Brexit vote wrong approach for U.K. to get out of EU, says historian
Tensions are rising with just two days until the so-called Brexit referendum — where British voters will decide if the United Kingdom will stay or leave the European Union. Polls indicate public opinion is in a dead heat.
According to historian Antony Beevor, a vote for Brexit would make Britain "the world's most hated nation" as described in his recent article in The Guardian. He writes that the "EU's flaws don't justify its disintegration" and feels being the cause of that would be a "historical mistake."
"The danger is that Britain suddenly pulling out of the European Union at such an existential moment of crisis... could pull the whole thing down," Beevor tells guest host Laura Lynch.
In the early '90s, the European Union was sold on the promise of peace, freedom of movement, and economic co-operation. But growing dissatisfaction within Britain has called into question its EU membership.
Beevor predicts the EU is liable to collapse in the next few years because of its internal contradictions — pointing to what he calls a 'disastrous' single currency and the compounded migration crisis.
"The trouble is that London is a victim of a tense excess. Everybody from all over Europe and the world wants to live and buy in London and that's made life impossible for ordinary people," Beevor said.
CBC NEWS: What you need to know about the Brexit vote
The EU President Donald Tusk agrees that "ordinary people" were neglected. In a May 2016 speech marking the 40th anniversary of the European People's Party, he highlighted the lack of enthusiasm for the Euro.
"Obsessed with the idea of instant and total integration, we failed to notice that ordinary people, the citizens of Europe do not share our Euro-enthusiasm," Tusk said.
While Tusk admitted to failing people with a fantasy of Europe, Beevor says the EU has made itself "terribly unpopular within the people of Europe" and adds one of the big mistakes of the EU was trying to push it beyond the European economic community."
"In the case of Europe, it is that the need to centralize and regulate has actually provoked the very nationalism that the European Union was designed to get rid of," explains Beevor.
Brexit proponent British MP Boris Johnson sees the benefits of the vote.
"I think if we have the self confidence to take back control of our money, take back control of our borders, then I think we will be able to take this country forwards with growth and opportunities that have absolutely nothing to do with EU bureaucracy," Johnson said.
But Beevor says there's no way to know what the long-term effect will be on Britain and if it is better to remain in the EU or not. But to him it's just the wrong approach.
"The problem is to actually gamble all of that... is actually irresponsible."
Listen to our full conversation at the top of this post that includes CBC's Margaret Evans the significance of a successful Brexit vote.
This segment was produced by The Current's Josh Bloch, Julian Uzielli and Ines Colabrese with help from Marc-Andre Cossette in London.