Brexit – where now Britain? | The European Financial Review | Empowering communications globally
London is still reeling from the shock
of the vote to leave the EU. For those living and working in London,
remaining in Europe was a no brainer. But for the rest of the United
Kingdom, leaving was the only option. The referendum registered the
difference between the economy of the lives of real people and those of
the London city folks: those who felt left out by globalisation and the
new economy of financial pages, voted to leave. These people feel that
the system is not working for them.
The new analysis following the leave
vote is to some extent blaming the distance between the people and the
politicians and the latter’s failure to acknowledge and roll out viable
policies to deal with the people’s concerns about immigration.
Immigration, like it or not, was the rallying cry for the Leave vote, and Farage’s UKIP party did not shy away from that.
Official figures in the UK showed that
millions of people were worse off over the past 10 years, more people
in employment are receiving in-work benefits. Present day Britain is one
that is divided along class lines, education, and prosperity. Great
swathes of communities outside the commercial centres in London,
Manchester, and other larger cities have not seen the so called
prosperity trickling down to their communities. Jobs lost, social
services cut, the future is dismal. It is the era of scapegoating, and
lazy politics. But when the dust has settled, depressed communities will
find Brexit will not give them jobs, a library, local parks or
playgrounds for their youngsters, or even more money in their pocket. It
will not give them a more rosy future and neither will it end
immigration automatically. They will find that this was just a hollow
victory.
This may well be the turning point in UK
politics. The politicians will no longer have Europe to blame and will
have to come up with answers.
Exiting Europe may well mean the beginning of accountability!
