Brexit: English nationalism at its very worst.
When John Major took the reins of power in the aftermath of the ousting of Margaret Thatcher in November 1990, neither he nor his Tory successors could have envisaged the degree to which Europe would wreck what is to all intents and purposes, one of the most successful nation states in history of mankind.
Before devolution took place in 97 under Tony Blair’s Labour party, there was a huge gripe from conservative English parliamentarians about the inability to vote on Scottish and Welsh issues, yet Scottish and Welsh members of parliament could vote on English issues.
The ideologically preponderant wing of the Conservative and Unionist party, the hard right, were determined to call the shots and ensure that the likes of UKIP( United Kingdom Independence Party) wouldn’t outflank them on Europe. This meant that William Hague, Iain Duncan-Smith, Michael Howard and David Cameron had to court them, if they were to stand any chance of winning the leadership and by extension, a general election.
What did this mean for the rest of the United Kingdom? Clarion cry for the days of English exceptionalism and rule Britannia? nostalgia for the empire on which the sun will never set? all of the above and a visceral loathing of everything to do with Europe.