Transatlantic TakeWASHINGTON—The campaign for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union is a form of ‘Trumpism’ with British characteristics. Pro-Brexit (British exit) campaigners like Boris Johnson, the former Conservative mayor of London, and Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party, are, in some ways, like Donald Trump, the controversial contender for nomination as Republican presidential candidate. They are flamboyant, populist, and opportunist; they never allow facts and figures to stand in their way. They loudly proclaim what they think the average voter wants to hear and resort to distortion and denigration when challenged.
Lagging median incomes, fear of …read more