Yesterday wasn’t a great day

Yesterday began with the dawn chorus waking me at 0400. Suited me fine because I wanted to pick up the referendum results. I’d gone to bed with the Remain campaign slightly confident and Nigel Farage suggesting that it would win by a whisker. Not so. I switched on the TV to get him talking about a victory for Leave.

Didn’t sleep any more and spent the next hour or so getting a first post on my political blog, click here, and looking at the voting map. Pleased that South Cambs clearly voted in (60/40). Unsurprisingly Cambridge voted decisively so (74/26). Interesting that many other ‘good’ places voted In: York, Bath, Oxford, Brighton. And of course all of Scotland and all of Northern Ireland.

I walked into the village to get my paper and fresh croissants. I passed a lone runner. She shouted hello and said ‘what about last night’ and made a gesture of despair. It was an interaction that was to be repeated throughout the day.

1000 and a meeting at the County Council. Fellow Labour and Tory councillors in similar shock. Officers not allowed to have political views of course but the body language said it all.

Lunch at the Red Lion. TV was on with the rolling news. Usually it’s switched off. It’s that kind of pub. Chatted with the bar staff who couldn’t understand how this could have happened.

Early afternoon and a meeting with senior management at Addenbrooke’s. Same reactions. Not too worried about staffing, large numbers of excellent and expert Addenbrooke’s people come from the EU, but really concerned about finances. It’s all very well to talk about diverting the EU spend to the NHS but what if the economy tanks?

Then a predictably muted Lib Dem group meeting back at the County Council and then perhaps a referendum hangover free zone at my spin class. But no. The shock continues. Lady on the bike next to me told me of a person who voted Out so that she wouldn’t have to join the EU queue at immigration when she returns from holiday.

Back home and it’s the Friday routine: steak and red wine. I guess that won’t change and in general my life won’t. But many will be affected. Both in the UK and elsewhere.

Maybe they got it right. Maybe Out will be better. We’ve at least got to hope that it won’t be too bad because we’re stuck with it. As we’re now stuck with a country which has ‘turned its back on Europe’ and has signalled that it’s no longer the big-hearted, open and welcoming country which has enjoyed so much prosperity in the decades during which its been an EU member.