We voted to Leave because we want to work!
I’m amused to read that ‘most young people’ in London and across england voted to remain in the eu (mail): is this true? It’s as inaccurate as the many lies peddled before, during and after the referendum campaign. I voted Leave. I have a Bsc (first class) and msc in genetics from university College London (uCL). I completed my studies in 2013, since when I’ve been in the labour market. On Tuesday June 21, I had an interview with a potential employer who was kind enough to tell me that 532 people had applied, but only four were needed. Three months ago, a uCL professor sent me an email some weeks after I’d applied for junior lab technician post, basically apologising and informing me he had received 136 applications for the one position advertised. It was just one of 100-plus ‘we regret to inform you’ letters I’ve received since 2013. It has become almost a stigma to have a university degree and not be able to get a job in these fast-paced days when one can apply for a job on one’s iPhone. after my hard work (and accumulated debt) at university, it’s embarrassing to live in the uK and be unemployed for years after graduating from one of the best universities. It’s risible that a uK graduate who pays his taxes and contributes to the good of society must compete for jobs with someone from Germany or Romania who has more work experience — all because they decided to move here to a better economy and safer society. even Phd graduates are applying for lower level jobs and employers take advantage to exploit the available labour force. my older friends and neighbours tell me of how abundant jobs were decades ago, open to any resident willing to work. They gasp when I tell them about my qualification and how difficult it has been to get a job. It’s no surprise that the city with the highest percentage of Leave voters was Hartlepool, with unemployment twice the national average. There is no gainsaying that those who hurt the most voted the most. The result of the referendum was an expression of true democracy. I would have crawled through broken glass to cast a vote to Leave the eu. many affected families and individuals would have done same. I’m not ignorant of the advantages and disadvantages of eu membership, but rather than wallow in the doom and gloom regarding our future, true Britons and patriotic citizens of this great kingdom, descendants of men and women who gave life and blood for the country they believed in, have chosen to plant the country’s flag on a high meadow of hope where, with a little bit of hard work, my generation and those unborn can sow again and reap a harvest of enviable prosperity.
KEN IBE, London E4.