Brexit Shambles: or a cover for Institutional Racism?

Theresa May is a very different kind of PM to David Cameron and pretty much all recent male PMs since Blair. She isn’t the “PR” washed, personality-bleached usual character we see at the helm, preened and polished by PR, carrying a great big whip.  No: May is more private, slithery and calculating. And that is why I am not sure I believe Brexit Shambles is all it seems.

Martin Kettle wrote a compelling article today (“For Theresa May, immigration matters more than the economy”) highlighting many of the reasons how and why May’s focus seems to be skewed in such a way. However, it still feels that somehow a different kind of narrative is being played, and all the pledges to “unite” are not so sincere. After all, the “all in this together” stance from David Cameron proved to be an embarrassing misnomer felt more by the poor than the privileged.

The fact that so many Brexit voters, and a sudden post-June 23 surge in racist attacks, have indicated a significant rift splitting in society should be enough to ring alarm bells. Prioritising issues of migration in the Brexit Shambles serves to further bolster propaganda-connecting migration with terrorism. This feeds into the international narrative of terrorism, adding to continued conflicts. If I let the “conspiracy Gremlins” go further I start thinking about profits made by arms deals, and it all starts getting a bit wild.

Brexit Shambles = Economy + Immigration + Uncertainty

In their last duration of parliament from 2010 – 15, the Tories spent most of the time blaming Labour for all the country’s woes.  Now over six years later one would think they’ve had quite enough time to iron out the issues. The problems with lack of housing is mainly solved by building houses. If you want to let politicians wriggle out of that then go right ahead.  But me? No. It really IS that simple.

We have issues caused by over-stretched NHS. Simply solved by getting rid of top-heavy, non-medical political leaders and staffing the hospitals with doctors, nurses, et al.  Again, you can listen to all the reasons why they haven’t done it: I am just being pragmatic.  Just like the care system collapsing and further pressurising the NHS.  Well, stop slashing the budgets. Yes, it really IS that simple. We need carers because there are many people who have conditions well beyond the capability of an ordinary person.

However, the Tories seem to have had, and continue to entertain, a mandate of utter cruelty, especially to the poorest in society. Those on benefits, and especially those who are too sick to work, have been a major target, and the media has been quick to add to this. TV companies have made countless programmes covering the topic.

The migrant population has been under fire, despite too many flippant remarks about “uniting” against any form of social unrest. Muslims have been under worrying levels of scrutiny and there has been plenty of inferences of blame. It is only Muslim communities being asked to keep check on extremist views, for example.  Add to that the divisive tones fog-horned by the likes of UKIP, and it’s easy to see how this developed into the current Brexit Shambles.

A flimsy “Remain” campaign was blamed for the last minute unexpected result, and that was quickly followed by the resignation of David Cameron – the PM that clearly failed to plan for Brexit.

Or did he?

Dishonest Democracy?

You can’t run any successful organisation, company or indeed a government without having a plan, be it a three, five or ten year plan.  Of course, you cannot tell the future, but to at least have a general idea of targets and projections is a very basic premise of being able to measure your success and improve. (Even the little puppies that enter BBC’s “Dragons Den” aren’t forgiven that kind of oversight). So given that the referendum had been a manifesto promise from the Tories, one would have assumed that they had fully considered what they would have had to do in the event of the two possible results. Surely?

If there wasn’t a plan for a potential Brexit that means that there was an assumption – a real, genuine assumption – that the “Brexit” win would never happen.  In which case, the whole referendum was intended to be a false choice.  I came across this a lot when I was a teacher.  Schools would get pupils to debate issues like School Uniform: somewhat pointless and unfair because there was no chance that the governing body would ever entertain the removal of a set uniform. So either the government is wholly incompetent and never had a plan of any sort whatsoever – which defies any logic – or they are merely entertaining an “act” of Brexit Shambles.

But to what end?  How could that be seen to benefit anyone by giving the impression of a lack of planning?  We’ve all heard of playing our cards close to our chest, but if that is what May is doing she is playing a risky game.  An even riskier game if part of that includes looking like a fumbling group of reckless fools.  More suspiciously, was Cameron’s resignation a pre-planned pre-requisite of the pre-Article 50 government in the event of a Brexit result occurring?

Either way, it is fair to say that the main focus has indeed shifted to scapegoating migrants for everything from housing shortages to an over-stretched NHS.

Is the target beginning to shift under this Brexit Shambles affair?

There are increasing numbers of EU immigrants worried what will happen to them when Brexit happens. One such person is Monique Hawkins who has found herself being told her application for permanent residency (PR) has been refused and she must prepare to leave the country.  However, she has been in the UK for 24 years and has two children here.  Also, Dom Wolf, a 32 year old man who was born in the UK and has lived his entire life here, being told he has to take a citizenship test in order to get a UK passport.  Of course, that test process will cost him a substantial amount of money. (At this point you may picture me rolling my eyes at such an inevitability).

Let’s consider this situation. A man was born in the UK, educated, worked, paid taxes and National Insurance…it makes no sense whatsoever.  Even though his parents are German, he was born in the UK and has – one would assume – a birth certificate, registered in the UK. If we are to accept that someone like this man should have to pay substantial extra to get a British passport, what does it really say about our nation? (At this point you may picture me looking up the blood line of our own royal family, and our Turkish born, Roman soldier patron saint George…).

I’d be interested to know just how well most people born in this country would fair in the citizenship exam.  How many “native” Britons do not hold a job, claim masses of benefits, and cost the state a fortune? The only difference is their parents were also born in this country “British.” It’s beginning to feel like way a certain historical figure as a group of his top men to decide on who was eligible to live in his country or face the “final solution.”

More worrying, if Theresa May is focusing her efforts of the immigration side over and above the economic that sends out messages of priority that are at major odds with any concept of “unity”. The Tories have already had to perform a major u-turn over the 500% increase on Appeal Charges.  Add to that the intention to drastically increase the required income for non-EU migrants and there appears to be a barrage of anti-immigration ideas and tactics on all fronts.

All we hear now is about border control and curbing immigration; and we are reminded of promised targets being set and missed like immigration is a form of disease that must be controlled like Ebola. We see pictures harking back to Nazi Germany with a gawping politician posing in front. That same man soon took it upon himself to fly over to the US to begin mixing with Donald Trump. Trump: the president elect who wants to build a wall up against Mexico. One has to wonder if he will outsource the contract to whoever built the Berlin Wall.

The Dark side…

The dark side to all this is it sounds a lot like institutional racism is becoming ingrained into the way Brexit is being planned.  Decisions are being made based not on our business, educational or social needs, but solely on the cultural make-up of our country. And that was certainly not what the referendum was supposed to be about.

Or was it?

I for one am not fooled by this Brexit Shambles act. I am fully aware that I am suggesting conspiracy theories here, but I just do not believe that our government went into this blindly. May has said time and time again: “Brexit means Brexit” and fails to elaborate at all. She seems to have forgotten that the UK population is not merely a bunch of mindless idiots and there are a fair few who are far more intelligent, educated, experience and able to do her job – and do it better.

So is Brexit Shambles really the mess is makes out to be? Or is May’s focus on immigration a sign of an agenda she knows she can’t share because the last time anyone took that kind of route…

…it led us into can kind of divisive society that ended in the need for the EU in the first place.

Colin Ward

[A note from the writer:  The views expressed in this post, and especially the rhetoric, are my own. UK Immigration Solicitors is a nationwide law firm with a global presence and represents each and every client as an individual. The exceptional talent of the solicitors can seen every day as they demonstrate their command of the ever-changing UK immigration laws. Great creativity is used by our solicitors to secure the right visas or status, and the fair and just treatment of our clients. We pride ourselves on our success and customer satisfaction.]