Should we be more optimistic? Britain has fallen back in love with moderation, while its neighbours are flirting with the far right. Some hope the world might follow where we lead.
X
Next
‘Suddenly Britain looks like the sensible one’
Should we be more optimistic? Britain has fallen back in love with moderation, while its neighbours are flirting with the far right. Some hope the world might follow where we lead.
X
PreviousNext
Since 2016, one word has been used to describe Britain over and over: basketcaseA country or organisation that is in severe financial or economic difficulties, especially one that is unable to pay its debts.. International observers said it had voted for disaster, elected a blonde chancer, then replaced him with another who promptly crashed the economy.
Everyone was astonished that a country associated with moderation and caution could have changed so suddenly.
But all that has changed. Britain has a new prime minister, one whose watchword is "sensible government".
Across the sea, in contrast, the European elections gave a boost to the far right. In the US, Donald Trump is on a course for a return to the White House.
And in France voters only narrowly kept the far right out of power.
Many people in Britain are feeling something they have not felt for years: a little flame of optimism.
In their view, it was Brexit that really unleashed the global populistThe term comes from the People's Party, which operated in the USA in the 1890s. Now, it is often used to refer to any movement that makes a distinction between the "people" and the corrupt "establishment". wave. So perhaps, they say, Keir Starmer's decision to turn the page on Brexit is also the start of a new age of sanity around the world. Trump might lose, they believe, and the far right might yet be beaten back in France and elsewhere in Europe, and western countries might renew their support for Ukraine.
Should we be more optimistic?
Yes! After a chaotic few years, the world is getting calmer.
No! This is merely the eye of the storm. The far right may suffer some setbacks but it is on the rise all over the world.
X
Previous
Keywords
basketcase - A country or organisation that is in severe financial or economic difficulties, especially one that is unable to pay its debts.
Populist - The term comes from the People's Party, which operated in the USA in the 1890s. Now, it is often used to refer to any movement that makes a distinction between the "people" and the corrupt "establishment".
‘Suddenly Britain looks like the sensible one’
Steady: After years of laughing at the UK, many other wealthy nations (their leaders above) may be descending into political turmoil. Glossary
basketcase - A country or organisation that is in severe financial or economic difficulties, especially one that is unable to pay its debts.
Populist - The term comes from the People's Party, which operated in the USA in the 1890s. Now, it is often used to refer to any movement that makes a distinction between the "people" and the corrupt "establishment".