The UK’s decision to leave the European Union is an undeniable wake-up call for European politics. Its roots and drivers are diverse and its impacts will be manifold, but likely negative. We already know that about 70% of the UK’s environmental safeguards and legislation are now at risk.
But one thing is clear: the political problems faced in the UK are not restricted to that country. With increasing Euroscepticism, xenophobia and nationalistic voices across Europe we urgently need a new political discourse based on cooperation and solidarity, where people and the planet are central to EU policies and decision-making. We need a new vision for Europe.
The UK is not alone in facing the challenges that arise from an increasingly globalised world, where inequality is bad and getting worse. In the 1980s, the richest 10% of the population in OECD countries earned seven times more than the poorest 10%. They now earn nearly ten times more.
