Brexit would isolate England

If the British voted to leave the EU, it would result in a second referendum in Scotland, which would probably result in it leaving the United Kingdom, former Lib-Dem leader Paddy Ashdown warned the audience at The Economist’s conference being held at the Portomaso Conference Centre this morning. Lord Ashdown, a passionate voice within the ‘Stay’ movement, said Brexit would eventually lead to the dismantling of the United Kingdom, leaving England on its own. “Our future is not to hide behind a fortress wall shouting insults at foreigners,” he said, adding that in spite of the predictions of various polls on a sway towards ‘Stay’, he had no confidence about the outcome of the June 23 referendum. “There is a grumpiness in people which has been fed by right-wing foreign owned media, which has never been successfully countered by politicians,” he said. He also forecast severe internal conflicts within the Labour and Conservative parties should Britain leave the EU, as well as fresh impetus to the voices on the mainland who wanted disintegration of the Union. The theme of disintegration also dominated the speech by former Italian prime minister Mario Monti, who said, however, that...