Brand Britain Still Appeals
3 MINUTE READ
Whilst Brexit may seem to herald a period of soul-searching, Britain’s brand is still considered appealing on the world stage writes Henri Colens.
Just when we were trying to get on with our lives, Donald Trump was elected President of the United States. In the intervening months it has felt like geo-politics has undergone tectonic-like shifts, the tremors of which are being felt around the world. The recent UK General Election seemingly confirmed we are living in a new era, if not a new reality.
I admit: I look back fondly at the stability of the Cameron era. I miss the relative predictability of the Osborne chancellorship. I’m positively nostalgic about back-bench Boris.
It’ll come as no surprise then when I say I was tremendously disappointed with the outcome of the EU in/out referendum last year. I am Belgian by birth and live in Brussels, but I was raised in Dorset. Put it this way, if you met me for the first time you’d probably assume I had a British passport and bowler hat collection - I look and sound like any other English public school-educated chap.
Having lived, studied and worked in Britain for over 25 years, Brexit is a long drawn-out goodbye to an old friend. I’m an emotional wreck – my upper lip is wobbling.
And it seems emotional arguments hold great sway when it comes to Brexit. People are as entrenched in their position as they are on fox hunting. As of yet, no one has put forward a ‘middle way’ which satisfies either side. The country is divided and there’s plenty of wailing and gnashing of teeth. Britain is in a collective funk.
When I visit the shires and I talk to Englanders about the EU, there’s often an instinctive distrust. It seems to hinge on certain recurring themes: the “exorbitant” cost of membership, the “flood” of foreigners, the “dictats” from “unelected bureaucrats” in Brussels. When you ask the same people about Europe, they enthuse: the holidays in France, the good weather, the food and wine etc.
Why the disconnect? It’s obviously built up over many, many years. The EU does have serious failings, one of them being its inability to communicate the reasons for and benefits of its actions. (By the way, that isn’t because there aren’t any!)
One possible reason for this disconnect may be that there hasn’t been a truly warm relationship between a British Prime Minister and another European leader. Not recently anyway. Adam Boulton recently penned an article entitled: “Why British prime ministers won’t miss going to EU Council summits”, which neatly illustrates the point. In contrast, successive US and British leaders have cosied up to each other - the most enduring example being Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. Their warm friendship seemed to capture the imagination of the public and came to symbolise the warmth between Britain and America.
France and Germany always seem to get on so well – does this breed suspicion, and maybe a little jealousy in the British mind? I suspect so. The “M&M” axis of Macron and Merkel has got off to a good start, and all the signs are that it will flourish and surpass “H&M”. And is the British love affair with the USA in decline? May and Trump may be saying the right things to each other, but the body language is about as warm as a winter morning on one of the President’s Scottish golf courses.
Whilst I was brought up with, and have come to love, English humour, the obsession with sport and its rich and particular culture, I was always perplexed by Britain’s national identity. Here is an island that has made a significant and positive contribution to world history, possessed a huge Empire, invented the most spoken language in the world and arguably done more than any other country to promote globalisation. And yet I feel Britons bear these achievements as a great burden.
It’s as if there’s a collective feeling that they can’t live up to their past glories: “We had titans like Churchill and Thatcher,” they cry! “But now we’re left with May and Corbyn – oh how the mighty have fallen!”
But British people seem blissfully unaware of the appeal of “Britishness” around the world. It comes back to that sense of humour, the heritage and authenticity of British culture, and the unique experience people have when they come to visit. As a brand, Britain has so much going for it – and companies are getting really good at tapping into it.
British ingenuity is in demand. If we’re going to make a success of Brexit, we must allow that demand to be satisfied. Let nothing stand in the way of free and robust trade with our European partners and beyond. This should be the reddest of red lines.