The issues that led to British voters approving
a measure to leave the European Union should be familiar ones to Americans, says an international government expert who spoke to KABC. Bloomberg Executive Editor John Fraher says immigration and independence were two areas that swayed voters in favor of a
“Brexit.”
Fraher says the wave of refugees making
their way to Great Britain was an issue that moved the needle. “Certainly there was a strong feeling in the electorate that something needed to be done to restrict the amount of immigration coming in from the rest of the European Union”
The referendum was also about Brits asserting
their sovereignty. Fraher says they had grown tired of their lives being controlled by the bureaucracy of the European Union. And when world leaders started telling them to stay with the EU, Fraher says the electorate fired back. “We don’t take kindly to foreigners,
even very powerful foreign leader like Barack Obama, telling us what to do.”
Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to
stay with the EU. Fraher says that is an indication of things to come.
“I think we could be starting to see the
beginnings of the break up of the United Kingdom.”
A referendum 2 years ago was defeated,
54 percent to 46 percent, but Fraher says this time around the outcome could be very different.
Fraher was a guest on TalkRadio 790 KABC’s
McIntyre in the Morning with Doug McIntyre and Terri-Rae Elmer.
