AS you are no doubt aware, June 23 was the day of the EU Referendum.

But for me, it was a far more important day. It was my birthday.

I was born on June 23 2004. I was born in Airedale General Hospital an EU citizen. My mum is English and my dad is Portuguese, so I'm 'half/half'. When I was a young boy, I am even quoted to have asked which half was which.

Yet this year, on my 12th birthday, the UK was voting to leave the EU.

I find this hard to believe as we held a 'referendum' at Ilkley Grammar School and more than 80 per cent of the students there voted to remain.

I do not understand why the vote was allowed to happen in the first place? I mean, aren't politicians and economists meant to know what's best? Yet they put this vote to the public, who seem to have become confused with what they were actually voting for. Some thought they were voting against immigration, others thought voting to leave would reduce waiting times at the doctors, others voted to leave and didn't actually think it would happen!

What is annoying for many young people like myself is that only people over the age of 18 have had this vote, and yet it is our generation that will have to live through this. We should have had a say. Up until the age of 44, the majority vote nationally was to remain.

So, how long will it take to leave the EU? What are we leaving for? What will happen? Why are we leaving when the vote was so narrow – two per cent either way and it would have been 50:50? I would hardly call it an overriding victory.

I, like many young people, have many unanswered questions. I also think it unfair that we are leaving on the basis 52 per cent of the vote was to leave, yet only 72 per cent of the population voted. By my maths, this actually only represents 37 per cent of the UK voting population!

I feel our generation has been let down; we have had no say and yet it is our future.

My family, friends and neighbours are all disappointed, confused and even upset by the vote. They all wanted to remain EU citizens, as did nearly half of those that voted. Who knows what lies ahead. I guess I should feel lucky I still have EU citizenship with my Portuguese passport. For others, it's gone.

So, in years to come, on say my 18th or 21st birthdays, I wonder what I will remember of June 23 2016? A day of 'Great Independence', as some believe, or a 'Day of Disaster'.

Tomas Cesar de Sa, aged 12

Ilkley Grammar School Year 7