To be Canada, or not…

Former London mayor and now fulltime Brexit supporter Boris Johnson got my interest today with a potent comparison. When he addressed the audience with a plead for confidence in Britain’s ability to survive on its own he named Canada as an example and a role model on how to be successful on its own. This is interesting for two reasons: Firstly previously the Brexit had always relied on the memory of a strong independent Britain. But this very nationalistic idea seems to hold the fears of the Britain’s at bay for only so long. The country was in a stable trading relationship for too long, first with the Empire then the Commonwealth and the EU. One can therefore understand the fear of suddenly being alone. It has just been too long. The hope of being like some of the other “European” countries also falls flat. Be like Switzerland or Norway? These trade deals have been made when de EU was still the EEC. It must seem like a cheap move first to break with Europe and then to come back to them with an open palm. No a fitting comparison for British financial independence cannot be found at home or in Europe. Boris now invokes Canada as the new model for life outside of the common market an idea that Brexit opponent David Cameron does away with as “too good to be real”. The comparison is also secondly interesting because of Britain’s unique history with Canada. It must be at least a bit humbling for Boris Johnson as a British and as a quasi-Neo-colonialist (remember the whole Obama/Kenya controversy a few weeks back) to use a former colony of the Empire as a model for the future. The question is therefore: Are Brexit supporters grasping at straws to come up with a good role model for Britain after the 23rd of June? They seem to be on the right track after all Canada has deals with the EU that do away with nearly 97% of all trade tariffs. But these deals also took years to establish. As Boris himself grudgingly admitted later on: Britain’s deals would at least take that long. Canada therefore proves to be a flawed example of how to be after the referendum. The search for the Brexit role model continues but its supporters will have to hurry…