While I was at a bus stop waiting and waiting for a bus to actually arrive, I overheard a conversation between 2 oldish guys.
One was saying that brexit was the main cause of the high inflation in the UK.
And the other said.... well at least we are not now being ruled by those bastards in Brussels.
And that reminded me of how unpopular the EU had become in some peoples minds.
Lots of reasons for that of course.
But one stuck in my mind.
And that was when Margaret Thatcher negotiated the UK Rebate. She cast 'Europe' as something that the UK should fight against as if it was the enemy.
Yes that was a long time ago. But having voted not that long before to at last join the European Economic Community, the Thatcher fight against the EEC to force it to grant the UK the rebate was a significant point in turning 'Europe' into the enemy.
Yes, I agree about Maggie, but the history of how the UK had approached joining in the first place needs to be considered, when we had to fight to get into the 'common market' when General DeGaulle kept saying for many years in the late 60's, early 70's, 'Non' to British entry, mainly it seems because Britain (at that time ) was deemed to be the 'sick man of Europe' with wildcat strikes, a economy on the verge of collapse and was (in DeGaulle's terms) too close to the USA. It was assumed that the General thought we would become the USA's 'Trojan Horse'in the EEC.
Then of course when Tony Benn started preaching the "look at the mega companies running Europe as 'rich man's club", an idea originating from the UK's hard left, some people turned off, it was just 'Benn at it again'.Then later there were issues such as the 'straight banana' saga, the ongoing vilification of Jacques Delors in the Daily Mirror; the criminality actually recognised within the EEC itself, that was associated with Edith Cresson's reign; Maggie Thatchers fight for rebate.... and years upon years of 'bad EU press' in the minds of many in the UK built up, and in some cases justifiably so.
However IMO the main reason the anti EU feelings built up to a crescendo was on the passage of a number of Treaties, e.g. Maastricht etc. when although other people in member countries, such as Ireland, Denmark at least, were allowed to vote on these matters, we in the UK were not, but the impression given to the public was it was all the EU's fault. Then there was Tony Blair's attempt to jettison the pound and to take us into the Euro, the so called 'freedom of movement' (deemed by those against) as 'unrestricted', the seeming push for ever closer integration, the EU itself finally becoming a pseudo political power.
The fact that UK overall was benefiting from many aspects of being in the EU, in particular the economy, the SM, etc was lost on the majority of the public in the UK, in particular those living outside the main Cities, where their lot was slowly but surely becoming 'not a happy one', and even back then, many provincial and rural town centres were starting to become 'ghost towns'. Maybe, if there had been a vote on the proposed treaties, then at that time more people in the UK would had perhaps have found out more about the benefits, not just the 'presented' obstacles and who knows it might have had an impact of the actual referendum, if fact there may not have been one at all.
I know many people believe the 'remainer' vote was in fact the majority, because they were all voting
for the same thing, to remain inside the EU. Brexit (leave) vote was in fact made up of lots of people with lots of different issues, moans, grouses, etc. who when Cameron gave them the opportunity to concentrate their fire, via the referendum, they did exactly that...and a 'single shot', was all it took to provide the breech for the UK's departure from the EU.
Maybe in another decade some UK (whats left of it) politician/party will make a serious effort to rejoin the EU, but this time there will be no refunds, there will be need to join the Euro, to accept full integration of powers, etc. Can you see, at present, any current Westminster politician, putting forward a manifesto, based on that?
