I was in New York at the time of the Brexit vote. I found out the result at two in the morning and was incredibly disappointed, but not surprised.

I couldn’t get back to sleep and found myself reading for few hours about the collapse of the pound and fall of the markets—everything that Mark Carney and George Osborne had warned of.

desperate events do have consequences but by skill, effort and ambition we pull through.I went for a run along the Hudson River and everything suddenly felt much better. The newly completed Freedom Tower reminded me that desperate events do have consequences, but by skill, effort and ambition, we pull through. Later in the day I sent a message to the office from MoMA, with an image of an E type Jaguar from their permanent collection and Richard Avedon’s brilliant portraits of The Beatles. I was trying to remind everyone that Britain’s creativity in music, art, design, fashion, architecture and film has been and will be our key to success. And rather than feel disappointed by the result we need to use this as a spur.

This isn’t the blind optimism of a Patriot. I am acutely aware of the competition from Europe, China, Southeast Asia, and elsewhere, and the efforts being made in research and the investments in education. We need to redouble our efforts to be at the forefront of quality and innovation.

I think of myself very much as a European. We share a common culture and intertwined histories good and bad. Like a family. But I increasingly feel like a citizen of the world and our success as a country post-Brexit relies, as it would within the EU, in our ability to produce and deliver world-class goods and services that the world wants. Interestingly, by my account James Dyson was the only businessman that I admire advocating Brexit.

We surely want the best in the world, not just Europe.I voted to remain (by post) and all my friends and family did too, as far as I am aware. But it was clear to me on recent visits to the Midlands and the most of England that there was huge support for Brexit. So it is a mystery to me why the result came as such a shock. I’ve met David Cameron and travelled around on a trade mission with him to Malaysia where we worked on the Klang Valley Metro. Personally I’ve always voted Labour (apart from delivering about 5,000 leaflets for Lynne Featherstone after the unnecessary invasion of Iraq) but I like Cameron a lot. Unfortunately I think he seriously misjudged the mood of the nation and Farage probably couldn’t believe his luck when a simple remain-or-leave vote was proposed. It was far too big and too complicated a decision for a yes or no.

Weston Williamson have had to bypass Europe to find work abroad. We have worked in the USA, Haiti, China, Malaysia, Singapore, UAE and Australia. But no matter how hard we try even with German and French partners we have never been able to win work in Europe. 40% of our staff is from mainland Europe and we hope this will continue to be a fantastic source of great talent. Our Spanish, Italian, German and French architects all have very special and distinct talents and make for a great design team. But also we have wanted to employ talent from China or Seoul or Malaysia and wondered why it is so much harder than attracting the best from Europe? We surely want the best in the world, not just Europe.

I have been disappointed by the view that the Brexit vote conveyed a fractured nation, exposing racism and ignorance as the key component in the majority vote. I don’t think it was a “Little England” mentality that won the day more of a “Britain is Great” mind-set. The The remain campaign relied too much on fear of leaving rather than opportunities of staying and all the good that membership in the European Union has achieved.Brexit campaign, like it or not, won over hearts and minds.

The remain campaign relied too much on fear of leaving rather than opportunities of staying and all the good that membership in the European Union has achieved. Labour, the Women’s Equality party and others were strangely silent. The country may have thought Johnson, Gove and Duncan-Smith had some sort of plan and have since been sorely disappointed to find them quickly falling apart.

I don’t think racism played a great part, or ignorance. I stand with Tony Benn that most people are far more intelligent and knowledgeable than given credit. And are not to be underestimated. Whitehall was mistrusted as is Washington. This has been coming for many years. Donald Trump in the U.S. is finding similar support from families who are being told about the trickle down economy but keep waiting for new living standards, jobs and hopes to improve. Perhaps if more had been done to progress the Northern Powerhouse earlier or take HS2 to Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield, then the result may have been different.

For years many people have been concerned about the divide between cities and the rest of the country. About residential prices rocketing in London in particular and overseas buyers. Newspapers in Singapore and Malaysia contain pages of adverts for flats (at prices our children can not afford) often stressing the proximity of Crossrail. The government has the effect of the people’s vote in the referendum will do a lot more to halt or slow this overseas investment, wittingly or not.done too little too late to address this but the effect of the people’s vote in the referendum will do a lot more to halt or slow this overseas investment, wittingly or not.

The kneejerk reaction of the markets and investors shows more than the vote did, about what a divided country we have become. Now is the time for a new mood to share wealth and opportunities more widely and equitably.

Either knowingly or not we have decided to slow down the economy. Investments are being paused whilst the situation is assessed. At the RIBA council meeting in July there were serious concerns from all architects across all sectors. We all have to redouble our efforts to compete for investment from a wider world and not rely on Europe. History might prove that the people’s decision was the best we ever made. It could be the crowning glory of Elizabeth II’s long and relatively peaceful and prosperous reign. We will merely be the first to leave an ever-closer Europe and a good negotiated settlement could see us trading with, and acquiring the best talents from, a wider world.