Brexit Exposes Britain’s Bad And Ugly Side

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By Bhupinder Sing Liddar

Xenophobia – fear of foreigners or strangers – exploded on the streets in Britain, after the “Leave EU” camp, Brexit, won the referendum on June 23.

Racial slurs, verbal and physical attacks were directed at Britain’s colored population in major urban areas and even recent immigrants mainly of Polish descent were attacked. A Polish Cultural Centre was vandalized. Police reported a 57 per cent increase in hate crimes, after Brexit vote.

After almost four decades Britain decided to walk out of the European Union. France, not once but  twice advised against starting such a relationship. In 1963 and 1967, France’s President Charles de Gaulle vetoed United Kingdom’s entry into, what was then known as European Economic Market. He alluded his actions to British sense of arrogance and self-importance. It was only after de Gaulle’s fall from power in 1969, that UK applied and became a member on January 1, 1973.

The referendum question was straightforward and simple, as were the two choices:

“Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union?

  • Remain a member of European Union
  • Leave the European Union”

So where was the confusion? Was the decision to walk away based on economics, social, political, or some other reasons? No one really knows, including those who voted to exit and now want to change their minds!

What emerged, is that British facade of a tolerant, inclusive society, cracked, flaked and crumbled. Thanks to social media, the insular British island’s latent, long-simmering, ugly underbelly surfaced immediately after the vote to leave EU. Brexit turned bad and ugly! The reaction to exit vote quickly picked up, revealed and reported worldwide – xenophobia, racism, and intolerance was the order of the day. Colored Britons bore the brunt of verbal and physical abused. There were reports of their businesses torched. What was not on the referendum surfaced as major issues. Latent racism and xenophobia, hallmarks of British society in 60s and 70s, suddenly manifested in ugly acts of violence and hate.

Understandably, the British have been frustrated by dictates from EU headquarters – from regulating size of bananas, to incursions into what British consider their private lifestyles. Britain too was cautious in moving too close to Europe. For instance, it stayed from the Euro monetary union and constantly spurned and questioned EU regulations, citing threat to British sovereignty. It resisted moves to implement free movement of people across Europe’s borders and picked and chose from which countries people could move to Britain.

On the other hand, Zealous Eurocrats perhaps moved too fast dreaming up of a Euro Army and one Euro foreign policy! As a requirement of free movement of goods and people, a significant number of immigrants from former Eastern European countries such as Poland headed to Britain to work and live. As any immigrants, they worked hard, but the British were always suspicious accusing them of taking away their jobs. The British forgot that borders of other 26 European Union countries were open to them, and many moved to work there.

The British were told of millions being siphoned off from National Health Service, to be spent on immigrants and refugees. Media carried horror stories of immigrants and refugees being housed in luxury hotel style accommodations. The anti-Europe/Eurosceptics, right-wing politicians, jumped at the opportunity to whip hysteria among the public against perceived waste on services for immigrants and refugees. Unfortunately, not so recent immigrants also joined the anti-immigrant wave. They bought into the argument that more recent arrivals, than themselves, were stealing jobs, there was no room in the country left for any more immigrants and refugees, are a burden on health care and social security and other social services. Ironically, the British could come, conquer and impose their lifestyle on countries on all continents during the days of their empire, but do not wish to see the same faces in Britain.

There was an element of anti-Muslim bias too. Right-wing British politicians promised to save the island nation against hordes from Europe and elsewhere. Leading up to the referendum, right-wing politicians made covert references, equating leaving EU, to putting an end to immigration and stopping flow of refugees.

So what transpired was a carefully calculated political manipulation of the public sentiments and emotions, with battle cry of “Taking Britain Back”!

Could such a tragic drama of events unfold on the streets of Canada. No! Because “official” Canada has invested wisely and heavily, in building an inclusive and tolerant country.

Bhupinder S. Liddar, is a retired Canadian diplomat and former publisher/editor of Diplomat & nternational Canada magazine. He can be contacted at [email protected] or visit his website www.liddar.ca