May 11, 2018

Brexit: Democracy's Godless priest sounding off again

located:	United Kingdom
editor:	Gurmeet Singh

There's an old English expression, to 'pay lip service', which neatly summarises the Brexit debate, particularly when it comes to the preservation of democracy. It means of course, to insincerely invoke a principle or idea, the way, for example, a non-believer in church might say the words required during service, but in their heart feel the sensation of indifference. We can easily say the same thing about Brexit, except, it's no ordinary churchgoer. Indeed, Brexit is the priest. 

Brexit's champions have sounded off again and again about the importance of democracy, the way in which exiting the EU would enable ordinary people to 'take the power back' from the undemocratic super-organisation that is in their eyes the union. It would be a victory for the ages, people's voices would be heard once again, the man on the omnibus could sit upright with a pride long-forgotten. And yet, those very same champions of democracy have undermined it, in both practise and in speech. 

First there was the deceit embedded in the communication strategy of the campaigners, with the leave campaign's infamous "£350 Million for the NHS per week" promise painted on the side of its official buses, promising that once the U.K. had left the EU, there would be more money for the British health service (an outright lie that is currently showing its fissures as the NHS suffers from its underfunding). Then, there are the ongoing culture wars. British newspapers (The Daily Mail in particular) calling people and institutions that ask for democratic checks to be made on the Brexit process "traitors" or "saboteurs" while calling for the House of Lords to be terminated as an institution. Thirdly, there is the ultimate bungling of all commercial contracts. Time and again the Brexiters promised the British people that the economy would flourish after Brexit, but companies have been preparing to leave the country and move their operations to the French and German capitals. Airbus for example, said it would leave the U.K. to set up operations in its European factories. Finally, there is the recently revealed electoral rule-breaking by the Leave campaign, which yesterday was officially said to break the spending limit allowed by each party during the campaign, as a result of this profound breach, it has merely been fined a modest £70,000 by the electoral commission, with no discussions around possible disqualification of the polling anywhere on the agenda.  

It is unlikely that any of this will influence the direction of Brexit. It seems that we are indeed too far gone for that at this moment in time, just as the power-brokers in the Conservative government, in the media and elsewhere intend. What does remain unsettling are the tactics utilised by leading Brexiters in order to achieve their goals; poisoning British culture with repeated misinformation and by invoking the right to and power of democracy, precisely when they disrupt and dishonour it. Brexit is a Godless priest, shouting from the pulpit, believing nothing in its empty heart.