Far-right protesters rally in the town of Dover in southeast England on May 28. (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images), THE WASHINGTON POST
A massive division in the British people has been aired in public view this past week. A split of almost 50/50 between those who wanted to remain in the European Union and those who wanted to leave. Well the votes were cast and the decision made, the UK will leave the EU. What troubles or hardships lie ahead, no-one knows, but whatever is to be faced, it must be faced with a united and loyal populace, whose determination to succeed has always been the building of this great nation.
Politicians on both sides of the argument in the referendum engaged in foul tactics, underhanded misdirection and downright lies. They exposed the degradation of a democratically elected government to the world at large. The media have also done their part and, to their eternal shame, they are continuing to fan the flames of division and rancour through a series of glutted and debauched headlines that would not have been acceptable during the Terror of the French Revolution.
The press is inciting politicians and the electorate to pull down the edifice of the nation by publishing racially provoking articles, political dissent and the hypocritical backtracking on promises made to the people by the politicians, elected to work for the common good; highlighting national conflict, widening breaches with themes of alienation and isolating the minorities.
The British people need to be united at this time of uncertainty, to be strongly motivated to face their responsibilities and pull together in a new harmony to regain the confidence of investors and trading friends around the world. They have to forge new alliances, support each other, renew their allegiances and consolidate their efforts to rebuild and repair their failing institutions.
This will not happen if the media continue to print and broadcast notoriously biased and misleading stories on racism, internal fighting amongst the political parties, fomenting the deliberate estrangement of both British and foreign nationals.
There has always been a minority of racists in the UK, the fascist Blackshirts, the BNP and UKIP, have all striven long and hard to promulgate hatred and bigotry. The shocking articles in the press are totally irresponsible and moreover, an insult to all the decent, moral and liberal majority of people living and working in the UK. Being worried about immigration doesn’t make you a racist – propaganda and disinformation does. People have been more rightly concerned about levels of immigration because of overstretched resources in our health service, housing shortages and other social amenities; amenities that have been neglected by successive governments for many years whilst the blame has been laid on the doorstep of the EU.
The British people must change those policies, seize new opportunities and regain their British pride as well as their independence, through co-operation and a coherent, collaborative effort.
The media are bathed in shame by their cynical exploitation of headlines and stories that stir dissention and hatred. If the UK can succeed outside the EU, we now need to prove it. Together. One nation, one people.
Writer: Kay Saxon
The writer is a UK based columnist and commentator with THE PASHTUN TIMES. She is graduated from the University of Central Lancashire, North of England. She can be reached at
kaysaxon@hotmail.co.uk
THE PASHTUN TIMES