Sir, – Rodney Devitt (November 12th) writes as though Europe, against which a sceptical Britain identifies itself, is far more homogenous than it actually is. Britain may, as Mr Devitt suggests, define itself by reference to its imperial past – but so do France, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, just as Ireland in many ways, one way or another, defines itself by its relation to Britain.
Meanwhile, it is quite possible to see the rise of Scottish nationalism, and the attachment to the EU this involves, as connected with the decline in benefits from the old imperial connection. The rise of Ukip in old Labour heartlands is directly connected to the dilution of skilled worker pay by migrants, many from central Europe. In the south, the sense of imperial decline is reflected in the decline of old seaside holiday towns – residents and architecture alike crumbling in a sea of disillusionment that pines for the good old days of Maggie, cheap beer and the Raj. Is all that so much different from the rise of a far right in other parts of Europe?
The UK pioneered neoliberal economic policy in practice, but its principal authors were often Austrian. And the central tenets of British and European economic policy, as pursued by the EU are broadly similar.
Whether the UK goes or stays won’t make much difference to that; policies that have led to the fragmentation of both the UK and the EU will be maintained.
Meanwhile, anyone wondering why nationalism hasn’t quite made its exit from the European polity only has to look at what happened to Ireland during the banking crisis. National interests predominated at ECB and European Commission level; Ireland was considered expendable, and paid the price for European-wide stupidity. – Yours, etc,
EOIN DILLON,
Dublin 8.
Sir, – Nigel Farage continues to peddle the idea that the European Union is some form of foreign imposition whose actions veer from the malicious to the bumbling ("Ireland has been crushed by iron fist of the EU", November 12th). Surely though, whatever its shortcomings, the EU offers us our best hope of political cooperation, democratic participation, and economic integration with other like-minded countries in an increasingly unfriendly world. – Yours, etc,
BENEDICT BLUNNIE,
Bray, Co Wicklow.