Brexit Metaphor No 2
Boris Johnson wrote this in September: "We have wrapped a suicide vest around the British constitution - and handed the detonator to [EU Brexit negotiator] Michel Barnier." In fact, the European Economic Community (EEC), which preceded the EU, had put a life vest on the moribund British economy in the 1970s.
Life vest (Source: Wikipedia) |
After the Second World War, Germany, France and Italy were developing much faster than the UK thanks to the positive effect of the overhaul of their post-war social order. Economist Mancur Olson puts this in stark contrast with what he calls "the British disease". As one of the winners of the war, Britain did not go through deep social changes. Riddled with a sclerotic economy, the UK was on its knees, begging for EEC membership in the hope of kick-starting growth. After two vetoes by Charles de Gaul, Britain got "third time lucky" and was admitted to the club. The life vest offered by the Europeans, followed by Thatcher's deregulation and Blair's further liberalisation, made the UK a global success story.
(159 more daily Brexit Metaphors to follow until Brexit day, March 29, 2019)
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