Advertisement

In voting to leave the EU, Britain finally has a chance to be free

Ian Whiteley says Britons tired of broken promises on prosperity and sceptre-wielding by Brussels have seized the chance to chart their own destiny, and signs are the doomsayers will be proved wrong

Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
0
A poster from pro-Brexit group People’s Charter makes the sentiment clear as protesters gather at an anti-EU demonstration outside the Houses of Parliament in London, on November 23. Photo: AFP
It is a mystery to many people why Britain is about to leave the European Union after 44 years. Some think it’s all over for the UK as we cut the rope tying us to the continent, home of French couture, haute cuisine and German luxury motors. Are we mad? Why give it up? But there is method in this apparent madness.

There is a fundamental misunderstanding of the reasons why Britain is going it alone. It has a lot to do with being British – not just for those born here but also people who became British citizens and understand this subtle characteristic of doing the unexpected.

Prime Minister May prepares country for ‘defining moment’

Having spent most of my life in Hong Kong and other parts of Asia until I returned to the UK in 1997, I’ve witnessed the steady distrust of the European Union and of British politicians who supported our continued membership and lied to us about the merits and demerits of European membership.

I’ve witnessed the steady distrust of the EU and British politicians who lied to us about the merits of membership

A club set up with the promise of better trade, easier access to markets and greater prosperity morphed into the European Super State that now tells us what to do.

We never voted for this. And that’s the point. When the chance to vote on it came along, we seized it. We didn’t think about which markets might be lost and how it might hit our wallets. Most of us who voted to quit the EU were voting for freedom, independence and, above all, the right to rule ourselves in the way we saw fit.

I was among the thousands who flocked to polling stations early on the day of the Brexit vote last June, in the clear knowledge that this was our best chance to finally set ourselves free. There was a sense of excitement that the battle had begun. The pollsters and politicians with their “Project Fear” dire predictions did not understand the depth of this feeling simmering away in the villages and towns of Britain. And so they got a shock. Unlike the “doom merchants”, I hold no fears for the future of our country. On the contrary, we have been released from the grip of a dying organisation.
Demonstrators call for a swift launch of the Brexit process to leave the European Union, at the Old Palace Yard in London on November 23. Photo: EPA
Demonstrators call for a swift launch of the Brexit process to leave the European Union, at the Old Palace Yard in London on November 23. Photo: EPA
While it’s popular to hold negative views about Britain (particularly among Brits enjoying life in Hong Kong), I can confirm the old country is far from dead and is rising like a Phoenix.

This is not fanciful thinking. Economically, Britain is doing better than many expected and, although the “remainers” and “remoaners” can’t give up the hopeless dream that we will somehow change our mind, the majority in this country cannot wait for the final cutting of the ties that have bound us like a prisoner to an undemocratic regime in Brussels and dominated our lives.

Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2-3x faster
1.1x
220 WPM
Slow
Normal
Fast
1.1x