Brexit, National Action and some myths

For reasons unknown to me some remain voters seem to equate leave voters with fascists and Nazis. The reality is the traditional left-right split was completely irrelevant in the Brexit referendum and both the electorate and MPs from various parties took various positions.

Unfortunately, remain voters also tend to suggest their ‘opponents’ are thick and uneducated. It is an old way of viewing something and it is extremely unhelpful. If someone else draws a different conclusion from you they must be thick. It is as simple as that. Some people may not like the EU. They do not have to explain why any more than someone who prefers painting A to painting B. Exponents should be able to explain a reasoned position but both the eave and remain leaders and groups failed on that.

On the other hand, the talk from some leavers is about violence and riots. 'If we do not get what we want there will be blood on the streets'.

Those who peddle such views on either side are worrying, because I have no idea how representative they are. It would be helpful for remain voters to decry the people calling leave voters thick and for leave voters to decry those talking of riots. I do not hear any of these moderate voices.

The reality is many people took leave or remain positions without knowing anything about the facts or the inference. In particular, people seem to know little about the economic options.

For the record, I neither support leave nor remain. I support getting the best deal for the UK. Since the vote was to leave, I have focused my efforts on the economic options available to the UK if the UK leaves the EU. I have produced some guides here:

http://brian1042.wixsite.com/briansblog/brian-s-blog/tag/Brexit-Guides

Broader discussions on Brexit are available here:

http://brian1042.wixsite.com/briansblog/brian-s-blog/tag/Brexit

What is the connection with the rest of the title? It seems that a British neo-Nazi movement is to become the first far-right group to be banned under terrorism laws in the UK. Home Secretary Amber Rudd said National Action was ‘a racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic organisation'. The connection is that some remain voters seem to think such thinking has either arisen since Brexit or Brexit has legitimised it. Neither is true, regardless of what members of such groups may think. On that basis, many remain voters would have leave voters give in to terrorism and not vote leave in case something bad happened. Is that really how we want to live?

An order laid in Parliament to proscribe National Action is due to come into effect on Friday. Proscription makes it a criminal offence to belong to the organisation, arrange meetings in support of the group or wear clothing or carry articles in public which arouse reasonable suspicion. Penalties for proscription offences can be a maximum of 10 years in prison and an unlimited fine.

Given that the Labour party has stated it will support the new international definition of anti-Semitism proposed by the government, it would be incongruous if it did not also support the proscription order.

What are the myths mentioned in the title? I have heard some people say, although they do not support National Action, they feel it wrong that Muslim groups are not also banned. Let’s then be clear on this. As of July 2016 the government listed 70 proscribed international organisations and 14 proscribed organisations from Northern Ireland. Of the former, many class themselves as ‘Islamist’. Of course, many Muslims and Muslim representatives would disown such groups and would argue they are far from Islamist.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/538297/20160715-Proscription-website-update.pdf

#Brexit #All #GeneralNews #Opinion