{"id":2572,"date":"2015-05-11T08:00:35","date_gmt":"2015-05-11T08:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/damesnet.com\/?p=2572"},"modified":"2015-05-12T11:27:48","modified_gmt":"2015-05-12T11:27:48","slug":"confessions-of-a-southerneran-expression-of-hope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/damesnet.com\/?p=2572","title":{"rendered":"Confessions of a southerner\/an expression of hope"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Tobermory<\/a>

Tobermory harbour\/damesnet<\/p><\/div>\n

I recently went the farthest north I have ever been in the UK \u2013 and spent a wonderful week exploring the Isle of Mull and some of the surrounding islands in the Inner Hebrides. For most of the time I felt like Mole in Wind in the Willows<\/em> when Ratty lists the contents of the picnic basket. Except in this case the feast was a visual one.<\/p>\n

As a Londoner, and someone who has explored vast tracts of the world, why had it taken me so long just to get over the border and venture beyond the obvious attractions of Edinburgh and Glasgow?<\/p>\n

This led to a more general refection on how much I value the fact that I am a citizen of the United Kingdom. I am also a citizen of the European Union. I have benefited hugely from this and have worked extensively within Europe, and I understand how the UK\u2019s membership of the EU has created significant advantages for its people. One small example concerns my son, who was able to study part of his degree in Paris thanks to the European Community Action Scheme (Erasmus) university exchange programme.<\/p>\n

We are tribal creatures; we form links within our immediate community, and create sub-groups of like-minded people. Unfortunately this creates the sense of \u2018us and them\u2019, which leads to division within communities.\u00a0 This is not helped by the ever increasing gulf between rich and poor, with food banks on the one hand and handy tips from the FT on ‘How to spend it’ on the other.\u00a0 Ideological and cultural differences further complicate the issue – a General Election works particularly to heighten this feeling. For weeks we had the party leaders asking us if we were for them or against them, and this has not helped encourage a sense of common purpose.<\/p>\n

As children, we are encouraged to share and take turns. As adults, too often we are encouraged to put ourselves first and ignore the wishes of others. I hate the expression \u2018disrespect\u2019 but I do feel that there is, in general, very little sense of respect within the various sub-groups for others in the UK at this time. I try to acknowedge the fact that not everyone has the same goals and values that I do, and that their values have equal status to mine in their eyes.<\/p>\n

So as the grandchild of immigrants whose lives were saved by being allowed to live in the UK, here in no particular order are the key things that I value highly:<\/p>\n