Has Wales forgotten on which side its bread is buttered? - asks Airbus CEO

By George ILIEV
Brexit Metaphor No 97. 

Many sectors of the UK economy are dependent on the EU: exports to Continental Europe are the bread and butter of a number of British regions. Yet, some parts of the country have forgotten on which side their bread is buttered.

The CEO of Airbus reminded Wales today (Jan 24) that the company's plane wing production in Broughton may need to move to the continent if there is a Hard Brexit and thousands of jobs may be lost. Some 52.5% of the Welsh voted Leave in the 2016 referendum, but the Welsh are not the only ones who cannot tell the buttered side of their toast - maybe because they like it served with cheese instead (known as Welsh rabbit).

The Midlands and Newcastle voted Leave but depend on exports of locally-manufactured cars to Europe. Cornwall voted Leave even though it is dependent on EU aid and agricultural subsidies as Britain's second poorest region (after West Wales). While London, though it voted overwhelingly Remain, is very much dependent on financial services.

Business leaders keep reminding Britain that the country does not eat brioche (a la Marie Antoinette) but bread and butter. Yet, if you don't know on which side your bread is buttered, you may end up eating toast with no butter at all.

Toast (Source: Wikipedia)

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Notes:
1. Timeline: This article is part of a series of original #BrexitMetaphors published daily. A total of 97 have been posted so far and another 64 Brexit Metaphors will be published every day until the planned Brexit date of March 29, 2019.
2. Disclosure: The author has a master's degree in European Integration. He also thinks he knows a bit about business, economics, entrepreneurship, China, history, geography, nature, science and Rubik Cubes.
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