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Reflections of a referendum fence-sitter

"This referendum matters more for the shifting contours of British politics than it does for our relationship with the EU"

by David Goodhart / June 23, 2016 / Leave a comment
People arrive at a polling station in Harpenden, Britain, on June 23, 2016 ©Xinhua/SIPA USA/PA Images

People arrive at a polling station to cast their vote in the referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union, Harpenden, 23rd June, 2016 ©Xinhua/SIPA USA/PA Images

I remain stuck on the fence staring at my polling card knowing that a decision has to be taken in the next few hours. Can I abstain? No, that is cowardly. Can I vote one way and hope that a small majority of my fellow citizens vote the other way? That would be weird and self-regarding, voting not for a narrowly preferred outcome but in order to tell people afterwards that I had voted a particular way because it felt better (and that I am not therefore responsible for the mess we are in!).

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A European, right, and Union flags are displayed outside Europe House, the European Parliament's British offices, in London, Wednesday, June 22, 2016 ©A European, right, and Union flags are displayed outside Europe House, the European Parliament's British offices, in London, Wednesday, June 22, 2016 ©Matt Dunham/AP/Press Association Images
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About this author

David Goodhart
David Goodhart is Director of the Integration Hub at the Policy Exchange think tank and editor at large, Prospect Magazine
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