Ecole des Mines Elective |
Brexit: The Cultural and Societal Issues Polarising Britain

  • Freedom to live, work or study anywhere within the EU,
  • Access to the world's biggestsingle market,
  • Community without internal war,
  • The Euro - No need for currency exchange within Eurozone,
  • No roaming charges across EU,
  • Minimum Employment rights,
  • "The Brussels Effect" - Digital and consumer rights,
  • Influence on world stage and trade agreements,
  • Food safety standards,
  • Erasmus+, etc.,

Benefits.

  • Brief history of the EU and UK
  • Long-term Causes
    • Growing Euroscepticism
    • UKIP
  • Short-term Causes / Events (Current Events)
    • Mistrust in main political parties
      • 2008 Financial Crisis and Poverty
      • Expenses Scandal
      • Austerity policies
    • Rise of UKIP (next time)
      • Immigration
      • EU Beaurocracy
    • EU Crises
      • Eurozone Crises
      • Refugee Crises
    • Remain / Leave Campaigning 

Breakdown.

  • Treaty of Paris establishes European Coal and Steel community (ECSC) - France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg (1951)
    • Supranational authority
    • Free trade area for coal, steel and related industries
    • Franco-German reconciliation
    • Customs union and Common External Tariffs by 1969
  • Treaties of Rome Established the European Economic Community (EEC) and European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) (1957)
    • Establish customs union and common external tariff
    • Establish common market. Expand political cooperation. Easier to travel, live and work inside (by 1969)
  • Treaty of Brussels (Merger of 3 institutions - 1965)
    • Reduced bureaucracy
  • New nations chose to join, despite some public opposition
    • Application to join. Existing members decide.

Brief History.

50s/60s

  • UK Joined and co-founded EFTA in 1960
    • Norway, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Portugal, Sweden, United Kingdom.
    • FTA, NOT a customs union
  • UK financial position deteriorated  significantly under Labour government between 1974 and 1979, following price of oil. 
    • High unemployment
    • 20% inflation

Brief History.

EEC

EFTA

  • New nations chose to join, despite some public opposition
    • Application to join. Existing members decide.
    • Ireland applied in 1961, vetoed by France
    • UK applied in 1961, vetoed by France (63)
    • Ireland applied in 1967, vetoed by France
    • UK Applied in 1969, vetoed by France
    • De Gaulle's successor promised not to stand in way of accession (1969)

Brief History.

60s

  • Denmark joined in 1973 by referendum (1972)
  • Ireland joined in 1973 by referendum (1972)
  • UK joins the European Community (1973) under Conservative Government - Total 9
  • Minority Labour government calls Referendum on the European Community (1975)

Brief History.

70s

Largely fought on sovereignty, left-wing opposition rejected  the "capitalist club".

  • Labour split on issue of European integration, socialism, etc. (pro-European SDP formed)
  • Margaret Thatcher elected as Prime minister (4th May 1979), rejecting Labour government chaos in "Winter of Discontent" (February 1979)
    • Public sector strikes and inflation

Brief History.

  • Thatcher and growing number of Conservative government growing eurosceptic.
  • Thatcher expressed dissatisfaction with the CAP (1979).
    • UK paying significant tariffs on food imports from its historical (Commonwealth) suppliers
      • Small internal and efficient agricultural sector = little support from Common Agricultural Policy = Excessive net contribution to the community
      • She demaded she "get [her] money back", (granted in 1984 - 66% of the difference).

Brief History.

80s

  • New members joined - Total 12
    • Greece (1981)
    • Spain and Portugal (1986)
  • Single Europe Act (Feb 1981)
    • Move towards the single market
    • Widening areas of economic responsibility
    • Reform of decision making processes (qualified majority, but unanimity in admission of new members, security, tax policy, social protections, etc.)
    • Move towards European monetary union (Thatcher was against)
  • Schengen Agreement signed separate from EEC (1985), five member states
  • Thatcher's political assassination and resignation (1990)
    • Unpopular policies, including poll tax, perceived mishandling of the economy and divisions over European integration.
      • Thatcher disapproved of  European federalism and a proposed new European Currency
      • Deputy Prime Minister resigned in protest.
      • Leadership contest ensued.

Brief History.

80s

  • UKIP, single-issue, eurosceptic party established (1991)
  • Treaty of European Union (1992, Maastricht Treaty)
    • Establishment of European Union and three pillars:
      • 1. Economic Integration
        • Customs union, Consumer protections, Environmental Protection, Common Agricultural Policy, etc.
      • 2. Common Security and Foreign Policy
        • Human rights, Democracy, Foreign aid, Peacekeeping, etc. - Recognising national interests. Coordination.
      • 3. Common Interior and Justice Policy
        • Drug, human and weapons trafficking, terrorism, organised crime. Often intergovernmental Cooperation towards common aims.
      • Pillar #1 subject to European Community Law
    • Provision for establishment of Monetary Union
  • Accession of 3 new states (1995) - Total 15
    • Austria, Finland and Sweden

Brief History.

90s/00s

  • Treaty of Amsterdam (incorporating schengen, 1997), Treaty of Nice (2001) Constitutional Treaty (2004, rejected by France and Netherlandsin 2005) and Treaty of Lisbon (2007, rejected by Ireland in 2008)
    • restructured the EU to its current form with current institutions.
  • Tony Blair (Labour) elected Prime Minister (1997)
  • Accession of 10 new states (2004) - Total 25
    • Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia
  • Newly elected leader of opposition Conservative party (2005)
  • Accession of 2 new states (2007)
    • Bulgaria, Romania
  • [Accession of Croatia (July 2013) - 28th state]

Brief History.

Late-90s/00s

UK Tabloid Anti-EU Propaganda

  • Euromyth headlines throughout 90's, 00's and 10's

GAME: Did the EU...?

  • Ban the sale of old-style incandescent light bulbs
  • Make member states ban smoking in public
  • Introduce a maximim size for coffins
  • Ban vacuum cleaners over a certain wattage
  • Make member states introduce a uniform minimum wage
  • Reduce the cost of using mobiles abroad in Europe
  • Ban bananas with excessive curvature

 

  • Do you know any other myths? Check these? Compare understanding of texts.

Political Distrust: The Labour Party

  • Labour prime-minister resigns in (June 2007)
    • Casualties of 2003 Iraq invasion/war mounted
    • Blair accused of misleading Parliament on weapons of mass destruction, and possible links to Al-Qaeda.
      • Financial cost to UK: £8.4bn
      • 179 British deaths, 151,000 Iraq casualties

Political Distrust: The Banks and Financial Services

  • Successor Gordon Brown deals with 2007/2008 Financial Crisis and subsequent recession
    • Excessive risk-taking by global financial institutions
    • Predatory lending to low-income homebuyers, e.g. sub-prime adjustable-rate mortgage loans
    • banks and other financial institutions borrowed cheaply to finance investments.
    • US housing bubble burst
    • UK bank Northern Rock needed emergency support (September 2007)
    • Labour government injected  £137bn into loans and capital to stabilise the financial system
    • Northern Rock was insolvent. The government took ownership. Shares had lost 90% of value. Some shareholders reportedly had their life savings in them.
    • Youth Unemployment increased by 7.8 million between 07 and 09, reaching 18.94% in 09, increasing to 21.15 by 2011

Political Distrust: The Expenses Scandal (2009/10)

  • MPs expenses were out of control, confirmed by Freedom of Information Requests.
    • A request in 2008 was rejected by the commons for being overly intrusive
    • High court ruled in favour of release
    • leaked to Daily Telegraph before redaction
    • Daily documents released in May and June 2009

Political Distrust: The Expenses Scandal (2009/10)

  • MP Derek Conway (Conservative) 
    • Paid his son £10,000/year to work as a research assistant, but full-time student at university. 
    • Son's friend also on payroll.

Political Distrust: The Expenses Scandal (2009/10)

  • MP Peter Viggers (Conservative)
    • £30,000 over 3 years for gardening.
    • £1,645 for a duck house

Political Distrust: The Expenses Scandal (2009/10)

  • MP Jacqui Smith (Labour)
    • Claimed for 2 Pay-Per-View TV films watched by her husband.
    • The 2 films were pornographic. 

Political Distrust: The Expenses Scandal (2009/10)

  • Gordon Brown (Labour Prime Minister)
    • £12,415 for cleaning and garden services

Political Distrust: The Expenses Scandal (2009/10)

  • David Cameron (Conservative)
    • £1,000/mo for interest on mortgage of second home.

Political Distrust: The Expenses Scandal (2009/10)

  • Ipsos Mori Poll
    • 72% of Britons did not trust MPs to tell the truth
  • Expenses meant for MPs to do job and not be out-of-pocket, e.g. travel, postage.
    • MPs could designate a primary residence  and claim for support for mortgage or rent of the property.
      • over 50 mps "flipped" and sold their primary residence in 2009

Political Distrust: Nigel Farage and UKIP

  • Joined Conservatives in 1978, but left in 1992 following signing of Treaty of Maastricht
  • Elected to European parliament in 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014
  • Elected leader of UKIP in 2006.
    • Single-issue eurosceptic, right-wing populist party
    • On election as party leader, aimed to bring discipline to party and maximise UKIP representation
    • In first conference, Farage claims UKIP are the "real voice of opposition".
  • Cultivated image as a "man of the people"
    • Outspoken about political parties, establishment and media. Quite "funny" and "honest". 
    • Worked in City of London after leaving school in 1982
  • Broadened party image: immigration, tax cuts, climate change denial, anti-gay marriage, among others.
    • Growing resentment towards EU migrants following financial crash

Political Party Broadcasts of 2009

Political Distrust: The Liberal Democrats

  • David Cameron (Conservative) and Nick Clegg (Liberal Democrats) form a coalition
    • Lib Dem key policy on student loans ditched
    • Coalition make public spending cuts and run austerity policies.
    • Housing crisis, schools places crisis, NHS crisis, unemployment crisis deepens.

Political Distrust: Liberal Democrat Chris Hughne

  • MP Chris Hughne, was caught speeding from on M11 from Stansted to London.
    • Had 9 points on his driving license
    • Pressured his wife to take the points
      • Chris denied lying
      • Family breakdown ensued
      • Chris confessed admitted guilt 2 years later
      • Both Chris and wife sentenced to 8 months' prison
      • Chris resigned and by election was held in 2013

Political Distrust: The consequence

  • 2010 General Election, UKIP got 3% of vote (1% more than 5 years prior)
    • In 2012, UKIP was polled to have support of 15%
  • Split the right/centre-right vote
  • 2012 "Hostile Environment" Policy for 'illegal immigration' was launched, described as inhumane, ineffective, and unlawful.
    • removal of homeless citizens of other European Union countries
    • requirements for landlords, the NHS, charities, community interest companies and banks to carry out ID checks
    •  Principle of 'deport first, appeal later'
    • "Go Home" vans, adverts in newspapers, shops, faith buildings to encourage people to leave.
  • 2013 Bloomberg speech, Cameron announces that if re-elected in 2015, he would call a referendum on EU membership.
  • UK Environment
    • Austerity measures
    • Immigration / Security
    • "Cultural backlash" Theory 
  • EU Crises
    • Eurozone Crisis
    • Refugee Crises
  • Remain / Leave Campaigning
    • EU Beaurocracy / Democratic Deficit
    • Immigration
    • Other

Seminar 2 Breakdown | The Context of the Referendum

  • Stimulus Packages or Austerity in 2008?
    • UK government (and European Commission, ECB policy makers) choose cuts and budget deficit reduction.

      • Budget deficit of £142 billion to £95 billion

    • 14.3 billion GBP in cuts to welfare payments, housing and social services by 2013

      • UK Transports spending would go down 14.6% in real terms
      • Local govt spending down (7.1% for 4 years)
        • in 2011, 57 libraries, 53 mobile libraries, 46 retained by volunteers
        • State pension age to 65 (from 60 for women)
      • Suggestions of increased crime due to cuts in police forces
      • Demand for foodbanks almost doubled.
      • 200,000 public sector jobs cut in 2011, 21.9% youth unemployment in 2012

Short-term reason #1 |

UK Economic Context

UK Economic Context | Growing concern for employment

Nigel Farage | Growing concern for employment

  • I have made comments in favour of British people getting jobs over and above those from southern eastern Europe.
  • It's about mass immigration at a time when 21% of young people can't find work. It's about giving £50 million a day to the EU when the public finances are under great strain.

Nigel Farage | Did he say it?

  • Any normal and fair-minded person would have a perfect right to be concerned if a group of Romanian people suddenly moved in next door.

  • We may have made one of the biggest and most stupid collective mistakes in history by getting so worried about global warming.

  • I am married to a girl from Hamburg, so no one need tell me about the dangers of living in a German dominated household.

  • "I'm not saying people on trains should be forced to speak English... but what I am saying is we now have nearly 10% of our schools in our country where English is not the primary language in the homes those children come from.

  • You know, I hear all these things about women's rights.

  • We do have, I'm sad to say, a fifth column that is living within our own countries that is utterly opposed to our values, we're going to have to be a lot braver... in standing up for our Judaeo-Christian culture.

  • In scores of our cities and market towns, this country, in a short space of time, has frankly become unrecognisable.

April 2015 - Nigel Farage on migrants using the National Health Service

  • Economic Migration - Jobs, non-unionised workers, Benefits
  • Asylum Seekers / Refugees use of public services (schools, housing, NHS)
  • "Cultural issues" (xenophobia, race and other) 
  • Perception of lack of population management
    • Politicians reject perception as racisim, EU and UK governments persue multicultural and 'liberal agenda' of gay marriage (2013), etc.
    • (don't have the common person's interest at heart)

Reason #2 | Cultural anxieties and Backlash

  • The Conservative Party used to talk about success, business, enterprise, ambition, and now it talks about gay marriage, wind turbines and upping the amount of money we spend on foreign aid.
    - Nigel Farage

 

  • Cultural anxieties explanation
    • Anti-immigrant feelings arise among dominant groups feeling loss of privilige.
    • Threat by major shifts in public opinion, e.g. on homosexuality, green issues, gender equality, etc.
  • Older generations of less educated Europeans tend to hold more socially conservative views
    • public opinion has shifted to socially more liberal values
    • People with these values labelled as the "Liberal Metropolitan Elite", out of touch with the everyday working-class people (people with education, wealth and power, the  media who criticise Brexit), against the country, traitors.

Cultural Backlash Theory

EU Context Reason #3 | Security and EU Migrant Crisis.

Tunisian Uprising (2010), Government Overthrown (2011)

Egyptian Uprising (2011-13), Two Governments Overthrown

EU Context Reason #3 | EU Migrant Crisis.

  • Civil War in Syria (since 2011 had claimed >100,000), and other refugees fleeing from Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, etc.
    • Asaad came to power in 2000, promising political, economic and human rights reforms.
    • Syria increasingly became a police state. and cracked down on dissent. Travel bans, social media sites blocked, no opposition parties.
    • in 2011, Syrian teen boys arrested for painting anti-Assad grafitti on school.
      • Protests broke out and spread.
      • Some prisoners were released., and protest allowed
      • Eventually regime turned violent, shooting protesters.
        • According to the UN, 1000s died.
        • Rebels grouped and fought back with international support.

EU Context Reason #3 | EU Migrant Crisis.

  • Chemical weapons used against own population (2013)
    • Suspected by Assad regime.
  • >100,000 estimated dead. Human rights groups accuse both sides of war crimes.

EU Context Reason #3 | EU Migrant Crisis.

  • Assad released prisoners known as terrorists by security services.
    • Al-Nusra Front was formed in 2012 and gained some support.
    • Some joined Islamic State in Iraq, to form ISIS and established a caliphate ("state for word muslims") in 2014, in Raqqa

139 accounts in UK

"Jihadi Brides"

EU Context Reason #3 | EU Migrant Crisis.

  • Schengen Agreement, Economic Migrants
    • Dublin Regulation
      • "First member state in which the application for international protection was lodged shall be responsible for examining it."
  • 4 million estimated fleed. 2 million in Turkey, >1million in Lebanon. Growing number in EU.
    • Refugee camps overcrowded and underfunded
    • Established routes to Greece, Hungary and Italy.
    • Estimated 2000 migrants per day.
    • In 2014, five member States dealt with 72% of all asylum applications EU-wide.

> 1 million people reach EU via sea in 2015

EU Migrant Crisis.

  • The Dublin Regulation
    • Greece and Italy cannot cope
    • Angela Merkel proclaimed "We will manage this!" and announced an open-door policy.
  • Germany, France and UK agree on quotas
    • Accepted tens of thousands for settling migrants
      • Poorer EU members resistant
      • Poland and Hungary refused the relocation programme, despite being compulsory
  • Maritime search and rescue efforts boosted

Alan Kurdi smiling. Playing in a playground.

Alan Kurdi, the three-year-old Syrian boy found washed up dead on Turkish beach (September 2015).

Alan Kurdi drowned along with his brother, mother and two other refugees.

A more human face in the media, to the people fleeing in inadequate rubber dingies.

Fences and Police Pushback at Serbia-Hungarian Border

(October 2015)

13th November 2015 - France vs Germany friendly

ISIS terrorist attacks described as "act of war"

22nd March 2016 - Suicide Bombings on the metreo and in Brussels Zaventem Airport.

32 died.

  • US, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey support Syrian rebels to eliminate ISIS
  • Russia and Iran support Assad and oppose ISIS, but bomb rebels
  • Proxy war continues.

EU Context Reason #3 |

EU Migrant Crisis.

  • Family ended up safe and well in Canada.
    • Photos shared across social media
    • Misinformation added each time
      • Some were reporting they were Mexican migrants
      • In fact, they were from Iraq. They had been told by smugglers to lie.
    • Who can be trusted?

Calais Refugee Camp "The jungle"

"EU-Turkey deal"

March 18th 2016

  • EU reaches a deal with Ankara
    • "Irregular" migrants would be returned to Turkey
      • 1 "irregular"  returned = 1 migrant approved
      • Eu gives Turkey €6 billion in financial aid to assist with refugee population (2.6 million Syrians as of January '06)

Reason #4 | The Eurozone Crisis and "democratic deficit"

  • The Stability Pact (Maastricht 1991) -> Euro
    • Launched in 1999 for commercial use in 2002 in 11 states (NOT UK)
  • EU Deeply effected by Financial Crisis
    • If the EU fails, the UK fails with it.

https://youtu.be/Kwmwd_iSk8c?si=W64nhYpQLQySw5TU&t=939

Nigel Farage | Did he say it?

  • We wouldn't want to be like the Swiss, would we? That would be awful! We'd be rich!

  • Implementation Problems
    • What is Brexit?
    • Agreements
    • Conservative Governments
  • Current Situation / Consequences
  • Predictions?

Seminar 3 Breakdown | Post-Referendum

Post-Brexit Referendum:

Day One

Faisal Islam, Sky Political Editor

Who has the Brexit Plan?

MEP Daniel Hannan, Leave.EU

'I have never, ever, made any commitment on numbers"

MEP Daniel Hannan, Leave.EU

'I have never, ever, made any commitment on numbers"

Conservative Leadership Contest

Conservative Leadership Contest Controversy

"I feel like, being a mum means you have have a very real stake in the future of our country. A tangible stake. She possibly has nieces, nephews... Lots of people..."

"...But I have children, who are going to have children, who will directly be a part of what happens next. So It really keeps you focused..."

Theresa May: Brexit means Brexit

Brexit Dilemma | Defining Brexit

  • "Soft Brexit", "BINO" 

    • Customs Union, Single Market

  • Hard Brexit

    • Revoke Article 50, deal or no deal

    • Canada+

    • No deal, fall to WTO terms

  • "People's Vote" / Second Referendum

 

  • Indicative Votes in Parliament

Brexit Dilemma | Defining Brexit

Brexit Dilemma | Defining Brexit

  • Concerns of government being "undermined"

  • Parliament should have a say in the Brexit direction BEFORE Article 50 triggered (government does not want delay)

Theresa May Calls For General Election

  • Largest party in Ireland (at time)
  • Unionist
  • Politically aligned with Conservatives
  • Against deviation from UK

Brexit Dilemma | Defining Brexit and the Negotiations

Brexit Dilemma | Withdrawal Agreement "Red Lines"

  • Protect strong historic ties with Ireland and maintain Common Travel Area

  • Take control of own laws

  • Control Immigration

  • Protext worker's rights

  • Strengthen union

  • Ensure free trade with European Market

  • Secure free trade agreement with other countries

  • Cooperate in fight against crime and terrorism

Brexit Dilemma | Withdrawal Agreement "Red Lines"

  1. Protect strong historic ties with Ireland and maintain Common Travel Area

  2. Take control of own laws

  3. Control Immigration

  4. Protext worker's rights

  5. Strengthen union

  6. Ensure free trade with European Market

  7. Secure free trade agreement with other countries

  8. Cooperate in fight against crime and terrorism

Brexit Dilemma | The EU Position

  • "A non-member of the Union... cannot have the same rights and enjoy the same benefits as a member."

  • 3 issues to address: 

    • Citizens' rights

    • Financial Obligations

    • Border Issues (Gibraltar, Ireland, etc.)

  • UK Northern Ireland Select Committee:
    '...unable to identify any border solution currently in operation across the globe that would enable physical infrastructure to be avoided when rules and tariffs diverge'

Trade deviation? Follow EU rules?

The Economist

Brexit: What will happen to Ireland

Brexit Dilemma | Indicative Votes

  • "Soft Brexit", "BINO" 

    • Customs Union, Single Market

  • Hard Brexit

    • Revoke Article 50, deal or no deal

    • Canada+

    • No deal, fall to WTO terms

  • "People's Vote" / Second Referendum

MPs vote on May's deal (Jan 15, 2019)

MPs vote on May's deal a second time (March 12, 2019)

MPs vote on no-deal Brexit (March 13, 2019)

MPs vote on extending Article 50 for second referendum (March 14, 2019)

MPs take indicative votes (March 27, 2019)

MPs vote on May's EU withdrawal agreement a third time (Mar 29, 2019)

MPs vote second round of Indicative Votes (April 1, 2019)

MPs vote to extend Brexit deadline beyond April 12 (April 3, 2019)

Brexit Dilemma | May's Deal

  • Rejected 3 times.

  • All indicative votes failed. No agreement made.

  • Another round of indicative votes is blocked by the speaker.

  • Extensions of transition period granted from EU.

Theresa May resigns (May 24, 2019)

Election 2019 | Boris Johnson campaigns to 'Get Brexit Done'

“It is oven-ready and every single Conservative MP elected at this election, all 365 of them, have pledged to vote for this deal immediately.”

UK official withdrawal 31st January 2020 at 23:00 EU time.

Boris Johnson states there will be no border or checks between NI and GB

EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement on December 30, 2020.​​​​​​​

Fall of Boris Johnson | Partygate and Tory Sleaze

Brexit Consequences | Promises

Brexit Consequences | Realities

  • End of freedom of movement (January 2021)

  • Educational opportunities reduced (Erasmus+ scrapped)

Brexit Consequences | Complex and Previously Non-existant Red Tape for Zero Tariffs IF Rules of Origin Respected

Brexit Consequences | Trade and GDP

Brexit Consequences | Regulatory Divergence

New vetenary certification requirement for meat exports

Registration of chemicals on a new UK database

Dept. for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to follow EU on ban of some single-use plastics

New subsidies announced for January, but will they be anti-competitive?

Focus on de-regulation of Tech industries including AI, gene modification, etc.

Text

Brexit Consequences | No Brexit divident for NHS (rise in taxes)

Brexit Consequences | Shortage Occupation List / Seasonal Worker Visa

Worker shortages. Jobs not filled.

Brexit Consequences | Farming and Fishing Industries Struggle

Brexit Consequences | Windsor Agreement

Brexit Consequences | Support for Scottish Independence growth since referendum.
Irish Re-Unification?

Brexit Consequences | Inflation at highest rate in 40 years (?)

https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/eu-relations-with-the-united-kingdom/the-eu-uk-withdrawal-agreement/timeline-eu-uk-withdrawal-agreement/

EDM Elective | Brexit: The Cultural and Societal Issues Polarising Britain

By Adam Wyett

EDM Elective | Brexit: The Cultural and Societal Issues Polarising Britain

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