Why Brexit — Observations from a Former EU Person
I used to work for the European Union (EU), so the Brexit referendum results with the United Kingdom (UK) voting to "Leave" the EU, comes as a bit of a shock! One always expected the Brits to be more aware and at least more attuned to their own self-interest. How could the smart, savvy Londoner be seduced by the "Leave" campaign which trafficked in fear to a repulsive degree and waved the spectre of a controlling global force stealing national identity.
My faith in Londoners and the people of Edinburgh was well founded! The liberal, metropolitan voter class in London cast their ballots overwhelmingly to "Remain" in the EU. So did Scotland and Northern Ireland. But the small towns and provincial industrial centres of England — many of which are hard-hit by the flight of corporate capital and good jobs — voted overwhelmingly to "Leave."
Xenophobia Rules!
Two Uber drivers in the past week asked me why this was happening. It's the same xenophobia and fear of immigrants taking their jobs that is driving the blue collar white vote Stateside (in the Republican Party) to support Donald Trump. The run-up to the UK referendum was marked by a bitterly divided campaign, one that was as much about immigration fears as it was about the global economy.
Outside London, Britons don't much like the idea of multiculturalism. Xenophobia appears to be the electorate's response to what they consider is large-scale immigration to an already overpopulated country, particularly when the immigrants are of a different race or culture. At this present time, the "other" seems to overwhelmingly mean people from Poland, Turkey, and countries in the Middle East.(Not so much South Asian "Pakis" — yeah, big surprise!)
Reaction to Globalisation
It is also a reaction to globalisation and an escape valve for the frustration and fear of the majority. Britons saw their jobs disappearing overseas or going to foreigners: the usual phenomenon of capital seeking the cheapest labor, the most lax environmental guidelines, and a more favourable regulatory environment beyond national borders. I saw a comment that it is better to cast a ballot than wield "the guillotine or headman's axe!" Okay, but in the 21st century, we should be able to find parallels outside the French Revolution!
It won't be easy for the UK to extract itself from the EU's mind-boggling bureaucracy. It may take years of negotiation. What is worse is that Scotland and Northern Ireland have voted to "Remain" so this may mean a second referendum by Scotland for independence from the UK. That particular disaster was avoided two years ago but what happens now? Will Northern Ireland and Wales follow suit?
Cameron and Johnson
Outgoing prime minister David Cameron (who thoughtlessly engineered the referendum without regard for how it would turn out) has much to answer for and may go down in history as the biggest "boob" as well as the architect of Britain's downfall! Boris Johnson, his likely successor— the tubby, cycle-riding, bombastic pol and former London mayor who made his name during the 2012 London Olympics — is perhaps less shamelessly racist than UK Independence Party leader, Nigel Farage, head of the "Leave" EU campaign.
But Johnson and Cameron (both Conservatives) blotted their copybook with overtly racist comments in the campaign that voted in Sadiq Khan (Labour Party), the first Muslim to be elected mayor of London (May 2016). Khan is a firm opponent of Donald Trump and has attacked him on a number of occasions. During his mayoral campaign he accused British Conservatives of using the "Donald Trump playbook" to divide communities in order to prevent his election.
Britain has had classic xenophobes like the late Enoch Powell a half century ago (did you know he wanted to be Viceroy of India?), while France currently has Marine Le Pen and the Dutch have Geert Wilders. But Britons have always been more outgoing, less insular, more of this world! This is something one expects from newly-liberated Eastern and Central European former Communist countries (that have now settled into apparent dictatorships), not the liberal west and certainly not the country that gave us the Magna Carta and the pillars of modern democracy (regard for human rights and civil liberties). Yes, few observers expected to see this happen. You don't throw out the baby (the EU) with the bath water - you fix the baby! And true, there is much to fix!
Brits Googling "What is the EU?"
Despite all-out attempts by both sides to court voters, Britons were not only in the dark by what would happen if they left the EU — many seemed not to even know what the European Union is (not kidding)! Web watchers report that the question most Googled the week of and the day of the referendum was (wait for it) "what is the EU?"
When Trump arrived in Britain, he said the vote to quit the EU was “a great thing” and used his favourite phrase, the British “took back their country.” He did not say took back from whom. He left his audience to fill in the blanks! Sarah Palin was also celebrating!
Consequences
So far the referendum has had both expected and unexpected consequences. It has caused stock markets and currencies to plunge worldwide. The Financial Times said it could damage the chances of Britain’s biggest steel producer, Tata Steel, (also a large employer of skilled British workers) maintaining its operations in the UK, as well as Tata Motors, and maybe its UK subsidiary, Jaguar Land Rover.
Ludi Joseph
June 24, 2016
Excellent post. Indeed, I feel sorry for Cameron as noted, but it's a self-inflicted wound. A couple of years ago he did the same thing with the Scottish referendum, that was a nail-biter, now this. Did you see that article by Martin Fletcher in the NYT? About how the "leave" campaign was all lies and fear-mongering?
ReplyDeleteSo Boris Johnson, can't say I like him, I think he was motivated by jealousy of Dave, the latter is a real toff while Bojo is, er, "touched by the tar brush", as his hero Churchill might say. I saw a debate between him and Mary Beard on "Greece vs Rome" and he
tried to win with cheap jibes. She beat him hollow. That shambolic cuddly demeanor is an act - he's quite nasty.
Hope this doesn't mean Trump will be Prez - he's got the same insular, keep the foreigners out, supporters.
Sita - thanks for your comment. Yes, I saw Martin Fletcher's op-ed about how BoJo (writing for the Telegraph), castigated the EU for years, mainly to make a name for himself, thereby creating an environment for the "Leave" campaign. I recall BoJo's nasty critiques of former EC president Jacques Delors. He is so set on becoming PM that (like Donald Trump), he will do or say anything! Despite his own Turkish-Muslim/ French/ Swiss-German heritage, he regularly attacks immigrants and bashes gays, embracing whatever the populist sentiment happens to be! To see an Eton-Oxford man from an upper-class world of entitlement and wealth now play the anti-establishment hero is rich indeed...
DeleteSita - I forgot to respond to what you said about Mary Beard. Yes, she really demolished Boris at the Greece vs. Rome Intelligence Squared debate! I see her often on PBS talking about Ancient Rome which invented the idea of ‘pan-European’ hegemony, since advanced by Napoleon and, of course, Brussels (the EU)!
DeleteWhen I thought of writing a comment on the first-rate post, my idea was to get some advice from the author about the parallelism between the "Brexit" movement and the Trumpist one in the US, and its consequences. Sita Ramaswami in the last sentence hit the same note. Would you, Ludi, write on the issue (perhaps that can be a new blog). You voted in the US for the first time, you haven't written anything on the US campaign!
ReplyDeleteThanks Mati. Very insightful! I'm so exercised about Brexit because I once worked for the EU - and have a proprietorial interest in all things Anglo - but you are quite right. I should and will write about elections Stateside, especially the scary Brexit echoes in Trump's movement!
Delete