and how this will harm the UK
It’s becoming clearer by the day that the result of the referendum for the UK to leave the EU was a right wing coup. Some types of right wing are “simply” nationalists - they like to keep things British and some of them don’t like too many foreigners. Enough is enough. But there are other types of right wing which are more interesting - the right wing liberals. These are ultra-conservatives who believe that anything interfering with a free market is inherently wrong.
Free marketeers are not particularly concerned about immigration. But they are instinctively suspicious of the EU, with its working time directives, environmental protections, human rights, workplace rights, product quality standards, and “red tape” (ha - wait until the UK leaves the EU!) and somewhat left-wing leanings. In short, ethics. Some prominent right-wingers may even have experienced personal inconvenience or minor financial loss at the hands of the EU, and are out to get it. For example, Rupert Murdoch simply has no influence over the EU in the same way that he does over the UK.
Thus free-marketeers have decided that the “nation state” is the superior model than European superstate, and indeed much of the UK population feels the same way. The problem is that the UK leaving the EU will not turn the EU into a set of small states again. We cannot turn back the clock 40 years and trade with each country in Europe any more. It’s the UK and EU, that is the reality we live in now, and that will put the UK at a distinct disadvantage. The UK’s best effort to scupper the EU will come to nothing.
The second problem is that the right-wing liberals are in for a mighty surprise when the UK does not get a reasonable exit deal with the EU. Sure, it may be in the EU’s short term financial interests to strike a favourable deal with the UK, but that entirely misunderstands the situation. Right-wing conservatives simply don’t understand that other people have values other than money.
This has far-reaching consequences. The immediate one is that the EU values its principles and “freedoms” far more than any seedy financial deal it could strike with the UK. To the far-right that seems utterly illogical, because they fail to appreciate European values.
The far-right sees trade liberalisation as the only source of wealth, without appreciating that “left-wing” values such as a healthy educated workforce, social mobility, freedom of movement, good infrastructure etc. are all necessary underpinnings that drive the real economy. Everything else is smoke and mirrors that tends to make the few richer. Thus, the far-right will be disappointed when in ten years time, the UK is still much poorer.
It’s becoming clearer by the day that the result of the referendum for the UK to leave the EU was a right wing coup. Some types of right wing are “simply” nationalists - they like to keep things British and some of them don’t like too many foreigners. Enough is enough. But there are other types of right wing which are more interesting - the right wing liberals. These are ultra-conservatives who believe that anything interfering with a free market is inherently wrong.
Free marketeers are not particularly concerned about immigration. But they are instinctively suspicious of the EU, with its working time directives, environmental protections, human rights, workplace rights, product quality standards, and “red tape” (ha - wait until the UK leaves the EU!) and somewhat left-wing leanings. In short, ethics. Some prominent right-wingers may even have experienced personal inconvenience or minor financial loss at the hands of the EU, and are out to get it. For example, Rupert Murdoch simply has no influence over the EU in the same way that he does over the UK.
Thus free-marketeers have decided that the “nation state” is the superior model than European superstate, and indeed much of the UK population feels the same way. The problem is that the UK leaving the EU will not turn the EU into a set of small states again. We cannot turn back the clock 40 years and trade with each country in Europe any more. It’s the UK and EU, that is the reality we live in now, and that will put the UK at a distinct disadvantage. The UK’s best effort to scupper the EU will come to nothing.
The second problem is that the right-wing liberals are in for a mighty surprise when the UK does not get a reasonable exit deal with the EU. Sure, it may be in the EU’s short term financial interests to strike a favourable deal with the UK, but that entirely misunderstands the situation. Right-wing conservatives simply don’t understand that other people have values other than money.
This has far-reaching consequences. The immediate one is that the EU values its principles and “freedoms” far more than any seedy financial deal it could strike with the UK. To the far-right that seems utterly illogical, because they fail to appreciate European values.
The far-right sees trade liberalisation as the only source of wealth, without appreciating that “left-wing” values such as a healthy educated workforce, social mobility, freedom of movement, good infrastructure etc. are all necessary underpinnings that drive the real economy. Everything else is smoke and mirrors that tends to make the few richer. Thus, the far-right will be disappointed when in ten years time, the UK is still much poorer.
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