In the aftermath of Brexit and with the Conservative government under Boris Johnson at the helm, Britain has been awash with optimistic rhetoric. Much of this optimism has centered around the notion that the country has a bright future, thanks to the new wave of free trade opportunities set to be unlocked by breaking free from the European Union. While these aspirations may be admirable, the reality is that Boris Johnson’s optimistic vision of Britain’s post-Brexit future is anything but realistic. This article will discuss why the “Optimism Delusion” has been popularised under Johnson and why it’s proving to be unfounded.
Factors Underpinning The Optimism Delusion: The Urgency to Pass a Brexit Deal
The primary factor underpinning Johnson’s Optimism Delusion is the urgency with which the government has sought to pass a Brexit deal. The ‘do or die’ attitude of the Prime Minister has led him to make a number of overly optimistic predictions on the future of the UK. This includes claims such as those made post-election when Johnson claimed the ‘British people will have changed this country forever’ by voting for a Conservative government.
Johnson’s rhetoric has been further elevated by the surrounding media, who have eagerly embraced the seemingly limitless possibilities of life outside the EU’s influence. This created a culture of excessive optimism among the British public, who were regularly exposed to bullish predictions of what could be achieved in the post-Brexite world.
Lack of a Broadly-Accepted Plan
Another key factor contributing to the Optimism Delusion is a lack of a broadly-accepted plan. Johnson’s government has never released a comprehensive blueprint of what Britain would look like in a post-Brexit world: all available information has come through off-hand comments by the prime minister and speculation by news outlets. This lack of certainty has slowly eroded the public’s faith in Johnson’s optimistic visions and led to numerous grievances, with the public increasingly unconvinced about the potential for a brighter future beyond Brexit.
Unrealistic Promises on Trade Deals
Although Boris Johnson has made numerous optimistic promises, he has set unrealistic expectations on what trade deals the government can achieve in the immediate post-Brexit period. Despite the Prime Minister stating that the UK will be able to sign ‘free trade agreements’ with a number of countries, the process of negotiating such deals is often long and drawn-out, with no guarantees of success. Nevertheless, Johnson has used a range of platitudes to maintain a sense of optimism, leading to growing disillusionment among the public who have yet to see any tangible benefits from Brexit.
Failure to Anticipate Issues Around Border Control
A further factor contributing to the Optimism Delusion has been the government’s failure to anticipate the disruption that Brexit would bring to border control. With Brexit introducing an array of new border controls and regulations, some industries have been particularly impacted, with traders and hauliers owing to huge delays in crossings, impacting both the shipping and retail industries. Furthermore, with the current uncertainty around the Northern Irish border, the Johnson government has not adequately addressed the potential disruption this may bring, further exacerbating public disillusionment.
Economic Impact of the Optimism Delusion
Finally, the cultural shift towards optimism has also had a detrimental economic impact on the UK’s post-Brexit economy. With the stock markets having experienced a noticeable jump since the 2016 referendum, the short-term gains of optimistic talk have had long-term economic repercussions. The lack of true transparency on Brexit has caused an innumerable amount of volatility in the markets, detracting significantly from the UK’s future economic potential.
The Optimism Delusion has been propagated at the highest levels of the British government, driven by Boris Johnson’s determination to pass a Brexit deal and backed by a complicit media. Yet the reality is that Johnson’s exuberant forecasts have often been overly optimistic and his optimistic predictions have been proven unfounded time and time again. With a lack of any real post-Brexit plan, unrealistic promises on trade deals, and a failure to anticipate issues around border controls, the Optimism Delusion has had a detrimental economic impact on the UK. Ultimately, this optimistic bubble has resulted in the public growing ever more disillusioned with the government, with little evidence to suggest Johnson’s optimistic predictions will come to fruition.