The Brexit deal is not going to make the far-right disappear

For a while it seemed as if the UK might leave the EU on the worst possible terms, resulting from a "no-deal Brexit". But on Christmas Eve, Britain struck an agreement with the European Union for a free-trade agreement. A collective sigh of relief followed. But what does this new world of post-EU membership mean for the UK?

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Britain is still a part of the European continent, EU membership or not. And a number of other European countries, such as Switzerland and Norway, have resisted joining the Union. But the UK is not going to be like either of them. It is the first country on the continent to have been a former member. And with that comes a great deal of baggage, which we have yet to fully appreciate and understand.

Many analysts have rightly pointed out the potential economic impacts of this rather foolhardy endeavour. Within the EU, the UK had a particularly privileged economic and political position, as compared with any other member state. There was already a perception that Britain was having its cake and eating it too.

That is now over. As a recent report from King's College London noted, we are indeed getting a Canada-style trade deal. But it is not similar to the one Canadians have with the EU. It is like the one Canadians have with the US, which operates on a completely different basis. The US is Canada's main trading partner – not the other way round. Canada is in a tremendously weaker position in any negotiation, as compared to the US for whom Canada represents a minor trade partner. This is now the UK's lot when it comes to the EU, and it will not be pretty.

A vehicle passes an anti-Brexit pro-Irish unity billboard seen from the Dublin road in Newry, Northern Ireland, October 1, 2019. AFP

But this is not just about economics. Following the Brexit referendum of 2016, I met with a notable English lecturer at the University of Cambridge. We discussed at length the future of the far-right in the UK. Indeed, this particular lecturer had been sceptical of the EU in the first place, because of his worries that the far-right was mainstreaming quite dramatically within different EU countries. He was concerned that the far-right might thus eventually negatively impact European institutions – and that would also have repercussions here in the UK.

When we met, though, we discussed the possibility that Brexit might be somehow overturned. He pointed out that if that happened, the far-right in the UK would become more radicalised, out of a sense of being cheated, which was hardly the desired outcome.

Perhaps then, Brexit has avoided this type of radicalisation. But at what cost? The Brexit deal is not going to make the far-right disappear. On the contrary, as a force in British politics, such elements may simply continue under another name, where they will have yet more currency, and far more space to go mainstream.

A Brexit trade agreement was struck between Britain and the EU after four years of negotiations. AFP

There is virtually no scenario where the British economy will not contract over the coming years. There will be difficult times ahead. The question then becomes, how will the British political elite on the right respond to that? Will they be honest and say this is the inevitable consequence of the choice to leave the EU? Or will they take their cue from those with even more extreme views, blaming "external forces", especially the EU, for the predicament we find ourselves in?

I suspect the latter. It has already been the case that blaming the EU, which is not responsible for the UK's political choices, is cynically used so that the UK can shirk its responsibilities. And it does not stop there. In Britain, we also run the risk of seeing an increase in anger, but through an ever more fringe and far-right lens, over immigration issues, which have already been present in large parts of the electorate for some time.

The UK is experiencing a surge in migrants crossings, December 4, France. AFP

Where does that leave us, then? In the same place, but only worse. Already we have lacked political leadership, someone of calibre who would not respond to base populism by bending to it but by challenging it. If we had a different kind of leader, we might have averted Brexit altogether and instead helped reform the EU from within.

At the very least, the UK, under more capable leadership, could have struck a better deal, one in which we stayed within the single market. The effects of this narrow parochialism are not just about EU membership, but about preventing the empowerment of the worst parts of our society. Warding those off must continue, irrespective of Brexit.

Dr HA Hellyer, a Carnegie Endowment scholar, is a senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and Cambridge University

It Was Just an Accident

Director: Jafar Panahi

Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr

Rating: 4/5

The specs

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Transmission: ten-speed

Power: 420bhp

Torque: 624Nm

Price: Dh325,125

On sale: Now

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Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face

The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.

The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.

Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.

"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.

Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.

The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.

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How to help

Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.

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Account Number: 11 530 734

IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734

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To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: [email protected]

The finalists

Player of the Century, 2001-2020: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ronaldinho

Coach of the Century, 2001-2020: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Sir Alex Ferguson

Club of the Century, 2001-2020: Al Ahly (Egypt), Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain)

Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

Club of the Year: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid

Coach of the Year: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)

Agent of the Century, 2001-2020: Giovanni Branchini, Jorge Mendes, Mino Raiola

Need to know

The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.

The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.

When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.

Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.

Key facilities

Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

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RESULTS

1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m
Winner: Dirilis Ertugrul, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Ismail Mohammed (trainer)
2.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,400m
Winner: Kidd Malibu, Sandro Paiva, Musabah Al Muhairi
2.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,000m
Winner: Raakezz, Tadhg O’Shea, Nicholas Bachalard
3.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,200m
Winner: Au Couer, Sean Kirrane, Satish Seemar
3.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m
Winner: Rayig, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m
Winner: Chiefdom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m
Winner: King’s Shadow, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

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