The EU Referendum results have been a product of class division in the UK, critics have claimed. This referendum has been much more than the European Union. It is about class, and inequality, and a politics now so professionalised that it has left most people staring at the rituals of Westminster with a mixture of anger and bafflement.
Most of all, Brexit is the consequence of the economic bargain struck in the early 1980s. Look at the map of the vote results, the huge island of “in” voting is in London and the south-east; or those jaw-dropping vote-shares for remain in the centre of the capital: 69% in Tory Kensington and Chelsea; 75% in Camden; 78% in Hackney- mostly rich areas of London, contrasted with comparable shares for leave in places of the UK, such as Great Yarmouth (71%), Castle Point in Essex (73%), and Redcar and Cleveland (66%). Here is a country so imbalanced it has effectively fallen over.
While rich British Indians have also voted Remain, they felt shocked at the result of this Referendum result. A considerable large community 1.5mn, is the most successful among the ethnic minorities from South Asia and of course they voted Remain for a certain economic benefits- as pointed by Lord Karan Bilimoria, Lord Navnit Dholakia and Lord Diljit Rana- all of Indian origin. Most areas with large British Indian population voted in favour of 'Remain'. These include Brent (Wembley), Croydon, Ealing (Southall), Hounslow, Newham, Leicester, Harrow, Redbridge, Barnet and Manchester. But many areas that have a large population of Indians such as Birmingham, Nottingham, Milton Keynes have voted out, include Pakistani populated area of Bradford.
What has led to the poor to vote out is: a terrible shortage of homes, an impossibly precarious job market and cut in all sorts of benefits.
Last year, 3.8 million people voted for Ukip. The Labour party- which has been a representative of middle and working class- has seen an unstoppable decline as its membership, especially with Jeremy Corbyn taking on- with politicians knowing far too little of their own supposed “core” voters. The trade unions, a symbol of the working class are nowhere to be seen, and the Thatcher-era ability of Conservatism to speak powerfully to working-class aspiration has been mislaid.
Anand, a lawyer, with his own law firm in London, told the newspaper, “The departure from EU can definitely be seen as a class issue. My local taxi drivers who are from South Asian community have mostly voted 'Out'. They believe the job opportunities will be better for their children with less of EU immigrants coming in. What they don't understand, if not Britain, these children at least had an opportunity in Europe, which is now no longer possible.
“My business involves many clients from India. They have set up business here because they have considered UK as a gateway to Europe. It's like killing two birds with one stone. I have already had clients withdrawing from UK now, thinking it may be easier for them to set up a business in Europe directly. With Nigel Farage claiming we are heading towards Recession, it's not helping at all!”
Romina, an IT specialist from Milton Keynes said, “I voted out. Because I thought this helps we British better chances to do acquire business. The competition will be less- perhaps none from Europe. Our NHS will get the money required, the benefits will get boosts and commonwealth citizens better chances. I hope the leaders dont prove us wrong now!”
