To put it quite simply… he’s got us there. Alexander Stubb, who currently serves as the President of Finland, gave a pitch-perfect analogy about the disastrous consequences of Brexit during his visit to London this week.
ALSO READ: ‘No appetite’ to reopen EU membership debate, Starmer’s top negotiator says
Ten years of Brexit – and nothing to celebrate
As the UK approaches the tenth anniversary of the shock referendum result to remove the country from the EU, many have been taking stock over the last few years. Needless to say, those ‘sunlit uplands’ we were promised have yet to rear their heads in any way, shape, or form.
Financial struggles, bureaucratic nonsense, and diplomatic stand-offs have all come to characterise Brexit. Some think-tanks estimate that tens of billions of pounds have been wiped off the British economic slate since the deal to depart was ratified in 2020.
Finnish Prime Minister mocks UK over Brexit
Rather than restore national pride, Brexit has served to weaken the UK on a global level, leaving us open to ridicule in the process. Alexander Stubb wasn’t about to pass up an opportunity to stick the boot in either – and he compared the vote to leave to someone ‘amputating their leg for no reason’.
“Brexit was a colossal mistake… I was actually expecting applause! But I’m too diplomatic to express exactly what I think about those who promoted Brexit, during the campaign, and those who still think that it is a good thing.”
“It is not for me to say. I still come from the outside, and I’m the only person in my family who doesn’t have dual nationality. But I do think that Brexit is not only like shooting yourself in the foot… it’s like amputating your leg without a medical reason for doing it” | Alexander Stubb
‘We need a UK voice in Europe’ – Alexander Stubb
However, Stubb struck a much more diplomatic tone later in his speech, and opened the door for the UK to rejoin the EU at some point in the near future. The Finnish PM predicted that a ‘Brejoin’ campaign could reverse the decision – following an intense period of regret.
Chance would be a fine thing, wouldn’t it…
“We need to be pragmatic. We need a UK voice in Europe. We really miss you guys – I should probably express my view that it took you seven years to negotiate yourselves out of the EU, it will take you seven years to regret it, and then seven years to come back in. I hope.” | Alexander Stubb