Is Brexit a British identity crisis?

To The Guardian

Somebody give Fintan O’toole a goldfish; amid the glut of Brexit analyses, his dispassionate insight (“Brexit is a very British neurosis”) hits the bullseye. Brexit was, as he rightly points out, never really about Europe – it is a British identity crisis plain and simple; made here, raised here, played out here. The fact that vested interests from the Left and the Right are seeking to use this as a means to pursue their own vanity projects is really incidental. Watching it unfold from north of the border – where we’ve already gone through our own examination of national identity in 2014 – you can’t help but agree with his conclusion that what passes for Britain and British democracy is no longer fit for purpose. The only question now is what will emerge from its demise. Colin Montgomery, Edinburgh

To The Guardian

O’toole’s argument is utterly wrong. A 2018 study asked voters about the main reasons for their decision. Leave voters ranked four options: control over immigration; control over laws; a desire to send less money to the EU; and “to teach British politicians a lesson”. Interestingly, 88% of Leave voters ranked the fourth option as the least important.

But O’toole ignored this data and constructed a straw man. By presenting Brexit as a result of domestic problems, he is sheltering the EU from responsibility. This is dangerous denialism. Only by accepting that the EU has deep and abiding problems at its core can the European project begin a constructive conversation on how to move forward successfully. O’toole does not appear to want to be a part of that conversation. Angus Wood, London