The Tribune

Having written two weeks ago about the watershed moment of the UK Parliament passing the Withdrawal Bill for Britain’s departure from the European Union, I hesitate to claim there has been yet another significant milestone in the Brexit saga. But this time, finally, it is for real and the goal has been achieved.

Since the US mainstream media is obsessed with the Trump impeachment trial – almost, it seems, to the exclusion of foreign news – many people may not be aware that on Thursday last week Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Withdrawal Agreement officially became UK law. This was after it cleared all stages in Parliament including the upper chamber House of Lords and received the Royal Assent from The Queen. The 600-page document has also been signed by the Presidents of the EU Commission and Council of Ministers followed by the formality of ratification by the European Parliament. All this means that in three days’ time - Friday, January 31 - Britain’s exit from the bloc will take place; at which point there will surely be collective cries of ‘Eureka’ and huge sighs of relief, even among some Remainers since people have become tired of the whole Brexit process.

As I have reported earlier, a transition period will follow and is due to last until the end of December this year. During that time the UK will continue to adhere to EU rules and will negotiate a free trade agreement with the EU Commission (on behalf of the remaining 27 EU member states) while simultaneously seeking similar deals with a range of other countries including, most significantly, the US. Three and a half years after Britain’s EU referendum the unseemly wrangling among the political class as well as the general public has come to an end - and this week’s formal exit is without a doubt a solemn and momentous event that could mark the opening of an inspiring new chapter in Britain’s long and rich history.

Nonetheless, many Remainers are, of course, still opposed to all this. So it is unsurprising the naysayers who have been predicting economic collapse in Britain – the infamous Project Fear that did not materialise – continue their gloomy rhetoric and now warn it will take much longer than an 11-month transition period to achieve a free trade agreement with the EU. However, it is clear such a deal will be in the interests of both sides and, even though there will surely be hurdles on the way, many believe Mr Johnson’s infectious optimism together with his tough approach in talking to Brussels will make a deal by the end of December achievable.

So far, so good, say many commentators. But I fear he may have his work cut out to heal the deep-seated divisions in the UK over Brexit which persist despite the overwhelming endorsement of his EU policy at last month’s general election.

Remainers will not be easily convinced that quitting the bloc is in Britain’s best interests, since they still maintain it could plunge the nation into isolation and economic decline. But their attitude may depend on what happens during the transition period, together with the performance of the nation’s economy, and whether Britain continues to cooperate fully with Europe in other areas despite taking back control of its laws, money, borders and trade policy. In view of the continuing divisions at this early stage, I believe it might be wiser to scale back the ostentatious Brexit celebrations being launched by the government to mark Britain’s departure, including lighting-up government buildings, wide display of the Union flag, a large ‘countdown clock’ and much official partying. That said, a new commemorative 50 pence coin to mark the occasion - and bearing the words peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations - seems to strike the right note.

With the nation freed from what many regard as the shackles and bureaucracy of a protectionist EU and its federalist ideology, the key question now is whether this will be a moment of national renewal in a revitalised Britain as the nation’s potential is unleashed. Mr Johnson is said to want to move the whole country forward with Britain now free to govern itself and negotiate bilateral trade deals. He is quoted as saying most recently that ‘it is time to look ahead with confidence to the global, trail-blazing country we will become over the next decade and heal past divisions’. That is fighting and optimistic talk, indeed. But, having delivered Brexit as promised, he will now be judged inevitably on whether he can also fulfil the other commitments in the Conservative Party’s election manifesto – including, among many challenges, issues like crime, the National Health Service, social welfare, education and economic reform. A tough task for sure. But, with his dynamism and reputation as a liberal, modernising and ‘One Nation’ Tory, who is to say he cannot pull it off?

An anniversary we must all remember

Another example of the US media’s lack of coverage of foreign affairs was last week’s ceremony in Israel to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the Nazi death camp in Poland in which more than one million people were murdered during the Second World War. The memory of Auschwitz and the other concentration camps where six million Jews were killed is kept alive by the World Holocaust Forum which also leads the fight against anti-Semitism that is defined as prejudice against or hatred of Jews. This meeting bristled with world leaders including the Russian and French presidents, Britain’s Prince Charles representing The Queen and US Vice President Mike Pence. It was followed by a gathering at Auschwitz yesterday, the actual anniversary of the liberation, which was attended by some of the same dignitaries as well as some 200 Holocaust survivors.

Mr Pence’s powerful speech was registered by the US media together with a report of a supposed failure by Prince Charles to acknowledge and shake hands with him in a line-up when it turned out later the two men had been talking one-to-one shortly before the alleged snub. This seemed to sum up the extent of the media’s interest which was all the more surprising given local officials claimed it was the biggest political gathering since Israel’s foundation in 1948.

Other speakers also talked of the unimaginable horrors and cruelty of the Holocaust perpetrated by Nazi Germany. With its belief in the superiority of the Aryan race and resentment and prejudice against Jews, anti-Semitism became official government policy and this led to their systematic extermination of Jews between 1939 and 1945. According to Winston Churchill in the abridged version of his famous work on the Second World War, when Hitler mingled in Vienna in the years following the First World War with extreme German nationalists he heard stories of ‘sinister, undermining activities of another race, foes and exploiters of the Nordic world – the Jews’, and this seems to have been the genesis of his hatred of Jewish people.

Historians say hostility towards Jews goes back to ancient times. They were seen as a race apart not belonging to any particular country and as people who wanted to destroy societies and control the world by dominating finance, banking and business. For too long, they have suffered violent oppression, not least the pogroms in Russia in the 19th century, as well as the unspeakable atrocities during a time of darkness and despair in Germany during the last war.

Even though anti-Semitism has been less prevalent since the end of the war, except among extremists, reports suggest Jewish communities are now feeling threatened again across Europe and are being targeted – and this includes Britain where the opposition Labour Party has been accused of tolerating anti-Semitism within its ranks. So it is interesting to read of the emphasis Europe is now placing on fighting such extremism. In a recent statement, the EU spoke of not being able to change history but that history could change future attitudes. It has reemphasised it places humanity at the centre of its values, protected by the rule of law, democracy and respect for what it calls fundamental rights. It was, therefore, no surprise that while the speakers last week condemned the terrors of the past and anti-Semitism in all its forms, they also stressed cruelty was still being perpetrated around the world for reasons of people’s religion, race and beliefs so the need to fight against this was as urgent as ever - with Prince Charles saying ‘hatred and intolerance still lurk in the human heart’.

Overall, I think this meeting in Israel was a significant event which deserved much fuller media attention than it received. But it is good to note the wide coverage by the BBC and UK press of yesterday’s ceremonies at Auschwitz itself.

Why being at school will be the true highlight of my week

At 9.30 on Thursday morning this week, I am looking forward to being at Anatol Rodgers High School on Faith Avenue South. Why, you may ask? The answer is to watch some 90 students sitting at desks in the school’s large gymnasium ready to participate in the fourth annual national essay competition organised by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Nassau Institute. Proposed originally by the Institute more than four years ago, this contest is sponsored by the Templeton Religion Trust and is open to senior high school students enrolled in business studies programmes in both public and private schools in New Providence.

At the Nassau Institute as a think tank, our mission as an independent, apolitical, non-profit organisation is to promote economic growth in a free market economy with limited government, in a society that embraces the rule of law and the right to private property. Working with the Ministry of Education, we wanted to help open up young minds to the basics of economics – and there is no better way of doing that than to get students to read a wonderful little book entitled ‘Economics in One Lesson’ by Henry Hazlitt, an American who has been called the great economic journalist of the 20th century. His book is claimed to be ‘The classic explanation of how the world works’, and in the words of Nobel laureate, Friedrich Hayek, there is ‘no other modern book from which the intelligent layman can learn so much about the basic truths of economics in so short a time’. It is written in an easy flowing style and explains a range of issues in a readily comprehensible form. So we supply paperback copies of this book to the schools concerned for the students to read in advance and the Department of Education devises an essay topic based on it.

Believing as we do in encouraging young people and offering them incentives, we offer a range of nice prizes – cash and trophies and, for the overall winner, attendance at a three-day economics seminar in Atlanta under the auspices of the Foundation for Economic Education. We also give an individual certificate to all participants to record their attendance.

I must say it has been rewarding personally to have been involved in this project over the last few years. It has been a joy to work with those concerned who have been directly responsible for the organisation of the competition – Gwendolyn Johnson, Acting Education Officer Business Studies – Senior High Career & Technical Education Section, Department of Education, Lakell Johnson, Senior Mistress, C R Walker Senior High School and Samantha Knowles, Trained Teacher-Computer Studies, Central Eleuthera All Age School.

They are very good at what they do and I have come to admire their commitment and professionalism.

I hope all this explains why I am, indeed, looking forward to Thursday!