Traitors, Brexit and Islam: Is Britain becoming politically fragmented?

Those that have led the Brexit campaign have embarked down a dangerous political path in which increasing social polarisation and political fragmentation have started to take their toll on the UK.

People who voted leave increasingly fear that there is a conspiracy to stop Brexit.

People who voted leave increasingly fear that there is a conspiracy to stop Brexit.

Since coming to power Boris Johnson has vowed to implement Brexit and address the issues that have divided the country. To this end he has been touring the UK and only yesterday he reassured Welsh farmers that they would be aided in finding new markets post Brexit. However, what he has not addressed is the growing political and social fragmentation of the United Kingdom, which could end up becoming the greatest consequence of the Brexit vote.

Rather similar to entertainers who successfully create the illusion of magic by using a deceptive technique known as a sleight of hand, Boris Johnson is currently focusing the Brexit discourse on cursory elements while an ideologically divided social underbelly is growing.  

To illustrate this let us consider that prior to the Brexit vote in June 2016 the main social political divisions centred around the policies of the two main political factions, the Labour Party and the Conservative Party. It can be argued regardless of the extent of these divisions they all were on the whole transitive in that following a general election the changes made by an outgoing political party could in theory be overturned.

However, the Brexit vote and its implementation, in whatever form it takes, falls outside of the category of transitive changes made by previous governments. This is because once the UK has left the EU, its re-entry, even if the political and social desire existed, would be difficult, uncertain and potentially impossible. Thus, any direct or consequential effects of Brexit are outside of the changes made in the regular party-political paradigm.

Within this context the Brexit discourse has been focused on the effects of leaving the EU on the UK economy, the Irish border, immigration, free movement and trade.

However, like the entertainer who distracts his audience with the sleight of hand technique, the current Brexit discourse has diverted attention away from a ramification of Brexit that to an extent is already having a disruptive effect.

That is the growing ideological-based social fragmentation, which has materialized following the aftermath of the Brexit vote. Even though this is in part due to the potential economic and social impact of Brexit, there are more crucial elements that are less tangible, more divisive and go well beyond the Brexit debate.

It is the case that several important beliefs that challenge the social and political status quo in the UK have been propagated by influential figures and integrated into the pro-Brexit movement.

The foremost of these is the belief that there is a secretive and malevolent political entity that is working to undermine the sovereignty of the UK. This was alluded to by Boris Johnson, while a backbench MP, in a speech leading up to the first vote on Theresa May’s Brexit deal in March 2019. He stated, “After two-and-half years of procrastination the public would accuse us, in this place, of deliberately setting out to frustrate their wishes and they would conclude that there was some plot by the deep state to kill Brexit.”

During the same period these sentiments were also expressed by Gerard Batten, who recently stepped down from the role of the leader of UKIP. For example, speaking as a MEP to the European Union in relation to Theresa May’s Brexit deal, he asserted that “… never before in the long and eventful history of England and the British Isles have we been brought to such a national and international humiliation. Never before have the British been governed by such a pack of traitors, quislings and collaborators.”

Moreover, this belief, which is endorsed by significant figures in the pro-Brexit movement, has not only defined themselves, but also has created a caricature of those who are in favour of the UK remaining in the EU.

According to their belief those who are in favour of the EU, support the very destruction of western Christendom by a secretive and malevolent political entity. The potential disruption this belief can cause to the social fabric of the UK can be best illustrated by comments made by Nigel Farage, one of the most prominent Brexit advocates.

During an interview in April 2018, Alex Jones after claiming that there is an EU plan to destroy Christian Europe by "flooding" it with "Islamists." posed the following question: "…why is the left allied with radical Islam, why are they trying to flood?" Farage gave the following answer, “Because they hate Christianity. They can’t, I mean, you know, they, they deny absolutely our Judeo-Christian culture, which if you think about it actually are the roots completely of our nations and our civilizations, they deny that. They also, don’t forget Alex, they want to abolish the nation-state. They want to get rid of it. They want to replace it with the Globalist Project and the European Union is the prototype for the New World Order.”

This belief goes some way to explaining why certain figures within the pro-Brexit movement such as Gerard Batten have given their public support to Tommy Robinson (Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) and his anti-Islam crusade.

In short, according to this belief there is a secretive and malevolent political entity, personified by the EU, which is attempting to destroy western Christendom in collaboration with the "left" and "radical Islam." Thus, leaving the EU is an issue of survival and part of a much greater war against this political entity, which has been referred to as the deep state, the Globalist Project and the New World Order.

Interestingly, Boris Johnson’s first public speech as prime minister, which was bombastic in nature, had a tone of being on a war-footing, which will resonate with those who believe their pro-Brexit stance is part of a much broader war of survival. For example, the prime minister stated, “no one in the last few centuries has succeeded in betting against the pluck and nerve and ambition of this country. They will not succeed today.”

Moreover, those who believe that there is a secretive and malevolent political entity trying to destroy the UK, may very well infer the "they" in Boris’ speech is in reference to that very entity. 

The ramification of these beliefs, regardless of how the Brexit vote is finally implemented, is likely to lead to a deepening social political fragmentation.

This is because the beliefs of the rivalling parties are mutually exclusive and thus no common ground can be found. For example, the belief that the EU is part of a conspiracy to destroy Christendom is irreconcilable with the belief the EU is a force for good which has prevented wars in Europe.

In addition, there now exists an environment conducive to the growth of these competing beliefs which will likely accelerate with a "no deal" Brexit. Hence on this basis this growing fragmentation can be described as part of the ongoing political polarisation of the UK.

Considering the risk this poses to the long-term stability of the UK, it can be argued that this is by far the greatest consequence of the Brexit vote.

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