DANIEL HANNAN
28 JUNE 2016 • 7:27PM
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| Remainers are smearing their opponents in a deplorable fashion CREDIT: MATT DUNHAM/AP |
On Saturday, as the referendum result sank in, ITV evening news ran a feature on the Pride parade in London. The presenter’s concluding words were extraordinary. Despite the Orlando murders, she said, and despite the Leave vote, the marchers’ message was one of tolerance and unity.
Never mind the implication that gay people couldn’t have voted against Brussels. (In fact, there was a brilliantly effective LGBT Brexit group called “Out and Proud”.) Never mind the unthinking elision of “tolerance” with the EU racket. The truly shocking thing was to link the vote to the Orlando atrocity. The implication was that if you were one of the 52 per cent who voted to take power back, you were different only in degree from a mass-murderer. Sure, you might not be a crazed gunman yourself; but he represented the extreme form of your position.
At the time, I dismissed it as a clumsy slip by one reporter. How wrong I was. Since the vote, Remainers have been lashing out like frustrated toddlers. If you voted Leave, you’re a bigot, a hooligan, a thug.
I’m not just talking about social media. I’m talking about much of the broadcasting establishment. Interviewers start from the proposition that Leavers are either racists themselves or cynical manipulators of racism.
For what it’s worth, polls consistently showed that Leave’s top issue, by a long way, was democracy. Immigration was a distant second and, even among those citing immigration, few wanted or expected that there would be zero settlement from Europe. What they wanted – and what we will be in a position to deliver when we leave – was control. Parliament will decide who comes here and on what terms. How much free movement of labour we retain will be up to us.
In the past 24 hours, I have twice had it put to me on air that I am responsible for hate crimes. The first time was by Christiane Amanpour on CNN, who wanted me to condemn some horrible graffiti that she called “fallout” from the vote. When I replied that there were a few racist idiots in every society, she thought that I was refusing to condemn them. So a few hours later, interviewed by Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain, I decided to leave no doubt. Yes, of course I condemned intolerance, though I still thought it absurd to suggest that there was some kind of continuum linking racists to the 52 per cent of Britons who had opted for democratic self-government. Ending the interview, Piers remarked to his co-presenter that condemning the attacks was “the least they could do”.
Seriously? Those of us who argued for a global Britain, looking further than one declining trade bloc, are responsible for hatred? I have have spent months campaigning, not only alongside Britons of Commonwealth backgrounds, but alongside many people of Continental origin who have clocked Brussels for the remote oligarchy it is. Are we all racists?
Since the vote, I’ve been doing my best to acknowledge the narrowness of the outcome, to take on board the concerns of the 48 per cent. Just as Leavers need to acknowledge that we have only a limited mandate, so Remainers must acknowledge which way the vote went. Only then will it be possible to work together on a new deal with Brussels, keeping parts of our current arrangements while repatriating powers. This isn’t a good time to sulk.
At the time, I dismissed it as a clumsy slip by one reporter. How wrong I was. Since the vote, Remainers have been lashing out like frustrated toddlers. If you voted Leave, you’re a bigot, a hooligan, a thug.
I’m not just talking about social media. I’m talking about much of the broadcasting establishment. Interviewers start from the proposition that Leavers are either racists themselves or cynical manipulators of racism.
For what it’s worth, polls consistently showed that Leave’s top issue, by a long way, was democracy. Immigration was a distant second and, even among those citing immigration, few wanted or expected that there would be zero settlement from Europe. What they wanted – and what we will be in a position to deliver when we leave – was control. Parliament will decide who comes here and on what terms. How much free movement of labour we retain will be up to us.
In the past 24 hours, I have twice had it put to me on air that I am responsible for hate crimes. The first time was by Christiane Amanpour on CNN, who wanted me to condemn some horrible graffiti that she called “fallout” from the vote. When I replied that there were a few racist idiots in every society, she thought that I was refusing to condemn them. So a few hours later, interviewed by Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain, I decided to leave no doubt. Yes, of course I condemned intolerance, though I still thought it absurd to suggest that there was some kind of continuum linking racists to the 52 per cent of Britons who had opted for democratic self-government. Ending the interview, Piers remarked to his co-presenter that condemning the attacks was “the least they could do”.
Seriously? Those of us who argued for a global Britain, looking further than one declining trade bloc, are responsible for hatred? I have have spent months campaigning, not only alongside Britons of Commonwealth backgrounds, but alongside many people of Continental origin who have clocked Brussels for the remote oligarchy it is. Are we all racists?
Since the vote, I’ve been doing my best to acknowledge the narrowness of the outcome, to take on board the concerns of the 48 per cent. Just as Leavers need to acknowledge that we have only a limited mandate, so Remainers must acknowledge which way the vote went. Only then will it be possible to work together on a new deal with Brussels, keeping parts of our current arrangements while repatriating powers. This isn’t a good time to sulk.
Brexit | How world leaders and politicians reacted
Barack Obama
US President“The people of the United Kingdom have spoken, and we respect their decision. The special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom is enduring, and the United Kingdom’s membership in NATO remains a vital cornerstone of U.S. foreign, security, and economic policy.”Hillary Clinton
Democratic nominee for US President
"This time of uncertainty only underscores the need for calm, steady, experienced leadership in the White House." —Hillary #BrexitVoteAngela Merkel
Chancellor of GermanyMerkel said member states should “calmly and prudently analyse and evaluate the situation, before making the right decisions together.“We take note of the British people’s decision with regret. There is no doubt that this is a blow to Europe and to the European unification process.”Vladimir Putin
President of RussiaMr Putin said Brexit would have both “positive and negative” consequences for Russia and the rest of the world, but that he expected markets to stabilise from the initial shock. “Life will show us whether there are more plusses or minuses,” he said.Francois Hollande
President of France
“The British people have voted by referendum to leave the European Union. It’s painful choice and I deeply regret it for the UK and for Europe, but the choice is theirs and we must respect it.”Malcolm Turnbull
Australian Prime Minister
“We respect the decision of the British people and we know that we will continue to have in the future the very closest relations with the United Kingdom. On a personal level I am sorry to see David resign.”Lars Lokke Rasmussen
Danish Prime Minister
I respect (but regret) your decision,@David_Cameron. Thank you for the cooperation through the years.#dkpol“We must respect the choice that a majority of the British people have made. At the same time, I won’t hide the fact that I think it is a very sad result for Europe and for Denmark.”Andrzej Duda
Polish President“Britain is a great European country and historically has been our ally. I believe the referendum result will not change this.”
