2016 in the US and UK: A Liberal’s Nightmare

2016 in the US and UK

The results of the 2016 presidential election and the Brexit referendum dominate the populist themes of 2016. Implementation of protectionism in both countries saw the split from free trade that had been central to the policy of the EU, and the administrations before Trump. The divisive popularity of Trump’s energetic yet confrontational style of politics paved the way for the hyper-partisanship seen so often in American politics. Across the Atlantic, this new wave of politics has translated into a desertion of moderation, at least in the Conservative Party. 2016 saw new populism being ushered in, and saw the transatlantic rejection of liberal principles.

Trump won the 2016 election in a flurry of populist attacks. He held 323 rallies in total, aiming to galvanise support from his central base and appeal to their emotion. Stating that ‘he alone’ could fix the system, he fought tirelessly with his infamous ‘Make America Great Again’ slogan. His crusade against globalism was centred around opposition to free trade, referring to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as the ‘worst trade deal in history’, wanting to put a 35% tax on some Mexican goods. The promises his campaign made to those who had had their jobs taken from them and those who were tired of Washington’s perceptively slow politics managed to whip up support where it mattered. The swing states in the rust belt were evidently sold on his promise of protectionism. He collected the 66 electoral votes of Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania, which ultimately permitted him to sweep up 306 electoral votes without the consent of the nation.

The Brexit referendum was similarly centred around the appellation to emotion. The promise of £350m for the NHS that would have gone to EU payments is perhaps the most memorable aspect of the campaign. The notorious red bus advertised the potential gains for the health service up and down the country, and spoke to people who were concerned of an NHS under continuous strain. Soundbites regarding immigration were also central to the leave campaign, promising constraints on immigration that were perceptively straining Britain’s public services. Charismatic leaders Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage were often pictured sipping a pint in local ‘quintessentially British’ pubs, appealing to the emotional patriotism of the British people, whilst promising protection of the pub industry from foreign competition. This all culminated in an emotional vote; the alluring promises of the leave campaign sucked in voters, 51.9% of which voted to leave the EU, undoubtedly because of the promises of Britain’s freedom from an archaic and harmful institution.

Trump immediately got to work in his attempts to purge America of liberalism. He implemented a 25% tariff on steel imports in 2018. Retaliatory tariffs followed, and the US was locked in a trade war with China, which could have been at a cost of 0.25% of GDP. He got rid of NAFTA and withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a 12-country trade partnership. Such an abandonment of economic liberalism displays Trump’s abandonment of liberalism as a whole – conservative principles of protectionism comparable to 20s isolationism show the decline of liberal principles in the US. The ‘Muslim travel ban’, which was revised after the Supreme Court struck it down, included Yemeni, Somali, Sudanese, and many more, being subjected to broad bans on getting US visas. A report showed that over 40,000 people had been barred from entering the US without any red flags in their files. Trump’s blanket policy of nativism, and restricting people’s free movement signified a zealous choice of ‘security’ over liberty, and abandoned free movement that liberalism desires. Ultimately, Trump’s nationalistic desires attacked the liberal principles that upheld free trade and individual liberty – Trump’s various policy goals showed his presidency to be an attempted wipeout of liberalism in the US. His supporters now threaten the stable running of government in the US. It took 15 votes for the House to get a speaker, and one that lasted less than a year, for the simple crime of working with the Democrats. Hyper-partisanship continues to be a staple of US government, solidified by Trump’s uncompromising strongman image, which makes cross-party agreement hideous to a select few Republicans.

The Brexit referendum had an undoubted impact on Britain. The £350m for the NHS turned out to be a promise broken and one the leave campaign leadership regrets making, according to Farage. The radicalisation of politics in the UK can be traced back to Brexit and Trump’s presidential victory. Reform UK, who campaign on right-wing politics and general opposition to immigration, are polling at 7%, from 3% a year ago. Their campaign slogan is so obviously an adaptation of Trump’s – ‘Make Britain Great’ appeals to emotion, just as Trump did in 2016. Far from David Cameron’s joy at Britain being the best place to be for LGBT people during his leadership, the Conservative party now campaigns on rejection of ‘wokeism’, with Home Secretary Suella Braverman stating that anti-gay discrimination isn’t enough for asylum. The acceptance of populism in both the US and UK has coincided with the 2016 Brexit referendum and Trump’s electoral success, and shown how populism can win in the face of moderate liberalism, and partisanship can win in the face of compromise. Ultimately, the political developments of 2016 changed the way people in the English-speaking world view politics.

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