For quite some time during 2016, the United Kingdom had been in the center of attention for several reasons, the most obvious being Brexit, the biggest referendum our generation has experienced. Recently there has been a lot of media coverage on Teresa May’s take on the referendum and her plan for what is to go ahead. However, something that did not make the press as prominently as most other Brexit related news was several politicians use of the term “Independence Day”.
Although many of us were not allowed to vote, I’m sure we still go involved and had our own opinions just as much as the next member of the population. As revealed by statistics subsequent to Brexit, three quarters of under 24s voted against Brexit. This figure is probably unsurprising as the opinions of the youth did not go unnoticed at the time of campaigning, largely through demonstrations and protests; despite this the leave campaign was still lead to victory. However, what I found more shocking than the outcome of the vote was people’s reactions to it; especially the reactions of some public figures.
On the June 21, 2016 at the SSE Arena in Wembley London, Boris Johnson delivered a speech on voting leave. In this speech he confidently declared “I believe that this Thursday can be our country’s Independence Day”. The reaction of the leave voters in the audience were ecstatic and blaring, meaning the speech had met its intentions of introducing a catching phrase to swing voters just days being the referendum. This in itself was startling, but it was not long before it cropped up again from another leading leave politician, UKIP’s Nigel Farage. On June 23, when predictions of a leave victory had started to speculate, Farage said “Let June the 23rd go down in our history as our Independence Day”. If this already wasn’t enough, the following day Mr. Farage proposed his idea that the day should become a national bank holiday “and we shall call it Independence Day”.
In the Cambridge Dictionary, the word independence is defined as “freedom from being governed or ruled by another country”. In the Oxford Dictionary the definition is “Free from outside control; not subject to another’s authority“. This proves that the word was misused as the European Union was never an organization designed to rule any other country. In addition, the U.K. was not at any point under control, despite what people may have said to persuade voters. Therefore, the use of the phrase by the politicians was both misleading and inaccurate.
Furthermore, countries have independence days to celebrate them finally freeing themselves from overbearing empires involuntary ruling over them. It is about them finally enjoying their freedom after years of suppression. Unfortunately, some countries have only just received independence and for some countries the time still hasn’t come. So in my opinion, I think the term is highly inappropriate for British politicians to use when what we are becoming independent from is nothing like what these countries had to achieve as the E.U. was certainly not forcing us into systems like slavery and cultural oppression. Countries have fought from decades to centuries for their independence; in comparison the U.K. joined the E.U. in 1973 and the idea of Brexit only came to be a few years ago.
The U.K chose to be a part of the E.U. and years later chose to withdraw from it. We were never forced into the Union against our will as some politicians made out during the months of campaigning. In addition, attitudes like the ones implied and inspired by the phrase encourages shocking and extreme views from some members of the British public.
For example, xenophobia and racism has increased since the country’s decision, and public hate crimes have become more common.
Remember this article is not for or against the decision of the British public, but against the use of the term “Independence Day”.
