Opinion: UK will inspire restoration of democracy in Europe

On Friday when it became clear the UK had voted to leave the EU, the sky did not fall in, so I took the kids surfing in the warm waters of the English Channel. I’m an Irish citizen living on the Isle of Wight – and a Leave voter.

Our house is at the same latitude as Lille – where Ireland beat Italy two days before – much to the dismay of my Italian-citizen wife, but to the delight of our Irish-born children. My kids have three passports, British, Irish and Italian, and so we are a very European family. Yet I rejoice to think of the future possible for them outside the EU.

Within hours of the vote, many of the lies of the Remain camp became evident: David Cameron did resign, despite promising not to; article 50 was not immediately invoked; despite that threat; and the FTSE 100 actually finished the week up by 3 per cent.

I had nervously predicted a leave vote two days earlier on RTÉ radio. I believed the British people had the guts to face down the markets, banks, big politics, the IMF, the OECD and even Jean-Claude Junker. So it proved.

‘English nationalists’

It has been horrible to see the subsequent commentary in the Irish media. Apparently, 52 per cent of the UK population are “English nationalists” or worse, including myself – who is neither English nor a nationalist. What about the Welsh majority for Leave? Or the 45 per cent of the Northern Irish or the 38 per cent of the Scottish vote for Leave? What about the many of immigrant origin who voted out? What about the fact that left-wing Labour heartlands won the day? Black, white, Asian, English, Welsh, Scottish or Irish – 17 million people voted Leave – the biggest electoral mandate in UK history.

To dismiss this diverse and broad church as ignorant, petty-minded little Englanders is to misunderstand the decent and tolerant society of the UK. This was a broad and diverse coalition of left and right, rich and poor, immigrant and native who came together to reclaim democracy in Europe. The right to elect – and dismiss – those who govern was what this referendum, was about. No wonder the unelected in Brussels seem so nervous.

No wonder either that the Irish political and media elite seem so nervous. In this small section, there has long been a subliminal view that the Irish need to be governed, ultimately, by Brussels.

After the result, Enda Kenny appeared with EU flags behind him, assuring the world of his supine allegiance to the great anti-democratic project of this age.

Vote again

Of course the Irish have form in rejecting the EU in referendums too. One day they will have their say. One day they will refuse, when told “vote again – and get it right this time”.

One day the Irish will revolt against the likes of ex-commissioner Peter Sutherland, when he went on Twitter after the vote to say, “somehow this result needs to be overturned”.

What about contagion, the EU elite ask in terror? What if other EU nations get to have referendums? How awful! Imagine if the democratic will of nations was respected.

The UK – prosperous, democratic and free, outside the EU – will now lead the way towards the restoration of democracy in Europe.

Rory Fitzgerald is an Irish journalist and lawyer living in England