The Long March to Brexit may take 15 years at China's pace and lead to the breakup of the UK

By George ILIEV
Brexit Metaphor No 155 

On March 23 about a million people took part in the People's March in London demanding a Second Referendum. Three days earlier, on March 20, Britain completed 1,000 days of inexorably marching towards Brexit since the June 23, 2016 EU referendum. When two waves travelling in opposite directions collide, they usually don't cancel each other but continue onwards. Sadly, no one knows how long the pro-Brexit and anti-Brexit waves will be sustained.

China can provide a useful story on opposing waves that is important in several ways. The ideology-driven Chinese communists started their Long March in 1934 and made it to safety in about a year. Yet, it took them another 14 years to win power in China in 1949. This also led to the break-up of the country into two Chinas: the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China in Taiwan.

If China is any guide for the Brexit process, based on the Chinese communist party's pace, Britain may achieve the ideological nirvana of Brexit in 2031. Unfortunately, by that time it may also end up divided into two countries: the brexited mainland of (potentially communist) Britain and the remainer island of (capitalist) Northern Ireland.

The writing on the wall may turn out to be a Chinese communist slogan or anarchist graffiti after all.

The Long March, China, 1934-35 (Source: Wikipedia)

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Notes:
1. Timeline: This article is part of a series of original #BrexitMetaphors published daily. A total of 155 have been posted so far and another 6 Brexit Metaphors will be published every day until the originally 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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