn't like having Polish neighbours. I cannot comprehend this idiocy, and I fear racism is abundant in the area. Sadly, my Dad and I as proud Scots suffered casual anti-Scottish comments in the area, to the point where someone even destroyed my Saltire and the police in your area don't take these hate crimes seriously. My real concern is some people have taken the Brexit victory as a license to be racist. It's not even been a week but look at the anti-Polish sentiment that's spread like a cancer across England. I'm yet to hear stories from the rest of the United Kingdom. 

With the utmost respect for the leave campaign I feel that their campaign was one of scaremongering, propaganda and lies at best. It was full of casual racism, and now the referendum is over European migrants, and other nationalities have suffered from disgusting comments telling them to leave the country. This is appalling. The British public seem to have no idea how Europe works and some don't even know what the European Union is. Until they're educated I strongly think this referendum should only be taken as advisory. I honestly don't think a referendum on this scale can be, let alone should be, organised in as little as four months. 

Life is an adventure and my adventure is currently in France. I came here in 2012 and I've been around Paris ever since. I've been working and studying and I profit fully from the freedom of movement act. I have a normal life in France with French colleges and friends, I know one English person and about twenty other Scots. We've all been affected in varying degrees, a woman from church was crying on Sunday because she's in despair. My French friends and colleagues are horrified at seeing the news on the racist attacks, incidents or whatever you shall call them, when I tell them that sadly this is normal but usually hidden they're even more disgusted. Sadly people will be seeing this image as the new independent Great Britain. Although the leave side wasn't full of xenophobia I feel the xenophobes have won.

I'm scared to bring my three year old son to Chichester as he only speaks French. As a mother I understandably want to protect him and I'm worried people will jump on us with all their hate speech, so for now I'm postponing all holidays. I sadly know this is a possibility as when I received a phone call in the town centre and was talking on the phone in French someone yelled at me to “fuck off back home” along with many dirty looks thrown at me by complete strangers. I have a terrible accent when I speak in French, but people don't care about that. They're more keen to see me as yet another foreigner. 

There is no exit plan. Nobody on the leave campaign reflected on that before the public made this life changing choice. Look how Labour have fallen apart since the vote was announced. There is too much division in the government. I worry that with these divides it could be the worst time to go through with leaving the European Union. A step in the dark can easily cause a fall, I don't want to see the UK flounder because of one gigantic mistake. 

The pound has fallen in value, this means the world marker doesn't have much confidence in the United Kingdom outside of the European Union. Not to mention the United Kingdom is barely united these days. Is it any wonder Scotland wants to leave?

Another concern of mine is that the majority of leave voters are apparently over 65, if the exit plan fails and the consequences are long lasting they won't have long to live through it. My generation, I'm 23, will have decades of suffering to put right this one monstrous mistake. The European Union has taken decades to build to its current status, and we have been involved for a long time. We could lose so much progress in leaving. 

You, as a member of Parliament can voice these concerns and I am sure that I'm not alone in contacting you, and other MPs across the country. To make it easier for you to reply I've included my mother's address, she still checks my post when I receive things. I look forward to receiving your response. 

Yours sincerely,

And obviously I signed it.