Brexit Vote Anniversary Prompts Reflection on Economic Impact
Labour MP Jo White, chair of the Labour MP Red Wall group, has written that Brexit was not the seismic shock needed to transform the UK economy, arguing that the vote was driven by concerns over immigration, failing public services, and a sense of being ignored. Writing for The Mirror, she reflects on the ten-year anniversary of the Brexit referendum, which will be marked on 23 June.
Constituents Voted on Wider Issues, Not EU
White, who represents Bassetlaw, notes that when the referendum was first proposed, only two Labour MPs—Mike Gapes and her husband, John Mann—expressed scepticism. They warned that one-off referendums often see people voting on unrelated issues. White states: “In my constituency few people were voting on the EU issues constantly debated in Parliament. They voted on how they saw the wider world, on their insecurity at work, failing public services and broken infrastructure, and the sense of being ignored, spoken down to and forgotten. In Bassetlaw, they voted about immigration.”
Social Media Amplifies Discontent
White argues that the referendum unleashed a wave of social media platforms giving voice to all views, including those of isolated individuals. She writes: “Billy no mates, stuck in his bedroom, now has a whole world to speak to about their deep and profound wisdoms.” The mantra of “take back control” has become a clarion call, but she questions: “Control from who, about who, to do what? Everybody has their own version and so the concept of distant hidden elites now grips public belief.”
Economic Models Favour London and Southeast
White contends that the post-industrial and coastal towns of the UK have been marginalised due to economic models that prioritise investment in London, cities, and the Southeast. She says: “It’s not a conspiracy to believe and say that our traditional economic modelling, inside and outside of the Treasury, has given a much higher value to investment in London, followed by the cities and the Southeast. The post-industrial and coastal towns of the country have been marginalised and ignored due to the embedded assumptions that determine major investments and infrastructure spending. If these models had been followed 150 years ago, we would not have had an industrial revolution.”
Call for Investment to Break Cycle
White argues that the referendum and disconnection from Europe have not provided the necessary shock to break these embedded economic models. She warns that without a revolution in understanding economic growth, the UK will see a cycle of volatile politics where “Billy no mates” decide the future and creators and risk-takers disappear abroad. She calls on the Prime Minister to bring the Red Wall inside the tent, suggesting a meeting of the top 50 self-made millionaires with successful UK businesses who built their wealth away from London to spark economic transformation.
