EU referendum may have stirred a sleeping dragon

I was a fence sitter right to the end, based on my children's opinions and then I chose what I thought could be the better option.

Didn't we all? But for all sorts of strange or personal reasons, not from knowledge or understanding.

I don't think the MPs knew beforehand the repercussions of the alternatives, and if they did they didn't tell us because they wanted us to vote their way.

Generally speaking we didn't trust them, and probably still don't. Everybody voted for themselves. Farmers voted for what would be best for them. Big businesses, likewise and small businesses too. Expats and holidaymakers voted to keep cheap flights and, could it be, that politicians voted to secure their futures?

I'm generalising, of course, because judging by conversations I heard, lots of people really thought about the future, including Scotland leaving and how much safer and in control would the English Channel keep us? Will our food be cheaper and will our industries thrive or die? My WI had a debate with two MPs, one for In the other for Out.

People thought it was a great idea, and the hall was full. Questions covered everybody's worries, and both MPs were knowledgeable and persuasive. We had a bit of a poll afterwards, and virtually nobody felt any the wiser or had changed their minds, which was surely a microcosm of the country.

And now we are stuck with it, whatever 'it' is. Will we be better out, making our own decisions?

Do we trust the Government in power to make 'good' decisions for our farmers, NHS, schools or defence?

Who knows. Are we regretting coming out from under the EU umbrella that sheltered us from the storms, or do we feel we're out in the sun again?

Finally are the EU member states regretting us leaving, and if so will they take revenge, during the exit period and after?

Again, who knows, or knew beforehand? I suspect the EU had a plan they weren't sharing until they had the results.

It's all beyond me now but I do think it could have woken the sleeping dragon of disenchanted voters, which in the long run will make our Government watch their backs. Hopefully!

Rosemary Allen is a retired livestock farmer now living near Ellesmere and, with her husband Peter, is part of CowCash-UK.