3 ms·

To Britain's ruling class, sovereignty means power; EU rules mean their hold on the nation is weakened. That's why the ultras got so much support from many peop

by chalst 4y ago

To Britain's ruling class, sovereignty means power; EU rules mean their hold on the nation is weakened. That's why the ultras got so much support from many people who came from political societies in Oxford, where Johnson, Rees-Mogg, etc., started their political careers, despite the case for Brexit being good for the UK as a whole having so many holes.

jlokier 4y ago
That may be true of certain political societies such as the local conservatives, I'm not sure. But Oxford is an anti-Brexit, pro-European place. The academics (there are a large number) and the locals both dislike Brexit and voted against it. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36615408 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-3661540...
- hammyhavoc 4y ago
  "Oxford" is being used to reference Oxford University in this context rather than Oxfordshire. I know, thoroughly confusing.
  - chalst 4y ago
    More specifically, the political societies were primarily OUCA (the student association for the Conservatives) and the Oxford Union, but also smaller debating societies like the Canning Club. It's surprising to many Brits how many of the leading lights of Brexit belonged to these groups as students.
  - jlokier 4y ago
    For clarity, most of Oxford University and Oxford the town are strongly anti-Brexit. It's also a very international place. You might not think this if you heard about all the privately-educated and often wealthy Conservative politicians who came through Oxford University. So I just wanted to clear up any impression that either Oxford town or Oxford University are like that. They aren't, and most people there are aghast and sad at Brexit. In contrast, Oxfordshire the region outside Oxford, is more pro-Brexit and much more pro-Conservative than Oxford University and Oxford town. It might have something to do with who owns land. The same contrast shows up with regard to Green policies, voting Labour, and proportional representation. Oxford town and members of Oxford University (which is a large number) typically vote Green, Lib Dem or Labour, and the Conservatives do poorly. It's politically a progressive place with an international outlook, compared with the surrounding county and the rest of the country. That hardline Conservatives are not well regarded by Oxford University members is shown by its governing body voting as a protest to refuse Margaret Thatcher an honorary degree when she was prime minister: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/jan/30/thatcher-honorary-degree-refused-oxford https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/jan/30/thatcher-ho...

by chalst 4y ago

jlokier 4y ago

That may be true of certain political societies such as the local conservatives, I'm not sure. But Oxford is an anti-Brexit, pro-European place. The academics (there are a large number) and the locals both dislike Brexit and voted against it. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36615408 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-3661540...

hammyhavoc 4y ago
"Oxford" is being used to reference Oxford University in this context rather than Oxfordshire. I know, thoroughly confusing.
- chalst 4y ago
  More specifically, the political societies were primarily OUCA (the student association for the Conservatives) and the Oxford Union, but also smaller debating societies like the Canning Club. It's surprising to many Brits how many of the leading lights of Brexit belonged to these groups as students.
- jlokier 4y ago
  For clarity, most of Oxford University and Oxford the town are strongly anti-Brexit. It's also a very international place. You might not think this if you heard about all the privately-educated and often wealthy Conservative politicians who came through Oxford University. So I just wanted to clear up any impression that either Oxford town or Oxford University are like that. They aren't, and most people there are aghast and sad at Brexit. In contrast, Oxfordshire the region outside Oxford, is more pro-Brexit and much more pro-Conservative than Oxford University and Oxford town. It might have something to do with who owns land. The same contrast shows up with regard to Green policies, voting Labour, and proportional representation. Oxford town and members of Oxford University (which is a large number) typically vote Green, Lib Dem or Labour, and the Conservatives do poorly. It's politically a progressive place with an international outlook, compared with the surrounding county and the rest of the country. That hardline Conservatives are not well regarded by Oxford University members is shown by its governing body voting as a protest to refuse Margaret Thatcher an honorary degree when she was prime minister: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/jan/30/thatcher-honorary-degree-refused-oxford https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/jan/30/thatcher-ho...