Fintan O’Toole: It is not just the economy, stupid – Brexit is about belonging
Brexit will not be reversed on the basis of economic arguments alone. The Left must address the crisis of identity at its heart
Knottingley in north Yorkshire was once a busy mining town, but since the closure of Britain's last deep coal mine in 2015 locals feel the area has been "forgotten" and hope Brexit may lead to a regeneration. Video: Reuters
Before Christmas I was talking to a middle-aged man in Magharafelt, Co Derry. He was from a Catholic background and was active locally in the SDLP. Inevitably, the talk turned to Brexit and the economic harm it would do. But he pointed out that in the 1970s, the Republic was an economic “basket case” while standards of living were much better north of the Border, even for people like him.
“And yet,” he said, “if someone had given me the chance to vote for a United Ireland, I’d have done it in a heartbeat. I’d have taken the hit. So I understand where people are coming from in England. It’s not all about the economy, you know.”