Very soon many of us will be walking into a polling booth and ticking either yes or no to what I assume is quite an important question - should we stay or should we go?
Last night I was chatting to my old Dad on the phone and he wanted to know which way I was going to fall. When I retorted with "I don't know", I got the distinct impression I had disappointed him - this was followed by a barrage of reasons as to why, like so many of his generation, we should be hot footing it out of there as soon as possible.
At the end of our "chat" I was still no clearer and I guess the main thing that infuriated him was in my opinion that I really don't think we should be voting on this at all. After all, don't we have an elected government that should be making these informed decisions on our behalf? Or is this an absolution of their responsibilities?
This is a not a post to invite debate on the pro's and con's but to purely ask a simple question.....as a population, are we really qualified to make this decision?
We have been bombarded with the two sides arguing their cases via all forms of media.... using huge amounts of both important and trivial data to back up their claims....for instance, today I have been informed that it will cost me an extra £230 to go on a European holiday with my wife and 2.4 children if we leave. Is this really a consideration? Really?
Now I consider myself a reasonably well informed chap with dare I say it, a better education than the average Joe - and I really don't have a bloody clue!
Bottom line, will it make a difference, who knows? Very soon, we're going to find out.
Will I vote? What day is it on again?
A referendum is basically a vote in which everyone (or nearly everyone) of voting age can take part, normally giving a "Yes" or "No" answer to a question. Whichever side gets more than half of all votes cast is considered to have won.
Read the original article here