Sir Tim Martin, the founder of JD Wetherspoon and a prominent supporter of the 2016 Vote Leave campaign, has warned that 'cancel culture' represents the biggest danger facing the United Kingdom. In an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk, a decade after the historic Brexit referendum, Martin called on Britons to 'end cancel culture' and encourage open debate, cautioning that the next generation is at risk of ceding control to 'keyboard warrior' online trolls.
Brexit memories and democratic concerns
Meeting at Wetherspoon's Metropolitan Bar in London, one of 794 pubs currently operated by the chain, the 71-year-old businessman reflected on his unexpected role in the Brexit campaign. 'The Brexit campaign was interesting because I’d never been involved in anything outside pubs really,' he said. 'It was fascinating to go around the country and talk to people, and it was the debates that I loved, to go on Question Time and so on.'
Martin, who ranks 8th on the Sunday Times Tax List of the UK's highest taxpayers, emphasized the importance of democratic debate. 'It’s those debates that are the main memory for me, and the fact of being lucky enough to live in a country where you can have democratic debates, which a lot of people now would like to curb, I think.'
Ending cancel culture
Martin argued that the rise of cancel culture stifles free expression. 'We have to end cancel culture. We have to encourage people to speak out, and admire people who swim against the tide,' he insisted. 'I admire anyone who’s got an unpopular view – which isn’t slandering or defaming anyone – and is making a cogent argument for what they believe.'
He praised author JK Rowling as an example of bravery in the face of online backlash. 'That’s where someone like JK Rowling, whom I particularly admire, has been particularly brave; she’s got that bravery, that tremendous courage. The world owes her and people like her a lot.'
Brexit: A democratic and economic assessment
Martin cited the EU's 'democratic deficit' as his primary motivation for backing Leave. 'You don’t vote for the President, MEPs can’t initiate legislation and the ECJ, the main European Court, isn’t answerable to any democratically elected Parliament,' he explained. He also criticized the EU's 12,000 tariffs on goods from bananas to children's clothing, advocating for the UK to become a 'fully free trade nation.'
Economically, Martin described Brexit as 'a moderate and modest economic success,' noting that the UK had outpaced France and Germany in growth until the last two Labour budgets. However, he expressed frustration that the UK has not fully embraced free trade. 'Failing to fully pivot our economy in the last decade to a tariff-free free trade model is the most stupid thing we’ve done in the last 10 years,' he said.
Three steps for a proper Brexit
If he were Prime Minister, Martin said he would take three immediate actions: scrap at least 10,000 of the 12,000 retained tariffs, reverse Labour's increase to employers' National Insurance Contributions, and equalize VAT between pubs and supermarkets to reduce the 'tax disadvantage' faced by his establishments.
When asked if he would still back Brexit if the vote were held today, Martin replied: 'Not at all. For me, the Brexit debate triggered a feeling of: “I don’t care if I lose, but I’m going to have to tell you what I think.” That’s the basis of a good democracy.'
