Anyone who knows British history has heard of the ‘Battle for Britain,’ a military engagement with Nazi Germany during the Second World War. At the time of this writing, there is also a major conflict raging and this one is internal: the ‘Battle for Brexit.’
‘Brexit’ means ‘British Exit’ from membership in the European Union (EU), of which they have been a member since 1973. The decision to leave the Union was decided by a public referendum in June 2016. Three years later, Britain has still not left. Attempts by the government of former British Prime Minister Theresa May to pass an EU-brokered withdrawal agreement failed three times to pass in the British Parliament. This led to Mrs. May’s resignation and replacement by Boris Johnson in July 2019. Mr. Johnson has promised to keep the extended, EU-approved, withdrawal date of 31 October 2019, whether there is a deal or not.
There have been high-stakes wrangling, with Parliament voting to delay Brexit and block a ‘no deal’ departure. An early election is almost certain. Since Britain’s election cycle is every 5 years, and they had a vote in 2015, 2017, and soon in 2019/2020, the British public can be forgiven for having both ‘election fatigue’ and ‘Brexit fatigue.’
For Brexiteers, it is an issue of national sovereignty and independence. Currently, 59% of laws operative in the UK come from Brussels, capital of the EU and only 41% from the UK parliament. With Brexit, Britain can negotiate its own trade agreement, control its borders, and send satellites into space, should it choose. It is also a push-back on the neo-paganism that comes from EU leaders fixation with the Phoenician goddess Europa, who has become the de facto logo of the Union.
Brexit is the biggest crisis Britain has faced since the Second World War. However, it is by no means the only one. Here are some other points of consideration:
Scotland
In 2014, people in Scotland voted in a referendum to say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to Scottish independence. If passed, it would have severed the 1707 union between it and the rest of the country, effectively ending the United Kingdom as we know it. The referendum, which was called a ‘once-in-a-lifetime decision,’ was lost 45% to 55%. Yet, Scotland’s current First Minister and head of the Scottish Nationalist Party, Nicola Sturgeon, has signalled her desire for a second referendum for independence. While ‘Brexit’ is the reason, the renewed independence push would have happened without it.
The Far-Left Factor
Like other progressivist parties, including the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and American Democratic Party, the British Labour Party is drifting more and more to the left. This is symbolised by its leader, Jeremy Corbyn. If Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes are ‘socialists,’ Mr. Corbyn is called a ‘Marxist,’ a label he does not deny. In addition, the Labor Party has been wracked by persistent allegations of un-bridled anti-Semitism. Even the theoretical possibility that a far-left government could take over in Britain during the Brexit crisis could be a cause for concern.
Despite the above challenges … and more … there is hope for Britain. Our next article will explain why.