Brexit watch

The editorial from the latest 'Charlie Hebdo' It is a bit long but some of you might find it an interesting read.

ÉDITO
RACISTS, GO HOME !
Par Charlie Hebdo - 29/06/2016
The British have voted to leave Europe. The most surprising part of this whole campaign has been the discovery of a clear and openly racist discourse in the UK. Right in front of microphones and cameras, a great many Brexit partisans were not at all shy about saying that there were too many foreigners and that immigration threatened their 'identity'. Did this near hate-speech, traditionally the preserve of the far-right parties in France or Austrian neo-Nazis, not seem to lose something of its utter abjection when openly and audibly intoned in the country of Shakespeare and Isaac Newton? As though, in some variant of a Harry Potter magic spell, the horridness of continental-style racism disappears in a puff of respectability as soon as it crosses the Channel. For years now, we've had our noses rubbed in the incontrovertible fact that, over there, in England, there weren't the same kinds of problems of integration as there are in France and the rest of Europe. That, across the water, multiculturalism was the winning recipe for allowing all identities the place and position they sought. That, in Britain, whether you wore a veil, a niqab, a turban or a bowler hat, everyone cohabited in perfect harmony in the enviable Kingdom of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The success of Brexit shows us just how bogus that notion was. A majority of the British (more particularly the English) are fed up with foreigners. They can no longer bear seeing their 'identity' making ever more concessions to the identities of the newly-arrived. It wasn't Europe that burned down in the night between last Thursday and Friday, it was principally the dream-image of seamless Anglo-Saxon multiculturalism. And when you look at the success of the frankly racist discourse of Trump in the US, you can't help but think that the failure of the English-speaking world's model for dealing with migration has not yet reached its lowest point. There may be more ashes through which to sift.

So then, it seems that the majority of English people are racist and don't want their borders open to all those grubby brown down-and-outs setting out in inflatable boats for the dream of Europe. Who knew?

To frighten the British voter (and most of Europe), the media have emphasized the Stock Exchange meltdown that would surely follow Brexit. It has been the dominant idiom. There's been much too little talk about the more xenophobic and inhuman parts of the Brexit debate. But since racism isn't listed on the Stock Exchange, it's never considered a problem. According to the brilliant little wizards of the City, only the market can give value to things.

There's been too little talk about the xenophobic and inhuman parts of the Brexit debate.

In reality, we can't really give a damn about plunging currencies or stocks. Firstly because, before now, stocks and currencies have always managed to do lots of plunging all on their own without any help from referenda. And then, the markets are so profoundly and definitively irrational that there will be plenty of other financial fiascos. Tomorrow, next week, they're guaranteed - and inherent - a mere function of the absurdity and madness of global high finance. We don't need a Brexit for that.

For much too long, we have refused to believe in the existence of a racism that wears the Made in England label. We thought England was the Sex Pistols, James Bond and the Beatles. This picturesque myth, this cute postcard that continentals have so thoroughly bought, has made us forget that England was, historically, a colonial country, dominating and exploiting multitudes of people across the globe, 'those lawless and inferior peoples' as Kipling would have it. A similar French postcard would show only croissants, Burgundy and Monet. No place for military torture in the Algerian War of Independence, the Vichy Regime or the far Right paramilitary OAS in the fifties and sixties. Brexit has ripped up the postcard and shown us the more shameful face of England.

Nigel Farage, leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party, was exultant on that starkest of Friday mornings. He hailed the victory of 'ordinary people', of 'honest folk'. According to him, the 'real people' had spoken. Fair enough, it's all very well that the people should be 'the people' but that doesn't stop them screwing up bigtime. If the elite sometimes talk a lot of crap, the people aren't that far behind them in the bullshit stakes. It was those same fabulous 'people' who burned books in 1930s Berlin because the authors were Jews. At the end of the Second World War in France, who was it that publicly shaved the heads of those French women who had slept with German soldiers? Yup, that's right. Those wonderful 'people' again. This vote to quit Europe by the 'people' of Britain can go right on the shelf beside all those other manifestations of hatred and fear.

For years now, we've been denouncing the European construct, the Commission and all its incoherence. We've heard repeatedly that the British couldn't take it anymore. We've seen geniuses like Boris Johnson solemnly explaining that Brussels now regulated the permitted size of bananas. But sovereign, national legal codes also produce cumbersome and absurd regulations. Sticking exclusively to a national parliament rather than a European one is not going to stop the law being an ass. Is being nationalist just a matter of preferring your own stupid stuff to the stupid stuff of foreigners? The private joke of indigenous incompetence as opposed to all that messy foreign mayhem?

Alas, the English want nothing to do with us. They want nothing to do with foreigners. Even perhaps the Scottish. Those pesky Picts are probably now going to try to detach from this long-united Kingdom. The English will live on their steadily shrinking bit of island. And since they want to become once more foreigners to the continent of Europe, does that mean that we should block up the Channel Tunnel? Then when they want to visit the continent, they'll have to climb into inflatable rafts and paddle across the narrow sea. Once at Calais, we'll give them hot coffee and blankets. Volunteers will take over, sort them and move them to reception centres for displaced (and unwanted) foreigners. That will make them feel right at home.

Yes Daphnedill some of those enthusiastic converter academies are now very worried about where they will get the money from to replace decrepit facilities. The LA previously would have funded major capital projects and they did not come out of the running costs.

It is two weeks now since the referendum.
I have a wide circle of family,friends and colleagues who voted for both remain and leave.
Those for leave are obviously pleased and are very positive that in a few years time,the UK will be in a very stable position.
Those for remain are obviously disappointed,though a few on the fence are accepting of the vote,and others are hopeful that it may be better than they fear.
Thankfully,we are able to discuss together with no animosity whatsoever.
However,we ALL share concern over the state of our two leading parties,which has caused a period of uncertainty when they should be showing strong leadership.And of course,a new Prime Minister from a very limited choice.
Not to evoke article 50 adds to the uncertainty,both here, across Europe and beyond.
The out vote will hold and article 50 should be evoked.

and experience them as neither friendly or courteous
We spent 5 years travelling all over Europe in our motohome. We met many many Germans so all I can assume is that they are two faced as we were invited to many evenings for food and drink.
I wish I was still on the road and could show that comment to German people.

Yep! And what's more, civil service bosses have admitted that we just don't have the skill in the UK, because we're not used to negotiations. Therefore, many of the posts will have to be filled by immigrants - eg people who've worked for the EU or places like New Zealand. British taxpayers will pay their salaries, so they can go in the ever-lengthening queue for ways to spend the (mythical) £350,000.

This reminds me of schools when they 'freed' themselves from local authority control, either to become grant maintained or, more recently, converter academies. They were rubbing their hands in glee when they were told how much extra money they would receive, but it didn't last long when they realised how much they'd have to pay buying in services and resources.

What? All those extra civil servants?
Brexiters didn't vote for that!
We need another referendum!

as that's been my experience of them when I've been on holiday <<<you might as well have said 'ner ner tit for tat'. It's typical of the kind of barriers and antagonism I have worked so hard for all my career to break down.

Now then for the soundbites:

The UK IS a sovereign nation
The UK DOES make its own laws
THE UK IS in control of its own borders
EU politicians are not unelected - in fact the method by which they are elected is MORE democratic that UK politicians
The EU does NOT tell people what they can and can't do - the UK has more MEPs than almost any other country and EU laws do not have to be incorporated into UK law.

Cameron has just announced the formation of a 300 strong negotiating team within the civil service, just to unpick the UK from the EU. Do you think they'll be overpaid too? It will take years/decades to renegotiate deals, so will provide these people with plenty of work. The UK is going to have to reintroduce all sorts of government departments which disappeared as we became more integrated in the EU. So much for getting rid of overpaid bureaucrats!

So how are people's lives going to improve?

Anarchy? By those who wanted control.

No point having sovereignty or control ( whatever such nebulous concepts mean) if those who spouted it have jumped ship, the country is up sh1t creek , the opposition is divided, and we are headed for the rocks. This seems to be the opposite of control.

But what do you want the government to do now, Smileless?
That might be what you voted for, but it doesn't translate into practical solutions.
I n the mesntime we have a vacuum created by Brexit.

I want us to retain our sovereignty, to be able to make our laws, control our borders. I do not what to be dictated by overpaid un elected politicians who say what can and cannot happen in a country that they do not live in or have a stake in.

I didn't vote to leave because I am as MargaretX claims the German's regard us as "neither friendly or courteous" which I find rather interesting as that's been my experience of them when I've been on holiday.

I exercised my democratic right and what I want now that the vote has been taken and the decision made, is for those who voted to stay to accept the majority and stop talking down those that voted to leave.

Like you Whitewave I want this country to continue to cooperate over climate, ecological and environmental issues.

I never expected the EU to bend over backwards if the vote to leave was made granjura; they didn't do that when we were a member (and I'm not saying they should have) so they're hardly going to do so now.

What do those that votedBrexit want?

Most Germans are not surprised about the British voting for Brexit. They meet the English mostly on holiday and experience them as neither friendly nor courteous.

In todays paper there is a list of exports and imports between Germany and the UK. The UK imports so much! millions of Euros worth, really basic things like food and technical things. They will never find anyone to fullfill all these 'needs' and so simply and efficiently transported.
If they put their faith in Canada then Canada will have to be different to what it looks like to day, producing all
those goods which the Uk no longer produces for itself

Perhaps Aldi and Lidle will start dropping care parcels.

Good point Gracesgran! The important thing is that 'lessons are learnt' (as they say) and politicians work to minimise the underlying problems which caused so many people to feel alienated (and poor). BREXIT was as symptom of other issues. Globalisation is a benefit to people on aggregate but it's not trickling down to everybody.

Just in case you don't have anything to do today, I'm going to repost a link to a talk by Alexander Betts, which was posted by somebody else earlier:

www.ted.com/talks/alexander_betts_why_brexit_happened_and_what_to_do_next?language=en

There are a lot of people who voted without knowing what they wanted, and are happy to leave it up to politicians.
It's a shame the politicians have no idea either.
The EU that they wanted out of took forty years to reach the point it had. How long did it take the USA to come to the position where agreements had been made about which laws should be national, and which state?
It cannot possibly be unravelled in such a short timescale.
As whitewave says, there are lots of good laws from the EU that we will want to keep.
The problem is who do we trust to do the unravelling?
It will not matter, anyway, as we, the voters, will not be asked about that.

"I wonder what people want from a post Brexit UK?"

That is the salient point Whitewave. We have had an advisory vote telling the government that the majority that voted wanted to leave the EU; nothing more, nothing less.

What type of society they expect that to achieve is unknown and may even not be possible and all around MPs are cowardly turning their back on the chaos they have created and still not listening

I wonder what people want from a post Brexit UK?

I for one would like to continue to cooperate with Europe over issues like climate, ecological and environmental.

Many of the regulations governing, working practices and conditions, are a real progressive improvement on what we had before. I would not want that altered unless it was for the better for the ordinary worker.

Much of the financial support given to poorer areas and things like research and universities, were outstanding this must continue.

And of course we should no more generalise about "the rest of Europe" than about "those people" who voted to Brexit, many of whom voted for reasons other than those given (perceived unaccountability and corruption in the EU admin, for starters). And it would be interesting to know how ballots would go in other EU countries, not that I want them to happen.

As I've said, I'm a passionate Remainer. I'm very unhappy about the Leave vote, but we have to accept it, work with what we've got to get the best possible outcome for everyone, and above all, stop castigating others for exercising their democratic right to vote in a way we don't like.

I can understand how those who follow these things may feel like that granjura but what they really need to understand is that we are reflecting a truth in most or even all developed countries; Politics isn't working for the majority.

So we can totally ignore the feelings of the rest of Europe, of course- and sit proud on the Island/s - but what I am saying is that if some are expecting the rest of Europe to be in the mood to negotiate, when in fact the UK had already negotiated the very best deal of all EU countries (no Euro, no Schengen and huge concessions) - now we are OUT- they better realise that Europe is NOT going to bend over backwards to help out- believing they will is pie int he sky.

The people I am talking about come from all walks of life. Some of them, who have travelled a lot and speak good English- have followed the events very carefully. So when they talk about 'those'people- it is those who believed the lies fed to them, about the 350 mio, about no free movement of people with bilateral agreements, about Refugees and immigrants from Africa, Syria, Pakistan, etc, being part of Europe, about the exxagerated figures for EU migrants (5% of the population only)... etc etc. And about the rise in racist attacks of all kinds since Brexit. And yes, they are shocked and just can't believe what they hear, read and see - and how so many were hood winked into believing those lies.

Well, ha ha for them - so glad they're having a jolly time exercising their prejudices.

I am a passionate remainer, but the superiority of Ed Vulliamy - he's always thought of his British passport as a badge of shame, etc - makes me cringe.

I'm lucky to have European friends who would never sneer about "those people", but rather express genuine interest and curiosity in the reasons for the Brexit vote.

Welshwife - thanks for that article. It must be difficult for those in the UK to gauge the reaction from the rest of Europe.
We are intend the laughing stock- and we have friends and family popping in, or accosting us when out shopping or walking- saying how sorry they are, and then hesistating and asking 'how on earth could you live there so long, with those people' and asking if there is anything they can do and if we will be able to cope (they knew we've lost 40% of income before Brexit, and are likely to lose another 20 or mor %- so 60+ of income loss is not easy to plan for) etc. The reactions have been amazing to mind-boggling.

The European Press is having a field day. My nephew is a catoonist for 2 famous satyrical papers here- and he and his team have been ruthless.

A view from the other side of the Channel - just to show what normal European people think of Brexit.

gu.com/p/4zbkz/sbl

Just got back from holiday and have found another lie in the pamphlet that annoyed me so much. The signpost on the front says one way, 'vote leave and take back control' and the other directon says 'stay in the EU permanently'. Doesn't that make people think that there would never again be the option to leave the EU in the future. I'm going to copy this pamphlet and send it to my MP asking her opinion of the lies.