Charlie Blackledge
75% Leave?
75% Leave? Charlie Blackledge is an artist who explores a sense of place in marginalised areas of the UK. Her practice is driven by historical and socio-political research. She uses this to explore the collective identity of a community. The photographs attempt to be less social documentary, but more a metaphorical and poetic representation of these facts and data. Recent economic policy and political events, in particular the EU Referendum have left England, and the wider UK a more divided country than we have seen in decades. The gap between rich and poor, right and left, rural and urban has increased exponentially. If we are going to bridge this divide and become a more united community; it is vital we gain a greater understanding of the experiences and values of the “opposite” side. The work is based in the county of Lincolnshire, England; identified as the highest vote Leave County in the EU Referendum. Boston turned out the highest vote for Leave (75%). Spalding was second at 73%. There are also three other local councils in the county who are in the top ten Leave results in the UK. History itself is subjective, in every culture we have histories that are repressed or buried. The one we know is not often the real history. The media representation of the Brexit debate has contributed to polarising and simplifying identity and history. As a Remainer myself, I wanted to look beyond the media portrayal of this part of the country and divisive headlines such as “How a Lincolnshire town became 'the most divided place in England', “Racism unleashed: 'Send the lot back' – on the road in post-referendum England”
The work identifies wider historical and social issues that have created the lived experience and identity of this community, and in turn led to their decision to vote to leave the European Union. 75% Leave is a mass simplification. Lincolnshire is the agricultural heartland of England, responsible for growing and packing much of the fresh food we buy .The demand for a greater agricultural labour force coincided with the enlargement of the EU. Over one decade, Boston saw its migrant population increase by 467% and South Holland by 225%. One in six is now a migrant. The small market town of Boston now has the highest concentration of migrants outside London. ( Migration Observatory University of Oxford ) In August 2010 the government stealthily ended the Migration Impact Fund; this had provided much needed money for the rise in demand and stretched public services. GP surgeries and hospitals in the area struggled to provide health care, schools could not accommodate the massive rise in demand for places. This was not reinstated until after the referendum in 2018. Due to it's proximity to mainland Europe & the flat rural landscape, Lincolnshire nicknamed “Bomber county” played a pivotal role in World War II. During the war there were more than 100 military airfields, including dummy airfields and emergency landing strips. The area's contribution to the Battle of Britain and ultimately the success of stopping Germany occupying England, is enormous. Lincolnshire continues to play a major role in the defence and security of the country; . RAF Coningsby is one of two RAF Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) Stations which protect UK airspace from potential threat. RAF Holbeach is one of the busiest active bombing ranges where Typhoons doing their training. The portrayal of the area as racist and bigoted ignores historical migration and links with other communities. 4 Polish air force squadrons moved to Lincolnshire in 1942. Polish airmen and airwomen played a crucial role in the Battle of Britain. After the war the Polish aircrew wanted to return home, but many who did were arrested and executed as spies. In 1947 the British government brought in the Polish Resettlement Act, allowing them to settle in Britain, many stayed in Lincolnshire. Lincolnshire is an inaccessible, remote part of England, with no motorways running through it; in many ways isolated from the urban centres it provides for. No Industrial Revolution happened here. No migration to the factories occurred as it did in the urban conurbations. You do not go “via or through” this corner to somewhere else; it ends at the North Sea. The Beeching report saw the cut of numerous railway stations in Lincolnshire, often in the most economically challenged parts of the county . “ Beeching contributed to the UK's geographical divide between thriving big cities and struggling smaller towns. Without Beeching there might not have been a vote for Brexit.”( The Guardian 6 Oct 2019) The State of the Nation 2017 Social Mobility report identified; “The Midlands is the worst region of the country for social mobility for those from disadvantaged backgrounds – half the local authority areas in the East Midlands are social mobility hot spots“ This work is an ongoing project which seeks to build a broader narrative through juxtaposing images that explore these facts about the identity of the place and people . It will culminate in a book.