Brexit at the Heart of the British Crisis

Al Rai, Kuwait, October 28

Liz Truss is gone and Rishi Sunak, the newly elected British prime minister, will soon find himself facing the legacy of Boris Johnson as well. It is a legacy of an untenable kind considering Britain’s inability to find an alternative to the European Union. The deficit caused by those who pushed to leave the European Union in the so-called Brexit is at the heart of the British crisis. The depth of the crisis reveals that the future of the United Kingdom is on the table and whether it will remain a united and developed country. Liz Truss resigned after 44 days as prime minister, revealing the depth of Britain’s crisis. The United Kingdom, where just over half of the electorate sided with Brexit, is paying dearly for the results of the 2016 referendum. The Johnson government oversaw the implementation of the referendum’s results during the first months of 2020. The British became strangers in Europe and the Europeans became strangers in Britain. But while Britain’s exit from the European Union took place almost two years ago, no one in the kingdom is ready to face the consequences of that decision. Brexit, and the referendum that came along with it, were fueled by populist politicians, most of them from the extreme right, who did not have any strategic vision related to reality. Truss’ quick resignation and resort to Sunak are nothing but an expression of the disaster left behind by Brexit. The UK is suffering from a complete absence of statesmen capable of leading in a country that was once great. At one point, before Sunak was appointed, there was even a thought within the Conservative Party of returning to Johnson. There is still no serious discussion about Brexit. There is no talk of Brexit because the British people want to avoid admitting that the phenomenon of British prosperity is due, in large part, to the fact that the relationship with Europe has transformed London into the largest global financial center. This development took place after 1979, thanks to the Iron Lady named Margaret Thatcher, and in light of the good management of the British relationship with the European Union in order to benefit from it to the fullest extent. International financial companies and banks have migrated to other European cities in countries such as Germany, France, and even Switzerland, which is not a member of the European Union. Britain’s problem is no longer finding a new prime minister. Rather, it is what to do with Brexit. No one wants to ask such a question at a time when most British institutions, especially restaurants, hotels, and cafés, are looking for qualified employees. These people, who came from European Union countries, suddenly needed work permits. In certain agricultural seasons, Britain needs 70,000 workers, but can now only fill about 40,000 of them. In addition, there are no longer enough truck drivers to deliver goods around the country. There is no doubt that the Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic made the situation worse. But Brexit remains at the base of the complex British crisis. The United Kingdom has left the European Union, but it has not found an alternative that would embrace it. Trade relations with the United States and other countries remained unchanged. Because of Brexit, Britain transitioned from being semi-superpower to becoming a country that is fighting to preserve its unity and redefine its ailing national identity. – Khairallah Khairallah (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)