Psychologists will tell you there are five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. In the wake of Britain’s EU referendum, many voters are stuck in the early stages.
A few hours after the referendum result, a petition for a re-referendum broke the internet and Remain voters watched in anger as videos of Leave voters regretting their decision went viral.
Scotland started bargaining for a referendum on independence, and many Remain voters considered moving to Ireland or Scotland.
Others have speculated that the referendum is no more than a crafty move by politicians to renegotiate a package for Britain within the EU, and that they may not leave at all.
This, however, is likely to be the denial stage and Brexit campaigners have spoken loud and clear: “The majority have spoken, accept it and move on.”
If this racist movement were to gather momentum, it would be an ugly time for any foreigner to be in the UK
The truth is, there is difficulty in understanding what to move on to. The future of Britain is currently uncertain and even European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker is urging the UK to “clarify its position”.
Some speculate whether the Leave campaigners truly thought they would win this referendum or were just armchair politicians happy to mock and criticise without having an actual plan.
The majority of MPs are thought to oppose a Brexit, and as yet it is unclear whether they will vote in favour of the referendum result, when the question is posed in Parliament. If this is the case, then a general election is on the cards.
The new leader of Britain is also unknown, as David Cameron was quick to resign after the Leave vote and Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour is currently divided.
One thing is certain: a far-right culture is currently brewing in Britain. Even previous Labour strongholds are showing anti-immigration emotions and many foreigners are telling tales of confrontation by locals to “go back to your country”.
The truth is that although a certain half of Britain is appreciative of the workforce brought through EU ties, others have been more successful in resounding their racist views, much like the saying on empty vessels.
Ironically, some ex-Commonwealth British citizens also want the EU migrants to “stop stealing their jobs” and it is sad to note that much of the second generation English have forgotten their roots. Many foreign residents, like myself, have said they have never felt so unwelcome in Britain.
If this racist movement were to gather momentum, it would be an ugly time for any foreigner to be in the UK.
Most don’t realise that the £350 million per week (if it really is that sum) which Britain will not be sending to Brussels and is promised to the NHS instead, will not get it very far if it does not have the EU workforce to drive it, with some 10 per cent of registered doctors and four per cent of registered nurses in the UK being EU-born.
As the currency plummets and risks sending the economy into another recession, it drags down the euro with it. In the wake of this, anti-immigration sentiments are only set to get stronger. Without clarity as to when Article 50 will be activated and what the withdrawal agreement will contain, people are unable to plan ahead.
Will the future UK leader negotiate a similar plan to Switzerland’s EEA, with freedom of movement and trade, similar to what Alfred Sant had posed in Malta’s 2003 EU referendum? Or will they heed the far-right supporters’ wishes and close down the border?
While the former is likely to ease the wounds the country is already suffering from the Brexit breakup, the latter seems more popular in the current cultural climate of far-right Tory leadership candidates and increasing UKip followership.
Moreover, having a system similar to Norway’s or Switzerland’s would retain the current immigration rights and trading laws, which although it may be something Boris Johnson has already referred to, is fundamentally against what many Leave voters envisioned.
What Labour will propose is currently unknown, as the party’s leader, a previous Eurosceptic, didn’t campaign loudly for his Remain stance, and his shadow ministers are falling out like flies after they lost confidence in him.
The truth is that right now nobody knows whether Britain will remain great and united or become a divided little Britain without Scotland, Ireland, Gibraltar and its European workforce.
Even more worrying is the vision that what was once a resilient European Union has suffered in the aftermath of this, as the strength of this chain of countries is dependent on its weakest link.
Who would have thought that the one to break it would be Britain?
Nikki Abela is a Maltese doctor working and living in Liverpool.