The Narratives – Mohamed Miah

It’s never easy to admit when you’ve been misled, but here I am, confessing my past naivety. If there’s one topic I’ve dramatically changed my mind about, it’s Brexit. And honestly, it’s embarrassing. I fell for the lies, the deceit, and the shiny promises sold to us on red buses. I’m sure I wasn’t alone. So many of us were swept up in the narrative that leaving the European Union would somehow benefit the common man, the working class, or even the so-called middle class. But the more I reflect on it, the more I realise—Brexit wasn’t for us.

In the long run, it’s the elite who stand to gain, while we, the people, are left to pick up the pieces. We keep falling for this “us vs. them” narrative, when in reality, it’s them—the very ones who cause the problems in the first place. The economic turmoil we’re living through now? The mess of austerity? That wasn’t Europe’s doing; it was homegrown, created by those who claim to act in our best interest. The Conservatives birthed austerity and hurt so many working-class families in the process, and when things inevitably broke down, they conveniently pointed the finger at Europe and immigration.

I’ll never forget the bold, brazen claim on the side of that bus: “We send the EU £350 million a week—let’s fund our NHS instead.” Like an unread fool, I believed it. Hook, line, and sinker. The very idea seemed so appealing, so simple, that I didn’t stop to think if it was even remotely realistic. But in hindsight, it was a deception of the highest order, designed to win votes rather than to deliver on real promises. It was politics as usual.

These days, I’ve become much more critical. I read up, I research, and most importantly, I go with my values and convictions. At my core, I’ve always leaned towards socialism—helping the vulnerable, supporting those who need it most, and standing up for justice. It’s about giving something back to society, about fairness and equality. Yet somehow, in today’s world, those principles are derided. The “greedy fat pigs” in power call it woke virtue signalling, as though caring for your fellow human being is something to be ashamed of.

What’s amusing, in a dark, twisted way, is how virtues like kindness, generosity, and chivalry—values once associated with kings—have become dirty words in some circles. Today, if you stand for what’s right, if you speak up for those who can’t, you’re labelled “woke,” as if it’s a slur. Funny how the idea of doing the right thing has become so controversial.

Brexit taught me a hard lesson about trust and critical thinking. But it also reminded me that I need to stay true to who I am and what I believe in, no matter what the narrative being sold is. The world is full of lies, and it’s our job to sift through them, to find the truth, and to stand by it. Even if that truth is admitting we were wrong.