We must reclaim the banner of patriotism from the Brexiteers – Wera Hobhouse
Echoing a point made rightly but unsuccessfully before the European referendum, Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse has been writing for PoliticsHome about the importance of patriotism for the pro-European cause:
The greatness of our country lies in its democracy. A true democracy is honest about the presentation of real choices. It stands on a powerful but fragile pillar: truth. If lies go unchallenged democracy falls. Democracy only survives if true democrats are intolerant of liars.
Democracy is under serious threat in the West today not because any of our democratic institutions or laws have changed, but because enough people have become afraid to call lies by their name and have chosen to appease liars just because their lies have won elections and referenda.
For centuries British democracy has been a beacon to other countries. It is at the heart of our British patriotism and an inbuilt part of our identity. We must reclaim the banner of patriotism from the Brexiteers. They are already saying that we must push through Brexit or prove ourselves unpatriotic, to which I say that those who make that claim are neither patriots nor democrats.
Agree with Wera? Don’t forget then to sign up for the Exit from Brexit campaign.
Patriotism has never been party of the Brexit project. It is UKIPs policy to abolish the Welsh parliament, that would mean for us in Wales: we would lose sovereignty over our own country and become a full colony of the UK (i.e. England). You can see from Swansea Bay tidal project, the railway electrification, control of the railways, police, justice, laws, taxation etc that the UK regards Welsh priorities at the bottom of the pile.
Experience has shown it is almost impossible to reform the UK system into a democratic federal system from the top. That is why the mid-term future for Wales and Scotland is independence. Why bother with an united Britain when we can have an united Europe.
Lloyd George’s liberals haven’t disappeared in Wales: they are now in Plaid Cymru – There are more politically liberal people in Plaid than in the Welsh liberal democrats.
We should all work together for a decentralised federal Europe. Once we are the EU there really is no need for a UK as Wales, Scotland, Ireland and England will have their own countries with freedom of movement for goods and people throughout the whole of Europe.
Except for 1066 and 1485 the Englishman has never been patriotic enough to fight for sovereignty without the help of other UK nationals. England suffered four centuries of subjugation until the Welsh removed the last French speaking ruler from the island. but only after the English had surrendered completely its language, customs and culture. England needs the Scots and Welsh; the English lost the 1066 and 1485 battles despite outnumbering the enemy on both occasions by three to one ratio.