And I’ve discussed at length with people what is happening, what should happen and what is good for individuals and for our country.
I’ve heard a range of differing views: “I need to vote selfishly”; “Brexit is what was voted for so we need to get it done”; “comrade Corbyn as PM would be a disaster”; “Boris has got character and a sense of humour”; “you can’t trust any of them”.
On social media, probably based on my own leanings and the people I follow, I’ve seen much more commentary about tactical voting and the need to achieve a hung parliament to force a second referendum.
People are clearly more politicised now than in any time in recent history. The fact ex-Conservative heavyweights such as John Major, Michael Heseltine and Kenneth Clarke were actively urging people not to vote Tory, while A-list celebrities such as Hugh Grant – despite the vitriol they faced from others on social media – argued the same, is evidence of this.
And so the results – a strong majority for the Conservatives in terms of MPs in parliament and some big shocks. Many Labour seats have become Conservative and key figures such as Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson and ex-Tory and Labour candidates now running as independents have not regained their seats – Anna Soubry, Dominic Grieve and Chuka Umunna to name a few
This, however, doesn’t necessarily represent the feelings of the majority. Indeed, it should be noted that more people voted for pro-second referendum parties than for the two pro-leave parties, yet our (flawed) first past the post voting system fails to reflect this.
And despite the promises of Boris Johnson and co now about Brexit being “oven ready”, it’s worth pointing out the next few months and years are anything but certain.
Johnson’s “get Brexit done” mantra now needs to be turned into real action based on the expectations of those who want this to happen. For an impartial observer based overseas, the coming year looks set to be an interesting one. For people who actually live and work in the UK, I’m not convinced “interesting” is the right word to use.
One thing we can be certain of in travel is that we are at least used to uncertainty – from big tour operator and agency failures, to major natural or man-made disasters, to terrorist incidents and fluctuating currency.
And throughout this, thankfully, people continue to go on holiday, book ahead and yearn for new places and new experiences. This is good news for all of us, provided we focus on the positives and the certainties over the coming months.
Will the new government mean that people think carefully about when and where they travel? Possibly. Will the new government mean that people stop travelling? Decidedly not.
Whatever my personal views on the outcome of yesterday’s election, we can at least be certain that though the coming months will experience turbulence on the ground, it is probably unlikely to be reflected in our industry in any negative way.
